Insertion Orders (IOs) are contracts between an advertiser and media partner that specifies the parameters or details of an advertising campaign. An IO, as a parent of campaigns, governs the various aspects of the campaigns underneath, including budget management and scheduling. In this article, we’ll explore more about the specifications, limitations, and best practices of Insertion Orders.
To learn more about creating an IO, please refer to the article - How to create an Insertion Order?
To learn about the different types of IOs available, please refer to What is a Budget vs. Impression-Based IO?
To learn more about campaigns, please refer to Create a new campaign.
What is the significance of the IO budget?
In a budget-based IO, the IO budget sets the maximum spend for all campaigns/line items that are included in the IO. Users allocate spending across all campaigns included in the IO. If the total amount of all campaigns/line items exceeds the set IO budget, all spending will stop once you reach the entered IO budget. This is to ensure you do not overspend based on the overall IO budget.
In an impression-based IO, the IO budget sets the impression goal for all campaigns/line items that are included in the IO. Users allocate impressions across all campaigns included in the IO. If the total amount of all campaigns/line items exceeds the set IO impression budget, spending will stop so not exceed the impression goal.
Can I change an insertion order from budget-based to impression-based and vice versa after I have created it?
No. Once you have created your insertion order and selected budget or impression, the IO and all associated campaigns reflect the choice made at set up and cannot be changed.
Can we have a total campaign allocated budget greater than the IO budget?
Yes, it is possible to allocate a total campaign budget that surpasses the IO budget, in terms of both spend and impressions. However, the cumulative spend or impressions will not exceed the IO budget. Essentially, the IO budget acts as a strict limit for all campaigns underneath it.
Would all campaigns be paused after the total campaign spent reaches the IO budget?
No, the status of the campaigns will not change and will continue to indicate that they are "Running". However, users will receive a notification in the UI indicating that all campaigns/line items will stop serving once the total campaign spending reaches the IO budget (either spend or impression).
Would all campaigns resume spending after a user adds more budget to the IO?
Yes, once a user increases the budget (either spend or impressions) allocated to the IO, all campaigns underneath will resume spending.
What is the significance of the IO start date and end date?
The IO start date and end date serve as the definitive time frame within which all campaigns underneath must begin and cease serving. Campaigns will not serve outside the specified IO start and end dates.
IOs are designated as Active or Expired based on IO end date.When an IO changes to expired, users will receive an email notification of the status change.
Would all campaigns be paused after an IO expires?
The IO will expire once it reaches its end date. However, the status of the campaigns will not change; they will remain in the "running" status. Campaigns will not spend unless a new date is set at the IO level.
Users will receive a notification on the UI indicating that the campaigns will not serve beyond the expiration of the IO.
Will all campaigns resume serving after a user extends the IO end date?
Yes, all campaigns will resume serving after a user extends the IO end date.
Can I check the total dollar budget or impressions spent per IO for all the campaigns underneath?
Yes. In the Campaign app, users can access a table that lists all IOs along with essential metrics such as total impressions, clicks, conversions, allocated budget, total spent, and more for each IO. This information is also available in both the Dashboard app and the Reports app.
What do I do if my IO is underpacing?
Check the campaigns that are associated with the IO to see if there are any standout campaigns that are underperforming. Optimize accordingly at the campaign level.
What do I do if my campaign is underpacing?
There are many possible reasons that your campaign could be underpacing:
Daily max bid is not high enough. Try raising it.
Audience is too small. Try adding additional audiences (with an “OR” vs. an “AND.” If you have other parameters like geo targeting overlaying your audience, try removing them or making them larger
Check creative sizes and ensure they follow IQM specs
Frequency cap is set too low. Try raising it.
In audio or video campaign, too many advanced targeting criteria on creative are selected. Try reducing advanced targeting requirements.
Inventory group selected is too limited. Broaden your inventory group.
Too few devices/IP addresses are whitelisted. Consider adding more.
IO budget is smaller than the campaign budget. Increase accordingly.
IO end date is earlier than the campaign end date. Adjust IO end date if you want campaign to continue to run.
What do the various IO statuses mean?
Active - IO is within date and budget range
Expired - IO has reached end date
Deleted - IOs that user has deleted (these can be viewed only, not modified)
What actions are available when various IO types are selected together?
If Active and Expired IOs are selected together:
You may only delete or set end date
If IOs have the same time zones, the time zone input will be filled in by default
If the IOs do not have the same time zone, the user must enter the time zone and select Set
If Active and Deleted IOs are selected together:
Only the Report action is possible
If Expired and Deleted IOs are selected:
Only Report action is possible and requires that budget type for both IOs is the same
If Active, Expired and Deleted IOs are all selected:
Only Report action is possible and requires that budget type for both IOs is the same
How do I save a custom IO table format?
Customize the columns on your IO table by selecting the columns icon and selecting the fields you would like to see each time you log in.
Select the Save button to save your customized IO table for future sessions.