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9 Nov 2023 • 2 min read

5 Myths about Programmatic Advertising

Raewyn Willenbruch

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Programmatic advertising has become a driving force in the digital marketing world, revolutionizing the way businesses reach their target audiences. However, there are several misconceptions surrounding it that often leads to hesitation or scepticism. In this article, we will debunk five common myths about programmatic advertising to help you understand its true potential.

But first off…

What is Programmatic Advertising?

Programmatic advertising is the modern way of automating the purchase and sale of digital advertising space. To put it simply, think of it as an automated auction where ads are bought and sold in real-time. While Google and Facebook can be considered as programmatic platforms, it's essential to note that when most people discuss programmatic and in the context of this blog, we are referring to platforms other than Google and Facebook.

These specialized advertising platforms, although laden with technical terminology, function much like Google and Facebook. They harness the power of cutting-edge technology, employing algorithms and real-time bidding to serve highly targeted ads to specific individuals while optimizing ad placements and budgets.

In today's data-driven landscape, where informed decision-making reigns supreme, programmatic advertising offers unparalleled precision and efficiency in reaching your desired audience.

Myth 1: Programmatic Advertising Is Expensive and Only for Large Businesses

Programmatic advertising is not limited to big businesses with deep pockets; it benefits companies of all sizes.

While larger corporations may have larger advertising budgets to allocate to media campaigns, small and medium-sized businesses can also leverage programmatic advertising to their advantage. Programmatic platforms provide options for budgets of all scales, allowing businesses to set spending limits and optimise their campaigns based on their goals.

With programmatic advertising, you can precisely target your desired audience, which reduces wasted ad spend on irrelevant impressions. By leveraging real-time bidding and audience segmentation, programmatic platforms enable businesses to optimize their ad placements and bidding strategies, ensuring they get the most out of their advertising budget.

Myth 2: Programmatic Advertising Is Inaccurate and Inefficient

Programmatic advertising has come a long way in the last few years. Now platforms leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse vast amounts of data in real-time. This enables advertisers to reach their target audience with precision, ensuring that their ads are displayed to the right people at the right time.

Additionally, programmatic advertising allows for continuous optimisation and fine-tuning of campaigns. Advertisers can monitor key performance metrics, such as their conversions, and make data-driven adjustments to maximise campaign effectiveness. This level of optimisation improves the efficiency of programmatic advertising, ensuring that ads are delivered to the most relevant audiences, which leads to better outcomes for advertisers.

Myth 3: Programmatic Advertising Is Set-and-Forget

Although programmatic advertising uses machine learning and algorithms to deliver great performance it still requires ongoing monitoring and optimization to achieve optimal results.

Real-time bidding, a key component of programmatic advertising, allows advertisers to bid for ad placements in real-time auctions. However, advertisers must continually assess the performance of their campaigns, adjust bidding strategies, and optimise targeting parameters to ensure maximum efficiency.

As campaigns progress, creatives that once performed well can stop producing the results you’ve come to expect. To overcome this, programmatic advertising offers various techniques that allow advertisers to experiment with different ad creatives, messaging, and targeting approaches to identify the most effective combinations. By actively managing and optimising programmatic campaigns, advertisers can drive better results and continuously improve their return on investment.

Myth 4: Programmatic Advertising Doesn’t Work for Niche Markets

Programmatic advertising excels in targeting niche markets by leveraging data and advanced targeting options.

Whether you're targeting a specific demographic, geographic area, or interest group, programmatic platforms provide you with the tools to reach your desired audience effectively. By identifying a pool of converting users from your website you can build an effective audience to reach. Using this tactic, you can identify and engage with niche markets, ensuring your ads are seen by the most relevant users.

Myth 5: Programmatic uses low-quality, left-over inventory

One of the advantages of programmatic advertising is that you can choose when and where to buy your ads. You can also choose only publishers that are relevant to your brand's target audience and are consistent with your brand. You can choose to show only on premium websites or take advantage of private marketplace deals.

Depending on your needs and goals, you can also control ad positions and make sure your ads are visible, to show “above the fold”, in full-screen, in headers, or in sidebars. You can also choose specific ad exchanges, devices, and ad placements and with frequency capping you can determine how often an ad will be shown to individual users.

In today's fast-evolving digital landscape, programmatic advertising stands as a beacon of precision and efficiency. Yet, misconceptions often cloud its true potential. We've unveiled the truth behind five prevalent myths, revealing that programmatic is not confined to industry giants, nor is it a set-and-forget solution.

With the aid of cutting-edge technology and constant fine-tuning, programmatic advertising has become a powerhouse for businesses of all sizes. It not only thrives in niche markets but also ensures your message resonates with laser-sharp accuracy. Your brand deserves to shine in premium spaces, and with programmatic, you hold the reins.

Don't let myths hold you back. Reach out today to find out if programmatic is the right fit for your business. Explore our programmatic services and what it has done for our clients.