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Targeted content and Portal Personalization

Targeted content provides you with a way to deliver multiple pieces of content to different audiences. Targeted content matches the best content with the most appropriate group by using segments. Segments help you split your audience into meaningful groups with different interests or characteristics.

A targeted spot displays different content to different segments. You can create a target spot by defining content that is targeted to specific segments:

  • Add content items to your content spot in a web content viewer.
  • Add segments to each content item to display your content to the correct audience. Segments help you define your target audience. For example, you can define the audience by users, device class, or other attributes.

You can create managed segments in your content library. Creating managed segments in your content library has the following benefits:

  • Scoping. Because your library is scoped to a virtual portal, only users on that virtual portal see the content from that library.
  • Workflow project support. You can use content from the library to create project drafts.
  • Syndication support. There is no need to follow the Personalization Publish process.

Personalization of content

Targeted content applies Personalization concepts to a new user interface where you create Personalization rules as you work to target content to selected segments. Personalization allows a portal or website to choose which content must appear for a particular user. The HCL Portal Personalization component selects content for users based on information in their profiles and on business rules. Using Portal Personalization, business experts can classify site visitors into segments and target relevant content to each segment. For example, a site that is using Personalization might show different news articles to managers than to regular employees or different information to valued customers.

You can define content through a number of applications, including HCL Web Content Manager. Personalization automatically detects the content definition from these applications. Definitions of database or LDAP content types can also be made through a Personalization wizard included with IBM® Rational® Application Developer.

After you define the content type, attributes of the content are shown to the rule author. The rule author can use these attributes to make conditions that define if and when certain content is displayed, or even if certain actions like database updates and triggered emails occur. To create new Personalization rules, go to Applications > Personalization > Business Rules.

Benefits of Personalization

  • The Personalization component selects content for users that are based on information in their profiles and on business logic. With Personalization facilities, subject matter experts can select content that is suited to the needs and interests of each site visitor. These web-based tools help companies quickly and easily use content that is created by business and subject matter experts.
  • Personalization classifies site visitors into segments and then targets relevant content to each segment. Business experts create the rules for classifying users and selecting content, by using web-based tools.
  • Personalization has built-in capabilities for the IBM Java™ Content Repository. This means that personalization rules can easily be used in your Web Content Manager solutions.
  • Personalization also includes a recommendation engine that provides collaborative filtering capabilities. Collaborative filtering uses statistical techniques to identify groups of users with similar interests or behaviors. Inferences can be made about what a particular user might be interested in, based on the interests of the other members of the group.
  • Campaign management tools are also included with Personalization. Campaigns are sets of business rules that work together to accomplish a business objective. For example, a Human Resources manager might want to run a campaign to encourage employees to enroll in a stock purchase plan or sign up for some other new benefit that is now available to employees. The Human Resources manager would define a set of rules that are shown to accomplish this business objective. Campaigns have start and stop dates and times and can be email and web-page based. Several campaigns can run simultaneously and can be prioritized.

HCLSoftware U learning materials

For an introduction and a demo on how to use Targeted Content, go to Content Targeting.