Best Practices for Dynamic Site Customization in B2B Advertising

This article outlines Demandbase Advertising best practices for dynamic ad customization in ABM campaigns.

An effective ABM personalization strategy typically:

1. Starts with broader relevance (industry/vertical).
2. Progresses to account-level personalization (company name).
3. Makes personalization visually obvious.
4. Uses action-oriented CTAs.
5. Delivers a seamless experience from ad click to landing page conversio

See Advertising Showcase.

Choose the Right Type of Personalization

“Customization” can mean a lot of things for a dynamic ad, and choosing the right type for your strategy is key. Examples of customization can be a company’s name inserted dynamically into an ad when a target account gets served the ad. Or it could be an industry name that’s inserted, or a zip code, or even a custom attribute on which your team decides. Here are some things to consider when deciding on your customization approach.

Company Name

• Most attention-grabbing form of customization.
• Effective for high-priority target accounts and strong first impressions.
• Creates a highly personalized experience.

Industry or Vertical

• More subtle personalization.
• Demonstrates relevance without feeling overly direct.
• Often works well for broader awareness campaigns.

Multi-Touch Strategy

• Use progressively more personalized messaging.
• Example:
  • First touch: Industry-based personalization with a general message.
  • Second touch: Company-name personalization with a specific offer or solution.
• Helps build familiarity before introducing highly targeted messaging.

Include Personalization on the Final Frame

Many viewers may miss the opening frames of an animated ad because of page clutter.

• Ensure personalization appears on the final frame at a minimum.
• Ideally, personalize all frames to maximize visibility and relevance.

Make Personalization Visually Prominent

To maximize engagement:

• Use contrasting colors.
• Highlight personalized elements so they stand out from surrounding content.
• Make it immediately obvious that the ad is tailored to the viewer.

Design for Variable Text Lengths

Dynamic fields such as company names can vary significantly in length.

• Test with long placeholder values (e.g., "{A Long Company Name Goes Here}").
• Verify text does not overlap:
  • Logos
  • Calls to action (CTAs)
  • Images
  • Other important design elements

Optimize the CTA Experience

These best practices apply to any type of ad campaign.

Be Specific

• Match the CTA to the desired action.
• Examples:
  • "Watch the Demo"
  • "Get the eBook"
  • "See the Case Study"
• Reserve "Learn More" primarily for awareness campaigns.

Avoid "Download"

• The word may create security concerns.
• Alternatives:
  • "Get the eBook"
  • "Access the Guide"
  • "Read the Report"

Align Ads and Landing Pages

The ad and landing page should feel like a continuous experience.

Ensure:

• Consistent messaging
• Consistent design and branding
• Clear connection between the ad promise and landing page content

A mismatch between ad and landing page can reduce engagement and conversion rates.