On average, display ads have a click-through-rate of 3.17%. Of course, this can vary with a range of factors including whether your ad is optimised with the right specs.
As digital advertising evolves, so does the best way to present your ads to potential customers. In this article, we’ll explore the current digital ad landscape and discuss the best digital ad sizes for 2022. We’ll look at banner ads, Google Display Ads, Social Ads, Programmatic Video, and Programmatic Radio.
The Digital Landscape
There are a multitude of different ways to reach customers online these days. And with new technology, comes new opportunities for digital advertisers. Here’s a quick digital ad size guide of some of the most popular digital advertising methods that utilise video or image creatives.
Google Display Ads
Google Display Ads are digital ads that are served through the Google Display Network. The Google Display Network is a network of over two million websites, apps, and videos where your ad can appear. It will appear in the form of banners on these sites.
Banner Ads
Banner ads are similar to, and in fact overlap, Google Display ads. They are digital ads that are displayed on websites. While some banner ads you see may come from the Google Display Network, many don’t. They come from other ad networks or direct relationships between the website and the advertiser.
Programmatic Video
Programmatic video is a type of digital advertising that uses programmatic technology to buy and place video ads. Programmatic video advertising allows you to target specific audiences with your video ad in real-time. One of the most common examples is YouTube advertising, though programmatic video ads can appear on any website that has video content.
Programmatic Radio
Programmatic radio is a type of digital advertising that uses programmatic technology to buy and place audio ads on radio stations. Like programmatic video, programmatic radio allows you to target specific audiences with your audio ad in real-time.
Social Media Ads
Social media ads are digital ads that are served on social media platforms. The most common platforms for social media ads are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
As you can see, there are many different types of digital advertising. And each one has its own unique specs and best practices.
Digital Ad Sizes
Now that we’ve overviewed the digital landscape, let’s take a look at digital ad sizes. The size of your ad will depend on the type of digital advertising you’re using.
Each platform has a variety of different sizes available. Many also have different mediums, ranging from stills to GIFs and video.
Google Display Ads & Banner Ads
There are many different sizes available on Google Display Ads and banner ads in general. These include skyscraper, large rectangle, square, small square, and leaderboard.
According to Google, however, there are certain sizes that produce the best results. The best-performing sizes are the large rectangle (336×280), the medium rectangle (300×250), the leaderboard (729×90), the large skyscraper (300×600) and the large mobile banner (320×100).
Factors like inventory on websites determine the availability of these sizes.
Social Media Ads
Sizes differ between social media platforms so to keep things simple we’ll look at the largest social media advertising platform: Meta. Meta comprises Facebook, Instagram and other social media and communication applications.
With social media ad sizes, you have a few different options: single image, carousel, video and slideshow. For each option, there are a variety of sizes available based on the placement.
In the case of “feed” ads (those that appear in the main newsfeed), the best practice was an image that was in a 1 x 1 ratio. However, many advertisers recommend and are experimenting with a 4 x 5 ratio, to take up more real estate on the screen.
For “story” ads (those that appear in the stories section), the ideal creative size is 1080×1920.
Programmatic Video
Programmatic video is most commonly run through the Google Display & Video 360 platform. There are multiple different specs available, but we’ve listed the most common ones below.
First and foremost, make sure your file is in a .mov or .mp4 format. The ideal aspect ratio for landscape is 16:9 or 4:3. For portrait, the ideal aspect ratio is 9:16 or 3:4.
For the full specs available you can read more here.
Programmatic Radio
Programmatic radio specs focus on the length of the clip, format and bitrate. Many also have companion banners.
You’ll want to ensure your file is in mp3, m4a or WAV format. The bitrate should ideally also be 160 kbps.
When it comes to length, shorter is better. Ideally aim for 15 seconds, though 30 and 60 are also available.
The Best Digital Ad Sizes for 2022
Now that you know the different types of digital advertising and their corresponding sizes, what’s the best digital ad size for 2022?
The answer may surprise you: there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The best digital ad size for your business will depend on a number of factors, including your budget, target audience, and objectives.
If you’re on a tight budget, for example, programmatic video may not be the best option. On the other hand, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you may want to consider a banner ad on a popular website.
No matter what digital ad size you choose, remember to test and measure your results. What works for one business may not work for another, so it’s important to find what works best for you.
Digital advertising is constantly evolving, so be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. If you’re looking to run ads but not sure where to get started, that’s what we’re here for. Get in touch and we can discuss a strategy that will work best for your business.
