AD BUILDER: HOW-TO GUIDE
The Ad Builder makes it easier for Patch Labs editors to earn revenue from local advertising. Small businesses and community organizations don’t always have the creative assets or resources required to build ads. But that doesn’t mean that they’re uninterested in advertising or in supporting local news. With the Patch Labs Ad Builder, you can create and post an ad in three minutes or less. Questions or suggestions? Send an email to labs@patch.com
WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU PURCHASE AN ADVERTISEMENT
There are four advertisement levels that can be purchased on the site. Image sizes and locations differ depending on the level.
- Website Leaderboard: This appears at the top of the website and on the website sidebar. The website top image is 1200 x 310 pixels and the sidebar image is 300 x 250 pixels. On mobile, the 300 x 250 pixels ad will appear at the top of the site and will rotate between articles when another ad occupies the top position.
- Website Standard: For this ad level, a 300 x 250 pixels ad appears on the website sidebar and a wider narrow image 728 x 90 pixels will appear between articles. On phones, the 300 x 250 pixels image will appear between articles.
- Newsletter Leaderboard: When daily newsletters are triggered by new content on the site, a 1200 x 310 pixels ad will appear at the top of the email on your desktop and a 300 x 250 pixels ad will appear at the top of your mobile email.
- Newsletter Standard: This 300 x 250 pixels ad appears within the body of emailed newsletters as seen on a computer and on mobile.
Ad rotation and visibility:
Advertisements rotate at random in each category except Newsletter Leaderboard. So if there are three leaderboard ads running on a site, they will randomly appear (not round-robin). This means that even though it's possible to see the same image a few times in a row, in aggregate, each ad will get the same amount of airplay. If there is a secondary ad placement, as described above, no two images from the same ad will appear at the same time. Newsletter Leaderboard images will rotate round robin to ensure they all get equal viewing time. Also, newsletter advertisements will be on "breaking news announcements" whenever those are sent by the editor.
HOW TO CREATE AN AD USING THE AD BUILDER
To get started, click the yellow “Post” button on the top right if you are logged in or the yellow "Share Your News" button if not and then choose “Advertise.”(Note: there is also a link on your “Advertise with Us” page that says “Post one Yourself”)
Step 1: Choose whether you want the ad to appear on the web or in the newsletter.
Click the green “Next” button.
Step 2: Enter the web address where you’d like people to go when they click on the ad. (e.g. “https://labs.patch.com”)
Step 3: If you need help building the ad to spec, choose the “Help me build it!” button. Otherwise, if your ad is fully designed and the right size, choose “Yup, all set!”
If you chose “Help me build it!” the next step is to choose an image for your ad. You can upload your own or select one from our library.
Step 4: To find an image, type in a word that represents what you’d like your ad to show and then select the green “Search” button. For example, “car” if you’re advertising a local body shop or car dealership. Or “open house” for a local realtor.
Select your favorite image from all of the options and then scroll to the bottom of the page and select the green “Next” button.
Step 5: Once you’ve selected an image, you’ll be prompted to add a logo, if you have one.
- If you do have a logo: drag or upload your image to the grey shaded box. Note: a square version of your logo works best. Once you’ve added your logo, select the green “Next” button.
- If you don’t have a logo: just click the green “Next” button.
Step 6: Add some compelling text that will make people want to click on your ad.
We suggest a call-to-action or other information that quickly engages readers and tells them what you’re promoting.
In the subheading box, add important info such as an address or phone number for the business or organization.
Some helpful tips about this step:
- You can change the font style by selecting the green “Style” button
- You can change the text color by selecting the green “Color” button
- You can change the background color of the ad by selecting the green “Background” button
Select the “Mobile” button near the top of the page to see how your ad will look on mobile. Note: the mobile version cannot hold as much copy as the desktop version. Consider less text for your mobile ad.
Next, be sure to select the green “Preview” button to see how your ad will look on both desktop and mobile devices.
Step 7: Take a final look at both versions of your ad - desktop and mobile.
Happy? Select the green “Finish and Pay” button to finalize payment and set your ad live on your site.
