Before 2016, B2B marketers were wary of programmatic.

In 2017, they began adding programmatic to their media buying toolkit.

Come 2019, AdWeekBrandShare predicts that programmatic will be B2B’s instrument of choice.

According to their 2018 survey, “B2B Advertising & Marketing Outlook: Programmatic Takes Hold,” B2B marketers are quickly realizing the benefits of automated media buying.

Just look at the numbers:

• 63% of B2B marketers are currently buying or selling advertising programmatically
• 64% plan to increase their programmatic ad spending this year

That’s a huge change from AdWeek’s older surveys which revealed B2B marketers struggled to even understand programmatic’s benefits.

 

PROGRAMMATIC’S APPEAL

It’s no wonder programmatic is becoming a standard way to buy media in the B2B sector.  It has everything a savvy marketer could want in a mar tech:

Ease of Use: Using programmatic is as easy as buying a pair of pants on Amazon. Sure, you have to do a bit of research first, but there are no pushy salespeople, and there’s no need to walk from store-to-store trying to find the best deal.

Comprehensive: Programmatic isn’t just a way to purchase digital ad space, it’s now being used for television, radio, out-of-home and direct mail. It’s the digital marketplace for all your advertising needs.

Lots and Lots of Data: Programmatic true value lies in the data. And there’s lots of data to be had. Programmatic software takes multiple data points—marketing goals, consumer data, ad formats—to help businesses make highly targeted buys. Those buys then yield even more data—allowing marketers to make informed decisions that get results.

Cost Effective: The bottom line is in the bottom line. Programmatic is appealing because it reduces dollars spent on the entire advertising cycle. In-house marketing costs are reduced because computers do the job of an entire media buying team–from insertion orders to spreadsheets. Fewer ad dollars are spent on test buys. Overall, programmatic produces greater ROI.

 

B2B MARKETERS HAVE CONCERNS-
WE HAVE SOLUTIONS

 

Even though B2B marketers recognize programmatic is the future of media buying, some are reluctant to jump on the bandwagon. AdWeekBrandShare reports that many of the reasons have to do with analytics, knowledge, and fraud. Here are the top listed concerns and strategies for overcoming them:

#1. Targeting and Metrics

The concern marketers have regarding analytics is primarily due to the problems with real-time bidding (RTB) on open exchanges. RTB, although cost effective, isn’t 100% accurate in targeting the proper audience or providing quality measures and metrics.

Solutions:

• Analyze post-bid domain reports to determine the sites that produce the best results
• Use programmatic direct instead of real -time bidding

#2. Brand Safety

Marketers worry that the auction-focused nature of RTB could result in ads being displayed on sites that are not properly aligned with the company’s brand image or, worse yet, on sites that offend their target audience. Both are a threat to a company’s credibility.

Solutions:

• Analyze post-bid domain reports for patterns that may indicate fraud
• White list and black list inappropriate domains

#3. Lack of Knowledge

The biggest concern with B2B marketers regarding programmatic comes down to confidence. AdWeek notes that 26% of respondents cite “lack of knowledge” as the biggest challenge they face in executing a programmatic campaign.

Solutions:

• Increase in-house capabilities for managing programmatic
• Hire an outside agency that can manage the entire lifecycle of a programmatic campaign

B2B marketers should be ready to capitalize on the significant benefits of a fully-automated, digital media-buying campaign. But to do so, they need a team that is dedicated to managing a campaign from pre-bid to post sale and that can align programmatic with sales operations.

Contact Alter-Imaging for more information on how to optimize your programmatic campaign performance.