Banners are an essential part of the promotional material for an affiliate campaign. An affiliate banner is an online advertisement in the form of an image that is linked to an affiliate link. As soon as the visitor to a website clicks on the banner, they will be redirected to the associated webshop via an affiliate link. The publisher who placed the banner receives a commission for each order placed by the forwarded visitor.
Banners come in many shapes and sizes. From animated banners (.gif and HTML-5) to still banners (.png or .jpg). The sizes of banners range from horizontal formats such as 468x60 and 728x90 to square sizes such as 250x250 and 500x500.
Experience shows that affiliate banners are often not valued by advertisers. Providing a few affiliate banners is a basic requirement for the start of an affiliate program, so that a certain number of banners are usually always available to publishers. However, this is often the case, because advertisers often underestimate the added value of the banner material on affiliate performance.
How can good banners contribute to the performance of an affiliate program? And what do high-quality banners have to meet? In this blog, we answer these important questions based on our own experiences.
When starting an affiliate campaign, the network recommends that the advertiser provide at least five banners for publishers. Many advertisers choose to provide five banners to simply meet this minimum “entry requirement”. However, it is important to consider the needs of the publishers. Offering a banner set in the most common formats allows publishers to promote the campaign in the best possible way for them.
A complete banner set consists of horizontal, vertical, square and rectangular banners. This concerns the following pixel formats:
Vertical banners (such as 120x600 and 160x600) are often used by content publishers because they fit well with the text of an article or blog post. They fill the space next to the text nicely without disrupting the reading experience. In addition, they remain visible while the user scrolls through the text, increasing the chances of interaction.
The 500x500 format is often used by email publishers because it fits well into an email layout. It's big enough to stand out, but not so big that it takes over the entire email. Plus, it's a square format, which means it looks good on both desktop and mobile devices.
Simply providing banners isn't enough for success. Even if you meet all the basic requirements for banners, they can still fail in revenue generation if they don't respond to trends, don't stand out in a crowded market, or lack a strategic approach that puts brand and target group first. It's essential to look beyond the basics and focus on quality and relevance for maximum effectiveness. That is a missed opportunity. That is why it is crucial that the banners meet certain criteria that determine their success. These criteria are:
When your banners meet these criteria, you increase the chance that they will be attractive to publishers and thus be used more often. Meeting these criteria ensures that your banners stand out, attract consumers' attention, and encourage them to take action. This can result in more clicks, more visitors to your website, and ultimately more conversions and sales. So it's not just a 'must', but a strategic step to get the most out of your banner ads. So, how do you ensure that your banners meet these three points? Let's take a closer look at that.
Designing a banner starts with familiarity. The idea is for the consumer to make a direct link between the banner and the web shop. This means that the logo and color scheme of the webshop must be prominent. It's like creating a visual signature that's consistent with the online store experience. The products on the banner should also provide a clear picture of what consumers can expect. So, if you sell tools, show the tools on your banner. Sounds logical, but this does not always happen. For example, a screwdriver banner sometimes only shows a toolbox instead of the screwdriver itself, which reduces recognisability.
A banner is like a highway billboard — it needs to attract attention and deliver a message quickly. Use a clear and concise message that communicates the value of your online store. For example, if you run a tool store, you can say:”All your power tools under one roof”. Don't forget to highlight the unique selling points, don't forget to highlight the unique selling points, such as something that makes the product or service truly unique. Fast delivery or free shipping isn't necessarily unique anymore.
A banner without a call to action is like a story without an end. It should encourage consumers to take action. Use eye-catching buttons with texts like “See more,” “Learn more,” or “Order now.” In the case of a lead campaign, you can also use “Subscribe Now” or “Sign Up”. Make sure that the text on a banner is always actionable and includes a verb. In addition, the design of the CTA must be such that it contrasts with the rest of the banner.
Designing effective banners is a combination of art and science. It requires a good understanding of your brand, your target audience, and the principles of good design. And remember, without up-to-date promotional material, publishers will ignore your campaign. So make sure your banners are always fresh and relevant.
In these affiliate banners (see fig.1) we added elements such as cream, a refreshing spray and water. These materials appeal to the senses and provide a visual idea of the product. By emphasizing them, the unique selling points (USPs) are conveyed more powerfully. This not only makes the banner informative, but also creates an emotional connection with the recipient, increasing the chances of clicking through and purchasing.
A general banner set that meets all of the previously mentioned criteria is a good start. Such a banner set enables affiliated publishers to promote the campaign throughout the year. However, in addition to a general banner set that can be used at any time, it is also interesting to respond to seasons and events throughout the year. For example, more and more advertisers are choosing to develop and make a separate banner set available for Black Friday. Another example is creating a special banner set to mark the availability of a new clothing collection, or, for example, a banner set focused on the shop outlet.
For example, you can come up with a hook for almost every occasion to provide one or more banners. Expanding the available banner material on a regular basis is not only an excellent way to ensure that your publishers can always express an up-to-date message. It is also a very good way to differentiate your own campaign from that of competitors in the market segment. For example, publishers will be more likely to promote a campaign that has a wide range of diverse banner materials than a campaign where the banner offering is only brief.
Although the range of banner material is still considered insignificant by some advertisers with their own affiliate program to this day, a good, comprehensive and optimized offer can make a clear contribution to the success of an affiliate campaign.
However, here it is not only necessary to look at the quantity of the supply. The quality of the banner material plays a major role. For example, publishers will be able to do much more with high-quality banner materials that are recognisable and contain a clear message and call to action than a large number of banners that have something to complain about.
High-quality banner material is also an excellent way to gain the favor among publishers - and thus the most prominent positions -. Although many see banner material as an outdated form of online advertising, the importance of these promotional materials should definitely not be underestimated.
Yellowgrape has been active in the affiliate market for a long time and has a lot of experience in the various market segments. Curious about what we can do for you? Get in touch!
