Experiences

Backgournd

Outbrain's recommendation platform allows it’s users to customize their feeds to fit their needs. Users can customize the look of the recommendation to match their brand and configure a range of settings to optimize the recommendations

For each paid and organic recommendation, there are multiple widgets and cards, that setup the feeds. Feeds are being constantly optimizes to meet users goals

🤔 Problem

To fully exploit Outbrain’s feed automation and optimization, we need publishers to opt-in as many cards and widgets as possible

💡 Hypothesis

Adding to the dashboard a view that can mirror users all the options they can add to their feed - cards and widgets, could help them adopt more options

Research

Exploring potential ways to offer our users a way to add new experiences(widgets &cards).

Quantify the amount of eligible users, who aren't fully optimized and aren't using the full experiences inventory, to asses potential impact on revenue

📊 Statistic & data analysis

Analyzing our data about all eligible users. who can add new experiences, to which tier they belong to, potential blockers in adopting new experiences, prioritise experiences with higher CPC/RPM.

💬 User Interviews

Talking with account managers and useres to evaluate the potential value, blockers in adapting new experiences.

🔑 Key takeaways

Statistics & data analysis

There were about 300 eligible users with over 20,000 feed that can be optimized
When feed are fully optimized there is on average a 10% RPM lift

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User Interviews

Most users are willing to adopt more experiences to raise RPM and revenue 
Strict users, tend to be concerned about their organic inventory, and want to make sure that adding more experiences won’t priorities more paid content instead

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Solutions

New section

Adding a new section to the dashboard, that contains both widget and card catalogue, to allow users to browse all the potential options.

Preview

Users can preview the new experiences. For each widget there is an animation or images illustrating the widget placement or experience. Card experiences can be previewed in user's live site, by entering a URL of the page with their feed and the experience is being injected to it

Notification

Using our notification center to make our users more aware on the new opportunities they have to optimize their feeds, or to review all the experiences they can use in their feeds

KPI

📈 Increase % in number of eligible experiences

5%+ new cards, and 2%+ widgets added cross the network from all users who aren’t fully optimized

📇 Number of new opted in widgets & cards

1-2 cards, and 1+ widget added to all eligible users inventory

🖱️ Num clicks on notification CTA

10% + of all users would click the notification's CTA

Results

🏁 Results

On average users added 1.5 cards, and 0.9 widget to all eligible inventory.Average 8% RPM lift per user with eligible inventory.13.5% clicked the notification CTA

🦶Next steps

Adding unique insight per widget and card performance. expanding the experiences catalogues inventory. Expand all catalogue experiences, to be fully DIY

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