In today’s data-saturated world, advertising can be hyper-targeted to audiences in ways never before possible. Advances in automated, or programmatic, advertising are globally pushing this new wave in market outreach to the forefront of the industry. Buying programmatically is emerging as an important part of the arsenal ad buyers use to effectively penetrate multiple markets with consistent, smart messaging.
Let Data Guide—In Real Time
Automated ads use digital consumer behavior data to program and place messages according to client directives. Response to these initial decisions then generates more real-time behavior data. An agency that excels in online advertising can analyze those results and retool the campaign in progress. Traditional ad space contracts lock ads in place for specified rotation periods. Buying programmatically means communicators can tweak content, time slots or target audience strategies in midstream.
This freedom allows advertisers to concentrate further investment only on those message types and times that yield the highest desired responses. In fact, by buying programmatically, one can now conceive, launch and redirect an automated digital ad campaign without much need to interface with the humans who own or sell the ad space.
Tap More Markets With Automated Ads
Leveraging the power of social networks is increasingly critical to the success of marketing any and everything. Those networks—Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn— are consolidating their ad space power by acquiring programmatic ad-tech companies. By buying up the tech innovators, social networks can sell automated ads throughout the web as opposed to just on their respective platforms. Programmatic ads are also getting more respect as they move beyond banner ads to offer premium space to automated ads on the web and even on TV.
Follow the Money to Make Money
The stakes are significant and growing fast. According to a report from eMarketer, sales of programmatic ads rose to $14.88 billion of a total ad spend of $58.6 billion in 2015. That figure was already up nearly $5 billion from 2014. Automated advertising will only continue to grow as tech innovations make a cross-platform transition more and more seamless. As static and mobile platforms become more interconnected, the power and value of programmatic ads to effectively reach the same audience on all platforms simultaneously increases.
While still a developing field, buying programmatically is more and more a common component of digital marketing packages.