Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is a powerful technique to deliver personalized and relevant ads to your target audiences in real-time bidding (RTB) campaigns. But how do you integrate DCO with other creative and media tools and platforms in your RTB ecosystem? Here are some tips to help you get the most out of DCO.
To create effective DCO campaigns, you need to have access to rich and reliable data sources that can inform your creative decisions. These data sources can include your own first-party data, such as website behavior, CRM, and purchase history, as well as third-party data, such as demographics, interests, and location. You also need to integrate your data sources with your DCO platform, which can be a standalone tool or part of a larger creative management platform (CMP). This way, you can use your data to segment your audiences and trigger different creative variations based on their attributes and preferences.
There are mostly two data sets. The first data set is the feed i.e. the dynamic elements of the creative. The feed must be updated regularly to account for new products or business events such as promotional sales. The second data set is audience data. This is about communication and strategy: which creative variation(s) should be served to a specific audience persona.
Once you have your data sources integrated, you need to define your creative strategy for DCO. This means setting your goals, objectives, and KPIs for each campaign, as well as determining the key messages, offers, and calls to action that you want to convey to your audiences. You also need to decide on the creative elements that you want to optimize, such as images, headlines, colors, and layouts. You can use a creative brief to outline your strategy and communicate it to your creative team or agency.
To define this creative strategy, you need to factor in funnel stage. The funnel stage helps build a consistent objective, audience type, and creative messaging. For example, the headline and CTA of the creative should be the same for a user with affinity/interest for tour brand and a user that has already visited your site several times.
The next step is to design and test your creative variations for DCO. You can use your DCO platform or CMP to create multiple versions of your ads, either manually or automatically, based on your creative strategy and data segments. You can also use dynamic templates and feeds to streamline the process and ensure consistency across different formats and devices. To test your creative variations, you can use A/B testing or multivariate testing methods, as well as analytics and reporting tools, to measure and compare their performance and optimize them accordingly.
You need a test framework: ? Learning agenda & hypothesis ? Type: A/B or test versus control ? Variable: in this case, creative ? Sub-variables: image, headline, call-to-action, landing page, etc. ? Measurement of success: KPI and benchmark Also, you need to reach statistical significance e.g. deliver enough impressions, clicks ans conversion to interpret results with minimal margin of error.
Today, marketing platforms allows to automatically test creative variations for DCO learning based on inputted objective and KPI. However, as there can be numerous possible combinations, you need a long-term flight to allow the algorithm to mature and optimize.
The final step is to connect your DCO campaigns to your RTB platforms, such as demand-side platforms (DSPs), ad exchanges, or ad networks. This way, you can bid on the best inventory for your audiences and deliver your optimized ads in real time. You can use various methods to connect your DCO campaigns to your RTB platforms, such as tags, macros, or APIs. You also need to ensure that your DCO campaigns are compliant with the technical specifications and policies of your RTB platforms, such as size, format, and content restrictions.
To ensure the success of your DCO campaigns, you need to monitor and adjust them regularly based on the data and feedback that you collect from your RTB platforms and your DCO platform or CMP. You can use dashboards and reports to track and analyze your campaign performance, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI. You can also use insights and recommendations to identify and implement opportunities for improvement, such as adding new segments, creative variations, or bidding strategies.
As much as possible, do not assume. Let data and performance validate your strategy. Tactically adjust your campaign, but avoid implementing significant changes too often as it may impact your ability to properly read and understand results.
Finally, you can learn and apply best practices from other DCO experts and practitioners to enhance your DCO skills and knowledge. You can join online communities, forums, and blogs that focus on DCO and RTB topics, as well as attend webinars, workshops, and events that showcase DCO case studies and trends. You can also seek feedback and advice from your peers, partners, and clients on how to improve your DCO campaigns and integrate them with other creative and media tools and platforms in your RTB ecosystem.