Follow these steps to build a campaign from scratch. You can start from the Dashboard or Campaigns page.
Step 1: Start a New Campaign
- Navigate: From the Dashboard, click + Add Campaign, or go to the Campaigns page and select the same option.
- Access the Form: You’ll land on the campaign creation page, where you’ll define all the details.
- Prepare: Have your destination URL, targeting preferences, and budget in mind to breeze through setup.
Step 2: Fill Out the Campaign Details
The campaign creation page is your control center. Here’s how to complete each section:
- Name:
- What to Do: Give your campaign a clear, unique name to track it easily (e.g., “US_Mobile_Installs_April2025”).
- Why It Matters: A descriptive name helps you quickly identify campaigns in reports or when managing multiple projects.
- Tip: Include details like region, goal, or date for clarity (e.g., “UK_Leads_Test1”).
- URL:
- What to Do: Enter the destination URL where traffic will be directed (e.g., your landing page or offer link).
- Tracking Macros: Add macros like {clickid}, {sourceid}, or {device} by clicking options below the URL field. These ensure accurate performance tracking.
- Why It Matters: The URL connects your ads to your offer, and macros help measure which clicks drive results.
- Tip: Double-check your URL for typos and confirm macros match your tracker’s requirements.
- Date Range:
- From Date: Choose when the campaign starts (e.g., today or a future date).
- To Date: Set an end date for time-bound campaigns or leave blank for ongoing ones.
- Why It Matters: Scheduling controls when your campaigns run, aligning with promotions or events.
- Tip: For testing, start with a short range (e.g., 3–7 days) to gather data before committing long-term.
- Randomizer:
- What to Do: Set a timeout (in seconds) to distribute traffic randomly.
- Why It Matters: Randomizing traffic lets you compare performance of different landing pages or offers.
- Tip: Use a 60-90 second timeout for balanced distribution.
- Targeting Options:
- Country: Select one or more countries (e.g., US, UK) to focus your ads.
- State: Narrow to specific states or regions (e.g., California, Kansas) for hyper-local campaigns.
- Devices: Pick mobile, desktop, tablet, or all, based on your audience.
- OS: Filter by operating systems like iOS, Android, or Windows.
- Why It Matters: Precise targeting ensures your ads reach users most likely to convert, saving budget.
- Tip: Start broad (e.g., all devices in a country), then refine based on performance data (e.g., iOS-only if it drives more installs).
- Schedule:
- What to Do: Define active hours or days (e.g., weekdays, 9 AM–9 PM) when the campaign should run.
- Why It Matters: Scheduling aligns campaigns with peak audience activity, like daytime for B2B or evenings for gaming offers.
- Tip: Analyze past campaigns to spot high-conversion times, then set your schedule to match.
- Whitelist/Blacklist:
- Whitelist: Add Whitelist groups for traffic sources you want to allow exclusively. Leave blank to start open.
- Blacklist: Select Blacklist groups to block, based on prior low performance.
- Why It Matters: These lists optimize traffic by focusing spend on proven sources or avoiding wasteful ones.
- Tip: For new campaigns, skip whitelisting until you test sources; blacklist only if you know specific sources underperform.
- Budget and Pricing:
- CPC: Set your cost-per-click bid (e.g., $0.0002 per click). Higher bids can capture more traffic.
- CPM: Optionally set cost per thousand impressions (e.g., $0.02) for brand-focused campaigns.
- Why It Matters: Bids determine how competitive your campaign is; budgets cap your spend to stay in control.
- Tip: Start with a conservative CPC (e.g., $0.05–$0.10), then adjust upward for high-performing sources.
- Limits:
- No Limit: Run without caps for maximum reach (riskier but flexible).
- Lifetime Budget: Set a total spend cap for the campaign’s duration (e.g., $500).
- Daily Budget: Limit daily spend (e.g., $50), resetting each day.
- Hourly Click Cap: Restrict clicks per hour (e.g., 1000) to pace traffic.
- Why It Matters: Limits prevent overspending and let you test safely.
- Tip: Use a daily budget (e.g., $20–$50) for testing to control costs while gathering data.
Step 3: Review and Save
- Double-Check: Scan all fields for accuracy—especially URL, macros, and budget.
- Save: Click Save to activate the campaign.
- What Happens Next: The campaign starts accepting traffic immediately unless paused, out of schedule, or underfunded.
Best Practices for Campaign Creation
- Start Simple: Launch with broad targeting and a modest budget ($20–$50 daily) to collect performance data, then refine settings.
- Track Everything: Always include tracking macros in your URL to measure clicks, conversions, and source quality.
- Test Variations: Create multiple campaigns with different targets (e.g., iOS vs. Android) or bids to compare results.
- Monitor Early: Check performance within the first 24–48 hours to spot issues like high spend with no conversions.
- Align with Goals: Set CPC and targeting based on your objective—low CPC for brand awareness, higher for conversions like FTDs.
- Use Limits Wisely: A daily budget or hourly cap prevents surprises while you learn what works.
