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Top 10 Media Buying Platforms in 2024
Nov 27, 2024
AdTech Insights

Top 10 Media Buying Platforms in 2024

Top 10 Media Buying Platforms in 2024

Advertising spending continues increasing every year. Thus, according to Statista, global spending is expected to reach more than $900 billion in 2024, and by 2028 this figure is projected to surpass $1 trillion. 

Infographics: Advertising spending worldwide from 2019 to 2028

Obviously, demand creates supply, which means that there are multiple ad buying platforms in the market. But which of them are the most effective ones? 

We are starting our series featuring top programmatic (and not only) platforms of the year 2024. This time, we focus on media buying and demand-side platforms.

What is Media Buying?

Before we start, let’s clarify the definition of media buying. Media buying refers to the process of purchasing ad inventory or space on both digital and offline platforms. For instance, these can be websites, apps, TV, radio, newspapers, etc. 

Media buying should not be confused with media planning. Planning is the stage preceding the buying process — it involves identifying the right channels and other factors influencing the potential results. After everything is planned thoroughly, the media buying process begins. In many cases, both of these tasks are completed by the same professionals.

How Digital Media Buying Works

In many cases, digital media buying is performed via programmatic marketing solutions. The process of purchasing impressions is automated and happens within a second. 

There are three key participants involved in programmatic auctions:

  • DSPs (demand-side platforms): solutions used by advertisers or media buying agencies to set up campaigns, optimize their performance, and bid on the ad inventory.

  • SSPs (supply-side platforms): solutions used by publishers to sell their ad space to relevant marketers.

  • Ad exchanges: these are marketplaces connecting advertisers and publishers and running programmatic auctions.

In short, programmatic media buying in action looks like this:

  • A user visits a publisher’s platform (for instance, a website).

  • The information about the available impression is delivered to an SSP.

  • The SSP sends a bid request to a DSP.

  • The bid goes to an ad exchange, and the auction starts.

  • The winning ad is delivered to the publisher and displayed to the user.

The whole process is very fast. The main thing for both marketers and publishers is to set everything up: targeting, bid floor, etc.

Best 10 Media Buying Platforms in 2024

However, digital advertising is not limited to programmatic buying platforms. There are a lot of solutions to consider, so take a look at our list of the best media buying platforms.

1. Google Ads

Google allows the launching of various ads: search, display, shopping, video, etc. Since it is the most popular browser, the Google Ads solution is popular among marketers, even though it still has some disadvantages.

Pros:

  • Multiple optimization tools

  • Advanced targeting settings

  • A lot of formats

Cons:

  • Competitive industries have a higher cost per click

  • The quality of your landing pages must be exceptional

2. Facebook Ads Manager

Via this solution, a campaign can be launched on both Facebook and Instagram, which is convenient. 

Pros:

  • Dynamic creatives

  • Testing capabilities

  • Easy optimization

  • You can reach a wider audience

Cons:

  • Strict guidelines and advertising policies

  • High competition

  • Increasing advertising costs due to higher competition 

3. LinkedIn Ads

As it is obvious from the platform’s name, its main focus is professional targeting for B2B advertisers.

Pros:

  • Unique targeting capabilities (for instance, by job title)

  • Diverse formats, including text ads, dynamic ads, etc.

  • Flexible pricing options

  • A rather simple interface

Cons:

  • Targeting focuses on job-related characteristics

  • The interface is simple because there are not so many functionalities available

4. Amazon Ads

Amazon Ads is an effective solution for a business focusing on e-commerce: it allows one to showcase a brand and its products with a variety of ad formats. Additionally, there is an Amazon DSP enabling marketers to reach their audiences both on Amazon sources and third-party websites.

Pros:

  • A lot of advertising options, including programmatic ones

  • When browsing Amazon, shoppers tend to have an intention to buy something, so they are easier to convert

  • A lot of planning and analytics solutions

Cons:

  • High competition 

  • May require significant investments

  • As your business grows, you will have to invest more time and resources into Amazon Ads

5. X Ads (former Twitter Ads)

The X platform offers a wide range of ad formats, including carousel ads, vertical video ads, dynamic product ads, and many others, enabling ultimate creative freedom.

Pros:

  • Loads of formats

  • An opportunity to go live and allow audiences to join the broadcast in real time

  • Wide reach

  • Opportunities for influencer marketing

Cons:

  • Standing out among other tweets can be challenging

  • Limited message length

  • Potentially high costs

6. AdCritter

Among programmatic buying platforms, AdCritter is one of the best solutions for small businesses, with over 2 million ads delivered daily.

Pros:

  • Easy ad creation

  • Apart from launching ads on the Internet, you can advertise on digital billboards and TV

  • 30-day free access for all new accounts (you are billed only for ad spend)

Cons:

  • Potential issues with scalability

  • Too minimalistic interface

  • Lack of advanced features

7. The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk is another DSP enabling advertisers to reach their audiences in an omnichannel way and access premium inventory.

Pros:

  • A comprehensive platform with a lot of features

  • Advanced data management technology for effective targeting

  • Global reach

  • Over 400 inventory partners

Cons:

  • Many users claim that the interface is not user-friendly enough

  • Some of them also consider reporting features limited

8. Criteo

Criteo is another solution for businesses looking for effective ways to reach online shoppers. 

Pros:

  • Dynamic retargeting capabilities

  • Dynamic creative optimization

  • Contextual advertising features

  • Predictive bidding technology 

Cons:

  • Some users report that the platform has a smaller number of ad formats and targeting capabilities compared to other popular solutions

9. Adobe Advertising

Adobe has also launched its own demand-side programmatic media buying platform that ensures cross-channels and cross-screen integrations.

Pros:

  • An end-to-end platform supporting CTV, video, display, native, audio, and search campaigns

  • Real-time reporting

  • The platform can be directly integrated with multiple Adobe Experience Cloud products

Cons:

  • A lot of users report difficulties with learning how to use the platform

10. SmartyAds

SmartyAds offers an entire set of programmatic products, but let's focus specifically on their DSP solution.

Pros:

  • A lot of ad formats: banner, video, native, DOOH, and others

  • Multiple targeting features

  • Budget distribution capabilities

  • Automated optimization

Cons:

  • For specific tasks, the capabilities may seem slightly limited

Consider Attekmi Your Trusted Partner

Programmatic technology creates opportunities not only for publishers and advertisers. Thus, by matching the demand and supply effectively, owners of ad exchanges can drive significant profit. However, building such a solution from scratch is time-consuming and expensive.

At Attekmi, we simplify this task. To join the programmatic environment rapidly, choose among our ad exchange products: AdEx Basic, AdEx Plus, and White Label. For instance, Roqoon Media reached 262% revenue growth within 3 months after deploying our solution. Besides, we can build for you any AdTech product that is on your mind.

Does Attekmi seem to be the right choice? Let’s talk!

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