What is Creative Distribution Manager?
Overview
Creative Distribution Manager (CDM) is available in all Enterprise and Network type accounts. Simply contact your OPTIZMO account rep for activation. CDM adds functionality that will allow you to easily distribute your Creative Assets, along with your Suppression File and Opt-Out Link to your Affiliate partners, all in one place. This article will guide you through setting up and maintaining this functionality.
Once CDM is enabled, its settings and functionality will be found in multiple areas of the system:
- Default Settings
- Opt-Out Lists
- Affiliates
- Campaigns
There are various HTML Variables, or “tokens”, available for use with CDM. These tokens may be coded into your HTML creative assets, and the unique values supplied for the Opt-Out Link, Opt-Out Text Variables, Affiliate ID URLs (Tracking Links) will automatically be added in place of the appropriate token.
The use of these tokens and the auto-embedding functionality is completely optional. We will call out token functionality and other key information in this article within "Note" sections, as seen just above.
To begin setting up your CDM functionality, navigate to the Settings area of your account: Account Settings
Settings
Here, you can define a set of approved:
- From Lines - Approved sender email addresses that it will appear the message is being delivered from.
- Subject Lines - Approved subject lines that will appear in the Subject field of the email message.
- General Instructions - Any general info around the details of the creative, or the offer itself. Where to place any links, acceptable alterations to the creative, etc.
- Opt-Out Text Variables - This Variable would be the specific wording you wish your Affiliates to use, which actual email recipients will see and click on to reach your unsubscribe page. Examples may be "Click here to unsubscribe", or "Follow this link to unsubscribe".
Opt-Out List and Campaign Settings
In addition to setting the above-approved items at a Default level, you may also designate specifics for individual Campaigns or Opt-Out Lists, overriding the Default level setting.
Edit the Campaign or Opt-Out List of your choice, and you will see the same fields as in the Default Settings.
Clickable links allow you to switch between using the Default Settings or overriding them.
Affiliate Settings
Affiliate-specific settings are related to their IDs (or, Tracking Links), and the HTML Variables available for auto-embedding those IDs to their creative.
Edit any Affiliate profile to view and manage these options.
Uploading your Creative
Once you have added your approved Subject Lines, From Lines, Instructions, Opt-Out Text Variables, and Affiliate IDs, it’s time to add your HTML code and/or Text versions of your Creative to your Campaigns.
- Begin at any Campaign Profile Page
- Scroll down the Campaign Creatives section
- Click Add Creative
- Name this Creative
- Enter your HTML code
You will also see a full list of the HTML Variables available for use in your code.
Next:
- Upload the text version of your email creative.
- Choose whether to send images with your creative.
Finally, there are Start/End options, so you may set beginning and expiration dates to this specific Creative.
Affiliate Experience
Now that your Affiliates will be receiving their Creative for the Campaign along with the proper Suppression List, let’s look at how they will see things.
The Affiliate will have the option to download the creative that was set up for this campaign by enabling the toggle for Include Campaign Creatives.
Followed by selecting either the Cleanse or Prepare Download button.
What is Downloaded?
The Affiliate will receive a zip file with all selected Creative assets, as well as the applicable Suppression List and other items, all neatly tucked into one file.
We hope this introduction to Creative Distribution Management was helpful. Please contact support@optizmo.com with any questions.