When a marketing director explained his preference for a programmatic buy versus the direct plus programmatic buy I’d proposed, he said “We don’t buy websites. We buy people. We buy programmatically.”

Targeting people programmatically on a network of websites is considered by some to be better than a direct buy on specific websites. But a growing number of advertisers are seeing the environment their ads appear in makes a difference, and a combination of programmatic, plus direct, placed with one expert partner can drive better return.

Better sites, better results

The headline for a recent INMA article reads “Premium content sites deliver premium results for digital advertisers.” This is supported by a comScore study and other sources describing a halo effect from the contextual environment in which ads are seen on premium news sites. Deeper engagement with quality content is the difference. Nielsen confirms that consumers connect more frequently with local news sites such as syracuse.com, the nation’s #1 newspaper website.

Data matters

All networks and websites are not created equal. Advertisers should work with a trusted partner who works with first-party data from premium websites and third-party data from quality sources. That means:

• Your ad targeting will be built on the personal connections consumers have with better websites.
• Your ad delivery will be realized across a trusted network of brand-safe websites — plus specific, premium websites.

That’s the power of programmatic plus direct.

Expertise is important

Working with people who are passionate about digital marketing and immersed every day in reporting and optimization is critical. Your marketing partner or ad agency should have staff that are certified in google analytics, with access to quality research from companies such as Nielsen Scarborough, and creatives with experience in rich media and video and who routinely A/B test their work.

Programmatic or Direct? You don’t have to choose. You can have the best of both options when you consider the three keys above.

Advance Media New York is a digital marketing and media company in Syracuse, NY. Our services include search engine marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, and social media marketing to name a few. Questions about how our advertising can help grow your business? Contact us at info@advancemediany.com or by calling 315-470-0032.