| ONLINE ADVERTISING SPECS & GUIDELINES |
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ADVERTISING BANNERS
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Banner Specifications, Design Requirements , Behavior & Recommendations
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Basic Requirements
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Maximum Size: 40K GIF/JPG; 50K Flash
Accepted File Formats: GIF, JPG, SWF (Flash)
Maximum Animation Length: 30 Seconds (includes multiple loops)
All ads must open a new browser window upon click
Supplied “Alt Text” is not to exceed 100 characters
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| Basic Design Requirements (See Below For Flash Guidelines): |
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Image resolution must be optimized at standard screen resolution, 72 PPI (pixels per inch)
All creative (color, white or transparent background) must be designed with a single
pixel (1x1) solid color border around all four (4) sides to avoid unwanted color conflicts
JPG format banner creative must be “full bleed” with no transparency or background fill
outside of the border, non-bleed creative must be submitted as GIF or Flash (SWF)
Animated GIFs should have at least two seconds between frames, maximum six frames
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Flash Media Guidelines/In tegration Specifications
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Flash movie files saved in Flash version 9 or prior are supported.
Flash creative with audio/sound is not permitted.
When submitting Flash creative, all the following must be provided:
– Flash movie file .SWF and Flash .FLA file (Multi-Platform Compatible)
– All fonts used in piece. If fonts cannot be provided, all fonts used in
the .FLA file must be converted to outlines.
– Please specify the version of Flash used to compile the final movie and platform
(i.e., Flash CS3 MAC), as well as background color needed for the Flash creative
(Default is #FFFFFF).
– All final creative must be designed with a solid background color to avoid
unwanted color conflicts with the displaying page.
– The wmode value in the HTML code must be set to “opaque.”
Flash ActionScript/Code for tracking will be provided for embedding or, abfjournal.com
staff will complete the routine as needed (at no cost) and re-compile, as required. Both
ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0 are supported.
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Lead Time/Schedule To Launch
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Delivered Web-Ready GIFs/JPGs: Three (3) business days
Delivered Web-Ready Flash & Rich Media: Five (5) business days
Design Assisted Files: Seven (7) business days
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Third-Party Ad Serving
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Banner ad serving support for 3rd-party code is supported. Please note, 3rd-party code
that uses the ILAYER cannot be served without removing the ILAYER portion.
JavaScript : Any code that sets or reads 3rd-party cookies, or has any reference
to cookies, must be 3rd-party served. NOSCRIPT calls are not required. JavaScript
creative must be able to support all JavaScript versions 1.2 and higher.
Java: Java Applets are not directly supported by abfjournal.com. If you wish to deliver
Java-based media, please contact abfjournal.com. We recommend delivering banners
via rich media solutions like Flash, then delivering your Java solution on the resulting
page on your website (linked from the banner delivered through abfjournal.com).
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Banner AD Effectiveness (Recommendations)
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You only have a few seconds to catch the attention of your audience with your banner.
Everything about your banner ad creative should be designed to capture the viewers’
attention easily and quickly without a “full read” required. Although not required, we
recommend the following to increase the effectiveness of your banner ads:
– Use a small number of easy-to-read words. You can make the text easier to read by
providing: a) large letters, b) few words (maximum of about 10 words)
– Keep any animation to quick attention-getting movements. Get to your message
quickly and deliver your call to action.
– For legibility, create good contrast between the text and the background color.
– Utilize the following types of words/copy in your banner:
• Click Here : Or similar copy to let the user know that it’s a clickable banner ad.
• Main Services : Add a few words which describe your services or hit the mark on
your target audience — that way users will be more inclined to click on the ad.
• Organization’s Name & Logo : One of the main goals of a banner ad is for
branding your organization. You would want to “brand” your organization’s name
and main services into the end user’s mind. This is a different function than
clicking thru to your site. Consequently, you may wish to add your organization’s
name and logo into the banner even if not a dominant visual element.
• Short , PITHY ACTION-ORIENTED STATEMENTS: If you write a full sentence in
your ad banner, then users will be forced to read the entire sentence to understand
the meaning. This takes longer than desired given the way people use the Web.
Instead, create short statements that will hopefully capture their attention.
• Attention grabber : Pose a short attention getting question, but try to keep
it objective. People respond to questions versus “answers,” especially if they are
interested in what the answer may be (be sure to inclue answer on landing page).
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TEXT SPONSORSHIPS
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Basic Guidelines/Requirements
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All promotional text sponsorship ads should adhere to the guidelines that follow. We
have also included some recommendations and things to consider when creating your
copy. Keep in mind that the abfjournal.com staff is available to assist your organization
in finalizing the copy for your text ad in order to optimize you deliverable results and
maximize the ROI for your campaign. All campaigns will be reviewed by abfjournal.com
prior to launch.
Text sponsorship ad space is limited. Please supply text as follows:
Line 1: Bold Headline/Call-to-Action Line — Single line only, cannot exceed 50
characters including spaces and punctuation
Lines 2/3: Body Copy/Description — Two lines only, please limit text to 120 characters
including spaces and punctuation. We will work with advertisers to edit text
that is too long when submitted.
Line 4: URL (live hotlink) — Line 4 is designed to contain an active URL only, other
text will not be considered, URL cannot exceed 50 characters including
spaces and punctuation
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Banner AD Effectiveness (Recommendations)
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The goal for the Call-to-Action line is for your audience to quickly see objective,
descriptive keywords/phrases that are relevant to the end-user’s line of business. The
copy should be written from the end-user’s point of view. This line is not organizational
branding (which can be placed in the description). The organization’s name in the text
advertisement should be consistent with the name that appears on the page the viewed
is redirected to upon clicking the ad.
Descriptions should include coverage of your products and services or describe what
differentiates your offerings from your competitors. The description may also quickly
expand on key points of focus in the industry as well as tie into branding, geographic
coverage, etc., if applicable.
We recommend keeping the URL as short as possible (using a redirection link, if needed)
to assist with the branding of your product or service. Consider using a sub-domain like
“finance.domain.com” so end-users can make a visual note of the domain, thus having
the URL reinforce your brand over time. When an end-user lands on the URL supplied,
we recommend that your Call-to-Action be answered right on that page. It is best to
avoid having the end-user click again to access or request information.
Text can contain comparative and/or factual statements (voted best ...,” “50 year
of services,” “closed 1,300 deals in last 5 years”) if they are clearly substantiated
(i.e., source, date, and methods) on your website. You may also include superlative
expressions (“first-class customer service,” “premied funding source”).
Text formatting cannot contain excessive capitalization (multiple words), bolding or
excessive exclamation points.
All text must adhere to abfjournal.com advertising guidelines for appropriateness and
will be reviewed by abfjournal.com staff as such. Any claims made in ads must be
supported by reliable data and no other organization should be mentioned negatively or
compared in negative manner.
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