There are a number of reasons impressions can vary during a campaign. Here are some notable ones:
Initial Pacing by Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs)
Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) often use a front-loaded pacing strategy, delivering a higher volume of impressions at the beginning of a campaign to gather performance data. This helps the system learn and optimize effectively.
Optimization Toward Best-Performing Segments
As the campaign progresses, DSPs analyze performance metrics and may shift focus to audience segments that yield better results. This optimization can reduce impressions in less responsive segments, leading to an overall drop.
Audience Saturation
Over time, the targeted audience may become saturated, especially if frequency caps are not adjusted. Repeated exposure can lead to diminished engagement, prompting DSPs to reduce bidding for these users, which decreases impressions.
Bidding Environment Changes
The competitive landscape can shift during a campaign. Increased competition or changes in bid strategies by other advertisers can affect your ability to win auctions, resulting in fewer impressions.
Creative Fatigue: Using the same creatives for extended periods can lead to decreased user engagement. Regularly updating ad creatives can help maintain interest and impressions.
Technical Issues: Occasionally, platform-specific issues (for example, bugs in ad delivery systems) can cause unexpected drops in impressions. We at SoCast monitor for such anomalies.