What are the creative necessities for responsive show commercials?

Display ads are gone remarketing by virtue of being.

Powerful creative matched with smart targeting can drive desire to transact and pre-qualify leads with meaningful insights.

No one wants to slow down a campaign in layout.

That’s why this month’s Ask PPC question is perfect for anyone looking to capitalize on display.

Prabesh from Kathmandu asks:

“Why doesn’t a responsive display campaign work for different types of creative? What are the ad sizes to use in responsive display?’

We will look at the following questions to ensure the display is set up correctly:

• Who can advertise at the exhibition?
• What ads are acceptable?
• How do ads affect placements?

Note: The Google Display Network (GDN) and the Microsoft Target Network (MAN) overlap a lot, so tips used for one are applicable to the other.

Who can advertise on the screen

All ad networks have editorial policies that allow industries to advertise on their channels.

If you fall into one of the following categories, display ads will not be available to you entirely/at all.

• Gambling.
• Weapons.
• Adult toy/entertainment.
• Counterfeit goods.
• Predatory financial services.
• Facilitating dishonest behavior (fake passports, test takers, etc.).

If you want your ads to appear on all placements (including those aimed at children and teens), you may face further limits.

Outside of these limited industries, display ads are fairly affordable for most brands.

What ads are acceptable?

That’s the crux of this month’s question: what sizes and ads can be used.

Responsive display ads need the following sizes:

• Landscape (1.91:1): 1200 × 628 (minimum required resolution: 600 × 314, maximum file size: 5120 KB).
• Square size: 1200 × 1200 (minimum required size: 300 × 300, maximum file size: 5120 KB).

Logos must be:

Landscape logo (4:1)

• Recommended size: 1200 x 300.
• Min. size: 512 x 128.

Square logo (1:1)

• Recommended size: 1200 x 1200.
• Min. size: 128 x 128.

footnote: The maximum file size for any image is 5120 KB.

Images must be clear, not violate any editorial policies, and uploaded in a way that most agree is correct (ie not sideways or upside down).

If your image is too large for the standard size, you will have the option to crop it.

Cropping can sometimes make the image look worse, so be careful when working with the tool.

Video can be powerful creative tool.

Make sure your video conveys the desired message even without sound.

Upload your 30-second video to YouTube and then link it to your display campaign.

How do ads affect placements?

One of the biggest benefits of RDA (Responsive Display Ads) is how many placements they unlock.

Instead of being limited by an inventory that matches your loaded assets, your campaigns will gain access to more cities.

However, there are some limitations.

Ad networks will make educated guesses about your content.

If the publisher has set restrictions (adult content, trademarks, etc.), your ad will not be able to show with them.

Additionally, if the publisher has limited which placement sizes can be shown, you may not get a placement because Google will see that your ad performs better at other sizes.

Final conclusions

Both creative asset size and content can cause a lack of placements.

It’s important to upload an ad that can be used for all placements and to be realistic about the limitations your industry may have.

Have a question about PPC? Submit via this form or tweet me @navahf with the hashtag #AskPPC. See you next month!

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Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal