10 Pros & Cons of Low-Cost, Self-Serve Online Advertising

We’ve extolled the virtues of self-serve (or “DIY”) online advertising for companies needing a low-cost digital advertising solution several times before on this blog, and have given you The Definitive List of Self-Serve Online Ad Buying as a starting point for your media buys.

Self-serve advertising is readily available for all sizes of businesses and agencies looking to take advantage of its inexpensive, often easy-to-implement campaigns. Not only does it allow you to place your own media buys, but there are more than a few sites that also provide creative assets or assist you with your creative development needs.

DIY advertising isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, however. Here’s a look at ten pros and ten cons to help you decide if self-serve online advertising is right for you:

Pros:

1. Low minimum spend commitment; some as low as $100 per campaign
2. Adjustable daily spending limits to better suit a tight budget
3. Flexible start and end dates
4. Ability to optimize your campaigns on the fly
5. Easy to navigate user interface
6. Multiple targeting options: geographically, demographically, etc.
7. Video and Mobile placements are available through specific vendors
8. Inexpensive test buys
9. Opportunity to add lift to existing Branding campaigns with massive impression buys
10. Ability to develop creative inexpensively

Cons:

1. Insufficient spending can often lead to poor performance due to a lack of frequency
2. Many do not offer conversion tracking, leaving advertisers to optimize against clicks vs. actions
3. Lack of assistance with campaign setup, creative upload, launch & reporting
4. Inability to buy premium placements; such as homepage “takeovers”
5. Few premium publishers offer inventory through self-serve networks; Google’s YouTube is an exception
6. Inability to avoid advertising on the same page as a competitor
7. Inability to avoid negative content
8. Few self-serve vendors offer sophisticated targeting, such as psychographic targeting
9. Many user interfaces are quite cumbersome
10. Lack of human contact; there’s no one to guide you to the best-performing placements

Also, it’s worth nothing that not all self-serve user interfaces are created equally. Be prepared to investigate many vendors, comparing site lists, placement options, creative acceptability, targeting capabilities, and ad tracking and reporting features. Some platforms are much more user-friendly than others, offering an array of targeting and tracking options within a very easy-to-use interface.

1 Comment »

1. I couldn’t resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!

     Comment by kliknij — July 23, 2012 @ 2:44 pm

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