MarketStar Blog | Marketing

I’ve been spending a lot of time supporting demand generation efforts for several large B2B and B2C businesses – with lead nurturing center stage. When organizations hear the value proposition behind nurturing, they can’t hold back their excitement and jump blindly into the initiative.

Key Takeaways

• From content and marketing to promotion and buyer journey, MarTech provides deep insights and improves the parameters of marketing analysis

• MarTech enables you to understand potential buyers’ preferences, choices, needs, and interests more quickly

• MarTech tools can help you automate and streamline the marketing process significantly 

• MarTech can help you generate leads, enhance marketing efficiency, and increase ROI

Imagine a tech company without digital marketing or a marketing firm without technology.

Without either marketing or technology, how would a company survive? Seems impossible, right? This is where MarTech comes into the picture and plays a vital role in helping businesses sustain and grow.

MarTech is one of the hottest and most fast-paced industries today. With new technologies and solutions emerging daily, it can take time to keep up with the latest trends.

However, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the MarTech landscape to make informed decisions about the solutions you use in your business.

This blog will give you a crash course on MarTech, covering the basics, why it is essential for your business and some basic MarTech strategies.

By the end of this blog, you’ll have a solid understanding of MarTech and how it can be applied to execute successful campaigns and generate revenue.

What is MarTech?

Marketing technology (MarTech) is the software and tools marketing teams use to manage campaigns and strategies. This includes everything from email marketing software to social media management and data analysis tools. 

MarTech has become increasingly important in recent years as the marketing landscape has changed. 

With the rise of digital marketing, there are now more channels and touchpoints for marketing campaigns than ever before. This has created a need for marketing teams to be more organized and efficient. 

With the help of MarTech, businesses can create efficient and effective marketing campaigns.  

MarTech can help marketing teams automate tasks, measure results, and optimize their campaigns for better performance. MarTech can also help businesses track their return on investment and make necessary adjustments to their marketing strategies. 

Why is MarTech Important - The Benefits

MarTech is essential because it allows marketers to work more efficiently and effectively.  

As the marketing world continues to evolve, the technology marketers use to reach their target audiences evolves too. From social media management to marketing automation, there is a MarTech solution for nearly every marketing challenge. 

While some marketers may be hesitant to embrace new technology, the truth is that MarTech is essential to modern marketing. Here are a few reasons why MarTech is so important:  

Do more with less: Processes that would generally take your marketing team more time to complete can be automated. These include using marketing automation and machine learning technologies to automate repetitive operations like gathering data, converting file formats, and identifying assets.

Improved communication: MarTech enables you to improve communication and efficiency across teams, allowing you to make informed decisions. It provides a streamlined and transparent way to access information about projects, their progress, their results, and reports. 

Customer Relationship Management: One of the MarTech stacks that helps foster consumer trust and forge lasting relationships with customers—which will ultimately have sales—is customer relationship management (CRM). CRM utilizes your customers’ past behaviors, conversations, buying preferences, and interactions to help serve customers better.

Helps work smarter: MarTech tools allow marketers to collect data and insights and target their audiences more precisely. With the help of the latest tools, you can automate repetitive tasks and free up time to focus on more strategic initiatives. 

The context of MarTech focuses primarily on these six topics: 

1. Data 

2. Operations 

3. Transformation

4. Experience

5. Performance 

6. Management 

These six areas, bolstered with the latest technology, are MarTech’s recipe for modern-day marketing.

5 Best Practices for Developing a Winning MarTech Strategy

To level up your MarTech game, you need to understand the different MarTech strategies available. Here are five best practices for developing a winning MarTech strategy. 

1. Go Top-Down

Build a MarTech stack with a top-down strategy.

Start with your company’s overall business goals and strategy, and then funnel down to selecting the tools & technology you need to achieve those goals.

By thinking with high-level objectives first, you will make better decisions on what specific capabilities and measurements you need to help achieve your business goals.

2. Integrate All Data

Consider all existing data sources that should be included in your marketing plans to achieve your goals and ensure that the solutions you choose can work with those data sources. It is essential to have a comprehensive customer profile based on all the information available. 

3. No More Silos

Consider all the marketing and communication channels you require and those you anticipate using soon.  

Your MarTech stack will only allow you to maximize the overall customer experience if all channels, including email, SMS, on-site/in-app, online advertising, social media, call center, etc., are coordinated effectively. 

4. Continuously Measure

Monitor the effectiveness of your MarTech strategies and optimize them as needed. Don’t be afraid to reconsider your decision and make changes if necessary!

5. The Right Tools

While MarTech can be highly beneficial for businesses, it is important to note that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.  

Different businesses will have different needs and requirements for their marketing campaigns. As such, selecting the right MarTech tools for your specific business needs is important. Our experts can help you choose the right tools that your business needs. 

Importance of MarTech in the Current Economic Scenario

The importance of MarTech has become increasingly apparent recently. This is especially true in the current economic scenario, where businesses are looking for an edge. 

Today, businesses are marked by high levels of competition, driving them to invest in MarTech to gain a competitive edge. 

MarTech can be used to improve a company’s marketing and sales efforts, and it can also be used to reduce costs. It can help companies uncover their customers’ pain points and target their marketing efforts more effectively.  

As the competition in the current economic climate continues to increase, companies that do not invest in MarTech will find it difficult to survive. If your business is not using MarTech, now is a good time to start.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, MarTech is a vital part of any modern marketing strategy.  

It allows businesses to automate and scale their marketing efforts, making them more efficient and effective. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must invest in the latest technologies and partner with experienced providers.

Key Takeaways

• Both AdTech and MarTech industries are all set to grow rapidly in the years to come

• By staying updated with the latest trends in AdTech and MarTech industries, you can ensure that your company stays on top of the game

• As it grows, artificial intelligence will become more widely used in the MarTech industry 

• The recent boom in new AdTech products/companies has led to a need for AdTech companies to differentiate themselves 

• The AdTech and MarTech industries are both booming right now. But with an upcoming recession, what does the future hold for these industries? 

The AdTech market was valued at $438 billion in 2021 and will grow at a CAGR of more than 9% from 2021-2030. 

The MarTech industry is also growing rapidly, and according to reports, the MarTech market in the UK and North America is worth $149.7 billion. The global market was estimated to be worth $344 billion in 2021. 

Given their consistent growth throughout the years, it is safe to say that both industries will continue to expand despite a recession.

The Current State of AdTech & MarTech Industries

AdTech

What is AdTech? 

“Advertising technology,” or “AdTech,” refers to a broad category of software and tools advertisers use to deliver and track their digital advertising campaigns and target audiences. 

AdTech software platforms assist agencies and brands in buying advertising space and enable publishers to set ad space’s price and sell it. 

AdTech is a rapidly growing industry that is constantly evolving.  

We have seen a boom in new AdTech companies and products in the past few years. This has led to a more competitive landscape and a need for AdTech companies to differentiate themselves. 

Despite the challenges, the AdTech industry is still growing strong. The continued rise of digital advertising and the growing popularity of programmatic advertising drive the expansion. 

With the AdTech industry constantly changing, it can take time to keep up with the latest trends. But by staying up-to-date on the latest news and developments along with focusing on customer obsession, you can ensure that your company stays ahead of the curve. 

MarTech

What is MarTech? 

MarTech refers to any software or tools marketers use to plan and execute their marketing activities offline and online.

Marketers use MarTech solutions for various marketing activities, including social media marketing, email marketing, marketing campaigns, marketing strategy, marketing automation, retargeting, and more.

The MarTech industry is currently in a state of flux.

For years, marketers have relied on various technologies to help them reach their target audiences. But with the ever-changing landscape of the digital world, it can take time to keep up with the latest trends and technologies.

This is where MarTech comes in.

MarTech is the term used to describe the intersection of marketing and technology. It is the process of using technology to solve marketing problems. 

With the help of MarTech, marketers can automate their tasks, personalize their messages, and better track their results.  

MarTech is constantly evolving, and it can take much work to keep up with the latest trends. But by staying informed, marketers can ensure they are always using the best tools to reach their audiences.

Are AdTech & MarTech Prepared for a Recession?

The global economy is showing signs of slowing down, and many experts predict a recession shortly.  

Advertisers and marketers are already feeling the pinch, with ad spend growth slowing down in recent months. So the big question is: are AdTech and MarTech prepared for a recession? 

There are a few things to consider in the AdTech industry. 

• AdTech is a highly competitive industry. During the last recession, ad spending increased as brands sought to cut costs and be more efficient with their advertising budgets.

• A recession could be good for AdTech. As brands look to cut costs, they’ll be looking for more efficient ways to reach their audiences, and AdTech can offer that. 

In recent years, there has been an explosion in the MarTech industry.  

With new tools and platforms being created daily, it takes time to keep up with the latest and greatest. However, with the global economy heading towards a recession, it’s important to ask: is MarTech prepared for an economic downturn? 

While it’s impossible to predict the future, there are a few things we can look at to see if the MarTech industry is prepared for a recession: 

• Most MarTech platforms are subscription-based, which can be easily scaled back or cancelled if necessary.

• Many MarTech companies offer pay-as-you-go pricing models, which can be helpful for cash-strapped companies. 

• Specific MarTech platforms offer free or low-cost trial periods, so companies can test them before committing.

The Future

AdTech

Advertising is evolving; consumer behavior and how we consume media is changing. Advertisers are now turning to AdTech to target and reach consumers in new and innovative ways. 

AdTech includes various technologies and platforms to deliver, measure, and optimize advertising. This includes programmatic advertising, ad exchanges, and even data management platforms.  

AdTech is constantly evolving, and it shows no signs of slowing down. As consumer behavior changes, so too must advertising. AdTech will play a pivotal role in the future of advertising, and it is poised to revolutionize the industry. 

Although we are heading towards a recession, the future of AdTech looks bright. And there are several reasons to be optimistic about the future of AdTech. Here are the top three positive aspects: 

• AdTech is becoming more efficient

• AdTech is becoming more automated

• AdTech is becoming more AI-oriented

These three trends suggest that companies that invest in the latest technologies will weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side of the recession.

MarTech

The MarTech industry is changing rapidly. New technologies are emerging and transforming the way businesses operate. Here’s a look at some of the latest trends in MarTech and what they mean for the industry’s future. 

One of the biggest trends in MarTech is the move towards artificial intelligence (AI).  

AI is already used in various applications, from customer service to marketing. And as AI technology develops, it will become even more widely used in MarTech. 

Another big trend is the increasing use of data.  

Businesses are collecting more data than ever before and using it to drive their marketing decisions. As data becomes more accessible and easy to use, companies will continue to use it to form their marketing strategies. 

MarTech is becoming more and more accessible to companies of all sizes, thanks to the rise of cloud-based solutions and pay-as-you-go pricing models.  

And as MarTech continues to evolve, we expect to see even more innovations to help businesses market more effectively and efficiently. So if you’re worried about the future of your MarTech, don’t be. The future of MarTech is bright, regardless of the current economic climate. 

To Wrap Things Up

The global economy is forecasted to enter a recession soon. This might impact various industries.

However, AdTech and MarTech are driven by data and technology, which are two areas still expanding even in times of recession. As long as companies are willing to invest in data and technology, AdTech and MarTech will continue to grow.

A Forbes survey on corporate executives and video usage revealed that 75% of all executives claimed watching work-related videos on business websites at least once a week, and more than 50% claimed that YouTube was the most popular video search engine used to watch those videos. As the dependence on video content increases for corporate executives, it has become imperative for B2B marketers to apportion a sizeable budget to video marketing initiatives.  

We understand that jumping onto the video marketing bandwagon can be a daunting task, and we are here to ease the transition by providing some actionable tips on elements that make up a successful video marketing plan. If you have in fact already started your video marketing campaigns, this check-list will help you determine if any aspects are missing from your plan.  

Here are the most important aspects of a video marketing plan: 

Who wouldn’t want to be in the top three results of search engines and attract organic traffic in the form of qualified visitors to their website? But, unfortunately this is not always possible if you only rely on your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts only. To ensure that your website attracts a substantial amount of traffic at all times, it is important that along with SEO, you also devote resources to paid search ads.  

Event marketing is a tried and tested method for marketers to build brands, promote products, generate leads and enlighten customers. That said, successful event marketing is about maximizing event ROI. 

Key Takeaways

• AdTech and MarTech companies need to implement several business growth strategies in 2023

• To be successful in marketing and digital advertising, companies need to invest in AdTech and MarTech

• Artificial intelligence will play a key role in both AdTech and MarTech in the years to come

• AI will help businesses automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work

The advertising and marketing industries have been evolving rapidly in recent years.

With the rise of new technologies, the way businesses reach and engage with their target audiences has changed significantly. 

AdTech and MarTech companies continually look for new ways to reach and engage their target audiences. In 2023, there will be several new business growth strategies that these companies can use to stay ahead of the competition. 

Some of the most popular business growth strategies for AdTech and MarTech companies include using data to drive decision-making, investing in customer experience, and using AI and machine learning to automate processes.

To learn more about these business growth strategies, read on!

The Increasing Importance of AdTech & MarTech

AdTech has become increasingly important in the world of marketing and advertising of late. 

The growing popularity of digital advertising has made AdTech an essential tool for reaching and engaging consumers. 

AdTech allows marketers to target consumers more effectively, track the performance of their campaigns, and measure the ROI of their advertising spend. 

In other words, AdTech is essential for anyone who wants to be successful in digital advertising. Several different AdTech platforms and solutions are available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.  

Choosing the right AdTech platform for your business can be challenging, but it’s worth taking the time to find the one that best suits your needs. 

As AdTech continues to grow in popularity, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to understand and invest in it. Those who don’t may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. 

Marketing was essentially a manual process in the past. But with the advent of new technologies, marketing has become much more data-driven and scientific. As a result, MarTech has become an essential part of the marketing process. 

Many MarTech tools are available, from customer relationship management (CRM) software to marketing automation platforms. And as marketing continues to evolve, the importance of MarTech will only continue to grow. 

So if you’re a marketing professional, it’s essential to familiarise yourself with the world of MarTech. By doing so, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the curve in the marketing industry.

5 Effective Business Growth Strategies for 2023

As we move into the new year, it’s time to start thinking about your company’s growth strategy for 2023. 

And if you’re in the AdTech or MarTech industry, you’ll need to be prepared for the ever-changing advertising, marketing, and technology landscape. 

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of AdTech and MarTech growth strategies. From new platforms to new strategies and trends, these are the things you’ll need to keep an eye on in the coming year. 

1. Zero-Party Data Gathering

In 2023, gathering zero-party data will become the norm for businesses and organizations across the globe. Zero-party data is data that an individual willingly and knowingly provides. This data is often used to improve customer experiences and target advertising. 

The rise of zero-party data gathering will be driven by the increasing need for businesses to personalize their products and services. 

In a world where customers can choose from various options, businesses must find ways to stand out from the competition. By gathering and using zero-party data, businesses can better understand their customers and provide them with a personalized customer experience.

2. Make Sure You’re on The Right Platforms

Advertising is constantly evolving, and new platforms are constantly emerging. 

To stay ahead of the game, you must ensure you’re advertising on the right platforms. Keep an eye on the latest trends and ensure you’re present on the platforms your target audience uses.

3. The Need to Become Video-First

Most companies today have started creating bite-sized videos, such as Instagram reels and TikTok videos. These help them increase engagement among millennials.

The average user spends about 88% more time on a website with video content and is 64% more likely to purchase a product after watching a video about it.

With these statistics in mind, it’s no wonder that so many companies are switching to becoming video-first.

By 2023, it is estimated that 80% of all internet traffic will be video traffic. If your company needs to produce video content, you must start doing so ASAP.

4. Artificial Intelligence in AdTech

In 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to play a significant role in the AdTech industry. 

With the help of AI, AdTech companies will be able to target ads more accurately, personalize the user experience, and track engagement. AI will also help improve ad campaigns’ efficiency, reducing the cost of advertising for businesses. 

With AI becoming more sophisticated, the future of the AdTech industry looks bright as it will continue to grow and evolve. We expect to see more AI-powered AdTech products and services in the coming years.

5. Artificial Intelligence in MarTech

In 2023, AI will be deeply embedded in MarTech. It will touch on every aspect of marketing, from customer segmentation and targeting to content creation and distribution.

AI will help marketers automate repetitive tasks, freeing time for more strategic work. It will also provide real-time insights that will help marketers make better decisions.

And, as AI gets better at understanding human behavior, it will become increasingly adept at creating personalized experiences that drive engagement and conversions.

Growth Awaits in 2023

The AdTech and MarTech industries are forecast to experience significant growth in 2023. 

Companies that want to take advantage of this growth should consider adopting key strategies, such as developing innovative products, expanding their customer base, and investing in new technologies. 

If you’re interested in learning more, fill out the form and let’s connect to help you grow your business today!

With a phone in almost every hand today, Short Message Service (SMS) marketing's popularity has only been growing from strength to strength recently. Bulk SMS marketing is at the peak of its demand for various reasons today, especially in the e-commerce sector.

Key Takeaways

• Businesses can promote advertising through numerous online channels like social media ads, video streaming ads, and in-game ads.

• Omnichannel advertising identifies programmatic advertising as the preferred solution for online ad markets.

• Personalization is more important than ever in digital advertising, as businesses look to provide tailored experiences that resonate with their customers and drive conversions.

Introduction

‘It’s important to remember that your competitor is only one mouse click away.’

In today’s digital age, it’s imperative for small and medium-sized businesses to keep up with the latest advertising and digital marketing trends to remain competitive. With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting a significant shift towards digitalization, the advertising landscape has undergone a transformation, and adapting to these changes has become more important than ever.

The digital advertising industry is continually evolving and developing new AdTech trends, enabling businesses to innovate and reshape their revenue strategies. Staying up to date with these trends in digital advertising and adopting them in marketing campaigns can be a game-changer for businesses, leading to increased visibility and higher conversion rates.

This blog will provide the latest insights and updates about digital advertising trends in 2023.

Introduction of Adtech into Small Businesses

The colossal rise of social media has enabled AdTech and MarTech technologies to target prospects with minute brand interactions. Over 8000 marketing and digital advertising tools that can leverage technology for the planning and execution of marketing campaigns have thus emerged.

Data further strengthens the ability of SMBs to target their advertising to specific demographics, interests, and locations.

The following section highlights some key benefits of paid advertising for SMBs.

• Targeting your customers precisely: The most crucial challenge an SMB faces is gaining online exposure and inaccurate targeting of customers, especially in industries where enterprise-level players reign supreme.
  
  SMBs should focus their marketing and advertising plans on niche customers through AdTech. With AdTech, SMBs can cut through oversaturated markets and reach their ideal customers with precision and impact. This explains why 93% of SMBs invest in digital advertising strategies that can increase their expenditure in 2023.

• Optimal resource allocation: How can SMBs target customers using audience insights from AdTech resources on a budget? With the advanced targeting capabilities of digital advertising, SMBs can apply an organized approach to attract new customers.
  
  Instead, they can precisely manage their ad inventory and budget, enabling even modest advertising budgets to have a significant impact. Moreover, cross-channel marketing can be leveraged to retarget potential customers through direct mail or drive responses. 

• Ensuring organizational level efficacy: Adtech tools provide a wealth of data and metrics that advertisers can use to quickly analyze and optimize their ad content, placement, and inventory, resulting in maximum effectiveness with faster results.
  
  Forbes reports that sharing-worthy content can enable businesses to target specific segments, especially with the changing landscape of audience attitudes. AdTech tools can give valuable insights into customer behaviors, including site-wide navigation statistics and session duration. This helps customize or personalize campaigns best suited to your purpose without wasting resources. 

Digital Advertising Trends 2023

Trend 1: Omnichannel SMB Advertising

The omnichannel approach to digital advertising for businesses involves the usage of several channels like social media advertising, email marketing, search engine marketing, display advertising, print ads, and direct mail campaigns simultaneously. 

While implementing these strategies, however, businesses must focus on consistency and marketing intent. Data and analytics can help track the performance of these campaigns for increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Let us look at the various wings of omnichannel advertising in brief.

• Display ads: Display ads date back to the initial days of the internet and appear as static or moving texts or images with links to various products. Depending on the goal of a particular advertising campaign, these ads are often designed to educate, entertain or engage customers through an interactive interface.

• Social media ads: Local ad purchase statistics reveal that 22% of businesses plan to increase their expenditure on social media ads in 2022-23. This suggests that marketing and advertising on social media have gathered tremendous pace and are about to cross the $300 billion mark by 2024. Social media ads can be curated easily by understanding the target audience and the rate of expected impressions or engagement and periodically optimizing ad performance.

• Video streaming ads: The gradual decline of linear TV advertising and the boom in video streaming services proves the tremendous potential of video streaming ads in generating revenue. With video streaming over YouTube and OTT platforms, the demand for video ads has seen an unprecedented rise in attracting audiences and converting them into customers. Statistics reveal that 64% of the Indian audience of video streaming channels respond to streaming ads, and 33% of them make a purchase.

• Audio streaming ads: Audio streaming ads have also increased, with brands like Spotify and YouTube Music joining the race. Audio streaming ads are also ideal for younger consumers, as audio streaming services attract a younger population. Podcast ads are highly effective, with 54% of podcast listeners considering a brand after hearing an ad.

• Native ads: For an even more organic and contextual feel of approaching customers through advertising, businesses often turn to native ads. Native advertising refers to advertising content that mimics the form and function of the site or app on which it is placed. While only 55% trust social media ads, experts reveal that 68% of consumers trust native ads.

• Phy-digital advertising: Out-of-home advertising, like billboards, public transportation, etc., has also experienced a digital shift, with many businesses presenting a phy-digital experience by introducing digital elements in offline advertising modes

Trend 2: Short Video Advertising Reign Supreme

The video format is evolving rapidly due to the popularity of mobile devices and content platforms like TikTok. The short-video content format has facilitated micro-ads, with over 50% of adults closing a video after just 20 seconds. Advertisers face the challenge of creating impactful and relevant content that engages the customer quickly.

Researchers also claim that consumers watch video ads without sound, especially on FB or Instagram. In 2022, online videos garnered more than 100 minutes each day per person on average in watch durations. With an approximate 41% rise in video usage from 2016-22, it would only benefit the SMB sector in 2023 to adopt video marketing.

Short-form videos are efficient digital advertising tools that promote higher engagement and help create a niche customer base. Short video ads can present SMBs with immense opportunities as they are cost-effective, engaging, and can be easily shared on various social media platforms.

Short video ads can target specific audiences, making them an effective tool for reaching and engaging with target customers. Micro-ad platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram use animation and graphical outlook to create an everlasting impact. Creative tools and substantial audio libraries make advertising competitive, especially for small businesses.

Trend 3: Unleashing the Power of In-game Advertising

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, online gaming has transformed into a family activity, with 74% of parents playing with their children weekly. 63% of parents believe that educational games are effective learning instruments—additionally, 77% play games online or with others for social interaction.

Market forecast experts claim that the in-game advertising market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.25% from 2023 to 27. This accelerating growth momentum throws light on the customer adoption rate and determines the sensitivity of price changes.

Through digitally distributed downloadable in-game content, Activision Blizzard Media generated more than $7.53 billion in revenue (2022). In-game advertisers can generate revenue from microtransactions, banner ads, interstitial ads, rewarded ads, in-game ad placements and licensing royalties.

A remarkable rise in gamers implies a growing popularity of in-game advertising. The US, China and Japan are the most significant consumer countries for in-game advertising.

Trend 4: How Programmatic Advertising Helps Navigate the Fragmented Digital Ad Market

Programmatic advertising streamlines the buying and selling of digital ad space. It uses algorithms to make real-time decisions on which ads to buy and how much to pay based on user data. In addition to saving time and cost for advertisers and publishers, programmatic ads fortify the ad inventory across multiple publishers, which can be accessed based on the specific audience niche.

According to IAB research, programmatic advertising has seen a 39% annual growth in revenues. The digital music and podcast service Spotify allows businesses to share their message with programmatic advertising through engaging video and audio formats. Such advertisements can reach millions of subscribers through their enhanced audience-targeting capabilities.

Programmatic advertising can produce opportunities like cross-device campaign strategies and a large-scale audience reach. Experts believe that SMBs can expand their brand awareness among customers at a cheaper rate than display ads.

Trend 5: Beyond the Typical Walls of Google and Social Media Advertising

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) typically advertise on Google and Facebook due to their access to valuable user data for targeted advertising. Facebook’s 2.7 billion monthly active users allow for granular targeting based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and life events.

Google’s focus on search enables ads to reach users with high purchase intent. Both companies also offer user-friendly interfaces, accessible analytics, and budget-friendly campaigns for SMB advertisers.

However, digital advertising trends in the current realm call for a unified outreach strategy because paying attention to each one costs money and time. Developing a comprehensive customer profile is challenging due to varying metrics and analytics across different platforms. Advertisers also rely on these platforms’ policies and algorithms, prioritizing platform growth over individual advertiser success.

What is to be done, then?

Self-service technology is reducing processing needs for publishers and streamlining ad buying for advertisers. This benefits SMBs as smaller deals can be profitable at a scale for publishers.

Liaising with publishers and networks is multiplying ad inventory and reach, making direct programmatic advertising with these publishers more lucrative for SMBs, despite not having the reach of Google and Meta.

Google, YouTube and Meta are common platforms for purchasing programmatic advertising space.

AdTech Stack in 2023

Digital advertising thrives on automation of several processes and leveraging appropriate tools. Digital ads in modern times should cater to both mobile and desktop users with the former reporting a 55.8% CAGR against 6.1% for the latter.

Some common tools and techniques in the AdTech umbrella include:

• Social media ad automation tools: Automation tools to manage social media ad campaigns are more efficient than manual management on different platforms. It allows advertisers to measure multiple metrics, gain insights into campaign performance, and optimize campaigns using AI and machine learning.

• Paid search automation tools: Using automation tools for pay-per-click or paid search campaigns can significantly simplify and enhance the process. Rather than manually managing and evaluating campaigns, which can be time-consuming and monotonous, these tools enable advertisers to optimize their bidding activity, analyze data from multiple sources, test and refine ad content, and focus on strategic decision-making. By providing actionable insights into both advertisers’ and competitors’ traffic, automation tools can help to optimize campaign strategies and maximize results.

• Creative management platforms: Digital advertising for businesses requires creative modifications to ad content especially for omnichannel and personalized advertising. Creative management platforms can automate the creation and management of ad content, enabling advertisers to make innumerable changes to creatives and optimize content in real-time using algorithmic inputs.

• Demand-side platforms (DSPs): DSPs allow advertisers to purchase impressions and submit ad prototypes while setting targeting factors, such as demographics, behavior, location, or context.

• Supply-side platforms (SSPs): With SSPs, publishers sell ad inventory to advertisers via different ad exchanges, maximizing the publishers’ ad revenue. They connect publishers’ ad inventory to multiple ad exchanges and DSPs.

• Ad exchanges/private marketplaces: Ad exchanges are interfaces that connect advertisers’ and publishers’ tools, facilitating the ad buying process. Major tech firms provide public ad exchanges, and providers also allow companies to create private exchanges.

• Data management platforms: Digital advertisers increasingly search for platforms to collect, store, manage, and analyze data to create comprehensive user profiles for targeted advertising. With data management platforms, the effectiveness of digital campaigns is greatly simplified thanks to reliance on the quality of data used for manual or automated decision-making. Choosing the right data management platform is essential for identifying and targeting customers.

• Targeting tools: Advertisers often need to segment their audience based on demographic, contextual, and geographical factors. Specific targeting tools solve their purpose with ease.

• Brand safety solutions: Brand safety tools allow advertisers to display ads only on suitable websites that align with the brand’s messaging context.

• Analytics and reporting tools: Sophisticated analytics and reporting are crucial components of AdTech as advertisers need raw data and clear insights into how their target audiences interact with their advertising to ensure its effectiveness and secure sufficient ROI.

Choosing Outsourced AdTech Partners over Hybrid Models

Small businesses often prefer to outsource their advertising processes to partner organizations instead of running an in-house team.

Three primary reasons why small businesses choose outsourcing these services instead of following a hybrid model are as follows:

• Slash costs: SMBs prefer an outsourced advertising platform to reduce their expenditure on hiring, training and managing their in-house teams. Since outsourced services seldom compromise on quality, businesses prefer to retain the resources reserved for hiring and training full-time employees.

• Leveraging technical expertise: Tech experts believe the AdTech industry is experiencing a steady growth momentum, especially after 2020. The inception of data-driven technologies like machine learning, customer data handling, standardization of metrics etc., have disrupted expectations, with the US AdTech market reaching an estimated $225 billion by 2024.

• Ease of scaling: The freedom to choose your scale of operations becomes easier with outsourcing AdTech services. While businesses may need more AdTech support during peak seasons, they can reduce their expenditure on outsourced services in lean seasons.

Bottom Line

The ever-evolving digital advertising landscape poses innumerable challenges for new and existing SMBs alike. From social media advertising to programmatic advertising, the opportunities for SMBs to reach their target audiences have never been more numerous.

Adtech offers a data-driven approach to SMB advertising, ensuring that brand messaging reaches the right audience. While AdTech technologies can automate this process, their adoption may require a steep learning curve. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with limited resources and budgets can turn to AdTech partners for focused expertise and experience, significantly contributing to advertising success.

Content marketing is the perfect demand generation platform, allowing you to nurture leads, enhance brand awareness, convert your visitors into customers, and increase your overall reach and sales. It is all about producing content tailored to your potential and existing customers so as to induce their behavior in your favor.