Marketo-DG2DA

PART III: DIGITAL AD TYPES AND AD DESIGN
DESIGN WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS
Digital advertisers go through ad networks, such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, in order to get
their ads placed online. In order to be accepted by certain ad networks and placed on certain
websites, digital ads must adhere to certain parameters and specifications in their design.
Ad Network Specifications
What works for one ad network
may not work for another; each ad
network specifies its own
parameters, so digital advertisers
need to listen and follow through
accordingly to make sure
they’re compliant.
It’s definitely a good idea to confirm
your understanding of the
parameters prior to creating a digital
ad that’s intended for a certain
network, otherwise, you may end
up having to redo it completely—a
task that no one wants added to
their already overflowing plate.
Save yourself the energy and
money by researching ad network
parameters ahead of time. In doing
so, you’ll also find out which specs
work to carry out your vision, and
which don’t. For instance, if video
ads are crucial to your company’s
digital advertising strategy, but the
parameters for video ads of a certain
ad network do not mesh well with
your company’s needs, you may
choose to avoid that ad network
altogether. Clearly, it’s smart to
discover these things ahead of time
before putting in the work.
Device Optimization
Your digital ads must be optimized
for every platform, whether that’s
desktop, mobile, tablet, or even IoT
devices. Ads can’t be too large or
else the image or the video inside
the ad will not properly load, or will
take too long to load. This situation
deters your audiences from the ad
and, ultimately, from your brand.
The guideline is simple: don’t
exceed the recommended
megabytes (or kilobytes) for your
ad’s image or video.
Ad Network Specifications for Design
Whether you want to place your ad on social media or
another ad network, you need to be familiar with the specs:
Social media ad networks:
• Twitter paid promotion banners—800x320 in size
(for website cards)
• Facebook—600x315 in size
For paid ads, only up to 20% of the ad can be text.
• LinkedIn banners—W180x110
• LinkedIn Lead Accelerator—360x220 in size
Here are common sizes for PPC ads mandated by Google,
a dominant ad network in the online space:
• 300x250 (medium rectangle)
• 300x600 (half page)
• 320x100 (large mobile banner)
• 336x280 (large rectangle)
• 728x90 (leaderboard)
• 160x600
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