This does not mean the entire ad buying process is automated; you\u2019ll still need to input details around targeting, budgets, and desired results to enable the software to buy the right advertising space based on your business goals.<\/p>\n
Programmatic ad buying offers mass distribution for advertisers looking to reach a wider audience<\/a> across the internet.<\/p>\n For smaller businesses, it\u2019s worth noting that programmatic ad buying is not<\/strong> a free auction platform (like Google\u2019s Display Network \u2013 see next section!). To access the available inventory (websites), you must source a programmatic advertising (SaaS) platform.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re reading this post, you\u2019re likely familiar with the Google Display Network (GDN)<\/a>.<\/p>\n The GDN is only a small part of the total available inventory (ad space) for display advertising online \u2013 and as such, it is more affordable for smaller businesses just starting out with display.<\/p>\n However, the GDN is just one ad exchange, and most programmatic platforms enable access to multiple ad exchanges in the same platform.<\/p>\n Remember, the GDN is just one ad exchange.<\/p>\n A programmatic platform opens up a wider variety of inventory, meaning more space for your ads to be served.<\/p>\n Programmatic platforms also enable a wider variety of ad formats not available on the GDN, such as audio ads, connected TV, and video.<\/p>\n Programmatic ad platform costs are usually only a small % of advertising spend and can yield much greater returns for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and global brands, so don\u2019t ignore programmatic just because you are a smaller business.<\/p>\n Here are a few reasons why programmatic is worth considering as an alternative to GDN for your business:<\/p>\n One of the fundamental principles of advertising is that businesses must invest in brand-building activity (think highly visual ad formats such as TV, audio, and display) alongside immediate sales activation (think bottom-funnel activity like paid search).<\/p>\n Brand-building can help drive the biggest long-term sales uplift for any business, whereas sales activation type advertising often tends to have a less long-term impact on a brand and can be turned on and off, much like a tap.<\/p>\n Programmatic display ad formats can support brand-building activity due to their visual nature.<\/p>\n The variety of ad formats available through programmatic platforms really lends itself to brand-building advertising<\/a>.<\/p>\n This includes but is not limited to:<\/p>\n The cost per thousand impressions (CPM<\/a>) model means that you pay for impressions and not engagement on programmatic, which is why it lends itself better to brand-focused activity (focused on reach\/impressions) vs. direct response campaigns.<\/p>\n The main question I am usually asked by smaller businesses considering programmatic is around the benefits over and above GDN.<\/p>\n The answer is the quality and diversity of publications you can access outside of Google.<\/p>\n For example, in most programmatic platforms, you can access direct deals with premium publishers that Google simply wouldn\u2019t provide access to in GDN.<\/p>\n This means access to top-tier publications in your industry that aren\u2019t available through placement targeting in GDN.<\/p>\n It is worth noting that programmatic and Google do share inventory for ad purchases.<\/p>\n For example, sites such as weather.com are available on programmatic platforms and through the GDN.<\/p>\n Programmatic advertising is designed for efficiency.<\/p>\n Depending on your business goals, an algorithm will determine where your cash is best spent.<\/p>\n Similar to most ad platforms, you\u2019ll still need to input details on your target audience, campaign objectives, and desired CPM targets, but the platform will do the heavy lifting.<\/p>\n Rather than bidding on inventory through multiple ad exchanges, programmatic ad platforms allow advertisers to streamline management into a single platform, increasing the simplicity and efficiency of managing your advertising activity.<\/p>\n Programmatic platforms offer increased scale and reach by leveraging algorithmic ad buying technology across various advertising exchanges.<\/p>\n This means a shift from 1:1 ad buying to a 1:many ad buying model.<\/p>\n Indeed, programmatic spending in 2021 hit $105 billion<\/a> and is projected to increase in 2022 to $123 billion, over 90% of total digital ad spend.<\/p>\n This clearly shows that programmatic technology is rapidly taking over how we buy and sell advertising.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in finding out whether your competitors are already investing in programmatic advertising, there are a few options, depending on your budget.<\/p>\n You can use paid-for tools such as SimilarWeb<\/a> to assess competitor spending across different ad networks.<\/p>\n SimilarWeb is more expensive than tools such as Semrush <\/a>and Ahrefs<\/a>, but it does have more accurate data on website traffic, in my experience.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re on a budget, you can use the free tool MOAT<\/a> to check the actual creatives your competitors are running and when they were running across different ad inventory.<\/p>\n As you may have grasped, starting with programmatic advertising is more expensive due to platform costs (usually billed on a % of spend model). Still, the various benefits will certainly outweigh the additional costs.<\/p>\n There are many different platforms, but I would suggest going directly to an agency<\/a> or partner with the necessary software and expertise for programmatic ad buying through an existing partnership with platforms such as Centro<\/a> or StackAdapt<\/a>.<\/p>\n More resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n Featured Image: ArtemisDiana\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s The Difference Between \u201cProgrammatic\u201d And Google\u2019s Display Network?<\/h2>\n
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![\"GDN](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/programmatic-advertising-for-small-businesses-what-why-and-how-via-sejournal-iambenwood.png\")
Image created by author, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\nWhy Invest In Programmatic?<\/h2>\n
1. Variety Of Ad Formats<\/h3>\n
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![\"Programmatic](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/programmatic-advertising-for-small-businesses-what-why-and-how-via-sejournal-iambenwood-1.png\")
Image by author, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n\n
2. Premium Inventory<\/h3>\n
3. Targeting And Efficiency<\/h3>\n
4. Reach And Scale<\/h3>\n
Are Your Competitors Already Investing In Programmatic Display?<\/h2>\n
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![\"ad](\"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/programmatic-advertising-for-small-businesses-what-why-and-how-via-sejournal-iambenwood-2.png\")
Image created by author, August 2022<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\nHow To Find A Programmatic Partner For Your Small Business<\/h2>\n
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