If you run a Banner Ad campaign, according to the study, your success will be influenced by what’s in the Banner Ad by 50-75%. The rest is determined by other factors such as targeting, ad size, choice of website and technology.

So, how do you create an effective Web Banner?

According to Dynamic Logic, stop being coy. Get your message out there clearly and fast.

Use your logo, all the time if possible.

“Keep it simple, direct and communicate meaning” as well as brand.

See the full report at Advertising Age.

the best proverb of all is that which says:

“Leave no stone unturned.”

Edward Bulwer Lytton

Read full story here….Twitter Does not Need to be Free.

A number of publisher websites have accepted advertising moneys through ad networks yet run the ads on hidden pages (visible to the advertiser but invisible to the site’s viewers).

These content websites use codes to create the advertisements and make them look like they’re appearing on legitimate web sites. However, consumers don’t get to see these ads, as they are placed on invisible web pages.

The publisher websites who sell the ads, do so to generate and sell additional ad space which isn’t really there.

The Ad Networks use high tech scans to weed out unscrupulous websites, however they’re not 100% successful at filtering all fraudsters.

As many advertisers have moved to buying CPM (cost per thousand impression) inventory through ad networks, this fraud has become more common (since sites are paying for each time an ad is displayed rather than clicked on).

Advertisers should monitor their campaign carefully and remain vigilent. The best way to ensure your ads appear is to buy them from the publisher website directly and keep an eye on them.

See the full story.

Here are some tips to increase your banner click through rate.

The quality of your click through rate (CTR) depends on various factors: your audience, choice of site, placement on page, the quality of your advertisement (creative) and the value of your offer.

What’s the best location to place my banner?

The ideal placement is above the fold (ie: top part of the web page visible without scrolling) on the right side beside the scroll bar. The same sizing rules apply as in traditional advertising: the bigger the better. If bigger is outside your budget, then it’s better to purchase a smaller ad in a better position.

Smaller animated ads attract more attention than larger static ones. The price is usually the same if your .gif or Flash ad fits within the publisher’s file size specifications set for static ads.

If you cannot afford multiple placements, ask the publisher if you can rotate several static ads in your position. That way you can compare you click through rates and determine the effectiveness of each design.

Home page placement is most expensive as this is usually the most visited page of a site. Run of site (ROS) placements are usually the cheapest because the advertisement is placed randomly in unsold less valuable parts of the publisher’s website.

You may find better qualified prospects on the inside pages of a website, at the second or third level rather than on the home page.

What are the standard banner sizes?

Banners come in different shapes and sizes including leaderboards, skyscrapers, squares, buttons rectangles etc. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has devised a set of guidelines which list the standard sizes for the industry.

How do I get a banner created?

It’s usually best to use the professional services of a graphic designer to create your banner, especially if using rich media such as Flash, sound or video. If you just want something static, there are plenty of design sites that can create banners for as low as $20.

Do some research

Whatever your campaign, make sure to research the market and compare publisher’s offers. Take into account their unique visitor count, page rank, site relevance, targeted audience, ad positioning, size and format.

It’s time to make your business shine!

Ofcourse, it’s virtually impossible to effectively market on all of them, so SEOmoz recommends focusing your efforts on a few of the top 10 before diving into niche communities.

Their Social Media Marketing Guide consists of 101 social media sites to choose from with 5 key tips on how to approach your campaign. It’s all starting to make sense now….here’s the guide.

Josh Billings

However, senior analyst at eMarketer, David Hallerman, says not to rely on ad network campaigns as your mainstream marketing effort.

Direct ad buys, although more tedious to find, give advertisers control over where their ads are placed and can procure higher results due to specialised targeting. At least when buying ad placements direct, advertisers can seek out appropriate websites with relevant content where their target audience is frequenting.

Both ad networks and direct ad buys should be used for targeted and wide reaching results.

See eMarketer’s report on the Pros and Cons of Online Ad Networks.

They must now disclose if they receive any payment relating to product reviews – even if the review is not required to be positive.

The guidelines also apply to celebrities – where they must disclose their association with a brand when discussing them in interviews or social media.

I’m sure the celebrities can afford the fines (which can be up to $11,000 but bloggers really need to take these guidelines on board).

See the full story at: MediaWeek.

At the moment Coke’s building up its database and asking users to submit their photos. Once their database is complete, the results will be shown.

Who knows – you could find your long lost twin?

Take a look: coke’s facial profiler.