Hard time analyzing your ad account?
You're suffering from what you've created. You alone have the power to fix it.
I haven’t been to a library in ages - but I will always appreciate the Dewey Decimal System.
This beautiful system provides a literal label for each book, helping you understanding properties of the book like where it’s located and what subject bucket it falls into.
The same applies to naming conventions in ad accounts. They provide a standardized structure for labeling your campaigns, ad groups, and ads, making it infinitely easier to filter, pivot, and segment your data.
If your campaign reports look like:
Campaign 1
Ad group 1
Ad 1
How the heck is someone supposed to know anything about anything? There’s a better way.
This is how our campaign level reports look:
Where the campaign name indicates:
what product category the campaign is pushing
the optimization event (for different campaign types)
the geographic targeting
the campaign type
At the ad level an example of an ad name is:
GIF|SL+MOD|Mila Restock|CASE
Where we have:
format of ad
style of photography
the product and the specific asset name
the product type
Suddenly, you can see patterns and insights that were once hidden in the chaos. You can quickly identify which campaigns are delivering the best results, which ad groups are resonating with your target audience, and which ad variations are driving the most conversions.
But where do you start? The key is to begin with the big picture. When structuring your campaign names, include essential elements like the product category, the objective, and the location targeting. This creates a clear overarching framework that simplifies the tracking process. For example, instead of a generic campaign name like "Sales Campaign," try something like "BAG|USA|Purchases." Instantly, you know more about it.
Next, let's talk about ad groups. This is where you can really drill down into the details of your target audience. Use characteristics like demographics, interests, and behaviors to name your ad groups. For instance, "Women|25-34|FitnessEnthusiasts" tells you exactly who you're targeting. When you're analyzing performance, you can easily see which audience segments are most responsive to your messaging.
Finally, don't neglect your individual ads. Each ad should have a clear label indicating its format and purpose. "Video|ProductDemo|15sec" leaves no room for confusion. You can quickly identify which ad variations are outperforming others and make data-driven decisions to optimize your creative.
Now, I know what you might be thinking. Implementing naming conventions across an entire ad account sounds daunting. But here's the thing—you don't have to do it all at once. Take a phased approach. Start with your campaigns, then move on to your ad groups, and finally, tackle your ads. By breaking it down into manageable steps, you can ensure a smooth transition without overwhelming yourself or your team.
And the benefits? With clear naming conventions in place, you can leverage the filtering and sorting features built into most advertising platforms. Instead of scrolling through endless lists, you can quickly zero in on the data you need. Your analysis process becomes streamlined, efficient, and dare I say, enjoyable.
But it's not just about making your life easier. Implementing naming conventions has a ripple effect that extends to your stakeholders. They'll receive clearer reports and more actionable insights. They'll see that you're not just throwing darts at a board, but making strategic decisions based on hard data. And that builds trust and credibility.
Of course, no system is perfect. You may encounter challenges along the way. Maybe some team members are resistant to change, or you find that certain naming conventions don't quite fit your unique needs. That's okay. The key is to remain flexible and open to adjustment. Regularly review your naming structures and make tweaks as necessary. The goal is to create a system that evolves with your strategies and continues to serve your analysis needs over time.
In the end, implementing naming conventions in your ad account analysis is about more than just organizing data. It's about empowering yourself and your team to make better decisions, faster. And it's about embracing a mindset of continuous improvement, always striving to optimize and enhance your strategies.
As always, share this with your team, your friends, your dog, anyone you think that might benefit. Appreciate it.
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