Targeting Rules leverage the opener's real-time data to determine which version of the elements to display. This results in a highly personalized experience that can take into account the opener's location, device used, date and time of opening, environment and more.
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You can add as many targeting rules sets as required.
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Each set of rules can contain one or more conditions, using the And or OR operators. Combining multiple conditions in one rule allows to cover more complex cases where a series of conditions need to be met at the same time. (Example, Tuesdays, between 12h and 15h).
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A version of the element needs to be selected for every targeting rule set. This can be either a fixed version, or an AB-tested version.
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It is possible to re-use targeting rules sets configured for other elements in the campaign.
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Targeting rules sets are executed top to bottom.
To create a targeting rule, you can choose to create a new one from scratch or to re-use the targeting rules set in a different element of your campaign.
Re-use existing targeting rules
When different elements in your campaign all require the same targeting rules to be applied, you can save time by re-using targeting rules that have already been configured. Doing so also ensures consistency throughout the different elements of your campaign.
1. Toggle the option Link Targeting and Testing to Another Element ON.
2. Choose the parent element from the drop-down.
All elements in the campaign with targeting rules configured are listed, with their element type and the ID (the ID of an element can be deducted from the embed code).
3. Once a parent element is selected, all parent versions are loaded and you need to map the versions of the current element to the different versions of the parent element. This is required because the targeting rules you are using have been set up using the different versions of the parent element, not the versions of the current element. To be able to apply the targeting rules to the current element, you need to define a mapping.
4. Click Save Targeting Rules.
Note: The parent element displays a notification when a targeting rule set has been used in other elements, listing all the linked elements. If an AB test is performed in the rules set, the results will also apply to all the elements linked to this targeting rule set.
Important note: AB test result and winner picking is based on clicks from the parent image. It does not take into account clicks from other linked elements.
A parent element can never be a child to another element.
A linked element can never be selected as a parent element. This is all to avoid endless loops of determining which rules should be used.
Separate content and click targeting
Note: If this option is not available, it has either not been activated for your account (contact support to get it activated), or you activated the option Link targeting and Testing Rules to another Element.
Apple and Gmail block device usage, therefore it's impossible to tell for example whether a subscriber is opening in a mobile or a desktop device. This makes it increasingly difficult to utilize deep-links for mobile devices or serve device-specific content such as mobile app download buttons. With this new option to separate content and click targeting, this is no longer the case, providing our customers with the ability to target subscribers and serve the correct clickthrough experience upon click, regardless of these email client limitations.
This option is especially interesting for targeting rules that use the opener's location, local weather, device, mail client or language. It allows to separate the targeting rules for content versions from the targeting rules for clickthrough version, meaning that targeting rules are executed once when opening the message, and once when clicking through. This functionality is only implemented for Apple and Gmail.
Here is what happens:
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When a recipient opens in Apple or Gmail, the targeting rules set up for the element are applied and a version is served accordingly. (This version is most likely the default version or fallback image since most real-time data is undetectable for targeting Apple and Gmail content.)
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Then when an Apple or Gmail recipient clicks, the targeting rules are applied for a second time.
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Upon click, Apple and Gmail's targeting limitations are removed, and all of Liveclicker's targeting rules can be applied. Then a clickthrough version can be served accordingly. This may cause the content version served in Apple or Gmail to differ from the clickthrough version served upon click.
Example:
In this example, a LiveImage campaign is set up with 3 different versions: Default (Desktop), iOS, and Android. Each of these images have device specific clickthroughs. The element has the following targeting rules set up:
- When a recipient opens on a device with the iOS operating system, they receive the iOS version
- When a recipient opens on a device with the Android operating system, they receive the Android version
- Everyone else will get the default version
The following versions are available.
And these are the targeting rules set:
When the option is not activated the default versions are served to recipients with iOS or Gmail:
When the option is activated, the default versions are served at opening, however, the correct versions are served at click:
Create a new targeting rule from scratch
1. If you want to create targeting rules from scratch, toggle the option Link Targeting and Testing to Another Element OFF.
2. Next, click Add Targeting Rule Set.
3. A targeting rule set configuration panel is displayed.
4. In the top section, you can choose between the different criteria that can be used to create a targeting segment. Depending on the selected criteria, different configuration fields are displayed:
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Device — The opener's device used to open the email. You can choose to use either the device's email client, OS, OS version, device, browser or Mobile carrier (US only).
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Location — The opener's location at the moment the email is opened. You can choose to use either the continent, the language or zip code.
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Date & Time — The opener's date and time at the moment of opening the email. You can choose from one of the many options here such as the Timezone, part of the day, the month, day of week, time after the first open, a specific date and time, etc).
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Environment — The opener's local weather conditions. You can choose from Weather Forecast (based on Opener Location or Custom Location Data), Temperature Forecast (based on Opener Location or Custom Location Data), Pollen Forecast (Pollen forecast is limited to the next 15 days), Precipitation Forecast, UV Level Forecast.
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Custom —In this case the rule is based on a unique identifier in the customer's account. You can choose from any of the custom fields configured for your environment, the store ID, Product ID, Tracking number, Map location, Arrival date and destination city.
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Data sources — In this case, fields from the imported data (CSV or API) can be used.
(For more details and limitations for each of the above criteria, please read our dedicated Targeting capabilities topic.)
5. Your first condition has been configured. If you need additional conditions to be combined with this one, click the +.
6. A new condition is added for you to configure in the same way as the first one. You can add as many conditions as required.
Note: By default the operator is AND. Click it to toggle to OR and back.
7. Once your conditions are set, you need to define which version of the element is shown when the opener complies with the set targeting rule.
You can choose to select the version manuallyfrom the drop-down, or to use an AB test to determine the version.
7a. Manually selecting a version:
From the drop-down , choose one of the versions of the element, or the fallback.
Using a fallback is only supported for the following types: LiveImage, LiveScrape, LiveTimer, LiveFeed, Livesocial, LiveForacast, LiveMap, LiveTracker and LiveRender.
7b. Use an AB test to determine the version
To use an AB test to determine the version, click A/B Test This Ruleset.
The different versions of the element are displayed, as well as the AB test options.
Check the versions that need to be included in the test and define the options for your test on the right.
(For a full explanation of all the AB test options, check our dedicated topic on AB testing.)
8. Once these options are configured, click Save Targeting Rules.
Note: You can add as many targeting rules as required. Click Add Targeting Rule Set to add additional sets of rules. When more than one targeting rule set exists, an arrow is displayed, allowing to move a targeting rules set up or down. This is important as targeting rules are executed top to bottom.
