Between DSP, SSP, CPM, DMP, RTB and more, it can be easy to get lost in the alphabet soup that is programmatic buying.

In the simplest of terms, this strategy is the act of using technology and data to choose and buy digital advertising space on the web. The process is often automated and occurs in real time as a collaboration amongst brands, marketing pros and advertising agencies.

According to AdAge, this advertising approach is on the rise. In 2011, spend on programmatic digital display advertising reached $1.1 billion. Projections for 2019 predict a whopping $45.9 billion in ad spend.

Programmatic advertising may have encountered a bumpy road on its path to mainstream adoption, but research shows that its time in the sun has finally arrived. According to eMarketer, 84 percent of all display advertising will be conducted through programmatic channels by the end of the year.

Overall, spending on this automated solution is expected to approach $33 billion by the end of 2017. This growth follows years of uncertainty and growing pains, as programmatic ad buying searched for a balance that best serves ad buyers and sellers. Many marketers feel that the programmatic market is now worth the effort. Here's a look at some of the benefits and recent improvements.

In simple terms, programmatic advertising is the use of automation technology to buy and sell ads, primarily online. Instead of negotiating prices and making calls, marketers who use this technology simply set a budget and let machines discover and purchase their digital media for them leaving more time for ongoing analysis and optimization.

Marketers are overwhelmingly adopting programmatic technology — in fact, data from eMarketer estimated that in 2017, nearly four of every five U.S. digital display dollars have been spent on this type of advertising, totaling $32.56 billion. But despite the popularity, some marketers are still making a few common mistakes. Here are five missteps to avoid.

Restaurants face the endless challenge of enticing consumers to walk through the front doors. Word-of-mouth carries a lot of clout, and the restaurant industry has been transformed by the heavy influence of online reviews.

But neither of these channels offer any control to the restaurant — that's where target advertising comes into play. By using digital channels to expose your restaurant to nearby consumers looking for a bite to eat, you can control some of your online fate while leveraging influential technology to make a greater impact.

If programmatic advertising trends continue, expect spending on this method to grow by 31 percent in 2017, according to a report from Zenith. This would be faster than social media, which should rise 25 percent, and online video's anticipated growth of 20 percent. Whether you're currently using programmatic's data-driven, automated ad buying technology or just thinking about it, here's what you need to know about its trajectory in 2017.

When was the last time you checked to see if you were actually reaching your target audience? Many SMBs have only a vague idea of who their customers are and even less understanding of how to connect with them. At the very least, a failure to reach your intended audience means missed sales. Luckily, today there are free digital tools to help you define, reach and convert your audience.

If you've ever moved before, you know how labor intensive it can be. There are moving trucks to reserve or moving companies to hire. You need to cancel utilities at one place, start them at your new home, move out of your current place and possibly sell your home before finding a new place to live.

On top of all this, you must make sure you have a bed to sleep in every night. People have a lot of needs when they're moving, and companies that serve that industry want to be the solution. IP targeting is a digital marketing strategy that has proven especially effective in helping these businesses connect with their consumer base. Digital marketing channels abound, but using IP addresses supports unique strategies for companies that want to reach an audience of movers.

Programmatic advertising allows marketers to identify and reach consumers more likely to have an interest in their brand. It has been in use for years as a way for marketers to get their messages noticed and found around products, services, and other promotions. Tuning it with native advertising can make beautiful music for your company. Here's why marketing conductors should pay attention.

Why Going Native Could Strike a Chord with Your Business

As Marketing Land reports, a study from Facebook and IHS shows that native in-stream ads will account for 63.2 percent of all mobile display advertising by 2020. Native advertising has become a highly effective and engaging ad format. It can typically be more expensive than other ad types since it needs to be custom-created for effective content integration. Adding programmatic is a simple execution creating an ideal multi-channel campaign that helps convert audiences toward your brand message.

Programmatic advertising is a hot topic in digital marketing these days, with ad spending expected to reach $22 billion this year, according to eMarketer — that's nearly a 40 percent increase from last year. But, according to an IAB report cited by Econsultancy, only 45 percent of people who use programmatic advertising actually understand the concept behind it. Here's the vital information on programmatic advertising and how to approach your creative in these campaigns.

What Is Programmatic Advertising?

Essentially, programmatic advertising is a data-driven, automatic approach to media buying that allows for hyper-personalized targeting with agile messaging across all paid advertising. It dramatically reduces the margin of human error and the labor-intensive process of media buying and replaces them with technology-based techniques that target the right customer with the right ad at the right time.

Digital advertising changes, but concerns around brand safety remain at the top of ad buyers' minds. According to eMarketer, 26 percent of brands purchasing digital ad space cited brand safety as their top concern when choosing where and how to advertise, underscoring the need to provide assurances to those consumers.

Those companies are fortunate that brand safety solutions on digital ad exchanges make it possible to avoid much of the online advertising space that might be a poor fit for their campaign. But don't take an ad network's word for it — every company should know what features can ensure brand safety and protect ad content from potentially damaging associations.