In previous lessons, you created and launched an ad campaign with impressions on search and in ad networks.

If you want to increase the amount of traffic your site receives from ad networks, we recommend creating a separate campaign and adapting your ads for the specifics of ad networks.

In this lesson, we will look at how to set up a campaign specifically for ad networks.

In the campaign settings, pay attention to the campaign name and display strategy.

Enter a relevant campaign name.

In the display strategy section, choose “Only in ad networks.” We recommend using automated strategies, since Yandex algorithms are capable of analyzing your campaign statistics, changing your bids in real time, and managing impressions on different sites — all much faster than any user can manually. The Average CPA strategy, for example, allows you to get as many conversions in one week as possible for the price that you set.

As you create ad groups, it is very important to keep in mind the things that set ad networks apart.

Search ads appear in response to users’ search queries, so the better an ad responds to a user’s query, the higher its CTR.

In ad networks, however, users don’t enter a query into the search bar. In ad networks, the task is to attract users’ attention instead of answering their query. Here are some questions to consider as you create your ads.

• What am I advertising?

  Write texts that make it clear what you are advertising.

• What is my competitive advantage?

  Mention what sets your offer apart from others.

• How should I write?

  Make your texts as general as possible. Avoid using long product names or models in the ad title.

• Anything else?

  Create several ads in one group, experiment with different texts and images.

Always add images to your ads. Ads with images do a better job at attracting users’ attention and are more likely to bring you orders. Users notice images sooner than texts, so make sure your images are relevant to your offer and easy to understand.

Create two identical ads in each group with the same text but different images (standard and wide-format). This will allow your ads to appear on a wide range of sites and reach more of your potential customers.

Video extensions are another way to increase your ads’ CTR. You don’t need to know anything about creating video content since Yandex.Direct automatically generates a clip from your Text & Image ads, turning your static ad into an animated block.

We recommend using your own video background. Our tests have shown that doing so can increase conversion rates by up to 38%.

Image ads tell users about your product visually. They appear as clickable images that lead to your site, thereby combining the advantages of display advertising with the technology behind contextual ads. Using Image ads with other Yandex.Direct ad types allows you to increase your reach of your target audience significantly.

The process of choosing keywords for campaigns in ad networks is quite different from that for search ads. Keywords for ad networks should be broad, and should include related queries. Keywords 2-3 words in length are quite effective, and it is better to avoid using operators, since they will only decrease your reach.

Negative keywords can significantly reduce your traffic, so we recommend using them as little as possible, i.e. only to exclude completely unrelated queries. For example, users often search for pictures of the products they are interested in buying, so adding “photo” to your negative keyword list is likely a bad idea.

Once you have created your ads, you can send them for moderation and launch impressions for them.

Retargeting allows you to get in touch with users who have already visited your site or seen your ad. Set different display criteria depending on how users behave on your site. If users frequently add items to their cart without placing orders, you can create ads that remind them about the products in their cart. If others come to your site and leave after viewing your catalog, you can show them ads with information about your latest sales and promotions. You can create several retargeting lists for each ad in addition to or instead of keywords.

Display advertising give you the opportunity to visually tell about new products, introduce your brand and increase brand awareness among users who are likely to be interested. Display ads appear on sites in the Yandex Advertising Network with CPM payment. You can easily show different ads to different groups within your target audience while regulating the number of times a specific ad appears to a specific user.

• A separate campaign for ad networks is best for advertisers willing to spend time adapting their ads.
• Automatic strategies work better for campaigns in ad networks.
• It is important to write texts that attract attention, upload images in different formats, and add video extensions.
• Create Image ads to increase your reach and make your ads more attractive.
• Keywords should be 2-3 words in length and contain minimal operators and negative keywords.

Good luck with your campaigns!

This is the last lesson of the course.

In this course, we covered:

• the features of contextual advertising and what an advertiser pays for
• choosing keywords and negative keywords in line with your goals
• forecasting an advertising budget
• creating and structuring an account in Yandex.Direct
• setting up an ad campaign
• creating an ad, choosing ad group level settings and bids
• passing moderation
• payment methods
• campaign analysis and optimization after launching