Sell-side targeting, which enables buyers and supply-side platforms (SSPs) to collaborate more effectively, provides an enhanced buying experience for ad buyers. This strategy transfers the audience targeting responsibility from the demand side and moves it further upstream to the supply side.

By creating a direct connection with publishers, sell-side targeting allows you to reach your target audience more efficiently as you have more control over where your ads are served. This means that the SSP matches the audience or data segment to the publisher inventory which drives more addressable impressions.

Let’s look at the key benefits of sell-side targeting.

Easier audience targeting

Sell-side targeting makes it easier to reach your audience. It allows you to apply your campaign targeting directly to the supply side and activate impressions through a Deal ID. Sell-side targeting works across various channels, including web display, mobile, in-app and connected TV—ensuring a seamless advertising experience.

First-party data as part of the process

When using first-party data to complement sell-side targeting, you can scale your audiences, improve CPM efficiency via waste reduction and, ultimately, achieve a higher ROI. Your first-party data is closer to the publisher’s content and therefore, the consumer, which is exactly where it belongs.

Measurement and attribution

SSPs can offer detailed log-level reports that can be used for multi-touch attribution (MTA) or mixed media models (MMM). These valuable insights improve measurement and attribution models and help with valuable optimization insights.

Improved performance metrics

Your performance metrics will improve with a larger and more direct inventory to choose from when layered with smart utilization of first- and third-party data. Not only does sell-side targeting drive greater performance, but it also provides more value for your money.

Reach consumers in a cookieless future with sell-side targeting

Connecting with your audience in a cookieless future requires a strategic approach. With recent changes in consumer privacy, it’s becoming more difficult for marketers to consistently access user signals such as device and browser data. However, while some alternative IDs are proving to provide adequate coverage, cookies will continue to be a primary targeting method for as long as they remain available.

In the process of navigating the evolving advertising landscape, one can anticipate greater reliance on alternative IDs, contextual buying, and other solutions like sell-side targeting to bridge the gap left by the loss of third-party cookies. With a combination of these solutions, you can continue to reach your audience in a world without cookies while respecting privacy and maintaining a great user experience.

Bottom line: Compared to other ad-buying approaches, sell-side targeting provides a larger range of inventory to choose from, promotes collaboration with partners, increases reach, and provides better ROI. By adopting a sell-side targeting approach, you can easily get a bigger piece of the pie and unlock more value in advertising.