Demystifying terms and terminologies

In the articles I have written so far, I have introduced a number of terms and terminologies that are popular in the field of online display advertising. There are terms, though used in business, haven’t found mention in my articles.

I have, below created a list of such terms and tried to explain them in as simple terms as possible.

Above the Fold

This is the area of the webpage that can be viewed without the viewer having to scroll. Above the fold ad inventory is dearer because it is more likely to be viewed by the user.

Ad Flight

The duration of an online campaign. Campaign briefs usually have a ‘Flight start date’ and a ‘Flight end date’.

Ad Network

A network is the agency that sits between the publisher and the advertiser. The network usually holds advertising inventory in websites across different channels or vertical markets. For e.g., a network could have inventory in Entertainment, Technology, Home and Leisure and other such vertical markets. Networks sell a lot of ad inventory.

Ad Server

An ad server is an independent piece of application software that resides on a computer independent of the advertiser and publisher which runs, manages and reports on campaigns. An ad server helps create and maintain trust between the advertiser and publisher because the campaign is run and maintained by an independent 3^rd party.

Advertorial

An advertisement that resembles an editorial in style ( font etc) and content. It often generates better response rates.

Affinity Marketing

Marketing by email, banners or otherwise based on earlier established buying patterns. For example, therefore, if an individual buys game CDs from an entertainment store, he might receive an email entitled ‘ New CD game launched’.

Agency Discount

A discount usually 15% offered to an agency for placing a campaign with a publisher/network.

AIDA

Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. A good ad should have these attributes, it is believe. It should grab attention, excite interest, create and desire result in an action – a purchase, a registration …

Banner Burnout

A situation where a banner, having been show a number of times to a visitor, has resulted in a precipitous fall in CTRs. Also called banner latency can be reduced/avoided by using rotating banners.

Blind Link

A text or graphical hyperlink which does not clearly indicate where the hyperlink leads to.

Clickstream

The path a visitor takes going from site to site or from page to page within a site. This is a useful barometer of the behaviour of the weburfer.

Earnings Per Click (EPC)

EPC is calculated by dividing total earnings from click throughs by number of clicks.

Earnings Per Visitor (EPV)

EPV is calculated by dividing total earnings from visitors by number of visitors

Forced Click

This is a type of click through that is forced upon a visitor without his/her consent.

Frequency

This denotes the number of times the same ad shown to the same visitor. This can be done through the use of cookies. Campaigns usually have a frequency capping 1/24 denotes that an impression can be shown once in 24 hours to a visitor, a frequency capping of 2/24 denotes that an ad can be show to a visitor twice in 24 hours etc…

Incentivized click

A type of click for which there is a reward. Often networks, publishers, in an effort to get clicks on a campaign, give incentives of their own to visitors. This results in high CTRs but there is no follow thru’ action. Visitors click thru’ to get the incentive but don’t follow it on with the required ‘action’.

Interstitial

An interstitial is an intrusive ad that loads between web pages without having been requested by the visitor.

Inventory

The number of spaces available on a website in a certain time frame.