9 Benefits of Programmatic Advertising for B2B Sales
B2B companies often need to reach very specific audiences across multiple industries or regions. Given that buyer behavior is constantly shifting, strategies like programmatic advertising make it simple to scale and adjust ad campaigns to meet changing market demands.
In other words: it’s a smarter, faster, and more precise way to manage online advertising campaigns. In this guide, we’ll explain how the B2B programmatic advertising process works and cover 9 powerful benefits you can gain from it.
Quick Takeaways:
- Programmatic advertising leverages automation and algorithms to target and place ads at scale across digital platforms.
- The process eliminates the need for slower manual media buying methods.
- The benefits of programmatic advertising include cost efficiencies, data-driven insights, enhanced brand reach, and high levels of personalization (among others).
- Programmatic ad spend has doubled over the past five years and is projected to continue growing in the foreseeable future.
What Is Programmatic Advertising and How Does it Work?
When someone visits a website or app, a super-fast auction happens behind the scenes through a programmatic platform. Advertisers place their bids in real-time, and within milliseconds, an algorithm picks the winner. The programmatic platform shows the winning ad to the user.
For the user, this entire process happens in the milliseconds during which their page is loading.
Programmatic advertising relies heavily on data to identify the right audience for every ad. Advertisers define their target audience using specific data points such as demographics, location, browsing behavior, and interests to help the ad platform place their ads accurately.
Machine learning and algorithms play a key role in making this happen. These technologies can analyze vast amounts of data to make split-second decisions about ad placement, pricing, and targeting. Over time, they learn user interactions and campaign performance to optimize results even further.
Once advertisers set parameters and budgets, programmatic ad platforms take care of the rest, including bid adjustments, ad placement, and reporting.
9 Benefits of B2B Programmatic Advertising for Sales
From an overarching perspective, programmatic advertising benefits B2B sales because companies can scale up and widen the scope of their advertising strategies, all while achieving more accurate targeting and smarter ad-buying decisions.
Let’s dive deeper into 9 of the specific benefits related to these areas and how they help boost sales results over time.
1. Precise Audience Targeting with B2B Programmatic Advertising
You can target your ideal customer audiences with new levels of precision. Ads are optimally placed to reach the right users at the right times, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
From interest-based audiences in Google Ads to LinkedIn Ads’ abilities to target by company seniority, you get significantly more control over who sees your ads and whether they’re the perfect, highly-qualified lead for your business or just a time-waster.
2. Real-Time Optimization
Optimization in programmatic advertising happens in real-time. You can adjust campaigns as information comes pouring in. For example, you can scale up a successful campaign or pivot in response to changing market conditions in just minutes.
This allows you to optimize your budget allocation, creative content, and targeting parameters. You’re able to stay more agile and responsive to external factors, such as audience behavior and market changes so that your ad spend is never wasted.
3. Is Programmatic Advertising for B2B Sales Cost-Efficient?
Programmatic advertising often translates into cost savings since the process is streamlined to minimize intermediaries and increase efficiency at every step.
At the same time, you can fine-tune your ad spend to target the most profitable audiences, keywords, or other aspects. You can easily expand your ads or reallocate funds to other strategic marketing initiatives.
4. Get Data-Driven Insights
Most entrepreneurs will tell you that the best way to test a new product or service offering is to start running ads for it with a simple landing page. The simple reason is that you will get more eyes on your offers than you would with organic methods.
But even if you’re not launching anything new, the data-rich nature of programmatic advertising gives you a goldmine of insights. From user demographics (age, gender, location), browsing behavior (pages visited, time spent), and device usage (desktop, mobile, tablet), to conversions based on your offer and tests.
You’ll also see more granular metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and even the specific times or days when your ads perform best.
This knowledge is something you can take to your other initiatives. For example, if your advertising tests show that one value proposition works especially well for a certain audience segment, you can replicate it in your sales outreach efforts, content creation, and more!
5. Enhanced Reach
With programmatic advertising, you’ll simply be able to reach more people than you could with organic initiatives or traditional ads.
As a B2B company, you can still target exactly the right audience – like key decision-makers in specific industries – while spreading your message across different platforms. For example, a company could run ads on industry-specific websites, show banner ads in mobile apps, or display targeted ads on LinkedIn. The possibilities are nearly endless!
6. Personalization in Programmatic Advertising for B2B Sales
Today’s consumers want personalized experiences. This is true especially in the B2B space, where buyers are more likely to choose providers that demonstrate they’re in tune with industry-specific needs.
On top of that, research shows that 70% of consumers will only engage with messages that are personalized, and 80% say tailored experiences increase the likelihood of purchase.
Ads are no exception, and programmatic advertising allows companies to consistently deliver on increasing customer expectations.
Similarly, a heavy focus on user data allows programmatic platforms to place your ads right in front of relevant audiences and dynamically tailor everything from the copy to the visuals depending on the person seeing the ad.
7. Cross-Channel Consistency
Programmatic advertising helps keep everything uniform, so your customers get a seamless experience wherever they see your ads. Whether someone comes across your brand on a website, social media, or a mobile app, the message and visuals stay the same, reinforcing your credibility and trust.
This consistency is particularly important in B2B marketing, where brand reputation heavily influences purchasing decisions.
8. Competitive Advantage
B2B is crowded in every industry. Winning new business means reaching potential customers early and engaging them in a way that speaks to them. Programmatic advertising helps you do this at scale.
It uses constantly updated data to place your ads where they’ll have the most impact.
For example, if you’re targeting CFOs in the tech industry, programmatic shows your ads on the sites they frequently visit or during the times they’re most active online. This increases the chance you’ll make a connection since your ad taps into their current pains, motivators, and state of mind.
9. Remarketing Opportunities
Programmatic advertising also offers powerful remarketing features that allow advertisers to retarget users who previously engaged with your brand, keeping your products or services top-of-mind. Remarketing is highly effective for B2B sales in particular, as it nurtures leads to an increase in the likelihood of conversions.
Best Practices for Applying Programmatic Advertising in B2B Sales
Define Your B2B Campaign Goals
Setting clear goals is essential for tracking progress and success in your campaign. For example, your goals could be to…
- Increase click-through rates (CTR) by 15% within the next quarter.
- Achieve a conversion rate of 10% for retargeting ads within two months.
- Generate 500 new leads from a specific programmatic ad campaign by the end of the fiscal year.
- Reduce cost per acquisition (CPA) by 25% over the next three months.
These goals will guide your entire strategy, from ad design to audience targeting, so set them early. Doing so ensures your strategy remains focused and avoids misaligned efforts later on.
Map Your B2B Buyer Journey
B2B buyers have a complex and often lengthy journey. Mapping it out will help you deliver the right message at the right time.
Break the journey into stages specific to your funnel, which might vary depending on your industry and audience.
For example, when potential buyers are browsing for solutions, you might provide thought leadership content that highlights your brand’s expertise. As they start comparing options, consider sharing case studies and product demos that build trust and help them assess your offer.
A great tip is to use sequential messaging to guide buyers through the funnel. This technique displays ads in a specific order, gradually delivering more targeted content to nudge prospects toward conversion as they move through the decision-making process.
Define Your B2B Audience
Programmatic advertising gives you laser-like precision in reaching your audience – but you need to know who they are first. The more clearly you define your audience, the better your ads will perform.
You may already have valuable audience data from sources like surveys, analytics, and insights from your sales and support teams. Even with this information, you can further refine your audience by asking questions such as:
- What are their pain points? What about their main motivators?
- What’s their decision-making process like?
- What are their buying criteria?
The more specific you are in understanding their challenges and roles, the more relevant your ads will be. If possible, work alongside experts who can pin down your ICP. No advertising campaign should start without a crystal-clear understanding of your future buyers.
Segment Your Audience
Do segment your audience by criteria like industry, job title, and company size. But most importantly, don’t forget to segment by behavior.
By focusing on behaviors like website interactions and email engagement, you can identify the preferences and patterns that drive your audience’s decisions.
Not only that, but create multiple versions of your ads to speak to different segments. For example, if you’re targeting both CTOs and IT Managers, the ad for the CTO might highlight strategic benefits like scalability and ROI, while the IT Manager’s ad could focus on ease of integration and user-friendliness.
Always let your data guide decisions! If you rely on assumptions, programmatic advertising is unlikely to achieve the precise targeting and performance improvements it’s capable of.
Choose the Right Ad Formats
The ad format you choose will drive how your audience engages with your message. After all, different formats can evoke different responses based on how the audience consumes content. As a result, the right format certifies that your message fits both the platform and the audience’s expectations at different stages of the buying process.
Fortunately, programmatic advertising offers multiple formats, each suited to different stages of the B2B funnel:
- Display ads are great for brand awareness, offering high visibility while keeping costs relatively low. Since they’re widely visible across various websites, they help put your brand in front of a large audience, which is essential for the top of the funnel.
- Native ads blend seamlessly with the platform’s content, which makes them effective at driving consideration. Their non-intrusive nature can capture attention without disrupting the user experience, making them feel more organic to the viewer.
- Video ads are particularly powerful for building trust with your brand, as they engage both sight and sound, providing an opportunity to explain complex B2B products or services in an easily digestible format.
- Rich media formats (like interactive ads) can drive higher engagement and are especially useful for more complex B2B offerings that need extra attention. These formats allow users to interact directly with the ad, increasing time spent engaging with your message.
- Digital Out-of-Home (OOH) ads are excellent for creating a brand presence in specific locations, like business hubs or conferences, reaching executives in the real world where they may not be actively online.
- Connected TV (CTV) ads are growing in popularity for B2B campaigns, as they give you access to a professional audience consuming content on smart TVs and OTT (Over-the-top) platforms like Hulu and Netflix. These ads offer a more immersive experience, which can help position your brand as a leader in the industry.
Choose a Demand-Side Platform (DSP)
A Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is a piece of software that allows advertisers to purchase ad inventory automatically in real time. It connects with different ad exchanges, providing access to multiple publishers and helping you better reach your target audience.
DSPs are great for programmatic advertising, thanks to features like audience targeting, bid management, and campaign tracking, all in one place.
Here’s how to choose the right one:
- Look for DSPs with advanced audience targeting options like behavioral and contextual targeting, as well as budget control mechanisms and comprehensive reporting tools. Some DSPs specialize in specific verticals or ad formats. For example, The Trade Desk offers video and connected TV formats, making it a great choice for multimedia campaigns.
- Make sure your DSP of choice can integrate with your CRM and other marketing tools, such as Google Analytics, to streamline data sharing and simplify team collaboration. So that your sales, marketing, and ad teams can work from the same data.
- Ideally, the platform should offer clear insights into bidding practices, data usage, and pricing. Transparent platforms help you understand where your ad spend is going.
- A user-friendly interface can reduce the learning curve for your team and save plenty of time during campaign setup and management.
Popular DSPs for B2B marketers include platforms like Google Display & Video 360 (known for its integration with Google’s ecosystem), The Trade Desk, and MediaMath, which specializes in data-driven advertising solutions. Each has unique features, so choose one that aligns with your campaign goals.
Craft Winning Ad Creatives
High-quality creatives also determine how well your message resonates with your audience. They’re the first thing potential buyers will lay eyes on, besides communicating your value proposition and encouraging engagement. If your ad is unclear or irrelevant, even the most well-targeted campaigns will fall short. Beyond keeping your audience segments in mind throughout the process, follow these tips:
- Use industry-specific language or images that resonate with each group. This helps the audience immediately relate to your ad, increasing the chances that they’ll pay attention and engage.
- Highlight pain points and offer solutions directly in your creative. By addressing your audience’s challenges head-on and presenting your product or service as the solution, you create a clear path for engagement.
- Make sure your call to action (CTA) is clear and strong. What do you want your audience to do next? Whether it’s downloading a whitepaper, booking a demo, or any other important action, guide them with a CTA that’s easy to understand and hard to ignore.
- Regularly update and refresh your creatives to avoid ad fatigue, which can lead to declining engagement. When people see the same ad too often, they tend to ignore it, or even develop negative associations with it.
For example, take a look at how the Royal Bank of Canada approached testing different product benefit messages. They partnered with creative, data analysis, and media buying teams to develop a set of messages, each highlighting specific product benefits.
After testing, they discovered that one particular message – emphasizing “no seat restrictions” – resulted in a major boost, with a 28% increase in conversions. This shows how experimenting with messaging and understanding what resonates with your audience can lead to impressive performance improvements.
Choosing Targeting Options
Knowing which targeting options to use is essential to getting your ads in front of the right decision-makers. This way, you can connect with your audience based on their behaviors, preferences, and real-time actions.
So, which targeting options are available?
- Behavioral targeting helps reach users based on their browsing history or engagement patterns, so you can capture their intent and interest. For example, if a user has been researching solutions similar to your B2B product, behavioral targeting enables you to show ads that directly align with what they need. And most importantly, that competitors may not offer!
- Contextual targeting places your ads in relevant content environments, such as industry news sites or blogs. This makes your ads more relevant to what users are reading at that moment.
- First-party data targeting uses data you’ve collected straight from your audience – such as website interactions, CRM systems, or email engagement – to create highly relevant and personalized ads. That’s a smart way to improve engagement and conversion rates since these users have already shown some interest in your solution.
- Location-based targeting is great for hyper-localized campaigns, especially when promoting events or region-specific services. This could mean adapting ads to specific cities or regions, emphasizing local relevance, and driving foot traffic to nearby events.
- Retargeting is crucial for B2B buyers, who often need multiple touchpoints before converting. Retarget repeat website visitors or those who engaged with previous ads to stay top-of-mind as they move further down the buyer journey.
Pro tip: with real-time bidding (RTB), programmatic platforms let you bid on ad impressions as they become available, making sure you reach your ideal audience.
Monitor and Optimize Performance Regularly
One of the best things about programmatic ads is their flexibility. Unlike traditional ads, programmatic campaigns can be tweaked, optimized, and fine-tuned in real time based on new data.
However, if you’re not regularly measuring performance, you can miss out on a lot of that flexibility. Even though automation handles a lot of the heavy lifting, it still needs constant attention.
Here are a few ways you can monitor your data and rest assured that you’re making the most out of your budget:
- Set up dashboards in your ad platform or analytics tool to track KPIs in real time. This helps you stay agile with quick adjustments on new data if something isn’t working as expected.
- Run performance audits regularly – at least quarterly is a good rule of thumb.
- Use A/B testing to compare different creatives, CTAs, or audience segments. Apply the insights from these tests to optimize future campaigns.
Mistakes to Avoid In B2B Programmatic Advertising
Tweaking Campaigns Prematurely
One of the biggest mistakes advertisers make is adjusting their campaigns too soon. It’s tempting to respond quickly to early performance data, but doing so can skew results.
Campaigns need time to gather enough data for accurate analysis. Changing parameters too early may prevent you from identifying real trends and lead to decisions based on incomplete information.
So, relax for a bit. Let campaigns run for at least two to four weeks before making adjustments. This allows for more reliable data to inform future optimizations.
Getting Distracted by Vanity Metrics
Vanity metrics can be deceptive. These are metrics that look good on paper but don’t necessarily reflect the actual performance or success of a campaign. Common examples include impressions, likes, or raw click-through rates that don’t correlate with business outcomes like leads or conversions.
For example, you might have a campaign that boasts a high CTR, but if those clicks aren’t converting into leads or sales, you may be dealing with a vanity metric. This could indicate that while people are interested enough to click, the landing page may not be compelling, or the offer isn’t resonating with your target audience.
To avoid getting caught up, prioritize metrics that directly impact your results. Regularly assess these metrics to get a clearer picture of campaign success and ensure you’re making decisions based on meaningful data.
Inflexible Budget
If you’re too strict with your budget allocation, you might miss opportunities to scale successful B2B campaigns or pivot from underperforming ones.
Be ready to build flexibility into your budget so you can adjust spending based on real-time performance and market shifts. You can do this by setting aside a contingency fund (around 10-15% of your budget) for unexpected opportunities. You can also engage stakeholders in budget discussions to identify where flexibility is essential.
Transform Your B2B Strategy with Programmatic Advertising
Companies are quickly jumping into programmatic advertising as part of their strategies. Over the last five years, programmatic ad spending has more than doubled, and it’s expected to continue growing over the next few years.
While that’s a huge leap for programmatic advertising, it shouldn’t be the only focus for growth-focused B2B companies.
No matter how time-saving and spot-on, it still lacks the personal touch and experience that strategies like direct outreach (via email or messaging) provide. In complex sales cycles, prospects may respond well to human connection – especially if they’re used to highly automated processes.
So, yes, the time is now for B2B organizations to implement this and other automated, data-driven approaches to winning new business. But an even smarter decision is to unite the strengths of both programmatic advertising and personalized outreach.
Programmatic excels at driving targeted leads through online ads. In contrast, direct outreach focuses on building relationships through personalized communication. Together, these strategies create sharp awareness and interest among your ideal customers, then nurture those promising leads, finally guiding them toward conversion. The indispensable touch of personalization is where better customer outcomes are at.
If you’re looking to level up your outbound B2B marketing and sales efforts with both strategies, we can help. Our platform and services are custom-built for startups, consultancies, marketing agencies, and other B2B organizations. Schedule a quick call with us to learn more and get started.