By Ettore Spinelli, Media Buying Team Leader at Tappx
Digital media buying campaigns have become an essential part of modern-day digital marketing strategies. By leveraging the power of digital media, advertisers can reach their target audiences and achieve their marketing goals with greater ease and efficiency.
However, to ensure that these campaigns are successful, it is essential to track and optimize various metrics.
In this article, we will discuss the key factors that impact the success of digital media buying campaigns and how we at Tappx, as performance marketing specialists, can help you improve them.
Keep in mind the below strategies are applicable to all kinds of campaigns and to almost all sources, from Native to Facebook and from in-app sources to web ones.
1. Try to get a high Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the number of clicks an ad receives divided by the number of times it is displayed. A high CTR is an indication that the ad is relevant to the target audience, leading to increased engagement and (hopefully) better campaign performance. To improve the CTR of your creatives, focus on creating compelling ad copy, using relevant keywords, targeting options, and images.
2. Focus on low Cost Per Click (CPC)
The Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount you pay for each click on your ad. A lower CPC means you are getting more clicks for your budget, resulting in better ROI. This metric is highly related to the previous one, especially if your buying model is Cost Per Mille (CPM). To improve the CPC of your ads, consider adjusting your targeting options to reach a more relevant audience, improving ad quality through A/B testing, and bidding higher on high-performing keywords or placements.
3. Monitor the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
The Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is the cost of acquiring a customer (or a potential one) through a specific action, such as a sale or sign-up. It is an essential metric for measuring the overall effectiveness of your campaign. A lower CPA indicates that your campaign is more efficient, which will lead to a better ROI. To improve your CPA, focus on optimizing your ad targeting and creatives, improving ad quality and relevancy, and using a proper tracking system to identify the most effective strategies.
4. Optimize your ads by Browser/Browser Versions, OS/OS Versions, and Mobile/Desktop/Tablet targeting
Digital media buying campaigns also require advertisers to optimize their ads for various devices and platforms to ensure that they reach their target audience effectively. To achieve this goal, you will need to track and analyze data regarding the browsers, browser versions, operating systems, operating system versions, and device types used by your audience.
By analyzing this data, you can identify which devices and platforms generate the most and cheaper conversions and adjust your campaigns accordingly.
For instance, you can optimize ad formats for mobile devices by using shorter headlines and concise ad copy, making it easier for users to engage with the ad on their mobile devices.
Moreover, tracking and analyzing this collected data about browsers, operating systems, and device types can help tailor your targeting options accordingly. For example, if the data indicates that most of the audience uses a particular browser or operating system, you will be able to target just that specific slice of “best performing” traffic. This will result in better campaign performances and an increased likelihood of conversions.
5. Test Rewarded/Non-Rewarded ads and IFA/Non-IFA traffic
In order to entice your target audience to engage with your ads, in some DSPs and especially when we talk about in-app traffic, you might have at your disposal rewarded and non-rewarded ad formats. Those formats offer the users an incentive, such as in-app rewards or discounts, in exchange for engaging with the ad. On the other hand, non-rewarded ad formats do not offer any incentive to the user.
Another set of targeting options consists of IFA (Identifier for Advertisers) and non-IFA traffic. IFA is a unique device identifier used by advertisers to track user engagement with their ads. When an ad is tracked using IFA, advertisers can collect data on user behavior, such as clicks and conversions, and use it to optimize their ad campaigns.
Non-IFA, on the other hand, is a tracking option that does not use a unique device identifier. Instead, it relies on other tracking methods, such as tracking cookies or IP addresses. This option is particularly useful in situations where users have opted out of being tracked using their IFA, and it’s nowadays particularly common for post iOS 14 users.
Understanding the effectiveness and the differences among these variables and tracking options is crucial in optimizing your digital media buying campaigns. You might use A/B testing to compare the performance of different formats (such as rewarded vs. non-rewarded) and tracking options (IFA vs. non-IFA). Then, by analyzing the data collected from these tests, you will be able to identify the most effective strategies for your target audience and optimize your ad campaigns accordingly. Ultimately, this will result in better ad performances and increased conversions.
6. Target your ads by locations (Countries/Regions/Cities)
Targeting your ads to specific geographic locations is a crucial strategy for reaching the right audience. By analyzing the performance of your ad campaigns in different regions, you can identify areas where your ads are performing well and areas that need improvement or that aren’t delivering the expected results at all. Adjusting your targeting options based on this data will lead to better campaign performance.
7. Analyze your ad zones/placements and exchanges
Site (or placements) and exchanges metrics refer to where your ads are displayed and the platforms through which they are delivered. By analyzing the performance of your ads on different sites and exchanges, you will be able to identify the most effective websites and/or platforms that deliver the most appropriate traffic to reach your target buyer. Adjusting your targeting options and bidding strategies based on this data will improve your campaigns and considerably decrease your Costs Per Acquisition.
In conclusion, tracking and optimizing the metrics discussed above is essential to achieving better results in digital media buying campaigns. By understanding the preferences and behaviors of your target audience and adjusting your targeting options and bidding strategies accordingly, you will definitely be able to improve the performance of your campaigns and achieve better CTRs, lower CPCs or CPAs, and therefore improve your overall ROI.
If you want to crush it with your performance campaigns, at Tappx we are the partner with the expertise you’re looking for!
