What is Programmatic Buying For PPC?

Advancements in the advertising industry have led to data-driven methods to promote and market your business.

One relevant example is programmatic advertising.

A study found programmatic ad spend will top $59.45 billion in 2019. By 2021, $81 billion of digital display ad spend will be conducted programmatically.

How can programmatic buying benefit your business? What does it even mean? This guide will share everything you need to know about this latest marketing trend and how to leverage it for your business.

What Is Programmatic Buying?

Previously, buying ads was a long and arduous process.

Advertisers were required to purchase impressions from publishers, negotiate terms for ad inventory, and send proposal requests to get their ads out into the world.

This meant a lot of back and forth and follow-ups across multiple parties. It was costly in most cases and, worse, inefficient.

The rise of programmatic advertising has sped up the process. Advertisers can now leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to automate the ad buying process in real-time.

This graphic from PubMatic shows the difference between the different types of ad buying:

programmatic buying definition

So, how does programmatic buying work? Here’s an example to help you understand the process.

Let’s say you sell tech products, like an iPhone.

You opt for a PPC campaign to promote your products on Google. Your goal is to bid on advertising inventory to get your promotional content featured on Facebook, Google, or in a 30-second pre-roll video on YouTube.

In the programmatic buying process, cookies or anonymous data are sent to a demand-side platform where the ad-buying occurs. Data can help identify users who have visited your website, live in your geographic location, or are existing customers.

This data could help you identify people who resemble your ideal target audience. In this case, it could be users who have read an article about the latest iPhone, visited the Apple website, or searched for iPhone reviews.

How to Get Your Ads Shown to High-Converting Users With These Attributes

Real-time bidding occurs between various advertisers who want to send an ad impression to the user. This entire process is automated and based on algorithms rather than human input—and it takes less than a few seconds.

The winner of the bid gets to show their ad to the website user.

Here’s to hoping website users will click the ad and convert!

In summary, programmatic buying lets advertisers identify their target market through behavioral insights rather than just keywords, bid on those users, and deliver the ad in the blink of an eye.

Advanced ad targeting capabilities means access to high-converting consumers who are more interested in the products or services you offer.

Why You Should Use Programmatic Buying in Your PPC Campaigns

Programmatic buying lets your ads reach your ideal target audience at affordable price points.

Here are some statistics on the results of programmatic buying:

  • Programmatic advertising generated an astounding $129.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach 155 billion in 2021.
  • The data-driven characteristics of programmatic advertising have led buy-side decision-makers to choose this option. Nearly half (48 percent) believe data is the driving force behind their programmatic investments and strategies.
  • Fifty-two percent of publishers state they have sold more than 81 percent of their ads inventory.
  • Video is a leading driver in programmatic advertising. Fifty-four percent of agencies purchased more than 41 percent of their video inventory through programmatic advertising, compared to only 50 percent in 2019.
  • Sixty-eight percent of marketers have stated paid ads are “very important” to their marketing strategy.

These statistics prove programmatic advertising can bring a load of benefits! Here are a few more benefits to leveraging this ad-buying strategy.

Increase Reach

Programmatic buying is supported on numerous ad networks and marketing channels. It lets marketers access private marketplaces or get ad space from thousands of websites with the click of a button.

Since the entire process is automated, advertisers can scale their PPC campaigns with minimum effort while staying within their budget.

More Transparency

Publishers and advertisers can receive real-time information about ad placements and activity. More transparency guarantees every penny is well-spent while simultaneously improving ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

Target Beyond CTR

A PPC campaign can lead to thousands of impressions and clicks. Yet, these numbers don’t matter if you aren’t generating conversions and increasing sales.

With programmatic advertising, marketers can use advanced ad targeting features. Leveraging website behavior or demographic data lets advertisers reach their intended audience at scale.

Access to Data and Results

Programmatic exchanges provide real-time information on your ad performance. Once you get the insights, you can maximize results by investing in high-performing ads.

If you have subpar ads, then consider modifying them based on data from past campaigns. As long as you know what works and what doesn’t, you can optimize your campaigns and scale fast.

When Should I Use Programmatic Buying in PPC Campaigns?

Programmatic advertising looks promising, but it may not work for everyone. In this section, I’ll discuss when programmatic buying is a good fit.

How to Use Programmatic Buying in PPC Campaigns

  1. Move Beyond the Google Display Network

    If you’re a PPC marketer, you’ve probably used the Google Display Ad Network (GDN) to reach website users. Programmatic buying can help you make the most of it.

    Programmatic buying lets advertisers connect with 80+ additional inventory sources and get placements in sites that were previously inaccessible.

    On top of this, you can reach premium inventory previously considered too small to warrant placement in the GDB or too expensive for direct buys. An example would be ad placements in popular websites like The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg, or Entrepreneur.

  2. Access to First-Party Data

    Marketing strategies often rely on big data to be effective.

    With modern analytical tools, we can easily monitor results and gather information about our customer base.

    Demand-side platforms (where ad buying takes place) can integrate first-party data. This includes data from your customers or audience.

    First-party data can include CRM, social, behavioral, and subscription data.

    As a result, advertisers can launch highly personalized and targeted campaigns. Similar to Facebook campaigns, they can build lookalike audiences that match the profiles of their existing target audience.

    Research-backed data also means you can create content more likely to resonate with your audience. You can also create effective campaigns to get new prospects down the sales funnel.

  3. Personalize Ads

    People are bombarded with ads 24/7 on their phones, in their email, while they watch television.

    Programmatic buying lets advertisers create ads using behavioral targeting and demographic data. Hence, they can connect with their target audience without being spammy or annoying.

    For example, the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), which owns hotel chains like Holiday Inn, used programmatic advertising to compete with Booking.com and Expedia.

    According to their data, consumers opted for their competitor sites because of the myth that they offered better prices. In reality, customers were charged between 15 percent and 30 percent more than the original price.

    The campaign did well because targeted users were more aware of the cost of booking from third-party sites.
    programmatic buying IHG

5 Programmatic Buying Software Options

At this stage, you’re probably wondering how to start with programmatic buying. Let’s take a look at some of the top programmatic buying software options to consider.

Simpli.fi

programmatic buying simpli.fi

Simpli.fi’s programmatic platform lets users efficiently buy targeted impressions or ad inventory from real-time advertising exchanges.

What makes it unique is it lets marketers leverage unstructured data instead of pre-made audience segments. Users can create highly targeted custom audiences based on CRM data, browsing behavior, search history, and geographic location.

You can also use insights to understand audience behavior, and optimize audiences in real-time. This is advantageous for businesses with a huge customer base and tons of data.

For seamless analytics, it has 60+ pre-built reports which lets users easily organize data from campaign results. They also have visualization tools to help you better understand data through graphs, charts, heat maps, and tables.

Adobe Advertising Cloud

programmatic buying adobe experience cloud

Adobe Advertising Cloud offers an independent platform for programmatic buying.

The demand-side platform can plan, optimize, and manage your ad campaigns.

AI pulls audience data so advertisers can launch a paid media strategy that fosters brand awareness. Content creators can also streamline content and build meaningful user experiences.

Budget is a main concern when it comes to running PPC campaigns. With Adobe, users can use AI to analyze data and conduct performance optimization for cost-efficient spending.

AdRoll

programmatic buying adroll

AdRoll’s programmatic platform uses customer intelligence data to identify and target potential leads. It aggregates consumer purchasing behavior on your website so you can understand what works and predict audience reception.

With its powerful analytics capabilities, marketers can send relevant messages to prospects, leading to more engagement and conversions. You can also run omnichannel marketing campaigns and connect with your audience through email, social media, or web across multiple devices.

DoubleClick by Google

programmatic buying google marketing platform

DoubleClick is a programmatic ad platform that automates the ad buying process and effectively runs campaigns in real-time.

Here’s a look at some of its most notable features:

  • DoubleClick Digital Marketing Manager: Built-in intelligence to uncover significant marketing insights on trafficking and reporting. This lets advertisers make data-driven decisions and gain more control of their advertising spend.
  • DoubleClick Bid Manager: This tool helps agencies effectively purchase display media from different ad exchanges in a streamlined platform.
  • DoubleClick Search: Powerful search features provide real-time insights on KPIs and ad performance. Their Ad Data Hub leverages data from Google Ads or your own CRM system to improve your PPC campaigns. By diving into the details, you can make smart bidding decisions and run ads across multiple platforms.
  • DoubleClick Rich Media: Data dashboarding tools streamline information from Google Ads, Analytics, or spreadsheets. Their interactive dashboards also generate easy-to-understand reports so you can communicate results to teams and executives.
  • DoubleClick Studio: Workflow and production tools help marketing teams and media agencies create high-quality and compelling ads which delivers results.
  • Google Analytics: Google Analytics helps users aggregate data to create tailored lists, identify digital touchpoints, and create shareable reports. As you get more information about your company, you can better understand your target audience.

Rubicon Project

programmatic buying rubicon project

Rubicon Project has an automated advertising platform connecting media buyers and publishers from across the globe. Top brands use it to reach over a billion consumers.

The platform centralizes the traditional proposal process and deal negotiation. User-friendly tools and real-time performance analytics capabilities seamlessly consolidate the ad buying process.

Furthermore, insightful reports from their Prebid impression funnel data provide information on page load and impressions across websites and mobile apps.

Conclusion

Programmatic buying lets marketers leverage AI and big data to reach their target audience.

Not only can you identify high-intent consumers, but you can also present ads at the right time and place to maximize results. The automated bidding process speeds up the process, so you can access premium ad inventory with minimal effort.

While it has a lot of benefits, it may not be a good fit for everyone. We highly recommend this solution for advertisers who have maximized the Google Display Ad Network (GDN) or have access to first-party data.

If you want to try it out for yourself, there are multiple platforms that can help you get started in an instant.

How will you use programmatic buying to power up your marketing?

How to Use Amazon Posts to Promote Your Products

If you’re serious about digital marketing, you’ve likely spent thousands of dollars on testing, experimenting, and workshopping only to find that you simply aren’t reaching your target audience.

That’s where Amazon Posts comes in.

Amazon is doing more than just integrating social with online retail. Their Posts initiative reimagines what social media marketing could be, and it might just be the answer to some e-commerce sellers’ problems.

What Are Amazon Posts?

amazon posts home page

Amazon Posts is Amazon’s social media initiative designed to help shoppers find new products and engage with their favorite brands.

Essentially, this is Amazon’s version of Instagram. Posts allow brands to create and promote product-related content, directly linking to specific product listings. All your posts will appear on your brand’s feed.

Your content is visible to shoppers on product detail pages, related product feeds, and category-based feeds. Amazon is presenting brands and businesses with an opportunity to market directly to their audience, within Amazon itself.

As a business owner or marketer looking to expand their social media marketing (SMM) strategy, Amazon Posts offer a unique approach to content. Instead of creating content on the latest social media site and linking to an Amazon account, brands can engage with users already on the Amazon platform, driving sales and engagement.

Access to shoppers that are already engaging with Amazon is part of what makes Amazon Posts such an interesting marketing tool. That access can reduce friction, one of the most frustrating hurdles for marketers to overcome.

Why You Should Use Amazon Posts to Promote Your Products

Platforms like Amazon and social media release new features constantly. So, what are the benefits of investing in this new feature? Let’s look at why Amazon Posts matters for e-commerce brands.

Reach a Wider Audience

Amazon is the most popular buying app in the United States, reaching more than 150 million buyers every month. Amazon Posts helps your brand connect (and convert!) those buyers. Plus, unlike ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Posts let you reach more buyers for free.

A wider reach for free? It’s hard to argue with that.

Reduce Buyer Friction

When we discuss friction in marketing and sales, we’re typically referencing potential sticking points and objections customers encounter in their journey from a potential sale to conversion.

That friction can become a tricky issue because just about every decision a customer makes can lead them to friction.

From a marketing standpoint, your job has two layers. The first layer involves removing as much friction from the customer journey as humanly possible. However, your business can’t remove every single friction point. Eventually, the customer is going to encounter a “yes/no” situation.

That’s why the second layer of marketing involves creating marketing experiences and content compelling enough to keep shoppers moving past the friction points you can’t eliminate.

Every form of marketing has its friction points, but Amazon Posts aims to address two of the biggest issues in marketing.

When your brand promotes its content on Amazon, you don’t have to ask shoppers to follow you to another site. They’re already where they need to be! Plus, with Amazon’s streamlined, high-level approach to the shopper experience, your brand can leverage its expertise and create compelling customer journeys.

Competitive Product Visibility

The term ‘competitor analysis’ is referenced frequently in digital marketing, and with good reason.

Your brand is probably not the only option for product X or service Y. Whether your brand has 10 competitors or 50, your brand’s priority is standing out and connecting with potential shoppers.

Savvy brands and business owners analyze the advertising channels their competitors use. How are they writing their copy? How often are they producing content? Where are their ads appearing? What keywords are on their landing page? These are the questions that drive critical analysis.

Brands ask themselves these questions for one simple reason. When you understand how your competitors think, operate, and promote themselves, hijacking their audience becomes much easier.

amazon posts - related posts feature

Promoting your content through Amazon Posts means your products can land on ‘related product’ feeds so you can directly advertise to your competitor’s audience when the shopper is primed to make a purchase!

With access to over 150M monthly users, your brand can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and let your competitors dominate the Amazon Posts space.

Who Should Use Amazon Posts to Promote Their Products?

Clearly, there are quite a few perks to using Amazon Posts, but that still leaves us with one question. How can you know if Amazon Posts is a good fit for your brand?

You wouldn’t promote exercise equipment on LinkedIn or professional SaaS business solutions on Snapchat. Every audience has a unique social media experience, and understanding how your shoppers see the world is part of building an effective marketing strategy.

Fashion brands are in a fantastic position with this platform. Promoting high-quality images of your products right next to your competitors? It’s a dream come true for most fashion brands.

Still, there are plenty of other brands that can leverage the Amazon Posts space. If your brand has tons of relevant social media content, you’ll be able to repurpose that and promote it directly to Amazon shoppers.

However, there are a few things that your brand should keep in mind before diving into the Amazon Posts ecosystem.

Your brand must actively sell products on Amazon to qualify for this initiative. Fortunately, Amazon Posts is a free platform, which means you can legitimately compete with larger brands.

If your brand has taken the time to create high-quality images, this is a perfect way to not only maximize their value but explore a unique form of consumer marketing.

How to Create Amazon Posts

Now that you’ve decided to get started, it’s time to start creating posts. This process is relatively straightforward. Start by visiting the official Amazon Posts website and signing in using your advertising console or Seller Central credentials.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll create a profile by verifying your brand name, uploading an image of your brand’s logo, and just like that, you can start creating posts on Amazon.

Each Post has five key elements: a brand name and logo, the promoted image, a ‘show product’ button, a caption, and tags. Most of those elements will sound familiar if you’ve spent time promoting on Instagram, but the implementation of tags is a bit different on Amazon.

Instead of hashtags on Instagram, which let you control where your post appears and what it’s related to, Amazon auto-tags your post and automatically determines which feeds it will display on.

Tips to Create Amazon Posts That Successfully Promote Your Products

Now that you know what Amazon Posts are, let’s talk about how to make them work for your brand. Here are three tips to make the most of this new feature.

Post Often

This is where SMM shines. Creating a post on Amazon is entirely free! Instead of having to manage an ad budget, your brand can focus on creating and sharing as much relevant content as possible.

Developing a relationship with shoppers takes time, so the sooner you get started, the better. To ensure regular content updates, schedule your posts through the platform. With scheduled posts, you can simplify your marketing efforts and consistently engage with your audience.

Daily posting is a good place to start, but if you have an extensive backlog of content, feel free to schedule more. Remember to experiment here, to make sure you aren’t overwhelming your audience!

Content Is Still King

We’ve tackled the “quantity” component, but it’s important we address the “quality” component as well.

No one, and I do mean no one, enjoys spam. Instead of overloading your audience with every single possible image, think like an art curator. Your brand is made up of dozens, maybe even hundreds of unique content pieces. Which pieces are exceptional? What kind of customer will want to engage with a particular piece of content?

Crafting remarkable pieces of content is great, but crafting memorable marketing experiences is what drives conversions. Use this platform as an opportunity to explore exactly what your brand and your content is capable of.

Monitor Campaigns and Metrics

Some brands view marketing campaigns as a mad dash for awareness. Don’t get me wrong, traffic is definitely important, but truly effective marketing is about more than just visibility.

As a marketer, I don’t just want to be seen. I demand to be heard, and when my content doesn’t drive conversions, something needs to change.

This is what makes monitoring your campaigns and metrics crucial. If you’re new to Amazon Posts, it’s not enough to simply start posting. You need to determine clear marketing objectives, campaign strategies, and content initiatives.

Social media platforms change constantly and understanding how those changes affect your campaigns makes it much easier to adapt and evolve.

Examples of Successful Promotional Amazon Posts

If you’re worried about what kind of content to create, or how to define your visual branding, take a page from an e-commerce store and just let the product speak for itself.

VIKICON offers a relatively small caption, a decent product offering, and some saturated tags. The image itself demands attention.

amazon posts - vikicon example

Bold, eye-catching visuals are a powerful way to tell your entire brand story without saying anything at all. Sometimes, less truly is more.

amazon posts - kiwi design example

Likewise, KIWI Design understands the appeal of its product. Getting lost in a virtual reality world is about more than just computational capacity and frame rates. It’s about the shock and awe of diving into an immersive digital experience.

My favorite part about this image? It also sells you on the value of the ceiling pulley system! If you want to get lost in a digital experience, the last thing you want to deal with is tripping over cables.

Conclusion

Social media marketing is crucial to building a relationship between consumers and sellers. Our capacity to connect in honest, meaningful ways directly impacts how well our business does. Amazon Posts serves as a bridge between social media marketing and a straight e-commerce experience.

Amazon Posts is interesting mostly because it reduces friction and integrates so well with the Amazon platform. That being said, there are brands with dynamic visual content that are perfectly suited for this environment.

If your brand falls into that category, don’t waste any more time. Get to strategizing and see how well you can connect with shoppers on Amazon Posts.

If you want to learn about other innovative ways to promote your e-commerce company, let our agency know. We can keep you in the loop and partner with you to integrate custom digital marketing strategies.

Are you planning to leverage Amazon Posts? What results are you hoping to see?

How to Understand and Improve CTOR (Click-to-Open Rate)

Email marketing is one of the most important strategic channels in a marketer’s toolkit. According to UK DMA, 91 percent of marketers rate email as their most important channel, followed by social media at 83 percent. Email marketing’s success rate comes from its high ROI, which DMA states comes in at around $58 for every …

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Carlyle CEO Plots Rebound for Private-Equity Pioneer

Kewsong Lee has made it his mission to clean up Carlyle Group’s problem areas and close the gap with competitors.

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PiinPoint (YC W14) Is Hiring a Development Team Lead in Ontario, Canada

Article URL: https://angel.co/company/piinpoint/jobs/1274159-development-team-lead

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26596881

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

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The Ins And Outs Of The Forex Market

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New comment by polygence in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (March 2021)"

Coding mentor (for high school students) | paid/side-hustle/contractor | Remote | US citizen or work authorization

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SEO is Turning into a Questions and Answers Game

I was reading an article from my buddy the other day and he had an interesting trend. 14.1% of all searches on Google are in the form of a question. Here’s the breakdown within the United States: How – 8.07% What – 3.4% Where – .88% Why – .82% Who – .6% Which – .33% …

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