Programmatic advertising is such a competitive market that it compels publishers to innovate in both technology and working culture. Everyone wants to stay ahead of the curve, but how exactly?

At Relevant Digital, we believe that the integration between sales and ad operations, two pillars of the advertising structure, might just be the deciding factor in how to succeed in programmatic sales. These areas should not function separately but should instead be unified to complement each other. We are here to help guide you on how to smoothly integrate advertising sales with operations, using five unexpected and transformative ways. We aim to provide insights, encouragement, and practical steps that can set you on a path to success.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: with the right tools and constant innovation, you can elevate your performance to brand-new heights.

1. Enhance Collaboration Across Teams

Traditionally, different teams within an organisation might function in silos with limited cross-communication. Just because sales teams are expected to sell, they shouldn't be the only people involved in the sales process. In fact, successful publishers that we have worked with usually share one common thing: ad operations and yield specialists contribute to strategising advertising sales.

When it comes to digital advertising sales data, the BI and AdOps teams usually have direct access to it, as they are the ones who extract and process this data. This can mean that salespeople sometimes need to consult technical teams to obtain advertising revenue and inventory data. While this might require only a few (or perhaps dozens of) Slack messages, it introduces unnecessary delays into the process and, inadvertently, diminishes the opportunity for technical teams to contribute to ad sales.

Break down these silos by offering a shared platform that is straightforward and accessible to various departments across the organisation, from which advertising sales and all its various key figures can be monitored! This will encourage brainstorming dialogues and collaboration between AdOps, yield managers, sales teams, and RevOps/CRO. By eliminating the need to go through specific individuals for data, teams can collaborate more efficiently, leveraging shared insights and minimising duplication of effort.

2. Cultivate a Culture of Data Literacy

The digital era has underlined the importance of data in driving decision-making. However, data is only as good as the insights derived from it. With an ocean of data available, it's crucial to cultivate a culture where team members, regardless of their primary roles, understand the basics of data interpretation.

By centralising advertising sales data in an easily digestible format, publishers empower their teams to dive deeper into the metrics that matter. Encouraging a data-literate environment means that ideas and insights aren't just top-down but can sprout from any corner of the organisation. A salesperson might identify a trend that wasn't on the radar, or a member from the AdOps might spot an inefficiency in the sales process - all from the same data source.

The key here isn't just to provide access to data, but to ensure that teams can understand and act upon it. This democratisation of data fosters an atmosphere where team members are proactive, curious, and always on the lookout for optimisations. As a result, publishers can ensure that they're not only making data-driven decisions but also nurturing a workforce that's curious, engaged, and ready to leverage data in innovative ways.

3. Give the People the Data They Actually Need

CXOs don't need the same data as Programmatic Operations Managers. In some cases, even advertising sales team members don't need the same data. We've worked with large-sized publishers that have multiple sales teams working on multiple websites. So… What if we let the people create their own reports with the data that they are interested in? With a strong foundation of data literacy, everyone will know exactly what they need to best perform their job. 

Individual reporting customisation based on roles is our suggestion to be effective and agile. Whether it's sales teams needing performance data of a specific campaign for their sales presentation, or CROs looking for forecasting insights, make it easy for them to do it themselves. This customisability together with data centralisation reduces unnecessary clutter, empowers independency, and still ensures no discrepancies. 

What's even cooler than personal reports is personal alerts. Custom alerts notify relevant people immediately when there are changes or when thresholds are reached, on specific metrics that they focus on. This leads to even faster reactions to market trends or potential issues, enhancing the organisation's responsiveness and effectiveness. 

The AdOps and Yield team should have their own alerts for bug fixing and optimisation as well. Since each team makes use of the same data in different ways, there is a practical requirement for flexibility in what they should be notified on.

4. Make Sales Data Compatible with Other Tools

Can you import advertising sales data to your CRM system effortlessly? Sometimes, reporting platforms can be difficult to integrate with other tools in the organisation due to the rigid structure. Therefore, consider one that automates tedious manual tasks for you but still offers the flexibility for customisation. 

Imagine a reporting tool that allows you to map Advertiser and Buyer information to match your CRM's setups. How much time and headache would that save? Transferring data from one platform to another has risks of disruption. As far as we know, no data is better than bad data.

It is advisable to utilise tools that are comprehensive and multifunctional. Having too many tools might hinder the overall workflow as each of them behaves differently. Besides streamlining the process, you can save up costs and maintenance resources. 

5. Simplified Working Conditions

An organisation can hardly grow sustainably without its people being happy and content. The investment in employees is just as important as that in the tech stack. Every day, there are new software to optimise the operations process and boost revenue and productivity. It should be noted that sometimes, less is more.

Having too many different tools can add stress and confusion to your teammates. Consequentially, the quality of work is not improved and a lot of money goes to waste. Digital advertising is complicated enough, we should look for ways to simplify things, not the other way around. 

For ad operations, consider tools that automate repetitive manual tasks so your specialists can invest their intelligence and precious time into meticulous tasks that generate revenue. With an empowering tool in hand, they can freely experiment their hypothesis and grow their expertise. Free them of heavy-lifting engineering while giving them the independence to explore.

For ad sales, provide a straightforward platform for them to monitor their performance as well as inventory. This in return creates a proactive approach, which helps them evaluate deals and make business decisions in a timely manner.

Conclusion

Success in the programmatic industry doesn't simply stop at technology. It is a unique industry, hence requires unique elements from the players. Achieving a harmonised workflow, ensuring data literacy, and optimising tech integrations are more critical than ever. The key lies in adopting a platform that seamlessly amalgamates all these facets, allowing for streamlined operations and informed decision-making.

As we've explored these transformative strategies, it's evident that a centralised reporting solution, like what you'd find with Relevant Yield's API Insights, can be a great helping hand in unlocking unparalleled success in programmatic advertising. Dive deeper, explore efficiently, and stay ahead of the curve, just as leading industry players like JP/Pol have done.