If you were online shopping for your partner before Christmas, you’ve probably noticed the ads for them haven’t given up on you yet! As a consumer, you’ve likely experienced the joys of being ‘stalked’ by ads across Instagram and Facebook for products you browsed weeks ago.

But as an eCommerce professional, you know exactly why this happens: Meta Advertising uses dynamic catalogs – when product feeds sync with a website, they track what people view. So, if someone checks out a product, dynamic retargeting ensures they’ll see that same product in ads later. It’s personalised, clever and maybe just a little creepy – but it works!

As useful as this personalised ad experience is to us in eCom, it does throw up a few challenges.

Working with the algorithm 

Gone are the days when we could hone in on a specific audience and craft the perfect message just for them. Thanks to data privacy rules – and algorithms ‘algorithming’ – we now have to cast a wider net.

The ‘Messy Middle’

Then there’s the “messy middle”, that stage where people loop through discovery and comparison – the journey they take when they’re deciding what to buy. 

Take someone shopping for hair gel. First, they realise they need it. Then comes the back and forth: this brand’s cheaper, that one’s on sale, another promises miracles.

It’s messy as its name suggests, but it’s the reality we work with.

So, while they’re deciding, how do you know which ad will grab their attention and lead them to checkout? What messaging, what offer, what creative?

And here’s where Dynamic Creative Optimisation comes in. 

What is Dynamic Creative Optimisation?

Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) helps you test different messages and offers at scale. If you have six messages or offers, DCO can show each one to the right audience and identify which works best. The goal isn’t to find one “best” message but to make sure each person sees the message that’s most relevant to them.

How can I implement Dynamic Creative Optimisation?

There are several pieces of software which can help you create different variations of an ad. They do this by offering multiple templates which allow you to advertise your product with variable messaging, imagery and even video.

So without further ado, here are six key benefits why DCO should be your new BFF:

  • It improves campaign performance

DCO ensures the right message reaches the right person at exactly the right time, making your ads work harder. It boosts your chances of turning that user into a paying customer, which means your ad spend stretches further and brings in more revenue for every pound spent – driving up your ROAS.

  • It uses your ad budget efficiently

Instead of spending on ads which aren’t performing, DCO automatically calculates what works and puts your budget behind the best-performing combinations. It avoids wasting money on guesswork. 

  • It provides scalability without extra cost

Instead of manually producing countless creatives, the system assembles them in real time, saving your time and cutting creative costs. It means you can show multiple ad variations to your audience from a single template. 

  • Allows you to edit and test in real time 

Being able to tweak ads in real time means your campaigns can instantly react to shifts in what people want, market trends or seasonality. It means your messaging stays fresh and your ads won’t fatigue. It also speeds up A/B testing enormously as templated designs are dynamically updated. Plus you can ensure everything is pre-approved by the client and within brand guidelines. 

  • It allows you to create aesthetic and multimedia ads 

DCO tools come with plenty of templates and customisation options, so your ads can look super polished and eye-catching. You can use lifestyle images, add your product visuals or even create videos with stock footage and graphics from the platform’s library. This will naturally open up new formats, placements and therefore a broader cross section of your audience. 

  • It allows you to deliver hyper-local ads

If you have audiences in different countries or speaking different languages, DCO tools can handle that with templates targeted by geolocation, language and time zones. Weather-dependent product offerings can be adjusted dynamically too.

Dynamic Creative Optimisation (DCO) is a no-brainer for many eCommerce brands! While it does come with a cost that might be prohibitive for smaller businesses, partnering with an agency like ours (ahem) allows you to benefit from the tool with a significantly reduced price tag. 

Beyond saving on costs, working with an agency will help you implement the tool 

effectively. The real value comes from knowing what messaging works, what types of creative to use and which templates will get the best results. That’s where our expertise comes in. Since we work with multiple clients, we’re constantly learning what works and what doesn’t. 

What are you missing out on if you don’t use a DCO platform? Well, as more eCommerce businesses start seeing the amazing results it can deliver, anyone who could use it but doesn’t is not going to be able to stay competitive, scale and still remain profitable. If growth is your goal, it’s a total no-brainer. 

If you’re like us and already convinced that DCO is a game changer, drop us a line! Run, don’t walk! Contact us before the FOMO kicks in!