Hot take: Programmatic display ads aren't always the answer for local service businesses

I was at a networking event last week and a plumber told me he spent $1,200 on programmatic display ads through a big agency and got exactly two calls. Meanwhile, his neighbor who runs a landscaping company spends $300 a month on hyper-local Facebook ads and books solid every spring. It made me rethink pushing automated ad platforms to every client. Has anyone else found that programmatic just doesn't work for certain niches like roofers or electricians?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_singh201mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, that story about the plumber is exactly what I've been seeing too! It really makes you wonder who these automated platforms are actually built for. So here's what I'm curious about: did that agency ever explain how they targeted those display ads, or did they just set it and forget it? I feel like the difference between the plumber and the landscaper might come down to how each ad was set up, not just the platform itself. Like, were they running display ads on random plumbing blogs or actually narrowing it down to people searching for drain cleaners?

nathan9011mo ago

@seth_singh20 didn't mention the targeting, but I've run those display campaigns before. It's usually lazy targeting like "homeowners" or "home services" which wastes most of the budget. If they didn't layer on keyword level signals or audience segments, the plumber was just showing up to random people who don't need him.

thomas_torres1mo ago

Yeah, narrowing it down to intent signals made all the difference for me.