From Managed to Self-Serve: Navigating Walmart's Display Advertising Revolution

As Walmart continues to grow as a powerful e-commerce platform, its advertising solutions are evolving too. One of the most notable shifts has been from managed display advertising to self-serve solutions.  Marketplace sellers have rapidly become Walmart's fastest-growing advertisers, with sponsored search advertising spending surging by 63% last year and self-serve ad spending doubling during the same period.

For brands looking to maximize their presence and reach on Walmart Marketplace, understanding how to navigate this change is essential.

Walmart Display Advertising and The Self-Serve Transformation

Walmart Display Advertising allows brands to showcase their products through banner ads, videos, and rich media across Walmart.com, the Walmart app, and in-store digital screens. These ads help drive awareness, influence purchase decisions, and increase brand visibility. Traditionally, Walmart offered a managed service model where its internal team handled ad campaigns for brands.

With the introduction of the self-serve platform through Walmart Connect, advertisers now have greater control and flexibility over their campaigns. Walmart Connect is expanding its programmatic ad products, making it easier for small and mid-sized advertisers to join the platform. Display ads across Walmart properties are now primarily programmatic and auction-based, leveling the playing field for brands regardless of size.

What This Means for Brands

This shift impacts two key groups:

Brands using managed display who need to migrate

• If you've relied on Walmart's managed service, this change means transitioning to a hands-on approach. While this might seem like an added burden, it also provides granular control over your campaigns, enabling you to fine-tune targeting, budgets, and creative assets for better performance.

Brands who couldn't access managed service but want to use display

• Previously, managed display was often out of reach for smaller brands due to high minimum spend requirements. The new self-serve model makes display advertising more accessible, offering affordability and flexibility. Now, brands of all sizes can leverage Walmart's ad solutions without needing a massive budget.

Key Benefits for Advertisers

With this new self-serve model, advertisers gain access to:

• Integrated Automation Technology: Streamline your advertising process with advanced automation tools.
• Robust Targeting Options: Leverage behavioral, contextual, and keyword targeting for precision-focused campaigns.
• Custom Audience Targeting: Tailor your messaging to reach specific customer segments.
• Creative Builder: Quickly and efficiently create compelling ads with built-in creative tools.
• No Budget Minimums: Start advertising at any scale, without the pressure of high upfront investments.
• Full Campaign Management Control: Take charge of your advertising strategy with comprehensive self-serve management tools.

Key Differences: Managed vs. Self-Serve

How to Get Started with Walmart's Self-Serve Platform

1. Set Up Your Walmart Connect Account: Sign up and link your seller account to the advertising platform.
2. Define Your Goals: Are you looking for brand awareness, conversions, or retargeting?
3. Choose the Right Ad Format:
   • Sponsored Brands
   • Sponsored Products
   • Display Ads
4. Target Strategically: Utilize Walmart’s audience targeting tools based on shopping behavior, demographics, and location.
5. Optimize Continuously: Use real-time analytics to adjust bids, budgets, and creatives.

Pro Tips for Success

• Leverage Automation: Use Walmart’s automated bidding tools for efficient ad spend management.
• A/B Testing: Regularly test different creatives and targeting strategies.
• Utilize Sponsored Products: These often yield higher ROIs by targeting shoppers actively searching for related items.

Why This Matters for Marketplace Sellers

This self-serve shift democratizes Walmart's advertising platform, allowing businesses of all sizes to compete effectively. Small and mid-sized brands now have the tools to:

• Increase visibility in a competitive marketplace
• Manage campaigns more efficiently with greater control
• Optimize ad spending with targeted strategies

Final Thoughts & Opportunities

The shift from managed to self-serve advertising on Walmart allows brands to take full control of their marketing efforts. While it requires a hands-on approach, the benefits—greater flexibility, improved targeting, and cost efficiency—make it a worthy investment.

For brands previously using managed display, this transition unlocks the ability to test and iterate more rapidly across multiple campaign dimensions using Walmart’s robust analytics suite. With deeper insights and faster optimizations, brands can refine their strategies more efficiently than ever.

For smaller brands, self-serve display opens up a world of new opportunities. Unlike Sponsored Brands, which come with targeting limitations, self-serve display offers greater flexibility in visual storytelling, audience targeting, and messaging. This also means smaller advertisers can now tap into previously inaccessible features like audience-based targeting (beyond just keywords) and geo-targeting for hyper-focused campaigns.

Whether you're an established brand looking for more control or a growing business eager to experiment with new ad formats, Walmart’s self-serve display model provides the tools to compete effectively in an evolving digital landscape.

Ready to take control of your advertising strategy? Start exploring Walmart Connect’s self-serve platform today.

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