RTB advertising networks are special platforms which were created as a variation of programmatic marketing tools. They are aimed at making the process of buying and selling advert space easy and fast. Besides, they give access to a wider audience providing advertisers with a large number of targeting options. Thus, the platforms like Polus.media allow capturing a target audience on an advanced level.
The essence of RTB
RTB platforms work with real-time bidding system. The deals are made in a few seconds thanks to the application of special software. The latest is based on the computerized algorithms, which are able to make almost the whole process of buying automated. Such a method of ad buying presupposes the involvement of several parties:
- supply-side platform (it is used by publishers for the management of their inventory)
- demand-side platform (it is used by the advertiser for the control, optimization, analysis, and management of their adverts)
- advert networks (special platforms, which work with the definite sites offering the advert space on them)
- advert exchange (a larger platform, which has access to several ad networks).
On the basis of advert platforms, online auctions are organized. Publishers can create offers with definite ad space. Advertisers see the offers and make bids. The offers are sorted in accordance with the definite parameters. Advertisers use filters in order to find only the offers, which correspond to their requirements. The best bid is selected automatically. Then the advertiser’s advert is displayed on the publisher’s site and the commission is charged. Everything happens instantly and does not require human involvement.
Such an approach to media buying becomes more and more popular every year. In general, programmatic marketing takes the biggest percentage of marketers’ budgets.
It is vital not to confuse RTB with programmatic advertising. RTB is just a part of this approach. Remember that programmatic marketing does not necessarily work with real-time bidding and auctions. Its key feature is automation.
The advantages of RTB
Compared to the traditional way of ad buying, RTB is characterized by higher effectiveness and speed. There is no need to spend lots of time and money for the organization of negotiations, requests for proposals, ordering, etc. In the past, marketers had to negotiate and work with dozens of networks for the placement of their adverts. There were plenty of stages to pass through before the advert was displayed to the users. Besides, there were many complications concerning targeting.
As for the other benefits of RTB system, they are as follows:
- efficiency (advertisers get immediate access to a wide range of advert inventory, they can easily find an appropriate offer without long negotiations and search)
- low risks of losses (you can easily find the audience you are looking for and not spend your time on sites/people, who are not a part of your target audience)
- lower investments (such an approach requires not too much money, so it can be easily used by the beginners of the marketing sphere)
- high ROIs (such a system is very cost-effective, which means you will have almost 100% return on your investment)
- low risks of fraud (it is connected with the fact that the system is computerized; besides, the technology is able to detect fraudulent patterns).
Another thing is that you pay less buying one impression instead of buying a pack of them. One more important thing is that the application of real-time bidding and the usage of special platforms do not require specific skills. Everything is simple and understandable. RTB is advantageous for both advertisers and publishers because it allows selling even the remnant inventory at a reasonable price. Advertisers can also find beneficial offers and buy high-quality ad space at a lower cost. Moreover, targeting settings are impressive. They allow targeting people on the basis of their education, gender, age, location, interests, browsing behavior, etc. The information about the users is collected by means of cookies.
RTB platforms also offer advanced reporting systems, which provide the opportunity to monitor the results of any advert campaign in real time. It is also possible to start more than one campaign at a time.
How to successfully work with RTB?
To get the maximum revenue from RTB, it is vital to know your audience. Select the segment (better to choose a narrow one) you want to target. Besides, the message to a target audience must be clear and effective. Remember that you still need to have experienced staff to build a good marketing strategy and analyze the results of every campaign. On the basis of them, it is necessary to optimize the adverts making them more appealing to the users.