The advertising industry expands itself bit by bit each day. In 2024, global ad spending is projected to reach a grand height of US $1,077 billion in the advertising market. (Source: Statista) That’s a big amount and an even bigger crunch for all parties involved to find the right direction that utilizes these funds most efficiently. The solution? IAB Standard Advertisements.
Whether you’re an advertiser, publisher, advertising agency, or network, your goal should be to deliver the right ads at the right time in the right place. IAB, or Interactive Advertising Bureau, makes this possible by publishing a set of standards and guidelines that ensure seamless collaboration among all parties. It operates as a valuable source of guidance for those who wish to make the most of their ad spending.
But what exactly are these IAB standard advertisements, and how can you even make one? Let’s get into the details with this blog.
About IAB: The Curators of IAB Standard Advertisements
Founded in 1996, the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) is a leading association and governing body in the digital advertising space. With over 700 leading media companies, brands, and tech firms under its membership, the association centers itself around selling, delivering, and optimizing digital marketing campaigns.
The IAB, in affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, also develops technical standards and solutions that help industries prepare for and tackle impending changes. However, it’s important to remember that IAB merely ‘recommends’ the parties to follow these standards for the better health of their ads. They’re not a requirement and definitely don’t put you behind bars for non-compliance.
But since all the major companies are part of it, advertisers and publishers will benefit greatly by adhering to the IAB digital ad guidelines.
Here’s How IAB Standards Make Advertising Better
The hype behind IAB standards has been increasing and for good reasons. Take a look at how these standards are improving advertising.
- IAB standards have simplified the way ad inventory units are developed and delivered.
- IAB focuses on responsive ad sizing that works on aspect ratio rather than fixed pixel dimensions, which ensures visual integrity.
- The standards aim to improve users’ experience by reducing load times, rendering ads quickly, and prioritizing privacy.
- IAB fosters guidance for publishers experimenting with merging technologies, including social media, augmented reality, virtual reality, and emoji advertisements.
- For publishers, IAB standards can be a great guide to earning profits through ad networks.
So.. What are IAB Standard Advertisements?
IAB standard advertisements refer to ad sizes and formats, categorized as ad spaces, that appear on websites. These ensure that the publishers who sell these ad spaces and advertisers who buy them go through an easy process.
At present, there are three major IAB standard ad sizes:
- Leaderboard Ads (728 x 90)
- Medium Rectangle Ads (300 x 250)
- Skyscraper (160 x 600)
What makes these ads the standard is the scope of high profitability- both for the publishers and the advertisers.
For publishers, these ad units are easy to implement and are in high demand in the market- ultimately increasing their earnings. As for the advertisers, these ads garner the most attention from their audiences, which leads to high conversion rates and returns. Let’s understand them in depth.
Leaderboard Ads (728×90)
Leaderboard ads appear at the top of websites in the form of horizontal banners. They are placed in such prominent positions to ensure visibility as soon as the page loads. In addition to being easy to create, leaderboard ads provide a nice user experience as they don’t take up much space.
Medium Rectangle Ads (300×250)
Medium rectangles, or simply ‘rectangles,’ are ads that can easily be found on all websites and are the first choice of almost all new advertisers. Advertisers can customize them according to their requirements, and when done right, they receive high attention from viewers.
Skyscraper Ads(160×600)
Skyscraper ads are vertical banner ads placed on the left or right of the webpage. The best thing about them is that they are hard to miss. Because of their height, they take up a large portion of the screen from top to bottom. Advertisers love to use these for brand awareness and recall.
While these are the most common ad sizes you see on most websites, they’re not all. Now, IAB also recognizes Smartphone Banner Ads (300×50 or 320×50) and Expansive Billboard Ads (970 x 250).
Smartphone Banner Ads (300×50, 320×50)
Smartphone banner ads are small rectangular banners that occupy either the top or bottom of your smartphone screen. They work similarly to medium rectangle ads but are specially optimized to fit in mobile devices. They can either be kept static or animated to attract more attention.
Expansive Billboard Ads (970×250)
Expansive billboard ads are larger and placed above the fold. When a user clicks on them, they expand and cover more than half of the screen. They work great for brand awareness campaigns and sponsorship deals when you need to get the word out quickly.
Even though these IAB standard advertisements are used less than the previous ones, advertisers and publishers should understand their requirements first. Experimenting with each will let you know what generates better results and can combat banner blindness.
The New Ad Portfolio by IAB
IAB continues to publish advertising standards while keeping market changes in mind. The latest portfolio was developed and published in 2017 and is still relevant to this day. There’s a lot that needs to be unpacked within this portfolio in terms of IAB standard advertisements, so let’s break it down.
The Release of New Ad Sizes
The New Ad Portfolio released the previously mentioned standard ad sizes that would offer better advertising returns. By fixating on these IAB ad placement standards, advertisers and publishers can better tap into their target audiences.
Users have now become extremely prone to ads and have developed a certain blindness towards them. This banner blindness can be tackled by adopting ad sizes and placements that can be better seen and understood by people.
New Media Experiences
It then moves on to emphasize the importance of engaging with ‘new media experiences,’ which would include delivering ads through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). AR and VR have recently become a popular choice among advertisers. With the improvement in technology, consumers demand something that can conjure up their imaginations into reality. With immersive ads, advertisers can impress their audience like no other.
AR and VR are the present and future, and advertisers who are able to incorporate them today gain a competitive edge over others.
Prioritizing Privacy
IAB recommends prioritizing user privacy over everything else. The emerging privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and CPRA have made this a critical issue for all advertisers. They shape how advertisers collect and utilize user’s data, proceeding to safeguard their rights and be transparent with data handling.
Complying with these regulations is past the stage of being a mere suggestion and has now become a necessity.
The User’s Experience
Another thing that the IAB finds extremely valuable is keeping the user experience as non-disruptive as possible. IAB standard advertisements aim to enhance this by giving viewers control over the advertising experience they face. For instance, adding clear close buttons and a ‘don’t show this ad again’ button can be an excellent way to do that. The goal here is to not push down unwanted ads to the users.
Additionally, they advise a faster loading speed that renders ads in seconds without the users having to wait for them. Slowing down the user’s experience can be disadvantageous for both advertisers and publishers.
Two New Additions in the Ad Portfolio
The growing and competitive market calls for instant changes so as not to miss out on any opportunities. This is why the IAB recommends flexible, lightweight, and cross-screen ads that follow the LEAN principle- bringing in two new ad units with the ad portfolio.
Flexible Ads
The IAB has added flexible ad units to its portfolio as the next big upturn, shifting focus from the previously followed rule of fixed pixels to the use of aspect ratio.
Nowadays, users come from different places and browse through different devices. This leads to varied screen sizes, resulting in a need for ads that can quickly adapt to such changes. And the answer lies within flexible ad units.
Flexible ad units work on the aspect ratio that ensures proper delivery of ads across different screen sizes. These can also be integrated with responsive website designs, providing a much better experience to the users. Moreover, this also works well for publishers in maintaining the original value of ad units and reducing their bounce rates.
LEAN Ads
Lean or Lightweight, Encrypted, AdChoice Supported, and Non-Invasive ad units are other features that the IAB standards recommend. LEAN ads provide a push to our priorities of enhancing privacy and user experience, making sure that the choice of viewers is respected throughout their content consumption. A lightweight ad will be rendered quickly and decrease the chances of page latency. Encryption will secure user’s data and privacy. AdChoices will tell consumers how their data is collected and used to serve ads. And non-invasive ads will expose them to a seamless experience.
Conclusion
While IAB Standard Advertisements are just suggestions, and there’s no pressure on publishers or advertisers, following them surely helps. Having flexible ad sizes that can adapt to different devices, emphasizing privacy, and being mindful of the user’s experience effectively tackles the concerns of the present and the future.
At 7Search PPC, we are committed to providing ad services that meet all criteria. By adhering to IAB ad placement standards and formats, we ensure that publishers take home profits and that advertisers are happy with their returns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is IAB?
Ans. IAB, or Interactive Advertising Bureau, is an ad tech regulatory body that guides and sets regulations for the advertising industry.
What are IAB standard advertisements?
Ans. IAB standard advertisements are ad sizes and formats that the IAB has set and follow other features of the IAB priorities list.
How can IAB standard advertisements be beneficial?
Ans. IAb standard advertisements are made with the current market and users in mind. Following them will ensure better returns for both the advertisers and marketers.
What ad sizes does the IAB recommend?
Ans. IAB standard advertisements mainly include Leaderboard Ads (728×90), Medium Rectangle Ads (300×250), and Skyscraper Ads (160×600).
Is it necessary to follow the IAB standards?
Ans. No, it’s not necessary to follow or create IAB standard advertisements. They are just general guidelines provided for better advertising.
