As programmatic buying continues to shift in new directions along with the tech landscape, media buying will also shift.
A recent example of how quickly these shifts can occur came with the rollout of Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) in 2021. At the time, it wasn’t clear how opting out of tracking would impact targeting and conversions. Now, we know it contributed to significant declines in ad revenue.
Still, programmatic buying isn’t going anywhere and many businesses — especially SMBs — are finding success by combining media types and channels.
Successful media buying requires “multi-channel precision targeting,” says Aaron Whittaker, VP of demand generation & marketing at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency.
“Connected TV (CTV) buying has become increasingly important [and] platforms like Roku Advertising have allowed our smaller clients to access television audiences at a fraction of traditional TV costs,” he told me. “The ability to layer first-party data with viewing habits has made these campaigns particularly effective.”
But the most surprising insight Whittaker shared with me? “Sometimes the most effective media buys come from combining traditional and digital channels. For instance, retargeting users who’ve been exposed to radio ads with digital display has shown promising results for local businesses.”
Want more insight into how programmatic buying can be beneficial for your business? Check out this video covering the top five paid marketing trends.
The Media Buying Process
With programmatic buying continually changing things up for media buyers, the process of media buying isn’t one size fits all. But there are still steps you can follow to keep your team organized, whether you opt for direct or programmatic buying — or a mix of both.
