In the past, programmatic advertising has been the domain for large budget advertisers. However, with lowered minimum spends and the enhanced targeting abilities of these platforms, programmatic is something even small businesses can execute.
In this episode, I’ve invited Jessica Chase to discuss leveraging programmatic advertising for small business owners. Jessica is CEO and Co-Founder of Above the Fold, a digital advertising company focusing on this topic.
We discuss what constitutes this type of advertising, its benefits, disadvantages, as well as the type of results you can get from it. An important part of this discussion centers on how programmatic fits into your overall digital marketing strategy.
You can reach Jessica directly through her website at: getabovethefold.com or connect with her on @programmaticads on TikTok, @getabovethefold on Instagram & Facebook or on Linkedin linkedin.com/in/programmaticmarketing
Conversation Summary (updated Nov 6, 2025)
In this episode, I sat down with Jessica Chase—co-founder and CEO of Above the Fold—to unpack a channel many leaders hear about but seldom understand: programmatic advertising. While my show often centers on SEO, PPC, and web strategy, a huge share of the ads your customers see online are programmatic—on news sites, mobile apps, streaming TV, podcasts, and music platforms. If your goal is true omnipresence, this belongs in your mix.
What “programmatic” really means. As Jessica frames it, programmatic is inventory across the open internet: premium websites (think major news and lifestyle properties), smart-TV apps, mobile apps, podcasts, and streaming audio. In practice, it’s how you reach your audience wherever they spend time—not just in a search box or a social feed.
From mass spray to precision reach. Two decades ago, brands bought broad TV inventory with blunt personas (e.g., “women 30–50”) and massive minimums. Today, with connected TV and modern demand-side platforms, the entry point is far lower and the targeting far sharper—down to attributes like life stage, interests, and intent signals. That’s a material shift for the $5–10M “small” businesses already investing in billboards and traditional media: similar budgets can now buy far more relevance and frequency across channels that actually get consumed.
Awareness isn’t optional. A recurring theme in our conversation: you won’t get the click without the awareness. Search and social often claim “last-click” credit, but programmatic is frequently the first touch that primes the pump. In Jessica’s client data, turning on programmatic display alongside an active Google program has more than doubled on-site conversion rates; adding connected TV has delivered another 3–4% lift. Zooming out, running about five coordinated channels increases conversion rate potential dramatically—a reminder that market share accrues to brands that show up consistently across the journey, not just at the bottom of the funnel.
How to approach it. Start with a frank assessment: Is your website functional? Can a lead be submitted and tracked? Are you findable on branded search and supported by SEO/PPC so awareness doesn’t leak to competitors? With those foundations in place, define a clear customer persona and objective, then layer programmatic to amplify demand and lift the performance of search and social.
Creative and testing matter. Programmatic isn’t “set and forget.” Rotate creative to avoid fatigue, tailor messages by funnel stage (prospecting vs. retargeting vs. cart abandon), and test audiences, geographies, formats, and placements. Neglecting creative testing is how budgets get burned without learning.
AI is already under the hood. Long before today’s hype cycle, programmatic platforms used machine learning to optimize creative and audiences in real time. That continues to evolve—but the practical takeaway is simple: feed the machine good inputs (clean tracking, quality creative, clear goals) and it will find efficiencies.
Tactics worth your attention. Geofencing can build high-intent audiences from events or locations. Site retargeting no longer stops at display—you can re-engage past visitors across connected TV, podcasts, and audio. For B2B teams, account-based marketing shines when coordinated with sales outreach to named accounts.
The throughline is focus and balance: use programmatic to create and capture demand, let search and site do their jobs, and orchestrate creative and channels so they work together. That’s how you move from isolated clicks to durable growth.