Creatives are advertising materials. Creatives are used to promote offers in a variety of ways; for example, creatives are used on websites, in social media, through email, through search or any other medium available.
Generally, these advertising materials are generated by you or a merchant and given to affiliates. All creatives entered into LinkTrust are given a unique ID called the ADID. The ADID is used in creative breakout reports, so you can view the performance for each creative.
Basic Information
Name
This is the name of the creative. This name is also displayed in the Affiliate Center.
Type
LinkTrust supports many creative types including:
- Custom Banner - Custom HTML
- File - Host your file and then place the file URL in LinkTrust
- Flash - Custom HTML (Flash files must be hosted on web server)
- HTML
- Popup - Custom HTML
- Simple Banner - Enter the banner image URL and LinkTrust creates the HTML code automatically
- Text - Alphanumeric characters only (Non-HTML)
Track Impressions
This option allows you to track impressions for this creative. An impression is a single occurrence of an advertisement or creative displayed in a web browser. Each time an advertisement loads in a user's browser, LinkTrust counts that loading as one impression. This option is only available for Custom Banner, Flash, HTML, and Popup
Replace Links with Tracking URL
This option screens all HTML code and performs a search and replaces all HREF URLs with the LinkTrust tracking token. If this function is performed on an email creative, make sure to replace the unsubscribe HREF with the correct URL from the merchant to maintain compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act. This option is only available for Custom Banner, HTML, Popup, and Text.
Download Only in Affiliate Center
When this option is selected, affiliates will not see a preview of the creative or its code. They can see the preview thumbnail that is auto-generated or uploaded, but when they click on it, the download code window appears instead of a preview of the ad.
Affiliate Center View
Display Creative
This option allows the creative content to be made available to affiliates in the Affiliate Center. If a creative is not shown in the Affiliate Center, the creative ADID still functions normally.
Display Tracking Link
If this option is checked, the creative's tracking link will be displayed on the creative listing page of the affiliate center. All creatives must have this option checked to display the "Get Custom Link" button in the Affiliate Center. Only one creative has to have this setting disabled to hide this button.
Content
The content input for the creative depends on the type. The File and Simple Banner types require a URL where the desired content is hosted. The QR code doesn't have an input; instead, the affiliates can generate the code through the affiliate center. All other types have a text area to input the creative's content. Creative types that have custom HTML display a WYSIWYG that allows you to either write the HTML yourself or let the system generate it.
Preview
After the creative is added, you can upload a thumbnail image for the Preview column in the affiliate center. If no file is uploaded, a "Thumbnail not Available" image will appear or the system will auto-generate one from the content.
URL
This field allows you to add an alternate landing page URL for the creative. For example, you want a Spanish creative to redirect consumers to a Spanish landing page for the merchant, so you enter the Spanish landing page URL in this field. This allows consumers who click on the Spanish creative to be taken to a Spanish language landing page. All the other creatives for the campaign are still redirected to the landing page configured in the campaign settings.
Test Link
When you click on "Test" next to the URL field, it allows you to test the alternate landing page.
Propagate Additional Data
Any data passed through on the affiliate tracking link is appended to the end of the landing page URL when the Propagate Additional Data box is marked. If you want additional data on the tracking link to be appended to the URL of an alternate location, enable Propagate Additional Data. If you want to block any additional data from being appended to the URL of an alternate location, disable Propagate Additional Data.
Payout
This option lets you override the affiliate's default payout to an amount specific to the creative.
Advertiser Revenue
This option lets you override the default revenue earned to an amount specific to the creative.
You can request a demo to see LinkTrust up close and experience how it can help you, or start your free 14-day trial now.
Need help with this feature or have questions? You can contact our support team at support@linktrust.com