If your business has never heard about programmatic buying, it’s time to listen up. Ready or not, the advertising industry is embracing automation in a big way. Without speaking to anyone, brands today can purchase digital ads, obtaining a very efficient and effective way to advertise. Since television and print advertising may soon follow digital’s lead, let’s explore everything you need to know about this growing trend.
The Programmatic Buying Train Has Left the Station
In his AdvertisingAge article, Alex Kantrowitz outlines the “10 Things You Need to Know Now About Programmatic Buying,” summarized and generalized below.
Digital advertising is a $58.6 billion market, and programmatic buying is positioned to make up $14.88 billion this year, per eMarketer. Considering it came in at $9.9 billion in 2014, this is a massive jump that far surpasses direct response dollars.
Some of this increase may be attributable by new offerings such as access to some traditional TV inventory, or the ad time in “over the top” TV delivered via the web. As an example, branding commercials can be seen on TV and followed up with a display via Facebook or mobile device ads.
Flexible Targeting at Your Fingertips
With programmatic buying, ad buyers have everything at their fingertips to create an effective ad. Instead of a contractual lock to agree to a certain number of ads in a traditional agreement, buyers can change their course on a dime. Mid-campaign, buyers can see what is the perfect mix, down to geographies, publishers, audience segments, and times of day to reach their target audience in the best way. If it’s not working, buyers can change everything to get it right, without wasting time and money on an ill-fated pre-paid strategy.
According to ad-tech company Index Exchange, “marketers’ internal programmatic ad buying is the fastest-growing category of programmatic spending.”
Mobile is a Challenge as Social Networks Pick-Up Steam
Since the behavioral targeting capabilities of programmatic systems are closely tied to tracking cookies, this is a problem in the mobile world where cookies are ineffective. Cookies cause limitations and difficulties for marketers that want to run campaigns across desktop and mobile devices.
Instead of relying on their own platforms, social media giants (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) have acquired programmatic ad-tech companies to sell ads across the web. With extensive data at their disposal, these social companies now have the ability to connect user identities across devices, proving to be a fierce force in the marketplace.
Targeting Has a Whole New Meaning
Since many brands have moved their display-ad spending through programmatic channels, there is new and improved functionality that allows companies to purchase beyond the standard banner ads, extending into premium ad units.
You want to be viewable? If your company wants to focus on buying only “the top 10% of ads that are viewed for the longest time,” it’s now possible.
Have you tried your hand at programmatic buying? We’d love to hear about your experience, thoughts and recommendations for other small business owners trying this out for the first time.
This article is made possible by Checksforless.com. For more than 35 years, Checksforless.com has provided over 500,000 businesses with high quality business checks, deposit slips, and other banking supplies with easy ordering and fast production times; all at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation. Our discount business checks are easily customizable and compatible with over 4,500 software programs including QuickBooks® and Peachtree/Sage®. Email or call us toll-free at 800-245-5775.
References:
http://adage.com/article/print-edition/10-things-programmatic-buying/298811