Are these the programmatic ads that actually work?
“It’s that time of year again!” notes this article from MediaBids in Print Observer. “Time for your readers to find the perfect gifts for their family and friends! MediaBids can help by providing your publication with attractive looking print ads that your readers will love. When they make a purchase, you get a share of the revenue.”
Should you do it?
Programmatic advertising often gets a bad rap for stuffing irrelevant or discordant ads into published content, and it can often serve to damage the brand. Some publishers have seen their ad inventory prices drop as a result of automated trading, as we’ve reporting in the past article “Dancing with Programmatic Ad Buys.”
Yet publishers need advertisers, have space to fill, and are looking for simpler, easier ways to find appropriate ad partners. Could this the ad marketplace at MediaBids be part of the solution?
On the surface it seems good; create an account, then choose only the ads you want from companies and brands that support, rather than harm, your own brand. They offer display ads, classifieds and banner ads. The process looks simple to use and straightforward. We really like that you can see the actual ad to be placed before you order…no surprises, no embarrassment.
On the advertiser side, the site offers a list of participating publications, with their circulation numbers, so advertisers can reach out, request rates, and understand what they’re getting into.
“It’s all about conversion now, especially at the SMB level. Automakers, soft drinks and snack makers, national quick-serve chains and some retailers still need big reach to drive people into store locations. However, many SMBs are much more interested in the conversion of digital traffic to paying customers. This means a mix of media that allow SMBs to qualify callers and site visitors -such as digital display, search, email, social media and PRINT,” writes MediaBids’ Jim Jinks.
For publishers, it might be time to leverage some of that extra space in your newsletter, emails, or digital content in a way that works in tandem with your brand. It’s a brave new world out there for the advertising sales force too. To succeed in this new age, your sales force better have digital ad savvy and be trained in a consultative sales approach that will add value for your advertisers and keep them looking to you as a valid and viable partner.