One of the bigger parts of optimizing your PPC ads for maximum effectiveness is to decide on their format (image, text, Flash, etc.) and on their size (Banner, leaderboard, skycraper, etc.). In this post, i will try to assist you choosing the suitable rich media ad for you, based on 2010 advertising data Google posted recently.
First of all, you need to know what creative options you have: It may be an expanding ad when hovering with the mouse over it, or it can even be a floating ad on the screen. I suggest you to enter DoubleClick Rich Media Gallery for examples of creative ads. Let’s try to analyze what are the most effective (in terms of clickthrough rate) options for you:
Distribution Of Creative Ad Types In 2010
Although Flash is slowly being replaced by HTML 5 on many websites, in the creative advertising arena, the case is very different: Flash is the dominated creative ad format (54%), almost twice as much from image ads (28%). These two formats are the most common leaving only fractions to other formats, mostly because they are less expensive and easier to create.
Image And Flash Ad Sizes Clickthrough Rate
The most effective size for Flash ad is a Square (250×250) and the most effective size for image is a Vertical Rectangle (240×400). The least effective Flash ads are a Full Banner (468×60) and a Vertical Banner (120×24), where the least effective image ad is a 3:1 Rectangle (300×100).
In-Page Rich Media Ads Clickthrough Rate
In-page ads are fixed size ads somewhere on the page. If you wish to advertise an in-page video ad, the most effective size will be a Large Rectangle (336×280) and stay away from Leaderboard ads (728×90) which are the least effective. If you wish to advertise an in-page non video ad then your most effective option is a Rectangle (180×150) and your least effective option is a Full Banner (468×60).
Expandable Rich Media Ads Clickthrough Rate
These ads are expanding when hovering over with the mouse or clicking on. Not surprisingly, the most effective size for both video and non-video ad is a Half Page (300×600). The least effective size for expanding ads for both video and non-video is a Skycraper (120×600).
Industry Differences
Another thing to consider when choosing your format, is for which industry you wish to advertise. For example, in the Tech industry image ads are the most effective ones however, in the Auto industry they are the least effective.
