Paid Media
Programmatic Display in B2B: Almost Always a Waste
Programmatic display rarely produces measurable B2B pipeline. Here is when it does and when to skip it.
Programmatic display (banner ads served via DSPs to large audiences) is one of the most-pitched and least-effective B2B paid media tactics. The vendors promise targeted reach to your ICP. The reality is that most programmatic targeting in B2B is loose, the placements are low-trust (banner blindness is real), and attribution to pipeline is nearly impossible.
When programmatic does work: account-based programmatic via 6sense, Demandbase, or RollWorks where the ad is served only to known target accounts. The targeting precision makes the math work because you are paying for impressions to companies you specifically want to reach. Spend 5-15K/month on this for ABM, and it adds up.
When programmatic does not work: broad programmatic targeting based on intent data, lookalike audiences, or interest categories. The waste is high (most impressions go to non-buyers), the trust is low (banner ads do not move B2B buyers), and the attribution is opaque. Cut this spend.
If you are running broad programmatic and the dashboard shows 'reach' and 'impressions' as primary metrics with no clear pipeline attribution, kill the program. Reallocate to LinkedIn Ads (better targeting, better trust), Google Ads (better intent capture), or sponsored newsletters (better quality).