Programmatic Advertising for Beginners by Michael Manelidis, book cover
Book resources

Programmatic Advertising
for Beginners

How to Buy Real Traffic on a Small Budget with DSPs and Real-Time Bidding. By Michael Manelidis.

Download the free checklists (PDF)

Three printable pages. No email needed.

The three checklists from the book

Chapter 6Pre-launch checklistYour five numbers, the offer and landing page, tracking, campaign settings, and what to watch in the first hour.
Chapter 10Weekly optimization routineThe eight-step weekly review, when to block a placement, and a table for finding where the funnel breaks.
Chapter 11Platform comparison sheetTen questions to ask any DSP before you deposit, with space to compare two platforms side by side.

About the book

Most programmatic advertising guides are written for agencies with large budgets. This one is for the shop owner, the affiliate, the app developer and the junior marketer who has just been handed a DSP login and no instructions.

  • How the 100-millisecond auction behind every ad works, and who takes a cut
  • Which format fits your offer: display, native, video, push, pop or in-app
  • How to calculate a bid from your own numbers
  • A first campaign on $10 to $50 a day, step by step
  • Tracking that shows which placements produce sales
  • How to spot ad fraud and junk traffic in your own reports
  • A 30-day launch plan and a full glossary

Available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook (also free with Kindle Unlimited), paperback and hardcover.

Get the book on Amazon

Next in the series: The Digital Advertising Dictionary

525 ad tech, programmatic and paid media terms explained in plain English. Every entry has a definition, a real example, why it matters for your budget and, for every metric, the formula. Plus the 50 terms to learn first, an acronym finder and a formula cheat sheet.

Available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook (also free with Kindle Unlimited), paperback and hardcover.

Get the dictionary on Amazon

Also in the series: Stop Paying for Bots

The Advertiser’s Guide to Ad Fraud, Click Fraud and Junk Traffic (2026 Edition). The 10 warning signs of junk traffic in your own reports, step-by-step clean-ups for Google, Meta, programmatic, pop, push and native, and a 30-day plan, with free printable checklists.

Get Stop Paying for Bots on Amazon Free checklists

New in the series: The ROAS Formula

Track, Then Attack: Find the Placements That Convert. Buy Only Those. A simple two-campaign system: one broad Track campaign finds the sources that convert, and a whitelist-only Attack campaign puts your budget there, with ASAP delivery and a daily cap. Includes the Source Score (0 to 100), ready Attack Plans for e-commerce, leads, apps and sweepstakes, a platform cheat sheet and a 30-day challenge.

Available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook (also free with Kindle Unlimited), paperback and hardcover.

Get The ROAS Formula on Amazon Free ROAS calculator

Run the first campaign from chapter 6

The walkthrough in the book uses PPCmate, a self-serve advertising platform. The method works on any DSP, and chapter 11 gives you the questions to ask whichever one you choose.

Open a PPCmate account

Frequently asked questions

Who is this book for?

Shop owners, affiliates, app developers and junior marketers who have a DSP login and no instructions. It is written for small budgets, not agencies.

Are the checklists really free?

Yes. The three printable checklists (pre-launch, weekly optimization routine and platform comparison) download as one PDF, with no email needed.

How much budget do I need to follow the book?

The first campaign in the book runs on $10 to $50 a day, step by step.

Does the method only work on PPCmate?

No. The walkthrough uses PPCmate, but the method works on any DSP, and chapter 11 gives you ten questions to ask whichever platform you choose.

Where can I buy it?

On Amazon as a Kindle eBook (also free with Kindle Unlimited), paperback and hardcover.

As an Amazon Associate, PPCmate earns from qualifying purchases.