Performance Marketing
What is Programmatic Advertising?
Programmatic Advertising is the automated, real-time buying and placement of digital ads across a network of publishers, using software and bidding algorithms instead of manual, direct ad placement negotiations.
Who Is It For?
Programmatic advertising is run by paid media teams looking to scale reach beyond the major walled-garden platforms like Google and LinkedIn.
How Is It Used?
It’s used to efficiently buy ad inventory at scale across many sites and apps, targeting specific audiences without manually negotiating each placement.
- Use a Demand Side Platform to bid on inventory across a network of publishers
- Target audiences using first- or third-party data segments
- Run display, video, or connected TV campaigns from a unified platform
- Monitor for ad fraud and low-quality inventory, a known risk in programmatic buying
Related Terms & Concepts
Frequently Asked Questions
Is programmatic advertising common in B2B marketing?
Less common than in B2C, since B2B budgets often concentrate on more targeted platforms like LinkedIn and Google, but it can extend reach for brand and retargeting campaigns.
What’s the risk of programmatic advertising?
Ad fraud and low-quality inventory placement are known risks, which is why careful platform and publisher selection matters more than with direct-buy advertising.
