By Iryna Kozirevych
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.
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!