Beatriz Lopes | 17.02.2025

Essential Guide to Programmatic Advertising: All You Need to Know & Top Tools

Programmatic advertising has revolutionized the way marketers buy ad space. Forget the manual bidding wars and endless negotiations—this automated approach uses AI-powered platforms to match advertisers with the right inventory in real time. The result? Smarter ads that reach the right audience, at the right time, in the right place.

In 2024, programmatic buying became the gold standard for digital campaigns, projected to account for nearly 85% of global ad spend by 2029. Why? It’s fast, efficient, and driven by data. Instead of purchasing ads on individual websites, marketers can now target users wherever they go online, maximizing ad spend like never before.

Beatriz Lopes | 17.02.2025

Programmatic advertising has revolutionized the way marketers buy ad space. Forget the manual bidding wars and endless negotiations—this automated approach uses AI-powered platforms to match advertisers with the right inventory in real time. The result? Smarter ads that reach the right audience, at the right time, in the right place.

In 2024, programmatic buying became the gold standard for digital campaigns, projected to account for nearly 85% of global ad spend by 2029. Why? It’s fast, efficient, and driven by data. Instead of purchasing ads on individual websites, marketers can now target users wherever they go online, maximizing ad spend like never before.

AI technologies

As machine learning and AI technologies advance, programmatic tools have only grown smarter. Features like dynamic targeting, automated testing, smart bid, and retargeting algorithms are making campaigns more effective and efficient than ever.
Elevate your next campaign

Keep reading to discover exactly how it works, the benefits it offers, and the top tools you need to elevate your next campaign!

AI technologies

As machine learning and AI technologies advance, programmatic tools have only grown smarter. Features like dynamic targeting, automated testing, smart bid, and retargeting algorithms are making campaigns more effective and efficient than ever.
Elevate your next campaign

Keep reading to discover exactly how it works, the benefits it offers, and the top tools you need to elevate your next campaign!

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What Is Programmatic Advertising?

In the past, media buying was manual and tedious. Marketers had to pick websites, set bids, and adjust them based on performance. AI in programmatic advertising changes all that.

It automates the entire process of bidding, purchasing, and placing ads across websites and apps, and simplifies how and when ads appear online. Advertisers now set high-level parameters—like budget, target audience, and goals—while algorithms handle the rest. With AI at its core, it not only streamlines ad buying but also predicts outcomes that evolve over time. AI analyzes customer behavior, processes vast amounts of content, and optimizes ad placements in real time.

What comes out is better targeting, fewer irrelevant ads, and higher ROI.

What Is Programmatic Advertising?

In the past, media buying was manual and tedious. Marketers had to pick websites, set bids, and adjust them based on performance. AI in programmatic advertising changes all that.

It automates the entire process of bidding, purchasing, and placing ads across websites and apps, and simplifies how and when ads appear online. Advertisers now set high-level parameters—like budget, target audience, and goals—while algorithms handle the rest. With AI at its core, it not only streamlines ad buying but also predicts outcomes that evolve over time. AI analyzes customer behavior, processes vast amounts of content, and optimizes ad placements in real time.

What comes out is better targeting, fewer irrelevant ads, and higher ROI.

Programmatic advertising benefits everyone involved:

Advertisers

Save time and money while maximizing ad spend.

Publishers

Gain efficiency by automating inventory sales.

Consumers

Enjoy a better browsing experience with fewer irrelevant ads.

Advertisers

Save time and money while maximizing ad spend.

Publishers

Gain efficiency by automating inventory sales.

Consumers

Enjoy a better browsing experience with fewer irrelevant ads.

This approach isn’t limited to display networks like Google Display Network (GDN). From websites to social media and search engines, programmatic advertising works across the entire internet—anywhere your audience spends their time.

Programmatic Advertising Platforms

Programmatic platforms come in various types, each suited to specific goals, budgets, and audiences. The main categories include:

Programmatic Advertising Platforms

Programmatic platforms come in various types, each suited to specific goals, budgets, and audiences. The main categories include:

Demand-Side Platform (DSPs)

For marketers to automate ad buying, set audience parameters, and optimize campaigns. Examples: Google Display & Video 360, Amazon Advertising, Adobe Advertising Cloud.
Supply-Side Platform (SSPs)

For publishers to manage and sell ad spaces efficiently while controlling bidding and ad types. Examples: Google Ad Manager, Amazon Publisher Services, StackAdapt.
Ad Exchanges

The bridge between advertisers (DSPs) and publishers (SSPs), facilitating transactions through real-time bidding (RTB). Examples: Google Ads Exchange, Amazon, Xandr (Microsoft).

Demand-Side Platform (DSPs)

For marketers to automate ad buying, set audience parameters, and optimize campaigns. Examples: Google Display & Video 360, Amazon Advertising, Adobe Advertising Cloud.
Supply-Side Platform (SSPs)

For publishers to manage and sell ad spaces efficiently while controlling bidding and ad types. Examples: Google Ad Manager, Amazon Publisher Services, StackAdapt.
Ad Exchanges

The bridge between advertisers (DSPs) and publishers (SSPs), facilitating transactions through real-time bidding (RTB). Examples: Google Ads Exchange, Amazon, Xandr (Microsoft).

Tip: If you prioritize premium publishers and control, a private marketplace (PMP) may be ideal. For leveraging your own data and optimizing bids, look for a DSP with strong analytics.

Benefits of AI in Programmatic Advertising

AI amplifies the power of programmatic advertising, delivering smarter and more effective campaigns. Here’s how:

Benefits of AI in Programmatic Advertising

AI amplifies the power of programmatic advertising, delivering smarter and more effective campaigns. Here’s how:

Continuous Learning

AI uses machine learning to analyze data, refine customer segments, and improve performance over time. The more data it processes, the smarter it gets.
Customization

By studying user behavior, AI adjusts ad content automatically to match audience preferences, making ads more relevant and engaging.
Content Matching

Through natural language processing (NLP), AI aligns ad content with website content, ensuring ads appear only on reputable, relevant sites.

Continuous Learning

AI uses machine learning to analyze data, refine customer segments, and improve performance over time. The more data it processes, the smarter it gets.
Customization

By studying user behavior, AI adjusts ad content automatically to match audience preferences, making ads more relevant and engaging.
Content Matching

Through natural language processing (NLP), AI aligns ad content with website content, ensuring ads appear only on reputable, relevant sites.

Deeper Insights

AI uncovers advanced insights, such as purchase history and browsing behavior, enabling precise targeting and refined strategies.
Higher ROAS

With better targeting, personalization, and efficient bidding, AI helps advertisers maximize Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and make every dollar count.

Deeper Insights

AI uncovers advanced insights, such as purchase history and browsing behavior, enabling precise targeting and refined strategies.
Higher ROAS

With better targeting, personalization, and efficient bidding, AI helps advertisers maximize Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and make every dollar count.

Tips for Successful Programmatic Advertising

1. Set Clear Targeting Parameters

While traditional advertising involves selecting specific websites for ad placement, programmatic advertising focuses on defining target audiences and using technology to find them automatically. Use DSPs to define audience parameters like:

Demographics (age, gender, income)
Interests (fitness, tech, travel)
Behaviors (browsing, purchase history)
Location (broad to hyper-local)
Device type (desktop, mobile)

Marketers can layer these parameters to create hyper-specific personas, ensuring ads reach the most engaged audience and avoid wasting ad spend.

Tips for Successful Programmatic Advertising

1. Set Clear Targeting Parameters

While traditional advertising involves selecting specific websites for ad placement, programmatic advertising focuses on defining target audiences and using technology to find them automatically. Use DSPs to define audience parameters like:

Demographics (age, gender, income)
Interests (fitness, tech, travel)
Behaviors (browsing, purchase history)
Location (broad to hyper-local)
Device type (desktop, mobile)

Marketers can layer these parameters to create hyper-specific personas, ensuring ads reach the most engaged audience and avoid wasting ad spend.

2. Optimize for the Right Conversion

Conversion goals play a crucial role in guiding the algorithm’s budget allocation. Selecting the appropriate goal ensures the algorithm identifies the right users and bids on the most effective ads. Misaligned goals, however, can result in irrelevant traffic and reduced efficiency. Examples of conversion goals include:

Increasing purchases
Generating leads
Driving engagement actions, such as collection page visits

2. Optimize for the Right Conversion

Conversion goals play a crucial role in guiding the algorithm’s budget allocation. Selecting the appropriate goal ensures the algorithm identifies the right users and bids on the most effective ads. Misaligned goals, however, can result in irrelevant traffic and reduced efficiency. Examples of conversion goals include:

Increasing purchases
Generating leads
Driving engagement actions, such as collection page visits

3. Avoid Fraud

Programmatic advertising offers precise audience targeting but lacks direct control over where ads are placed. This can lead to issues like inflated bot clicks or click fraud, where fake interactions mimic real user activity.

Although programmatic platforms include measures to combat fraud, they are not foolproof. Tools like ClickCease or Fraud Blocker provide additional protection by:

3. Avoid Fraud

Programmatic advertising offers precise audience targeting but lacks direct control over where ads are placed. This can lead to issues like inflated bot clicks or click fraud, where fake interactions mimic real user activity.

Although programmatic platforms include measures to combat fraud, they are not foolproof. Tools like ClickCease or Fraud Blocker provide additional protection by:

Suspicious Activity

Detecting suspicious activity (e.g., repeated clicks from one IP).

Invalid Traffic

Blocking invalid traffic and fraudulent IP addresses.

Competitor Activity

Preventing malicious competitor activity.

Suspicious Activity

Detecting suspicious activity (e.g., repeated clicks from one IP).

Invalid Traffic

Blocking invalid traffic and fraudulent IP addresses.

Competitor Activity

Preventing malicious competitor activity.

4. Avoid Placement on Junk Sites

With automatic ad placement, there’s a risk of ads appearing on websites that don’t align with brand values. To address this, many programmatic platforms provide tools such as category exclusions, which block ads from sites featuring sensitive content. Additional safeguards include:

Domain exclusions: Upload a list of URLs to the DSP to block specific sites.
Keyword exclusions: Prevent ads from appearing on pages containing specific controversial or irrelevant terms.

4. Avoid Placement on Junk Sites

With automatic ad placement, there’s a risk of ads appearing on websites that don’t align with brand values. To address this, many programmatic platforms provide tools such as category exclusions, which block ads from sites featuring sensitive content. Additional safeguards include:

Domain exclusions: Upload a list of URLs to the DSP to block specific sites.
Keyword exclusions: Prevent ads from appearing on pages containing specific controversial or irrelevant terms.

5. Use Customer Data

DSPs enable the upload of customer data lists to identify users with similar traits, much like lookalike audiences on platforms such as Facebook Ads. For Shopify Plus merchants, Shopify Audiences offers a tool to generate lists of potential customers who are highly likely to purchase. This feature allows businesses to extend their reach and target audiences with a higher probability of conversion.

5. Use Customer Data

DSPs enable the upload of customer data lists to identify users with similar traits, much like lookalike audiences on platforms such as Facebook Ads. For Shopify Plus merchants, Shopify Audiences offers a tool to generate lists of potential customers who are highly likely to purchase. This feature allows businesses to extend their reach and target audiences with a higher probability of conversion.

Top AI Programmatic Advertising Tools

1. MarketMuse

Pricing:
• Free Plan
• Standard Plan: $600/month
• Premium Plan: $12,000/year

MarketMuse combines content strategy and AI to enhance programmatic advertising campaigns. The platform specializes in content generation and analysis to create ad copy and content that converts. It performs in-depth audits, analyzes competitors’ topics, and identifies gaps in their strategies for a competitive edge.

However, the free plan has limitations, and unlocking advanced features requires a higher level of investment.

MarketMuse combines content strategy and AI to enhance programmatic advertising campaigns. The platform specializes in content generation and analysis to create ad copy and content that converts. It performs in-depth audits, analyzes competitors’ topics, and identifies gaps in their strategies for a competitive edge.

However, the free plan has limitations, and unlocking advanced features requires a higher level of investment.

2. SEMrush

Pricing (Monthly):
• Pro Plan: $139.95/month
• Guru Plan: $249.95/month
• Business Plan: $499.95/month

SEMrush is an all-in-one digital marketing platform powered by AI, offering over 40 tools for SEO, advertising, keyword research, and more. Its standout feature is robust competitor analysis, allowing marketers to compare keyword performance and uncover opportunities to outperform rivals in search rankings.

While the platform's comprehensive toolset may feel overwhelming at first, its centralized dashboard simplifies marketing efforts by keeping everything in one place. SEMrush is also praised for offering great value for the wide array of features it provides.

SEMrush is an all-in-one digital marketing platform powered by AI, offering over 40 tools for SEO, advertising, keyword research, and more. Its standout feature is robust competitor analysis, allowing marketers to compare keyword performance and uncover opportunities to outperform rivals in search rankings.

While the platform's comprehensive toolset may feel overwhelming at first, its centralized dashboard simplifies marketing efforts by keeping everything in one place. SEMrush is also praised for offering great value for the wide array of features it provides.

3. Optimove (Optibot)

Pricing:
• Build Plan
• Grow Plan
• Scale Plan
Contact Optimove for a customized quote.

Optimove, a customer data platform, introduced Optibot in 2016, the first AI-powered marketing optimization bot. Optibot analyzes campaigns to extract actionable insights, helping marketers enhance ad copy, content, and targeting.

The platform also features a self-optimizing campaign system that delivers personalized content to each customer. Over time, the algorithm refines its approach by monitoring competing actions, ensuring ads are tailored to drive engagement and response.

Optimove, a customer data platform, introduced Optibot in 2016, the first AI-powered marketing optimization bot. Optibot analyzes campaigns to extract actionable insights, helping marketers enhance ad copy, content, and targeting.

The platform also features a self-optimizing campaign system that delivers personalized content to each customer. Over time, the algorithm refines its approach by monitoring competing actions, ensuring ads are tailored to drive engagement and response.

4. Albert

Pricing: Contact Albert for customized pricing plans.

Albert is an AI-powered platform designed to enhance digital marketing efforts across paid search, social, and programmatic advertising. The platform automates key tasks, including ad planning, audience building, budget optimization, bid management, and report analysis, making it an all-in-one tool for marketers.

Albert’s self-learning software independently processes vast amounts of data, delivering optimized campaigns and in-depth analytics to help increase ROAS. It’s a powerful autonomous AI tool for simplifying and improving digital marketing strategies.

Albert is an AI-powered platform designed to enhance digital marketing efforts across paid search, social, and programmatic advertising. The platform automates key tasks, including ad planning, audience building, budget optimization, bid management, and report analysis, making it an all-in-one tool for marketers.

Albert’s self-learning software independently processes vast amounts of data, delivering optimized campaigns and in-depth analytics to help increase ROAS. It’s a powerful autonomous AI tool for simplifying and improving digital marketing strategies.

5. Basis Technologies

Pricing: Visit the Basis Technologies website for a custom quote.

Previously known as Centro, Basis Technologies uses AI and machine learning to optimize programmatic ad campaigns and bidding. Its predictive modeling helps target the right audiences, delivering ads at the right time and on the most relevant websites.

The platform automates various digital media operations, including programmatic, search, social, and publisher-direct advertising.

Previously known as Centro, Basis Technologies uses AI and machine learning to optimize programmatic ad campaigns and bidding. Its predictive modeling helps target the right audiences, delivering ads at the right time and on the most relevant websites.

The platform automates various digital media operations, including programmatic, search, social, and publisher-direct advertising.

6. GumGum

Pricing: Contact GumGum for a customized quote.

GumGum’s goal is to match the right content with the right audience, using AI to drive sales. Its trademarked platform, Verity, employs contextual intelligence to analyze content and ensure ads appear only in relevant and brand-safe environments.

Verity has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for contextual analysis, brand safety, and suitability, making GumGum the first independent ad tech provider to earn this distinction.

GumGum’s goal is to match the right content with the right audience, using AI to drive sales. Its trademarked platform, Verity, employs contextual intelligence to analyze content and ensure ads appear only in relevant and brand-safe environments.

Verity has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for contextual analysis, brand safety, and suitability, making GumGum the first independent ad tech provider to earn this distinction.

Programmatic advertising, powered by AI, is transforming how marketers reach their audiences—streamlining processes, improving targeting, and driving higher ROAS. The future of digital advertising lies in the synergy between humans and AI, where technology empowers marketers to focus on creativity and strategy, delivering smarter and more efficient campaigns.

Key Takeaways

Programmatic Advertising Leads Digital Spend

By 2029, programmatic advertising is expected to account for 85% of global digital ad spend.

AI Powers Smarter Campaigns

Dynamic targeting, real-time bidding, and predictive analytics help deliver ads to the right audience at the right time.

Seamless Ad Placement Across Platforms

Programmatic platforms simplify ad buying, connecting advertisers with audiences across websites, social media, and search engines.

Programmatic Advertising Leads Digital Spend

By 2029, programmatic advertising is expected to account for 85% of global digital ad spend.

AI Powers Smarter Campaigns

Dynamic targeting, real-time bidding, and predictive analytics help deliver ads to the right audience at the right time.

Seamless Ad Placement Across Platforms

Programmatic platforms simplify ad buying, connecting advertisers with audiences across websites, social media, and search engines.

Granular Targeting with DSPs

DSPs let marketers define precise audience parameters for more effective targeting.

AI Tools Streamline Advertising

Platforms like SEMrush, Albert, and Optimove automate tasks, optimize budgets, and provide actionable insights for better results.

AI and Human Creativity Work Together

AI handles automation and data-driven logic, while humans focus on creativity and strategy. This collaboration will drive more profitable campaigns in 2025.

Granular Targeting with DSPs

DSPs let marketers define precise audience parameters for more effective targeting.

AI Tools Streamline Advertising

Platforms like SEMrush, Albert, and Optimove automate tasks, optimize budgets, and provide actionable insights for better results.

AI and Human Creativity Work Together

AI handles automation and data-driven logic, while humans focus on creativity and strategy. This collaboration will drive more profitable campaigns in 2025.

Looking to diversify into the digital ad space?

Get less of the excess and more of the essential—reach out to kickstart your journey to higher profits!

Sign up

Looking to diversify into the digital ad space?

Get less of the excess and more of the essential—reach out to kickstart your journey to higher profits!

Sign up

Don't hesitate to reach out :)

Share with us your success stories and get that insider scoop on exactly how we've helped our affiliates leverage these tips.

Don't hesitate to reach out :)

Share with us your success stories and get that insider scoop on exactly how we've helped our affiliates leverage these tips.

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