Insertion Orders (IOs), often referred to as IOs, are contracts between an advertiser and media partner that specifies the parameters or details of an advertising campaign.
The Basics: What is an Insertion Order?
At its core, an Insertion Order is a contractual agreement that outlines the terms and conditions for one or more advertising campaigns. Think of it as a contract or an agreement that governs the various aspects of these campaigns, ensuring they adhere to predefined guidelines and criteria.
IOs lay out the necessary parameters for your digital media campaign, including:
Start Date
End Date
Budget (spend or impressions)
Max Bid
Associated campaigns (sometimes called line items) containing targeting parameters, creative versions and all other campaign details
Hierarchy Matters: IO as the Parent
In the organizational framework of advertising management, IOs play a pivotal role. They can be thought of as the parent hierarchy, with the campaigns underneath regarded as child hierarchies. This hierarchical arrangement allows for streamlined management, providing a structured way to oversee multiple campaigns within a broader framework.
IO's Key Functions
The primary function of an IO is to provide an effective means of organizing campaigns that share similar traits.
Budget Management: The IO budget plays a pivotal role in overseeing the spending of funds or impressions across all campaigns within its scope. Users can allocate individual spend or impression budgets for campaigns/line items without any limits, but these campaigns will cease serving once the cumulative expenditure approaches the IO budget.
Scheduling: IOs enforce limitations on campaign timelines to ensure they do not extend beyond the specified IO end date. This constraint is especially significant in the advertising realm, where campaigns are frequently time-sensitive and closely linked to distinct marketing strategies.
Reporting: IOs provide consolidated reporting for all the campaigns/line items underneath, offering a comprehensive view of the performance and expenditure associated with the campaigns housed within. This consolidated reporting simplifies the process of tracking and assessing the effectiveness of advertising efforts at the IO level.
To learn about IQM’s Platform hierarchy, please see IO vs. Campaign.
For additional questions on IOs, please see: What are the specs, limitations, and best practices of Insertion Orders?