What is a Programmatic Media Buyer?
The process of programmatic media buying may seem complex, but it’s actually quite simple. To start, it helps to understand what programmatic advertising is.
Programmatic advertising is the process of using automation to buy media, which in this case would be advertising space. This is done instead of more common methods of digital advertising. Programmatic media buyers will use things like data, algorithms, or market research in order to target a very specific user at the right time, all for a decent price.
The process of programmatic media buying can be broken down into three different forms.
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Real-Time Bidding. Known as RTB of open auctions, real-time bidding involves deciding inventory costs via auctions in real-time. Any publisher, marketer, or advertiser can bid. This form of programmatic media buying is often the most affordable and is also the approach we take at Gourmet Ads, along with Direct Programmatic.
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Direct Programmatic. In this case, auctions are bypassed completely and media is sold to buyers at a cost per mille (or CPM).
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Private Marketplace. PMPs are like open auctions, but there are strict restrictions in place on who can bid. Specifically selected advertisers are allowed to bid, but many publishers will allow programmatic media buyers to apply for an invitation.