4. Track the results and optimize.
The most exciting (and possibly scariest) part of launching an ad campaign is tracking its performance.
“It’s not just about choosing a strategy or platform,” Hunter tells me. “You have to track everything — what works, what doesn’t — and adjust quickly.”
“Sometimes what looks great on paper flops when you actually run the campaign. Small changes, like tweaking the timing of an ad or narrowing the audience slightly, can make a massive difference.”
If you decide to go the programmatic route, your next step will be deciding on a DSP.
To put together a list of the leading platforms for media buying, I asked marketers which ones they use and why they’d recommend them. Below is the compiled list, with tips to get you started.
Best Digital Media Buying Platforms
- Google Display & Video 360
- The Trade Desk
- Amazon DSP
- Wallester
- AdCritter
- Adobe Advertising Cloud
- Criteo
- StackAdapt
- Simpli.fi
- Adelphic, a Viant DSP
- Amobee
- Basis by Centro
- Microsoft Invest (formerly Xandr)
- AdRoll
1. Google Display & Video 360
Inside the Google Marketing Platform, you’ll find Display & Video 360. Originally DoubleClick Bid Management, DV360 integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and other Google products. So, if your team is already using those tools, this may be the right media buying tool for you.
