Step 2 - Creative

The Ad Builder piece of the solution builds ads for all channels based on information found during organization look-up. The result is a suite of IAB compliant ads that share a common look across channels.

It's possible that the solution missed a detail or two when it created your media kit, or that you simply want to take your ads in a different direction. Review your ads and edit them how you like.

The user interface encourages experimentation. Make changes to ads and preview them with no commitment.

Select channel creative

Note: Each channel has its own creatives. Be sure to check them for each selected channel before proceeding to targeting.

The solution organizes ad building first by channel, then by creative settings specific to that channel. When building ads, select a channel first.

• To select a channel, go to the Ad Builder page and choose from the channel options there.

Fine-tune ads on a per-channel basis before moving on to targeting settings.

Style an ad

Different ad styles are available for different channels. Some channels only have one style available to them, so it's selected by default, but others have options to choose from.

1. On the Ad Builder page, click Style.

   

2. Select a style thumbnail. What you choose is displayed instantly in the preview pane.
3. Click View All Ads to see the style used in applicable ad sizes.

Add a message

Note: If it is enabled on your instance, default messaging content is provided by AI. Otherwise, defaults are hard coded. In either case, you can overwrite this content in the user interface.

Messaging fields are specific to the channel and ad style selected. Use engaging statements to say a lot with a small amount of text.

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Messaging area.
2. Type relevant text in the Messaging fields.

   

3. Click View All Ads to see the messaging used in applicable ad sizes.

Add a Yelp message

Note: Yelp Messaging options depend on an advertiser’s Yelp data. Options appear only if such data is available.

For Yelp display style templates to be available to an advertiser, meet the following requirements:

• Enable Yelp on your company's ad network.
• Add a valid Yelp page to the Yelp field on the Step 1 - Business Details step.
• Select an objective that includes the web and mobile channels.

If you have met the requirements, Yelp style templates become available to this opportunity or campaign.

1. On the Ad Builder page, select Style, then select either Yelp Slideshow or Yelp Collage.
2. Next, click Messaging. Your options vary depending on the data collected from the advertiser’s Yelp account.

   

3. In the options that appear, click Messaging. Depending on the data we get from Yelp, it is populated with the advertiser’s business descriptions and/or reviews.

   

4. Click one of the available Messaging options. The clicked description or review appears in your creative. All reviews are at least 3 stars.
5. Next, go to Caption 1, Caption 2, and Caption 3. Click a caption drop-down menu and select an option. Options are part of an ad’s animation. Click Replay under the sample ad to see captions in action.
6. Click View All Ads to see the messaging used in multiple ad sizes at once.

Edit Google/Bing search messaging

1. On the Ad Builder page, select the Search channel and click Messaging.
2. In the Categories drop-down menu that appears, click the category whose messaging you want to edit.
3. Below the sample ad that appears, locate and click Edit.

   

4. In the Edit Messaging box that appears, use the text fields and buttons to edit, pin, add, and delete headlines and descriptions. When you are done, click Apply.

   

5. Review your changes in the new sample ad that appears.

Edit Google/Yelp search messaging

Note: The following procedure applies if both Yelp and Google search advertising are enabled.

1. On the Ad Builder page, select the Search channel and click Messaging.
2. Locate the Google/Yelp toggle button, then click Google or Yelp. This enables you to make messaging edits and preview your Google and/or Yelp ads.

   

3. Edit your search ads:
   • If you want to edit Google/Bing search ads, see Edit Google/Bing search messaging.
   • For Yelp ads, the message is automatically provided based on actual reviews and rankings about the advertiser.
4. In the preview pane to the right of the toggle button, there's a preview of your ad.

   

5. Click Generate New Ad to see a different version of the ad. Depending on context, iPromote publishes different versions of search ads.

Edit Google/Bing AI-assisted search messaging

Add categories

Search categories and keywords are automatically generated based on an advertiser's online footprint. However, you can edit defaults to suit your needs.

We recommend that you add at least five search categories, when possible. Too few categories can limit delivery and cause fill issues, especially if the business category is niche or the geo-tagret range is small.

We also recommend that you keep the brand ad "category." This is the category that shares the advertiser's business name. The brand ad ensures that the business shows up as a top Google result when a user searches for its name. Without the name, Google might serve competitor ads because of their broad match policy or a competitor might have optimized their own brand keywords to serve their ad when this advertiser's name is searched for.

To add, edit, or delete a search category

There are various reasons you might want to add, edit, or delete a search category.

During opportunity creation, iPromote scrapes the web for relevant business information. If a business has selected the wrong business category for their Google My Business (GMB) profile or their Facebook business page, then this erroneous data is picked up and used for category selections. Similarly, if the business's website information is incorrect iPromote will return irrelevant data when the site is scraped.

1. On the Ad Builder page, select the Search channel and click Messaging.
2. In the Categories drop-down menu that appears, click Edit and search the category database.

   

3. In the Edit Categories box that opens, add, edit, and delete categories. You can edit the brand category name here.

   

4. Optional: To add, edit, or delete custom categories, see Add a custom search category.

To add a custom search category

If the default search categories provided do not meet your needs, you can add custom categories, messaging, and keywords.

1. On the Ad Builder page, select the Search channel and click Messaging.
2. In the Categories drop-down menu that appears, click Edit.

   

3. In the Edit Categories box that opens, click Add custom category.

   

4. In the Add Custom Category box that opens, on the Name Category step, go to the Category Name field and type a name for the category. Add a category name that is unique and fewer than 100 characters. When you are done, click Next.

   

5. In the Add Custom Category box, on the Add Messaging step, fill out Headlines and Descriptions fields. Follow the instructions and tooltips in the box. When you are done, click Next.

   

6. In the Add Custom Category box, on the Add Keywords step, go to the Add Keywords box and add all of the keywords applicable to this category. Then go to Match Type and select an option. The match type you select applies to all of the keywords you added. When you are done, click Next.

   

7. In the Add Custom Category box, on the Review Keywords step, go to the Keywords box and review the keywords you previously selected. If you want to delete any, you can now. When you are done, click Save.

   

8. When you are done adding a custom category and its keywords, and you’ve saved, you return to the Ad Builder module. Make other desired changes, then click Next.

Your custom categories and keywords appear in the Keywords > Search module on Step 3. Targets. For more information, see To add Search keywords.

Select a soundtrack

Note: A video ad viewer can turn off audio. Make sure your video ad does not depend on audio.

You can accompany a video ad with an audio soundtrack. An extensive list of audio tracks is available.

1. To select a new soundtrack, click the Video channel, click Audio, then click the thumbnail in the Video Soundtrack box.

   

2. In the Audio Library box that opens, click a song to select it.

   

3. To hear a song preview, scroll over a song and click the song's thumbnail image.

Add a landing page description

If you have selected Destination > Landing Page and selected the Web channel, you can add or edit a landing page's long description.

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Destination area and select Landing Page.
2. Go to the channel selector above your preview ads and click Web.
3. Open the Messaging area and find the Description (Long) box.

   

4. Type your desired landing page description.
5. To preview your description, go back to the Destination area, find Landing page preview, and click either Desktop or Mobile. A sample landing page appears.

Add ad extensions

Note: If you use a proxy, you must save extension settings before new proxy domains are generated. Only after a campaign review occurs can you return and update your Category Destinations fields (also known as deep links). Review can take up to two days.

Extensions enhance the value of your ads by increasing customer engagement. They also enhance click-through rates (CTR), which raise your quality score on search engines.

To add ad extensions

Add a click-to-call button, click-to-text button, callouts, location, and social links. Settings vary by channel. Customize each selected channel as you see fit.

1. On the Ad Builder page, choose to use Ad Builder or upload your own creatives, select a channel, then locate Ad Extensions.

   

   

   

2. To add extensions, you have two options:
   • If you are using Ad Builder to generate creatives, click the arrows beside extensions to select what you want to activate, then fill out the applicable fields. Repeat for each channel you want to edit ads for.
   • If you are uploading your own creatives, switch Ad Extensions Overlay to On, click the arrows beside extensions to select what you want to activate, then fill out the applicable fields. See Upload ads.
3. Click View All Ads to see the extensions used in applicable ad sizes.

To add sitelinks

Sitelinks enable you to add supporting links below your ad so customers can go directly to a specific part of your site from the ad. Adding sitelinks tends to improve your CTR (click-through rate). To maximize performance, provide at least 4 sitelinks with descriptions.

1. On the Ad Builder page, select the Search channel.
2. Click Ad Extensions, then turn on Sitelinks. (Optionally, don't turn on sitelinks but do drop down the Sitelinks box. You can turn on your changes later, if you want.)

   

3. In the Edit Sitelinks box that appears, click Add.

   

4. Add at least two sitelinks. Be sure to include a descriptive sitelink name and correct URL to the page indicated by the name. When you are done, click Apply. (Optionally, add two descriptions. These text snippets appear in the ad and describe the sitelinks you specify.)

   

5. Optional: To add more sitelinks or to edit existing sitelinks, return to the Ad Extensions box and click Edit. The Edit Sitelinks box reappears.
6. To view your changes, just see the sample ad to the right of the Ad Extensions option.
7. When you are done making all edits to your ads, click Next.

For more information, see About sitelink assets.

Select colors

Colors are preselected by Ad Builder based on the information it retrieves from an advertiser's on-line footprint.

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Colors area.

   

2. Select an item and color from the color selector that opens, or enter a hex color code.

   

3. Click View All Ads to see the colors used in applicable ad sizes.

Add a logo

Ad Builder automatically creates a logo that includes a background color that matches your ad. You can opt to use a logo automatically collected from an advertiser's on-line footprint, stock images from an image library, or uploaded custom images.

To add a logo

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Logo area.

   

2. Select a logo type from the following options:
   • Image: Click the thumbnail and select an image from the image locker.
   • No Logo: Specifies that no logo is to be used.
   • Text: Type text to display in a logo area on ads.
3. Click View All Ads to see the logo used in applicable ad sizes.

Use a logo that is tightly cropped and has a solid background color. Avoid gradients and shadows.

To use a logo from the stock library

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Logo area.
2. Click Image, then click the logo thumbnail.
3. Click Find Stock Images. Doing so enables you to access a stock image library of millions of images.

   

4. In the Enter search terms field, type a keyword that describes the kind of image you want and click Find. Thumbnail images with a Stock label appear in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the logo you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the logo used in applicable ad sizes.

To upload a logo from a local computer drive

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Logo area.
2. Click Image, then click the logo thumbnail.
3. Click Upload. A file explorer opens.

   

   

4. In the file explorer, locate and select the image you want. Uploaded images are labeled User in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the logo you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the logo used in applicable ad sizes.

To fetch a logo from a website

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Logo area.
2. Click Image, then click the logo thumbnail.
3. Click Fetch from website. An Enter website URL field opens.

   

4. In the Enter website URL field, type the URL you want to collect images from and click Fetch. Thumbnail images with a Website label appear in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the logo you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the logo used in applicable ad sizes.

To crop an image

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Images area.
2. Hover over the image thumbnail and select the cropping icon. An edit box opens.

   

3. Move the cropping box around to select the area you want to keep. Then click Apply Crop.
4. Click View All Ads to see the cropped image used in applicable ad sizes.

Cropped images are automatically scaled to fit their ad type(s).

Select images

Ad Builder automatically collects images that match an advertiser's online branding. You can use images automatically collected from an advertiser's on-line footprint, stock images from an image library, or uploaded custom images.

To use an image from the stock library

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Images area.
2. Click the image thumbnail you want to change.
3. Click Find Stock Images. Doing so enables you to access a stock image library of millions of images.

   

4. In the Enter search terms field, type a keyword that describes the kind of image you want and click Find. Thumbnail images with a Stock label appear in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the image you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the image used in applicable ad sizes.

To upload an image from a local computer drive

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Images area.
2. Click the image thumbnail you want to change.
3. Click Upload. A file explorer opens.

   

   

4. In the file explorer, locate and select the image you want. Thumbnail images with a User label appear in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the image you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the image used in applicable ad sizes.

To fetch an image from a website

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Images area.
2. Click the image thumbnail you want to change.
3. Click Fetch from website. An Enter website URL field opens.

   

4. In the Enter website URL field, type the URL you want to collect images from and click Fetch. Thumbnail images with a Website label appear in the image library.
5. Click the thumbnail image of the logo you want to use.
6. Click View All Ads to see the image used in applicable ad sizes.

To crop an image

1. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Images area.
2. Hover over the image thumbnail and select the cropping icon. An edit box opens.

   

3. Move the cropping box around to select the area you want to keep. Then click Apply Crop.
4. Click View All Ads to see the cropped image used in applicable ad sizes.

Cropped images are automatically scaled to fit their ad type(s).

Add destinations

Note: The destination types available to you (My Website, Proxy, and Landing Page) vary by partner agreement. You might not have all of the destination functionality described here.

Note: Make sure that people who click ads go 1) to the right landing page and 2) to a well-designed, content-rich page.

Note: You cannot direct traffic to a domain other than the advertiser's website. All sitelinks and category destinations must point to the same root domain, otherwise Google will flag the ads for "Destination Mismatch," impacting performance and delivery.

Destinations are primary link(s) from an ad to the digital destination you want traffic to go to, like a webpage. Destination locations can be selected based on the purpose of an ad and its campaign strategy. Category destinations are sometimes known as deep links.

You have the following destination options:

• My Website: If the campaign is not focused on driving leads, then traffic should be directed to the advertiser's website. This is most common for display-only campaigns.
• Proxy: A proxy is a mirror replica the advertiser's website, hosted on a newly purchased domain. This technology allows us to capture leads by way of phone calls and form fills. Proxies are ideal if the advertiser has a high quality website and their main objective is to drive leads.
• Landing Page: This is a templated website created using the creative content (for example, logo, images, colors, and text) from the ad campaign itself, hosted on a newly purchased domain. A landing page is ideal for an advertiser who does not have a website or whose existing website is poor quality.

With proxies and hosted landing pages, the URLs you see under Destination might not reflect a new domain until after you save changes. After you click Save, iPromote buys a new domain and assigns it to the campaign. Once our team processes the campaign, it begins delivering ads that click to that new domain.

To add non-search destinations

Note: If you select the Landing Page destination and are in the Web channel, edit its description in the Messaging > Description (Long) field.

1. On the Ad Builder page, click the applicable non-search channel(s).
2. Locate the Destination menu and click Destination.

   

3. Click the desired destination type (My Website, Proxy, or Landing Page).
4. Optional: Edit destination URLs for the available categories or content.

To add search destinations

1. On the Ad Builder page, click the Search channel.
2. Locate the Destination menu and click Destination.

   

3. Click the desired destination type (My Website, Proxy, or Landing Page).
4. Set Automated Deep Linking to On or Off. (We recommend On.) Each search category can link directly to a relevant page on the advertiser's website, rather than just the homepage.
5. Optional: Edit destination URLs for the available categories or content.

Upload ads

Note: At this time (11/2022), it is best practice to upload exact ad sizes; do not depend on the platform to automatically re-size your uploaded ads.

Instead of using Ad Builder, upload creatives in the form of supported file type or HTML.

For more information, see To use Ad Extensions Overlay.

To upload a creative image file

1. Use a graphics tool to create your ad images.
2. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Want to upload your own ads? text, then click Click here.
3. For each applicable channel, select Image, click the correct ad size, then use the image selection tools to upload image files.

   

4. Choose from an assortment of customization settings in the Colors, Ad Extensions, and Destination areas.
5. Preview your ads by clicking the inspect button.

   

6. Click Next to save.

The following table lists and describes ad style details that apply when you upload your own images.

To upload a creative video file

1. Use a graphics tool to create and save your appropriately sized video.
2. You have two ways to upload your video:
   • On the Ad Builder page, click the Video channel, locate the Want to upload your own ads? text, then click Click here.
   • On the Ad Builder page, click the Video channel, then click Upload video.
3. In the new view that opens, click Use automated video, then use the selection tools to upload a video file.

   

4. Optional: Go to the Destination area and change your landing page.
5. Preview your ads by clicking the inspect button.

   

6. Click Next to save.

The following table lists and describes ad style details that apply when you upload your own videos.

To upload an HTML ad

Note: If you upload your own HTML ads, you cannot use Ad Extension Overlay options.

1. Use an HTML editor to create your ad HTML.
2. On the Ad Builder page, locate the Want to upload your own ads? text, then click Click here.
3. For each applicable channel, select HTML, click the correct ad size, then use the HTML editor to specify image HTML code.

   

4. Once HTML is pasted into the Upload HTML Ad box, click Upload to upload it to the platform.
5. Preview your ads by clicking the inspect button.

   

   

6. Click Next to save.

To use Ad Extensions Overlay

Note: If you upload your own HTML ads, you cannot use Ad Extension Overlay options.

Note: The Ad Extension Overlay option requires that some of your uploaded ad space be used by the overlay buttons. See the table below for available canvas space.

The Ad Extension Overlay option in the Ad Extensions drop-down menu enables you to overlay extension buttons on your uploaded ads. You can select up to four click destination buttons and a click-to-call button.

1. On the Ad Builder page, upload images for applicable channels. (At this time, Ad Extensions Overlay only applies to Web and Mobile channels.)
2. Once your creatives have been uploaded, select a channel (Web or Mobile), then click Ad Extensions in the option menu.

   

3. In the Ad Extensions menu, beside Ad Extensions Overlay, click Off. This turns on the option.
   1. In the ad extension options that appear, ensure that the slider button to their right is blue, which means on.
   2. Then click the arrows beside the on/off slider buttons to open extension options. (Options turned on appear on your uploaded ads. You can configure extensions here and leave them off for future use.)
   3. Follow the prompts provided to fill out needed information, like a location address and social URLs.
4. When you turned on Ad Extensions Overlay in step 3, a new option appeared in the options menu called Colors. Use the Button and Button Text options to specify which colors you want these items to be on your ads.
5. Click Next to save.

Adding extensions affects what your ads look like when they are served. If you use the overlay option, you are left with an available canvas into which we position your creative.

The following table lists ad sizes and their available canvas space if you use the overlay option.