[webinar] outbrain campaign optimization 101

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Outbrain Campaign Optimization: Tips for Success

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• How We Recommend Your Content• Best PracticeS for Campaign Creation• Optimizing for Outbrain Success • Interpreting your Outbrain data• Q&A Session

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TODAY’S WEBINAR

• Outbrain has more than 45 algorithms working together to recommend each piece of content to the most interested reader across our network

• The algorithms largely fall into the following buckets:• Personal: things we know each reader likes• Behavioural: readers who like this, also read this• Contextual: related to what you are reading• Popular: content trending across our network

HOW WE RECOMMEND YOUR CONTENT

• Outbrain’s algorithms automatically serve all titles in a campaign to try and appeal to as wide an audience as possible

• After the initial ‘exploration’ phase, which can last a day or two, the algorithms will automatically optimise towards the most interesting titles in the campaign

HOW WE RECOMMEND YOUR CONTENT

Pre-‐Campaign Planning

Campaign StructureDifferent Campaigns Can Have Different Objectives

Page Views • Higher Volume • Higher CTR• Lower CPC• Less Engagement

Conversions• Lower Volume• Lower CTR• Higher CPC• Higher Engagement

Considerations for Content

Awareness/Page Views

Conversions

Optimizing for OUTBRAIN Success

OPTIMIZING FOR SUCCESS

1. Tracking & Analytics2. Campaign Duration3. Headlines 4. CPC5. Geo-‐targeting 6. Platform Targeting

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• Set Google Analytics campaign UTM using Google’s Tool URL Builder

• Suggested taggingUTM_Medium = DiscoveryUTM_Source = OutbrainUTM_Campaign = Campaign Name

• We can also add dynamic content to your tracking codes

1. TrackingIdentify the Correct Traffic

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1. TrackingAcquisition > All Traffic

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1. Tracking

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• Google defines a bounce when a reader doesn’t take any action on the page so a reader may have read the entire page but will still be counted as a bounce

• Define what a bounced visit means to you• Define engagement on the page• Set up Google Analytics engagement events

Measure bounce better

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Bounce Rate

No Engagement Events Engagement Events

1. Tracking

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• Google defines Time on Page as the time spent going from one page to another

• We redefined our Time on Page google event as time spent on the page the user entered

• Minimal time for engagement on content

Measure time on page better

0:00:00

0:14:24

0:28:48

0:43:12

0:57:36

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Time on Site

No Timing Events Timing Events

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Optimizing Your Campaign For Your Marketing Objectives

Person signs up for the Allstate newsletter

PROMOTED STORIES

Top 10 Things to Look for in a Used Car Inspection Allstate Blog

Person doesn’t sign up for the Allstate newsletter

Lookalike audiences will see this story

How does it work?

Person clicks to marketer’s site

Person sees marketer’s recommendation

KPI Optimization Drives Performance

+36% average uplift in conversions

Example: Plated drives subscriptions

ConversionsCPA

KPI Optimization Enabled KPI Optimization Started

$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

$300.00

$350.00

$400.00

$450.00

2/7/15 2/14/15 2/21/15 2/28/15 3/7/15 3/14/15 3/21/15 3/28/15 4/4/15 4/11/15 4/18/15

2. Campaign DurationThe longer you amplify your content with

Outbrain, the higher your CTR

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3. Headlines matter

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http://outbra.in/hubspotebook

CTR improvement compared with 1 headline

3. Headlines matterThe more content and headlines you test,the better your campaign will perform

#OBwebinar>5 Headlines >10 Headlines >15 Headlines

81-‐100CHARACTERS

3. Headlines MatterSix Tips for Success

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Headlines generate the highest level of engagement at moderate lengths

3. Headlines Matter

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Bracketed clarifications increase CTR and Conversion Rate when used in

headlines

38%HIGHER CTR

75%HIGHER CVR

DASHBOARD OVERVIEW

• Competition is fierce • Monitor frequently • Ensure your CPC is optimize

when geo-‐targeting

4. Optimizing Your CPCStart with a higher CPC to build your reach

Then optimize down over time

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DASHBOARD OVERVIEW

4. Optimizing Your CPCStart with a higher CPC to build your reach

Then optimize down over time

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Clicks

5. Geo-‐targetingBe sure you are reaching the right audience

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Contact support@outbrain.comto geo-‐target down to the DMA

(Designated Market Area)

6. Platform TargetingReach your target audience across devices

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6. Device TargetingReach your target audience across devices

Tablet

SmartphoneDesktop

HOLIDAY 2013 CONTENT:ENGAGEMENT BY DEVICE

AVERAGE CTR

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1. Tracking 2. Campaign duration 3. Testing titles 4. CPC5. Geo-‐targeting6. Device Targeting

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INTERPRETING YOUR OUTBRAIN

REPORTS

LET’S RECAP WHAT WE KNOW• Outbrain’s algorithms automatically serve all titles in a campaign

across the network of publishers to try and appeal to as wide an audience as possible

• After the initial ‘exploration’ phase, which can last a day or two, the algorithms will automatically optimise towards the most interesting (in our case, clickable) titles in the campaign

FOR THIS REASON…• There will never be an even distribution of traffic between all titles• Outbrain will serve the titles that have the most traction with

readers across the network

Interpreting the Top Articles

• CTR acts as a ‘quality score,’ or in our case an ‘interest score’ to put the most interesting pieces of content in front of readers

• CTR and CPC are the two metrics by which the algorithms recommend your content.

Interpreting CTR & CPC

• When a campaign starts, the system automatically serves a certain number of impressions to each article in the campaign

• During this phase, the system ‘explores’ the content to find interested readers across the network

• For this reason, a campaign can take a day or two to really pick up traction

Why is my campaign slow in the beginning?

There are a number of reasons a campaign can slow down. Here are a few common ones:

• Did you drastically lower the CPC?

• Did you take out any top performing articles?

• Was it the weekend (or another slow period, like a holiday)?

• Did you extend the campaign’s end date (stretching the budget and making it smaller each day)?

Why is there a big dip in my traffic?

CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE

is only as good as its driver

Leverage OUR Tools

• Optimize your campaign regularly• Test headlines and images• Review your CPC and budgets• Manage and add content• Utilize our resources

MORE RESOURCES

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We’re Here to Helpsupport@outbrain.comhelp.outbrain.com

Discrepancy: YouTube stats

It is NOT a web analytics issue, but unique issue with YouTube’s own YouTube Analytics report (free)• YouTube Analytics does NOT count auto-‐start. It counts proactive click on play.

• YouTube Analytics has an anti-‐fraud process, which pauses tracking after a burst of visits from the same source URL.

If quantifying the number of video views on YouTube video is important to the client,• Do not use auto-‐start (not the best usability idea but it works for YouTube Analytics)

• Embed the video on a web page, use Google Analytics (or other) to account for landing from campaign.

Q:Client amplified videos on their page on YouTube.com. 50,000 visits delivered in campaign. Client says they only see 15,000 video play although video plays automatically each time the page is accessed. Why the big gap?

YouTube Analytics ‘Views report’: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1714329?hl=en&ref_topic=3029003

Amplify

Conversion tracking

• Analytics’ conversion tracking generally work only if the campaign click leads the user directly to the client’s website in which analytics reports on (need to arrive with campaign tracking code or referrer identification in order to associate conversion with the campaign).

• Outbrain can account for conversion events as a result of campaign click, regardless of paths taken to get to the conversion event.

• e.g. Campaign drive traffic to earned content. Conversion is defined as visit to product page on the brand website.

Q:Outbrain has conversion pixel (aka ‘optimisation code’). How different is it from what the client can get from GA

Amplify

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