Nowadays, digital advertising platforms are a dime a dozen which can, unfortunately, make choosing the right programmatic vendor more of a headache than a breeze. Luckily, there are a few go-to questions you can ask when vetting a programmatic vendor that will help make the process a bit easier.
Let’s dive right in.
How to choose a programmatic vendor with five questions
1. How flexible is your pricing?
It’s important to know right from the start that your programmatic vendor is transparent and flexible, and you’ll want to get specific. Ask your programmatic vendor about things like media spend minimums, added CPMs, and margins. Understanding where your money goes is important.
You can also ask upfront if there’s any wiggle room. As my mom used to say, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” You may be able to negotiate more flexible contract terms or lower margins.
2. How many different kinds of targeting tactics can I run within a single campaign?
Although the tech behind the programmatic is just one piece of the puzzle, it’s crucial to have access to all targeting tactics and capabilities within any one single campaign. Which is why this question is essential when evaluating a programmatic vendor.
For instance, say your brand is interested in both first-party data targeting, third-party data targeting, and Connected TV. Some DSPs may only be able to offer the data targeting within one campaign and need to run a separate campaign for connected TV.
3. How much support can you provide?
In order to scale programmatic for your agency or brand, you’ll want a programmatic vendor who not only offers smart, intuitive tech, but one that prides themselves on combining that with education, support, flexibility, and transparency.
Even if your agency or brand can *technically* afford to go with a larger DSP, it’s worth taking into consideration what amount of one-on-one, real human support you’ll receive. For instance, with Choozle, every client receives a level of white-glove service that you simply can’t get with larger DSPs. Not only will you know the name of your strategist, but they’ll know yours.
4. What kinds of resources are available to me in order to learn about programmatic advertising?
Education, especially for new team members or those who are new to programmatic in general, is absolutely key to the success of your in-house digital advertising campaigns. When vetting partners, ask yourself, do they have a knowledge base that ensures me and my team can be completely self-sufficient?
Eventually, you’re going to need to train new team members on media buying, so comprehensive new employee onboarding and ongoing education & support will be essential to your long-term success with that partner.
5. How scalable is your product for my specific needs?
In other words, you need a solution that caters to your unique needs—nothing more, nothing less.
In our experience, we’ve found that seasoned users value working in our system most if they’re looking to build their programmatic team and want something with an accessible UI for those who are newer to programmatic, or if they have a large scale they’re trying to run with limited resources. In both cases, any tech that’s missing is offset by the efficiency gains that allow teams to focus on strategy and not getting lost in all the available options.
In any case, choosing the right programmatic platform is going to come down to you and your team’s needs, values, and vision. Ready to see how we stack up? Schedule a time to explore our platform.
