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The first thing to know about choosing a new DSP—is that you need more than just a DSP. We know the idea of transitioning to a new digital media platform can be very intimidating. There’s an incredibly daunting process of direct and programmatic integration, media convergence, and many other moving pieces. Where and how do you start? Below, review the evaluation process to ensure a solid and confident investment that will meet the expanding needs of your organization, now and into the future.
Know your “why.” Why? Setting business goals and looking at the big picture will allow you to see where there is room for improvement down the road.
Ensure buy-in from the executive team and stakeholders. Break it all down—education may be needed to help company executives, shareholders, and members of your tactical team understand the reason(s) for this large transition, as direct and programmatic integration is no small feat. Educate yourself about the entire process first, so you’re able to answer their questions to the best of your ability. Also, identify the questions you aren’t sure of to come back to at a later date.
As mentioned, you need more than just a programmatic buying platform. Determine the components that are critical to your business, by identifying the specific initiatives and goals the platform will need to support. Assign a project manager to track progress, tasks, and deadlines.
Arm your team and stakeholders with the necessary considerations and questions needed to craft a well-thought-out Request for Information (RFI) or Request for Proposal (RFP). Our Digital Marketer’s Guide to Choosing a DSP takes you through the entire evaluation process and is chock-full of questions to ask potential vendors.
What are you waiting for? Get started today!
Recent numbers by Statista show that the average person consumes upwards of 5 hours and 57 minutes of video content per day. There’s no doubt about it, we are watching more videos and spending more time screens—and there are no signs of slowing down. In fact, by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic – 15x higher than it was in 2017 (Cisco, 2020). So why not tap into this growing advertising opportunity? In order to hit your key consumers, it's crucial to understand the basics of the digital video advertising landscape, as well as four essential video ad formats.
Review a quick list of basic terms every marketer must know in order to master digital video advertising in 2020:
In-Stream: The ad format most commonly connected to digital video and similar to a TV commercial viewing experience. It is often used synonymously with pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll.
Interstitial: Particularly popular in the mobile space, these units most frequently appear in-app and are served between app activities or gameplay. On desktop environments, they appear between page loads. These units will typically have a countdown or the ability to skip the video ad after a few seconds.
In-Banner: Served in IAB standard display sizes on a website, most commonly 300x250. The pricing for these units is more in line with static banners or rich media formats.
In-Feed: typically, the video ad will begin once a user scrolls to the placement within a web content feed online or within a mobile device. This format can also go by the name out-stream, in-page, or in-article, depending on the publisher partner.
Pre-roll: A video ad unit that runs in-stream before video content or as an interstitial ad.
Mid-roll: A video ad unit that runs during video content within a video player environment.
Post-roll: A video ad unit that runs after video content within a video player environment.
Reach your desired audience at the right time and the right place with video advertising. Video ad campaigns powered by Basis by Centro can scale and streamline content creation and distribution, and ad campaign analytics. Centro's experts are here to help!
Of all the industries and specialties out there, marketing has become one of the most fluid over the past few decades. Once upon a time, a "marketer" went from door-to-door, selling vacuum cleaners and household products. He/she knew customers' names and understood how to appeal to their needs because his/her survival was founded on the principle of creating relationships that mattered. As the Internet evolved, spam mail and email blasts slowly became the way companies communicated their offerings with the public at large.
Today, however, consumers' expectations have changed. Now, we live in a society where technology has transformed how we interact and connect with one another—from social media to advertising. Consumers expect personalized messages, and if they don't get them, they're likely to move to the next company. What does this mean for your business? If you're not talking to your customers like they're individuals with unique interests and needs, chances are, they won't take the time to engage with your brand/company.
Personalized advertising attracts shoppers in languages that speak directly to their needs. Thanks to the onset of big data and amazing analytical tools, you can now leverage your customers' behaviors unlike ever before. When used correctly, this data will enable you to create a connection between your brand and customers that wouldn't have otherwise been possible.
For example, think about your Netflix dashboard—the algorithms display the titles you've watched recently and what kind of programs and movies will most likely interest you. Your dashboard is personalized to Y-O-U.
That's how programmatic advertising works in the business world.
It's all about getting to know your customer on personal levels. When humans are at the helm, they can't necessarily know you're looking for XYZ product at 3 a.m., and they can't efficiently understand that the reason person A found you is because he or she made B and C decisions.
Programmatic advertising can understand these attributes. In fact, it’s built for this. Programmatic advertising enables you to pick apart large databases, such that you're talking to people in target markets who dwell in particular places in your sales funnel. You create messages that are meant for a particular group of people, and the robots do the rest. Your customer is wowed by your attentiveness, and you're not paying overtime for people to oversee your marketing endeavors at odd hours. Everybody wins.
Marketers have relied on traditional methods of buying ad space and testing content for years, but programmatic advertising changes the game.
Here's a look at two predominant ways programmatic beats old-school methods of content creation and digital marketing:
Centro is your place for personalized programmatic advertising. We're using automation to revolutionize the way companies talk to consumers. Learn more about Programmatic Advertising with Centro.
Centro is on a mission to unleash the potential of digital media professionals. Our product team seeks out the biggest pain points for people working in the digital media space, and customizes a Basis solution to alleviate those roadblocks and meet unique customer needs.
Some of the biggest challenges for agencies and media professionals today include:
Basis is designed to increase capabilities and income by 35%—and give media professionals their time back—up to two hours per person (Forrester, 2019)! Don’t just take our word for it—Centro commissioned Forrester Research to survey our customers and assess how Basis solves the primary challenges faced industry-wide—read the full report here.
Forrester identified and quantified key benefits of investing in Basis, including:
Forrester found two additional qualified benefits:
Centro realizes that investing in new technology is always a risk. That’s why we commissioned Forrester to create a tool that shows media teams the value Basis can provide to their specific business environments.
How does it work?
Input your information into the calculator in order to receive your financial analysis. Your information will appear in the form of a risk-adjusted three-year Net Present Value (NPV).
What are you waiting for?
The Internet: It's the only place where new content appears constantly, social shares find their way around the globe in a matter of seconds and advertisements appear in front of the people most likely to pay attention to them. It seems like the whole thing runs on autopilot, but there have to be humans at the helm, right?
Not necessarily.
Sure, there are still people creating content and designing the websites you see online, but behind the scenes, technology has taken the reins on certain parts of the web—particularly where advertising is concerned. Welcome...to real time bidding! Read on to find out more.
Real time bidding (RTB) uses programmatic advertising technology to put ads in front of audiences at the exact moment they’re relevant. Technology can take care of the ad-bidding process quickly and efficiently, and it's able to place bids on ad space anytime, anywhere.
When ad buying is handled manually, it’s easy to waste impressions because there’s only so much people know about their audiences at the time ad space becomes available. RTB, on the other hand, allows for more automation—robots spend time familiarizing themselves with the behaviors of consumers and instantly know which impressions are going to be the biggest wins for their brands.
Ultimately, RTB is a win-win benefit for all sides of the advertising process, as it allows for more efficient buying and selling across the board. Basis facilitates programmatic advertising and real-time bidding from a unified platform. We're excited to show you all that Basis can do—connect with us and get started today!
Consumers are constantly inundated with video ads from a multitude of brands both large and small. Whether they're on a PC, tablet, or laptop, they're exposed to one ad after another—which makes it easy for them to ignore what doesn't connect or stand out. This creates a unique challenge for brands, and poses the question: How do companies capture the short attention span of consumers in an entirely saturated market?
Below, read five proven advertising techniques to help your brand break away from the pack:
In-your-face branding is a turn-off for today's consumers. They've become desensitized over the years, making consumer advertising with heavy-handed branding largely ineffective. Instead, consider a technique called brand pulsing. This technique strategically knits branding through an advertisement in an understated way. It ensures that your brand is seen, but in an effective, understated way.
Ad placement can impact the effectiveness of messaging and affect how consumers think about the brand. Ads must be relevant not only to the audience, but also the space in which they’re located. For example, if you own a company that manufactures dog toys and your ad appears on a website dedicated to maintaining saltwater fish tanks—it’s probably going to miss the mark. Utilize a demand-side platform to help discover ad space that is most relevant to your brand and vice versa.
Establishing a personal connection is crucial to effective advertising in a saturated market. One of the most valuable advertising tips for companies in any industry is to find a way to empathize with their target audience. This is less difficult than it seems. Think about it—most companies are created because they offer a product or service that solves a problem or satisfies a need. Show that you understand their challenges and frustrations and that your product or service is the solution.
Create highly shareable video content that’s appropriate for a wide range of audiences. Avoid segregating some markets to appeal to others. For example, the use of crude humor for shock value may increase your number of views but is likely to isolate certain segments of your audience.
Today's consumers value rich, interactive experiences on and offline. Avoid talking at them—instead, provide your audience with educational and actionable content. Deliver a full experience. Do that, and they will remember your brand. Content that’s extravagant for the sake of being extravagant is easily forgotten, while content that cultivates a positive learning experience is usually the most effective.
There are a myriad of advertising techniques and tactics that can be utilized to increase brand exposure, however, many of them fail to take into account that online channels are now very saturated with ads. What worked a few years ago, may not work now. Stay on top of the latest advertising tips to maximize exposure and make your ad dollars work harder for you.
Centro offers a performance-driven, demand-side platform designed to help you streamline media campaigns across a multitude of online channels. For more information about how programmatic can transform your consumer advertising, contact us today.
Before the days of digital everything, it was impossible to time advertisements in a way that targeted audiences at the moment that would make the most impact on their buying decisions. Today, it’s virtually impossible to realize success from campaigns that aren’t built to touch consumers at just the right time and place.
Get a leg-up on your competitors! Take a look at the reasons the clock should be an essential part of your campaigns, below.
Consumers are more inclined to make purchasing decisions on certain days of the week and during certain times of the day. Sending your messages into cyberspace without adhering to your audience's particular habits is a sure way to miss out on ample opportunities to be seen. On the other hand, utilizing tools that will talk to consumers when they’re most likely to pay attention, will allow you to optimize ROI and drive brand awareness.
Data analytics provide the insights needed, to ensure you're speaking to consumers when they’ll actually be listening. It’s all about understanding consumer behaviors and adjusting your outreach in a way that resonates with them. Pay attention to daily, weekly, and seasonal trends that affect your own unique business, as well as general best practices that will help bolster campaigns overall.
By understanding how consumers interact with your advertising, you’re optimizing marketing efforts without wasting interactions or compromising your bottom line.
No matter what your company does—business has certain ebbs and flows. Acknowledging these trends allows you to capitalize on consumers’ attention. Ignoring them means potentially leaving money on the table, regardless of the elements incorporated into your campaign.
Improperly timed messages put your brand at risk by:
Learn more about timing in relation to your campaigns, and more! Request a demo to see how you can automate and optimize your digital media with Basis! We're excited to show you all that Basis can do.
As business leaders, you face an array of challenges every day. How can you put marketing at the forefront of other responsibilities, let alone make time to manage multiple digital platforms simultaneously? We’re here to tell you that—it is possible! The biggest challenge is to start now, and not let it fall to the wayside.
Multi-channel marketing might seem overwhelming at first, but when it’s set-up correctly from the beginning, each channel will feed into one another—which automates the process and effectively, does most of the heavy lifting for you. Getting started is the hardest part.
In short, multi-platform marketing creates several touch points between the brand and consumers, optimizing engagement along the way. It allows you to meet your audience(s) where they “live” online and tap into the communication channels and social media platforms that facilitate that conversation most effectively.
Many consumers engage with multiple social media platforms in one sitting—meaning, copying and pasting the same message across several sites doesn’t work. It's not only boring, but it can also decrease credibility. Instead, home in on the specific posting specs (i.e., optimal number of characters and/or hashtags) in each platform to deliver visually appealing and engaging content that meets audience expectations.
It’s important to note that not all platforms will generate engagement for your business/brand, which means you should only focus on the ones that really matter. Once you figure out where your customers are “living,” (i.e., the platform(s) with the most engagement) refine your focus to those few platforms. This will enable your voice to be heard and allow you to create the most impact.
For example, a cross-platform marketing strategy may include the following:
It’s important to understand each of these platforms in order to build on strengths and opportunities—and avoid weaknesses and cutting into valuable time.
Set goals in order to measure progress. Know exactly what you’re trying to achieve before you begin the multi-platform journey. For example, some goals may involve:
Start with a baseline. From there, set metrics and analyze how well campaigns are performing.
A campaign isn’t a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ marketing tool. They require constant attention and analyses to ensure the audience reach is in the right place. If the idea of testing and adjusting makes you nervous, consider hiring a team of digital marketing professionals to do this work for you. Once you find the sweet spot, you'll be able to converse with consumers on the platforms that make the most sense for your unique business.
Basis is your go-to place for all things that make digital marketing less confusing. From programmatic ad buying to solutions that enhance consumer engagement, we’re excited to show you all that our automated and comprehensive digital media platform can do. Don't hesitate to reach out today!
How is your latest campaign doing?
Are you driving traffic to your site? Are you increasing conversions? Are your social shares increasing your presence on the web? If proper metrics aren’t established in advance, you won’t be able to answer these questions. Numbers are needed to gauge success but know that numbers alone aren’t going to tell you everything.
Establish a baseline for the metrics you’re looking to measure and interpret the analytics that represent the various elements of your campaign. There a lot of elements that can be measured—but how do you know which metrics are most important to track for your business?
Review important metric considerations for ad campaigns below:
How are you being found on the web? If you’re mindlessly putting ads out into the universe in hope of gaining clicks—chances are, you're spending too much time and effort in places that aren't driving your bottom line. Regardless of the industry—knowing how consumers are finding you will enable you to optimize your outreach and focus on the channels that are actually driving traffic.
Programmatic technology was created for this very reason; robots track consumer behavior and learn where your traffic is coming from. Basically, it allows you to monitor performance easily so you can see which channels are most productive for your messages.
Are people leaving as soon as they arrive on your site? If so, that’s probably costing customers. Your bounce rate is indicative of the percentage of people who navigate away from your site after they look at the first page on which they land. There are many things that can cause your bounce rate to hit alarming figures but knowing what's causing people to leave will give you the power to remedy the situation.
The following are a few common reasons companies experience high bounce rates:
This metric tells you how many people have actually clicked on your ads, versus the number of people it was put in front of. In an ideal world, you’re putting ads directly in front of the consumers who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. A low CTR may indicate that you're bidding on the wrong keywords, or that your messages are in the wrong places.
Page value tells you where you’re making money in terms of transactions. For example, are people purchasing your products from the homepage or via individual pages? Knowing which pages are most valuable to consumers will help engage your audiences in more meaningful ways.
At Centro, data and analytics are what we do best. If you're ready to automate and optimize your campaigns in a brand new way, let's talk! Request a demo today.