Campaign Set-up as Told Through the Eyes of a Rookie

Approximately two months ago, we chatted through the beginning stages of an RFP process, including researching potential partners, sending out RFPs, providing feedback to partners, and crafting a media plan.  Well, we’re back for round two/next steps!  You didn’t think we were done yet, did you?  Once the media plan is approved by the client, it’s time to get started on taking the appropriate steps for a successful campaign launch, so let’s get started!

Alert the approved partners

With the plan now officially approved, it’s time to let the partners on the plan know that you are moving forward with their proposal, as they will want to begin setting things up on their end.  The proximity of the start date will then determine the time frame in which step two must be done.

Create tags and send tags to partners

You will need to select a tagging platform.  Two options here are Google Doubleclick and Atlas by Facebook.  Once you create tags for all placements across all partners, it’s time to send the tags to each respective partner.  It is common courtesy to provide tags to partners at least one week in advance; however, if time allows, try to provide the tags at least two weeks in advance to ensure partners have ample time for QA.

Check-in with partners to confirm all is set for campaign launch

In order to ensure that the campaign is all set for a timely launch, it’s a good idea to touch base with the vendor at least a few days prior to the launch date.  It’s also a good idea to request preview links prior to launch (to verify that the ads are clicking through properly with the tracking codes).  Additionally, it’s good practice to collect screenshots from the vendors, as well as live links, once the campaign does officially launch because you will want to share these with the client.

First Two Days of Campaign

Now that the campaign is officially live (woohoo!), collect the requested live links and screenshots from the partner and pass them along to the client.  It is also vital on day two of the campaign (or day one if you’re utilizing the Atlas platform) that you log-in to reporting to confirm that data is pulling through.  If you see anything that seems amiss, immediately reach out to the partner to rectify the situation, as you surely do not want to have an entire week of the campaign running without the appropriate tags/tracking parameters before you realize the issue when pulling data after a week to compile the first week of reporting.

Cheers to a happy and successful campaign!