With the array of different ad spots available at Traffic Factory, we are often asked by new clients which spots we recommend for their initial campaigns. The aim of this article is to expose the different spots available on our network as well as their significance in your campaigns.
Different Ad Spots
As a quick recap, below are the current ad spots available on a selection of devices at Traffic Factory.
Each device has its particular ad spots due to page formats and display.
The criteria to take into account are :
- The device you are looking to target
- The volume of exposure you are looking to achieve
- The bidding model you are looking to use
- The goal of your campaign
Different Ad Spots for Different Devices Targeted
Choosing the right model for the device you are targeting is paramount. If targeting smartphones, the ad spots available will be both Header and Footer banners, pre-roll & native ads. Make sure not to prepare a Square banner for a mobile campaign as the banner format will not be accepted.
Desktop and tablet devices have a greater range of spots available that are highly visible, but does your audience use desktop devices more than smartphones? Knowing your audience and their device preferences is paramount in your initial choice of ad type. Please do not forget that you need to try different ad spots because sometimes you can be surprised by the results. It’s not because your offer is not working with one specific ad spot that it will not work with another one?
The Volume of Exposure you’re Expecting
Are you looking for precise and set targeted clicks from your target audience or are you looking to drive high volumes of traffic to your landing page to improve / increase your visibility / branding?
Ad spots such as Mobile Header, Pre-Roll and Native banners are renowned to produce high CTR whereas horizontal banners traditionally receive less clicks due to their position (but can be very good for conversions too)
The Bidding Model that is being Used
Not all ad spots can use either bidding models (CPC or CPM) so please bear this in mind to avoid disappointment. Examples are that Pre-Roll and Pop-Under are strictly only CPM based so if you are wanting a CPC based campaign, these two spots are unavailable.
It is also important to take CTR into account as certain spots such as native banners are known for their high CTR. Make sure to calculate the CPC in comparison to the CPM for ad spots such as native. If you want to bid with CPC, please note that you have to be patient to see the result compared to a CPM campaign. Banners for CPC campaigns go through a Casting process in the initial days of the campaign. This is to allow the system to determine an eCPM value needed for equal competition between CPC and CPM campaigns. If you want to have direct results we advise you to choose CPM campaigns.
You can try both CPC and CPM and see which works better for your offer (But keep in mind the casting period for CPC campaigns)
The Goal of your Campaign
You need to determine the goal of your campaign. Are you looking for cheap investment or are you more interested in branding and high volumes of traffic ? Without this information, it will be hard to determine your correct spot. What kind of offer do you have? Are you looking for conversions?
If you were looking to promote vastly and in a short time period a certain promotion, high CTR and visible spots such as Pre-Roll, Native and Mobile Header are highly suggested due to their effectiveness.
Tips & Tricks
- Know your audience and their habits ! Take into account the ad spots available for the devices that you are looking to target. Are your audience more mobile based than desktop ? Would a mobile header banner be more effective to your campaign than a desktop square spot ?
- Determine the volume of traffic you are looking to achieve and your budget. Pop-Unders and square banners predominantly attain high CTR but will your landing page cope with the traffic and will your budget be sufficient ?
- Taking budget into account, will you be looking for qualified clicks via a CPC system or are you looking for volume of impressions using a CPM bid ? Pre-Roll and Pop-Under spots are CPM based and generate high volumes of impressions so can your budget take such a campaign? Native banner spots are renowned for a high CTR so it will be up to you to determine whether it will be more cost effective to use a CPM basis here or stick to CPC.
- Determine the goal of your campaign ! Are you needing to promote over a short period of time but looking for high volumes ? If so, you’ll be better going with Pop-Under style campaigns. But if you are looking for qualified clicks with no timescale in mind, other banner spots such as square, horizontal and header/ footer banners may be more suitable.
- The importance of testing is not to be taken lightly. We advise you to test different ad spots, both on CPC and CPM bidding models but also to test different positions. We automatically assume that the top position will be the best but different positions can work differently for a variety of promotions and budgets.
- Regularly contact your Account Manager, they are there to help and advise you. Whether it be for bidding or to help analyse the results of your campaigns, they’ll be able to inform you where to improve or modify your campaigns.
- Do not underestimate certain spots or devices! For example, if you target desktops, we advise you to try tablet devices too as you could be happily surprised by the results!