Selecting a Digital Advertising Platform: A Guide for Small Businesses

Navigating the digital advertising landscape can be complex for small businesses looking to drive sales and customer growth. Programmatic advertising offers a solution by automating ad buying and placement, precisely targeting specific audiences. However, the journey to successful programmatic advertising involves several steps, from defining goals to evaluating partnership success. For small businesses looking for a managed service approach to maximize investment, performance, and results, Sussex Group can facilitate and manage this process, ensuring a seamless and effective advertising strategy.

Step 1: Define Your Advertising Goals 

The first step in any successful advertising campaign is clearly defining your goals. Whether you're looking to increase website traffic, boost product sales, or enhance brand awareness, Sussex Group can help articulate these objectives and set measurable KPIs such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS). Our expertise ensures your goals are not just defined but are also achievable and aligned with your overall business strategy.

Step 2: Research Potential Platforms

Finding the right programmatic advertising platform is essential. Sussex Group leverages its industry knowledge and networks to identify platforms that specialize in serving small businesses, offering managed services and complimentary ad creation. We conduct thorough research, including reviewing case studies and testimonials, to shortlist platforms with a proven success track record.

Step 3: Evaluate Platform Capabilities 

Choosing a managed services platform is essential for small businesses that want to focus on their core operations while maximizing their advertising efforts. Sussex Group evaluates potential platforms on your behalf, ensuring they provide comprehensive managed services, free ad creation, and features like audience targeting and performance tracking, which are crucial for the success of your campaigns.

Step 4: Assess Cost and ROI Potential 

Understanding the cost structure and potential ROI is critical in programmatic advertising. Sussex Group assists in requesting detailed pricing information and ROI case studies from platforms, helping you make an informed decision based on cost-effectiveness and potential success in your industry.

Step 5: Facilitate Outreach and Proposal Requests

Reaching out to platforms and requesting tailored proposals can be time-consuming. Sussex Group acts as your representative, contacting shortlisted platforms to express interest and request proposals that include strategy, services offered, and pricing, all tailored to your business needs and objectives.

Step 6: Review and Negotiate Terms 

Sussex Group reviews proposed terms of service on your behalf, negotiating terms that better suit your business needs, such as pricing, service level agreements (SLAs), or additional support. Our expertise ensures that you enter into a partnership with favorable terms that align with your business objectives.

Step 7: Onboarding and Launch Support

Sussex Group actively collaborates with the chosen platform throughout the onboarding process, ensuring the correct setup of your account, effective communication of your ad requirements, and your comprehensive understanding of the dashboard and tools available to you. We also oversee the approval of final ad designs and campaign strategies, guaranteeing a setup poised for a successful launch.

Step 8: Monitor and Optimize Campaigns

Regular campaign monitoring and optimization are essential to achieving the best results. Sussex Group collaborates with your account manager to review performance data and make strategic adjustments to optimize campaigns. Our proactive approach ensures your advertising efforts deliver maximum impact.

Step 9: Evaluate Partnership Success

Finally, Sussex Group helps you evaluate the success of your programmatic advertising partnership based on the achievement of your initial goals and ROI. We provide insights and recommendations on continuing, expanding, or adjusting the partnership, ensuring your advertising strategy remains aligned with your business growth objectives.

Conclusion

For small businesses seeking to maximize their advertising investment through managed services, Sussex Group offers the expertise and support needed to successfully navigate the programmatic advertising landscape. 

We ensure your advertising campaigns are set up for success and continuously optimized to achieve the best possible results. Partner with Sussex Group and take the first step towards transforming your digital advertising strategy today.