The 3 All-Time Most Popular Ad Formats for Local Publishers

February 21, 2020

The classics never go out of style. Trendy ad formats may come and go, but the most popular ad formats of all-time have a track record of success that keeps advertisers coming back for more.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense that the most popular ad formats are the formats with the highest rates of clicks and engagements. Display ads are successful when they lead to conversions. Local publishers want their advertiser clients to be successful, and they’re more likely to promote ad formats that are known for capturing people’s attention and driving the desired actions. 

Digital ad spending exceeded traditional ad spending in the U.S. for the first time in 2019, and by 2023, digital is expected to surpass two-thirds of total media spending. Given this shift towards digital, it’s more important than ever before for both publishers and advertisers to have a clear understanding of the different ad formats that are available.

Although there is something to be said for giving advertisers options, today we’re getting back to basics. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the all-time most popular ad formats for local publishers. These are the top ad formats that not only get advertisers interested, but also generate excellent engagement and improve overall campaign performance.

Top Ad Formats for Local Publishers

1. Amazing Cube V2

Advertisers that want to generate engagement and conversions aren’t asking for static display ads anymore. Businesses today want dynamic ads that provide them with the opportunity to display multiple images and captions. Local publishers who use the Broadstreet Ad Manager are finding that advertisers are requesting the Amazing Cube V2 ad format. 

Broadstreet’s Amazing Cube V2 format displays six images and captions in a slick rotating cube. Advertisers can select a unique image for each side of the cube, along with a caption for each respective image. Not only does the cube format capture attention–especially when it comes to food items–but it also works great on all the most popular browsers. Advertisers have the option to choose their own calls to action and choose whether or not to show navigation or directional arrows. The Amazing Cube V2 format accepts any photo size, however square works best if you want to prevent auto-cropping. 

This ad format is available in:
300×250 (fixed) 
300×600 (fixed) 
728×90 (fixed) 
800×600 (fixed) 
970×250 (fixed) 
1×1 (flexible) 
4×1 (flexible)

2. Click to Enlarge

Simplicity is the driving force behind the popularity of the Click to Enlarge ad format. At first glance, this ad format might look basic. But the “Click to Enlarge” call-to-action is enticing enough to generate high levels of engagement. Clicking on the call-to-action opens the image in a new window.

Another reason why we see so many advertisers selecting the Click to Enlarge ad format is because of its effectiveness when posting store flyers and circulars. Supermarkets and other stores with weekly flyers tend to be big fans of this format. The default width of a Click to Enlarge ad is 300px. The click URL is always the URL of the uploaded image.

Click to Enlarge ads typically see click rates close to 1%, depending on various factors unique to the individual publication.

3. Sneaker

A lot of people might be surprised to see the Sneaker ad format on a list of the all-time most popular ad formats for local publishers. We’re not. Here at Broadstreet Ads, we’ve seen first-hand the success that publishers are having with this ad format.

Like the name implies, the Sneaker ad format “sneaks” up on website visitors. The banner ad sits quietly along the bottom of the webpage and then rises up to grab people’s attention. The Sneaker ad banner can be any size, however wide and short (approximately 728×90) usually works best. Sneaker ads can be rate limited, so publishers can minimize any annoyance to users. 

Is your publication offering these ad formats to advertisers? If not, get in contact with our team at Broadstreet Ads to learn more.