How do you handle programmatic media buying issues and troubleshoot problems?

1 Bid strategy issues

One of the most frequent issues that programmatic media buyers face is related to their bid strategy, or how they set the price and frequency of their bids to win ad impressions. A poor bid strategy can result in low win rates, high costs, or low performance. To troubleshoot bid strategy issues, you need to analyze your campaign data and compare it with the market conditions, such as the supply and demand, the competition, and the seasonality. You also need to test different bid levels, frequencies, and modifiers, such as geo, device, or audience, to find the optimal combination that maximizes your return on ad spend (ROAS).

2 Creative issues

Another common issue that programmatic media buyers encounter is related to their creatives, or the design and content of their ads. A bad creative can lead to low click-through rates (CTRs), high bounce rates, or negative feedback. To troubleshoot creative issues, you need to ensure that your creatives are compliant with the specifications and policies of the platforms and channels that you are using, such as the size, format, quality, and content. You also need to monitor your creative performance and conduct A/B testing to identify the best-performing variants and optimize your creative mix.

4 Delivery issues

A fourth common issue that programmatic media buyers deal with is related to their delivery, or how their ads are served and displayed to their audiences. A problematic delivery can cause underdelivery, overdelivery, or discrepancy issues. To troubleshoot delivery issues, you need to check your campaign settings and parameters, such as the budget, pacing, frequency cap, and targeting criteria, and make sure that they are aligned with your goals and expectations. You also need to monitor your delivery reports and metrics, such as the impressions, reach, and viewability, and identify any gaps or errors that may affect your delivery performance.

5 Optimization issues

A fifth common issue that programmatic media buyers encounter is related to their optimization, or how they adjust and improve their campaigns based on their performance and feedback. A poor optimization can result in suboptimal results, missed opportunities, or wasted resources. To troubleshoot optimization issues, you need to define your key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks, and measure your campaign performance against them. You also need to implement feedback loops and learning mechanisms, such as attribution models, conversion tracking, and machine learning, to identify the drivers and barriers of your campaign success and make data-driven decisions.

6 Technical issues

A sixth common issue that programmatic media buyers face is related to their technical, or the software and hardware that they use to execute and manage their campaigns. A technical issue can cause malfunctions, disruptions, or security breaches. To troubleshoot technical issues, you need to have a clear understanding of the programmatic ecosystem and the roles and responsibilities of the different players, such as the demand-side platforms (DSPs), the supply-side platforms (SSPs), the ad exchanges, and the ad servers. You also need to have access to the tools and resources that can help you diagnose and resolve technical issues, such as the debuggers, the log files, and the support teams.