Programmatic advertising is the process of using computer software to purchase targeted ads. Advertisers everywhere are using this method because it saves valuable time, costs less, and uses real-time data to attract leads. Programmatic advertising can become an invaluable part of your marketing strategy, especially if you follow these tips.

1. Segment Your Audience

Programmatic advertising can show you precisely what a customer wants using segmentation. Many companies already use demographic research to determine their target audience. However, demographics don't always give business owners a full picture of what consumers want.

There are many types of segmentation that programmatic ads use to their advantage. By dividing your customers into multiple segments instead of a generalized group, it creates a marketing strategy that caters to everyone. Psychographic segmentation (which focuses on interests and preferences) and technographic segmentation are the most useful tools in your arsenal.

Let’s say you have a clothing brand and someone is browsing your website, looking at a few specific items. They leave the computer to do a few errands and return to check their Facebook feed. An ad for one of the customer's items of interest pops up on their feed, further enticing them to make a purchase. This form of interest-based advertising keeps your company relevant in the minds of consumers.

2. Understand the Customer Journey

Advertisers often wonder how they can perfect their customer journey roadmaps. The length of time from first contact to purchase usually depends on the individual customer and their shopping experience. A pleasing website, helpful online support staff, and user-friendly policies contribute to a successful path to conversion.

A positive customer journey is crucial to the success of your brand. If they have a bad experience using your website, they're likely to share that experience online. Research also shows that companies that prioritize the customer experience are 60% more profitable than similar companies.

Programmatic advertising can help mitigate low conversion by providing users with content tailored to their interests. Some advertisers also struggle because they don't know what channels of engagement their audience prefers. 

For example, a business owner may believe that poor sales are due to a lack of staff on the sales floor. However, it could be a different issue entirely, such as an outdated website or social media presence. Programmatic advertising hones in on these problems so that company owners can make changes and generate more successful leads.

3. Set Clear Goals

Having a defined set of goals will allow you to get the most out of your programmatic ad buys. Advertisers commonly use KPIs, like concentrated revenue streams and profitability over time, to track the company’s success. The purpose of this is not only to generate substantial sales but to please customers as well. For instance, if most of your profits come from one particular client or demographic, you're missing out on other potential customers.

However, quantifying this data can be difficult, so marketers often don't bother to use KPIs. This doesn't mean that they don't want their business to be successful. Often, they're looking for specific results but don’t understand which KPIs to identify. 

As one performance analyst points out, most business owners see KPIs as just a set of numbers. However, once they realize these numbers are driven by real consumer behavior, they become more engaged. Programmatic ads use multiple avenues to reach consumers, making the target audience more diverse and interesting.

4. Dissect Your Data

Data collected from the programmatic ads is stored in a data management platform. From here, advertisers can examine detailed third-party information and determine the reach of their advertising campaigns and potential ROI.

Using data to optimize your marketing strategy will probably also be appreciated by your customers. A recent study showed that 83% of customers were more than willing to exchange data for a better shopping experience. It shows that your brand is more attuned to the customer's needs.

5. Use Powerful Creative

Programmatic advertising can be a fantastic tool, but compelling creative copy should be at the heart of your marketing campaigns. Otherwise, even other highly successful tactics won't be effective. According to Statista, 90% of customers value personalization in targeted ads. 

Your audience is always growing and changing, so it's essential to test your creative copy regularly with your target audience. Programmatic advertising can help you determine where their interests lie so that you can make necessary changes.

Getting Started with Programmatic Advertising

Advertisers still have to plan marketing strategies themselves, but programmatic advertising provides credible and useful customer data. Combine that with human-produced creative and your brand has a solid marketing strategy. If you need help taking your programmatic advertising to the next level, consider reaching out to a media partner.