How to Set Up Your First DV360 Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide
A Beginner-Friendly Walkthrough for Display & Video 360
Launching your first Display & Video 360 (DV360) campaign can feel overwhelming. With dozens of targeting options, ad formats, and bidding strategies, it’s easy to get lost.
The good news? If you follow a clear, step-by-step process, DV360 becomes an incredibly powerful tool for reaching the right audience, across the right channels, at the right time.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to set up your first DV360 campaign—from planning to execution—so you can start driving measurable results.
Step 1: Define Your Campaign Objective
Before logging in to DV360, you need a clear goal. Your objective will determine:
Campaign type (Display, Video, App Install, OTT, etc.)
Key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., impressions, CTR, CPA, conversions)
Target audience
Example: If your goal is brand awareness, prioritize impressions and viewability. For conversions, focus on CPA and post-click tracking.
Step 2: Plan Your Audience Targeting
DV360 offers multiple audience types:
First-party audiences: Website visitors, app users, or CRM data
Google Audiences: Affinity, In-market, demographic segments
Custom intent audiences: Users actively searching or browsing related topics
Third-party data: Niche behavioral segments from providers like Lotame or Oracle
Lookalikes: New users similar to your high-value customers
Tip: Start small with your first campaign—test a few audience segments and scale based on performance.
Step 3: Create a New Campaign
Log in to DV360
Click “Campaigns” → “New Campaign”
Enter the following details:
Name: Clear and descriptive
Advertiser: Your brand or client
Type: Display, Video, App Install, etc.
Start & End Dates
Budget: Daily or total
Pro Tip: Keep your naming convention consistent for easier reporting later.
Step 4: Set Up a Campaign Insertion Order (IO)
Insertion Orders (IOs) are your campaign-level budget allocations.
Name the IO
Choose pacing type:
Even: Spread budget evenly over time
Front-loaded: Spend faster in early days
Add frequency caps to avoid ad fatigue
Assign budget per IO
Proper pacing ensures efficient budget usage and prevents overspending early.
Step 5: Create Line Items
Line items are the building blocks of your campaign, controlling targeting, bidding, and inventory.
Click “New Line Item” under your IO
Choose line item type based on your goal:
Display: Static banners, HTML5
Video: In-stream, Outstream, CTV
App Install: Mobile-focused campaigns
Set bid strategy:
CPM (Cost per 1,000 impressions) for awareness
CPC (Cost per click) for traffic campaigns
CPA (Cost per acquisition) for conversion campaigns
Define targeting:
Audience segments
Geo and device
Inventory types (websites, apps, YouTube, CTV)
Tip: Start with broad targeting for the first line item and refine as data comes in.
Step 6: Upload or Select Creatives
Go to “Creatives” → “New Creative”
Upload banners, HTML5, or video files
Assign creatives to line items
Preview to ensure proper formatting and functionality
Ensure all creatives meet DV360’s specs (dimensions, file size, duration).
Step 7: Set Up Tracking & Conversions
Floodlight tags: Track conversions, page visits, or custom events
Click-through tracking: Monitor engagement and post-click performance
Integrate with Google Analytics/GA4 for deeper insights
Proper tracking is critical to measure ROI accurately.
Step 8: Review, Test, and Launch
Before hitting “Activate”:
Double-check:
Budgets & pacing
Targeting
Line items & creatives
Frequency caps
Tracking tags
Test links and creative rendering across devices
Launch your campaign
Monitor performance closely during the first few days to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Step 9: Monitor & Optimize
DV360’s reporting allows you to track key metrics:
Impressions & viewability
CTR & engagement
Conversions & CPA
Video completion rate (VCR) for video campaigns
Optimization tips:
Pause underperforming line items
Rotate creatives based on engagement
Adjust bids for high-performing segments
Scale audiences showing the best ROI
Continuous optimization is the secret to DV360 campaign success.
Final Thoughts
Setting up your first DV360 campaign may feel complex, but following a structured process simplifies everything. With clear objectives, well-planned audience targeting, proper creative setup, and ongoing optimization, DV360 can deliver highly measurable, scalable results for your brand.
Pro Tip: Keep learning and experimenting. Programmatic advertising is dynamic—small adjustments often lead to big performance gains.
Need help launching your first DV360 campaign? AdGeeks is a certified Google Partner agency, guiding brands from setup to ROI-driven optimization. Contact us to get started.