8 billion. That’s how many times smartphones are checked in the United States every single day. The majority of that time, media time in particular, is spent using mobile apps. The potential for publishers to monetize their audience is certainly huge, but there’s one element that can not be overlooked during the process: ad format.
The right ad format allows you to meet the needs and interests of your audience; it can be aligned to your budget, brand, and objectives. The format you choose affects the form and function of your ads, and ultimately, your results.
To stay competitive in today’s mobile market and keep user experience at the forefront, you’ll need access to a wide variety of formats. At Appodeal, you’ll find engaging native ads, classic banners, and everything in between.
Here’s what to expect from each ad format and how to optimize them for best results.
Interstitials
Looking for high conversions, impressions, and CTR? Go for the full-screen, or interstitial ad format. This animated format lends to an interactive experience for users.
As interstitial ads take up a large amount of space, they’re best used when you really want to make an impact. Place them at natural points of transition and flow in your app for users (such as in between levels on a game), and avoid overloading users with ads. Otherwise, you risk being disruptive and alienating users.
Appodeal supports interstitial ads for smartphones and tablets, at 320 x 480 and 480 x 320 by default respectively. They can also be used in different dimensions provided by an ad network or publisher. Customize them to fit your vision with landscape or portrait orientation and rich media.
Banners
The banner is one of the most well-known ad formats. It might not be the most unconventional choice, but it’s stuck around for a reason. Much of its long-time popularity lies in its simple integration for all types of apps and ability to be used in large volume (thanks to its more economical price point). Appodeal publishers can take things a step further with rich media, static, and dynamic options.
Banners work best when employed by publishers who have set out to understand the preferences and behaviors of their audience. To ensure to best performance, prioritize placement, and use Segments to deliver targeted ads.
We offer banners for tablets and smartphones at 728 x 90 and 320 x 50 respectively. We also provide the medium rectangle option (also referred to MREC or MPU) at 300 x 250.
Videos
You’ll find skippable, non-skippable and rewarded video formats. By default, users may skip skippable video ads after 5 seconds while they must see the video from start to finish on non-skippable and/or rewarded ads.
This attention-grabbing ad format is more expensive for publishers to produce but often pays off in higher eCPM. Make sure to include a hook in your video to reel the user in within 2 to 3 seconds. Avoid using too much text and poor quality thumbnails.
Appodeal publishers can enjoy the use of video in Vast 2.0 and 3.0, VPAID as well as through cross-promo.
Native Ads and Native Video Ads
There’s been a lot of talk about native ads recently and for good reason.
eMarketer reports that native ad budgets will continue to increase by around 25 percent over the next year. Native ads generate a higher CTR, engagement rate, eCPM, and user experience. This ad format embraces, rather than rejects, the user’s desire to remain uninterrupted during the app experience.
Appodeal offers native ads and will soon support as native video ads. These native video ads may be skippable or non-skippable and 30 seconds maximum. We recommend including a mechanism for autostart in steam as this is preferred by some providers.
To truly provide a native and engaging experience, finetune your native ads with Segments and Insights.
What else can publishers expect to see from Appodeal ad formats? Be on the lookout for interactive expandable ads and incentivizing offer walls.
