Your Complete Guide to Campaign Success with ad:personam

Ready to launch your next successful campaign? You're in the right place! This guide will walk you through our intuitive 11-step campaign creation process, designed to make even the most complex programmatic campaigns feel simple and straightforward.

🎯 What You'll Accomplish

By the end of this guide, you'll have created a fully optimized campaign that's ready to drive real results. Whether you're launching your first campaign or your hundredth, this step-by-step approach ensures nothing gets missed.

✅ Before We Begin - Quick Checklist

Let's make sure you're all set for success:

• 🏢 Advertiser Account: Your advertiser profile is configured with the right timezone and currency
• 💳 Active Subscription:
  • STARTER plan (or higher) unlocks Display campaigns
  • PRO plan opens up Video, CTV, In-App, and Audio campaigns
• 🎨 Creative Assets: At least one creative that matches your campaign goals
• 📊 Conversion Tracking: Pixels set up if you're planning CPA optimization

Don't worry if you're missing something - we'll guide you to the right resources along the way!

📚 Related Guides

Need help choosing a campaign channel? Start with our Campaign Channel Selection Guide to understand the differences between Display, Video, CTV, In-App, and Audio campaigns.

Looking for channel-specific tips? Check out our detailed guides for advanced strategies:

• 📱 Display Campaign Guide - STARTER plan compatible
• 🎬 Video Campaign Guide - Web video contexts and optimization
• 📺 CTV Campaign Guide - Premium streaming and household targeting
• 📲 In-App Campaign Guide - Mobile apps and location targeting
• 🎧 Audio Campaign Guide - Music streaming and podcast advertising

Step 1: Choose Your Campaign's Mission 🎯

What we're doing: Selecting the campaign type that best fits your advertising goals.

This is where the magic begins! Your campaign type choice shapes everything that follows - from targeting options to creative requirements. Think of it as choosing your campaign's superpower.

🌟 Your Campaign Type Options

Display Campaigns (Available with STARTER+)

Perfect for brand awareness and retargeting! Display campaigns put your banner and rich media ads across thousands of websites, helping you reach customers wherever they browse.

💡 Great for: Brand awareness, remarketing, broad reach campaigns

Video Campaigns (PRO plan exclusive)

Capture attention with compelling video content! These campaigns support pre-roll, mid-roll, and outstream placements across the web.

💡 Great for: Product demos, brand storytelling, engagement campaigns

Connected TV (CTV) (PRO plan exclusive)

Reach cord-cutters and streaming enthusiasts! Your video ads appear on smart TVs, streaming services, and OTT platforms.

💡 Great for: Premium brand experiences, reaching younger demographics

In-App Campaigns (PRO plan exclusive)

Meet your audience where they spend their time - in mobile apps! Native and banner ads that feel natural within the app experience.

💡 Great for: Mobile-first brands, app installs, location-based targeting

Audio Campaigns (PRO plan exclusive)

Sound marketing at its finest! Reach listeners on music streaming platforms and podcasts when they're most engaged.

💡 Great for: Brand recall, reaching multitasking audiences, audio-first content

🔒 Pro Tip: Campaign type is permanent once created, so choose wisely! But don't stress - you can always create additional campaigns with different types.

Step 2: Name Your Campaign & Set the Stage 📝

What we're doing: Giving your campaign an identity and defining when and how much you want to spend.

This step is all about the fundamentals. A great campaign name helps you stay organized (trust us, you'll thank yourself later!), and smart budgeting sets you up for success.

📋 What You'll Configure

Campaign Name (Required) Choose something descriptive that you'll recognize months later. "Summer Sale - Mobile Video - Q3 2025" beats "Campaign 1" every time!

Start Date (Required) When do you want your campaign to begin? Remember, this locks in once your campaign is live, so plan accordingly.

End Date (Required) Your campaign's finish line. The good news? You can extend this later if your campaign is performing well!

Lifetime Budget (Required) How much you're comfortable investing in this campaign. All amounts show in your advertiser's currency, and we'll automatically calculate your daily pacing.

💰 Smart Budgeting Tips

• Daily budget = Lifetime budget ÷ Number of days
• Start conservatively and scale up winners
• Consider seasonality and market conditions
• Remember: you can always increase budgets for successful campaigns

Step 3: Target Your Perfect Audience Location 🌍

What we're doing: Defining where in the world your ads will appear.

Geography targeting is more powerful than you might think! We use sophisticated IP-to-location mapping to ensure your ads reach the right people in the right places.

🗺️ Your Targeting Options

Countries (Required) Start broad with country selection. You can always get more specific as you learn what works.

Regions (Optional but powerful) Drill down to states, provinces, or regions within your selected countries. Perfect for regional businesses or testing market-by-market.

Cities (Optional - for precision targeting) Get hyperlocal! Great for store openings, local events, or testing in specific markets.

🎯 How It Works

• Choose countries first - this unlocks regional options
• Select regions to enable city targeting
• Each level gets more specific (and potentially smaller reach)
• Our system automatically loads relevant options as you make selections

💡 Strategy Tip: Broader targeting often performs better initially. You can always tighten it up based on performance data!

Step 4: Choose Your Digital Real Estate 💻

What we're doing: Selecting where and how your ads will appear across devices and platforms.

Think of this as choosing your campaign's neighborhood. Different inventory sources and device types offer unique advantages for different goals.

🏪 Inventory Sources

Open Exchange (The bustling marketplace) Access to thousands of websites and apps through our SellerSPO optimization. Great reach, competitive prices, automatic quality filtering.

Private Marketplace (PMP) (The exclusive district) Premium, curated inventory with guaranteed quality. Higher costs but brand-safe environments and exclusive placements.

📱 Device Targeting

Desktop: Perfect for detailed content, B2B targeting, and high-consideration purchases Mobile: Where the action is! Great for immediate actions and location-based campaigns
Tablet: The sweet spot for rich media and longer-form content engagement TV: Premium environment for video campaigns and brand building

🌐 Placement Environments

Web: Traditional desktop websites - still powerful for many verticals Mobile Web: Mobile-optimized sites - huge reach and growing Apps: Native mobile app environments - highly engaged audiences

⚙️ Advanced Options

• Operating System targeting: Get specific with iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac users
• Video contexts: Choose pre-roll, mid-roll, outstream, or in-banner video placements

Step 5: Curate Your Inventory Sources 🏬

What we're doing: Fine-tuning exactly which publishers and deals will show your ads.

This is where you become a media buyer! You're choosing not just where your ads appear, but the quality and context of those placements.

🎛️ Seller Controls

Choose how to manage your supply-side platform relationships:

Include Specific Sellers: Handpick your favorite supply-side platforms for targeted sourcing Exclude Problem Sellers: Block sources that haven't performed well for your campaigns No Selection (Default): When no sellers are specifically selected, all available sellers are included for maximum reach SellerSPO Magic: Our algorithm automatically optimizes seller selection for you when multiple options are available

🎯 Smart Strategy: Start with all sellers included (no specific selections) to maximize reach, then refine based on performance data!

💎 Private Marketplace Deals

If you selected PMP inventory, this is where you'll specify your deal IDs. These are your VIP passes to premium inventory that's not available on the open market.

🤝 Pro Tip: Start with a mix of trusted sellers and let our optimization do the heavy lifting. You can always refine based on performance!

Step 6: Protect Your Brand Like a Pro 🛡️

What we're doing: Setting up safeguards to ensure your ads appear in appropriate, brand-safe environments.

Your brand reputation is precious, and we're here to protect it! This step gives you multiple layers of control over content quality and placement context.

🔒 Brand Safety Segments

Choose your comfort level:

• Conservative: Maximum protection, smaller reach
• Moderate: Balanced approach for most brands
• Custom: Tailored to your specific industry needs

📋 Domain Management

Take precise control over where your ads appear using pre-created domain lists:

Allowlists: Select from your created allowlists to target only approved domains ("VIP only" approach) Blocklists: Choose from your created blocklists to keep your ads away from specific sites Domain List Creation: Create and manage your domain lists in your advertiser settings for reuse across campaigns

📚 Need help with domain lists? Check out our comprehensive guide: Mastering Domain Lists - A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Targeting for detailed strategies on creating and managing effective allowlists and blocklists.

💡 Pro Tip: Domain lists created in your advertiser settings can be reused across multiple campaigns, saving you time and ensuring consistency!

📂 Content Category Controls

Fine-tune with IAB content categories for precise brand alignment:

Include Categories: Target content that specifically aligns with your brand values and audience interests Exclude Categories: Block content types that don't fit your brand or campaign goals No Selection (Default): When no categories are specifically selected, all content categories are included for maximum reach Smart Combinations: Mix and match include/exclude rules for perfect brand alignment

🎯 Smart Strategy: Start with all categories included (no specific selections) to maximize reach, then add exclusions for content that doesn't align with your brand values!

🎯 Smart Strategy: Start with conservative settings and gradually expand as you see what works. Better safe than sorry!

Step 7: Find Your Perfect Audience 👥

What we're doing: Defining exactly who should see your ads using our comprehensive targeting options.

This is where campaigns transform from good to great! The beauty of ad:personam is that all targeting options are available for every campaign channel - so whether you're running Display, Video, CTV, In-App, or Audio campaigns, you have access to the same powerful audience tools.

� Main Targeting Categories

When setting up your campaign, you'll select from these main targeting categories in the targeting section:

🌟 Cookieless (Highly Recommended)

The future-proof choice! These privacy-first segments work without cookies and are perfect for reaching audiences across all devices and channels.

What's included:

• Cookieless Audience Segments: Household-level targeting and cross-device insights
• CTV Segments: Specialized targeting for Connected TV campaigns
• Mobile Targeting: Contextual app categories and mobile-specific segments
• Weather Segments: Location-based weather condition targeting

What they offer:

• Household-level targeting: Reach entire households, not just individual devices
• Cross-device insights: Connect mobile, desktop, and CTV viewing
• Privacy-compliant: Built for GDPR, CCPA, and future privacy regulations
• Premium data quality: Advanced probabilistic modeling for accuracy

Perfect for: All campaign types, especially CTV and mobile campaigns where cookies don't work well

🎯 Audience

Traditional powerhouse targeting with rich demographic, interest, and behavioral data from trusted providers.

What's included:

• Audience Segments: Demographics, interests, behaviors, and professional targeting
• Demographics: Age groups, income levels, family status, education
• Interests: Hobbies, lifestyle preferences, affinities, content consumption
• Behaviors: Purchase intent, recent shopping activities, brand interactions
• Professional: Job titles, industries, company sizes, B2B targeting

Perfect for: Display and Audio campaigns where detailed segmentation drives performance

🌐 Contextual

Real-time content analysis that places your ads alongside relevant content without relying on user data.

What's included:

• Contextual Targeting: Content-based targeting from providers like Peer39, DoubleVerify, and ComScore
• Semantic analysis: AI reads and understands page content in real-time
• Content relevance: Matches your ads to contextually appropriate environments
• Brand safety: Automatically avoids unsuitable content
• Cookieless by design: No user tracking required

Perfect for: All campaign types, especially when you want to align with specific content themes or ensure brand-safe environments

🚀 Microsoft Targeting

Ready-to-buy audiences based on Microsoft's unique search and engagement signals.

What's included:

• Microsoft In-Market Audiences: Users actively researching and ready to purchase
• Search intent signals: Based on Bing searches and Microsoft solution activity
• High conversion potential: Target audiences with demonstrated purchase intent
• Global reach: Available in 90+ markets worldwide
• No additional CPM cost: Premium targeting at no extra charge

Perfect for: Performance campaigns focused on conversions and sales

🔄 Retargeting Power

Your first-party audience data - the most valuable targeting you can use!

Include Lists: Target people who've interacted with your brand

• Website visitors (by page, behavior, or time on site)
• App users (by actions taken or engagement level)
• Previous customers (by purchase history or value)
• Email subscribers (by engagement or segment)

Exclude Lists: Avoid showing ads to people who shouldn't see them

• Recent converters (prevent over-targeting)
• Existing customers (for acquisition campaigns)
• Unsubscribed users (maintain good relationships)
• High-value customers (for cost-effective prospecting)

🧠 How Audience Logic Works

Our targeting system combines your selections intelligently:

1. Audience Segments (Combined with OR logic) "Show to people who match ANY of these audience criteria"

2. + Retargeting Include (Combined with OR logic)
   "AND also include people who match ANY of these retargeting lists"

3. - Retargeting Exclude (Combined with OR logic) "BUT exclude people who match ANY of these exclusion lists"

Important: When both audience segments and retargeting are used together, the logic between these groups is AND - meaning users must match both your audience criteria AND your retargeting criteria to be targeted.

📊 Segment Selection Strategy

For Maximum Performance:

• Start with cookieless segments as your foundation
• Add contextual targeting for content alignment
• Layer in retargeting for precision and performance
• Use exclusions to prevent waste and improve efficiency

For Different Campaign Goals:

Brand Awareness: Cookieless + Contextual for broad, relevant reach Performance Marketing: Audience + Retargeting for precise targeting Prospecting: Cookieless + Content Categories for scalable discovery Customer Retention: Retargeting Include lists with strategic exclusions

⏰ Advanced Targeting Controls

Daypart Targeting: Reach people when they're most likely to engage

• Choose specific days of the week
• Set precise hour ranges
• Align with your audience's daily routines
• Perfect for B2B (weekdays) vs. consumer (weekends) targeting

Frequency Caps: Avoid ad fatigue with smart impression limits

• Daily impression caps per user
• Lifetime impression caps per user
• Maintain positive user experience
• Improve campaign efficiency

Viewability Controls: Ensure your ads are actually seen

• Set minimum viewability thresholds
• Choose premium, highly-viewable placements
• Optimize for quality over quantity
• Note: Not available for In-App campaigns (app environment optimized)

🎯 Channel-Specific Recommendations

Display Campaigns: Leverage all segment types with emphasis on audience and contextual targeting Video Campaigns: Prioritize cookieless and contextual for broad engagement CTV Campaigns: Focus heavily on cookieless segments for household-level targeting In-App Campaigns: Combine audience segments with location and behavioral data Audio Campaigns: Use contextual and interest-based targeting for content alignment

💡 Winning Targeting Formula

Start Broader: Begin with cookieless segments and contextual targeting for scale Add Precision: Layer in audience segments and retargeting for performance Optimize Continuously: Monitor performance and adjust segment mix based on data Think Privacy-First: Emphasize cookieless solutions for future-proof campaigns

🚀 Success Secret: The best-performing campaigns often combine 2-3 targeting types rather than trying to use everything at once. Start simple, then add complexity based on what works!

Step 8: Showcase Your Creative Assets 🎨

What we're doing: Selecting and configuring the creatives that will represent your brand.

Your creatives are your campaign's stars! This step ensures they're properly set up to shine across all your chosen placements.

🎭 Ad Format Selection

Banner Ads: Classic and versatile - perfect for display campaigns Video Creatives: Engaging and immersive - ideal for video and CTV campaigns
Native Ads: Seamlessly integrated - great for in-app and content campaigns Audio Creatives: Captivating sound - essential for audio campaigns

🖼️ Creative Strategy Tips

Multiple Creatives = Better Performance: Upload several variations to let our optimization find winners Match Your Campaign Type: Ensure your creatives align with your chosen campaign type Think Mobile-First: Most traffic is mobile, so make sure your creatives look great on small screens

✅ The Audit Process

All creatives go through our quality review:

• 24-48 hour turnaround for most creatives
• Brand safety compliance check
• Technical specifications verification
• Policy adherence review

🎨 Creative Pro Tip: Having multiple high-quality creatives is one of the best ways to improve campaign performance!

Step 9: Fine-Tune Your Campaign Settings ⚙️

What we're doing: Configuring the technical details that ensure optimal performance.

These settings might seem technical, but they're your secret weapons for campaign success! Each one helps you control exactly how and when your ads are delivered.

🔄 Frequency Management

Daily Impression Caps: Prevent overwhelming individual users Lifetime Impression Limits: Control total exposure per person Smart Defaults: We recommend starting with reasonable limits and adjusting based on performance

👀 Viewability Standards

Viewability Thresholds: Ensure your ads are actually seen

• 50% Standard: Industry baseline for viewable impressions
• Higher Thresholds: Premium placements with better visibility guarantees

📅 Scheduling Precision

Day-of-Week Targeting: Reach B2B audiences on weekdays, consumers on weekends Hour-of-Day Targeting: Catch audiences when they're most engaged Timezone Awareness: All times use your advertiser's configured timezone

⚡ Performance Hack: Start with 24/7 delivery, then optimize timing based on your best-performing hours!

Step 10: Optimize for Success 📈

What we're doing: Choosing how our algorithms will optimize your campaign for the best possible results.

This is where the magic happens! Our optimization engine will work around the clock to get you the best possible results based on your chosen strategy.

🎯 Optimization Strategies

Reach Optimization (Perfect for brand awareness)

Goal: Maximize the number of unique people who see your ads Best for: Brand awareness, new product launches, broad market education What you'll set: Just your MAX CPM bid

CPC (Cost Per Click) (Drive traffic and engagement)

Goal: Get the most clicks for your budget Best for: Website traffic, engagement campaigns, lead generation What you'll set: Target cost per click + MAX CPM

CPCV (Cost Per Completed View) (Video engagement)

Goal: Maximize completed video views Best for: Video content promotion, brand storytelling, product demos What you'll set: Target cost per completed view + MAX CPM

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) (Performance marketing)

Goal: Drive conversions at your target cost Best for: Sales, lead generation, app installs What you'll set: Goal pixel + Target CPA + MAX CPM

📊 Conversion Tracking Setup

Goal Pixel (For CPA campaigns): The primary conversion you want to optimize for Additional Tracking Pixels: Monitor multiple conversion events for deeper insights Smart Integration: Goal pixels automatically become tracking pixels too

💰 Bidding Strategy

MAX CPM: Your maximum cost per thousand impressions

• Minimum: €0.20 to ensure competitive bidding
• Strategy: Start competitive, then optimize based on performance
• Pro Tip: Higher MAX CPMs often lead to better placements and performance

🔄 Smart Switching (For Campaign Edits)

When editing existing campaigns, our smart system preserves compatible settings:

• Compatible fields preserved: MAX CPM, target values when relevant
• Incompatible fields cleared: Goal pixels when switching away from CPA
• Seamless transitions: No need to reconfigure everything from scratch

🚀 Optimization Pro Tip: Start with the optimization type that matches your primary goal, then scale winning campaigns!

Step 11: Review & Launch Your Masterpiece 🚀

What we're doing: Taking a final look at everything before your campaign goes live.

You're almost there! This final review ensures everything is perfect before your campaign starts driving results.

📋 Your Review Dashboard

📊 Overview Tab: Campaign basics, budget, dates, and optimization summary 🎯 Targeting Tab: All your audience, geography, and seller configurations
⚙️ Settings Tab: Device targeting, frequency caps, and technical settings 🎨 Creatives Tab: Your selected ads and creative specifications

✅ Pre-Launch Validation

Our system automatically checks:

• Required fields completed: Nothing important is missing
• Subscription compatibility: Your plan supports the selected campaign type
• Budget viability: Sufficient budget for your targeting configuration
• Creative compatibility: Your ads match your campaign type requirements

🚀 Launch Options

Creating Your First Campaign

• Insertion Order created: Your campaign container
• Profile configured: All your targeting settings
• Line Item activated: Your optimization and bidding setup
• Invoice generated: Email Payment link for immediate processing
• Creative audit initiated: Quality review begins

Updating an Existing Campaign

• Smart updates: Changes applied intelligently without breaking relationships
• Date change optimization: Our system handles complex date dependencies
• Immediate effect: Most changes go live right away
• Preserve campaign momentum: Updates don't reset performance data

🎉 What Happens Next

Immediate: Campaign appears in your dashboard with "Inactive" status Invoice Generation: Automated invoice sent via email with 14-day payment window Payment Processing: Campaign activates on scheduled start date once payment is confirmed Creative Audit: Automated review process (typically 1 business day) powered by Xandr technology Campaign Launch: Starts serving ads automatically once payment and creative approval are complete Performance Tracking: Real-time data begins flowing immediately after approval

💡 Success Tip: Monitor your campaign's first few hours closely - early data can guide quick optimizations for better performance!

📚 Need more details? Check our comprehensive Campaign Launch Guide for complete information about the payment process, timeline, and what to expect after launch.

🎯 Mastering Campaign Management

📊 Campaign Lifecycle

🟡 Inactive: Newly created, waiting for payment or creative approval 🟢 Active: Live and serving ads to your target audience 🔵 Paused: Temporarily stopped (you can resume anytime) ⚪ Completed: Reached end date or budget exhausted

✏️ What You Can Edit (And When)

Always Editable:

• End dates (extend or shorten campaigns)
• Budgets (scale up or down)
• All targeting settings
• Optimization parameters

Never Editable:

• Campaign name (choose wisely!)
• Start date (locked after launch)
• Campaign type (create new campaigns for different types)

🏆 Pro Tips for Campaign Success

Start Smart: Begin with broader targeting and optimize based on real data Creative Variety: Multiple creatives almost always outperform single creative campaigns Budget Pacing: Monitor daily spend to ensure even budget distribution Performance Monitoring: Check in daily for the first week, then adjust frequency based on stability Optimization Patience: Give campaigns 3-5 days to gather meaningful optimization data

🔧 Troubleshooting Made Easy

Campaign Not Delivering?

• Check if payment is processed
• Verify creative approval status
• Review targeting - might be too narrow
• Ensure sufficient budget for chosen targeting

Performance Below Expectations?

• Broaden targeting incrementally
• Test different creative variations
• Adjust optimization targets
• Consider different ad placements

Technical Issues?

• Check conversion pixel implementation
• Verify creative specifications
• Review campaign settings for conflicts
• Contact our support team - we're here to help!

🚀 Ready to Launch?

Your journey to programmatic advertising success starts with that first campaign. Take what you've learned here, trust the process, and remember - every expert was once a beginner.

Happy campaigning! 🎉