Images can sometimes speak louder than words. That's why Yandex.Direct has launched image ads. Now you can use popular ad formats as part of your full advertising message. You will be able to place large images in Yandex.Direct with text, a logo, and a link to your landing page.

In this way, you can not only complement a text ad, but also completely replace a contextual illustration, which is very useful for advertisers when advertising some products or services.

This new ad type is available in normal ad campaigns, and in Ads for Mobile Apps campaigns.

Image ads are supported in all countries in the Yandex.Direct web interface, the Yandex.Direct API, and when uploading campaigns via XLS/XLSX files.

Note. Full support for this feature will be implemented in Direct Commander soon. There are plans to give the desktop application a complete redesign. For the moment, in Direct Commander you can only edit links for image ads, but you cannot add or change the ads themselves. Yandex apologizes for this temporary inconvenience.

How it works

Image ads work much like Yandex.Direct ads that you're already used to on content sites on the Yandex Advertising Network and ad exchanges. You pay per click, and the same set of settings are available. For example, you can configure your target audience settings.

Image ads can be added to ad groups that are already running or put into a separate ad campaign. In any case, when ads are being served, the system will select (from all your ads) the ad that is most relevant to both the interests of the user, and the display position on a particular site.

Why should I place image ads?

Image ads can be more eye-catching than basic text ads. Ads that are more noticeable tend to get more clicks. It's expected that the visual impact of image ads will be better at generating traffic and conversions in many subjects of advertising.

Should I use one ad format or the other?

The more sites your ad is suitable for, the more likely it is to be served on them. Therefore, it's recommended that you do not choose between ad formats, but instead use them in combination. This strategy will significantly increase your chances of getting good coverage in ad networks.

It makes sense to place the maximum number of variations for the same offer. That means creating a mobile and desktop ad with text and image, as well as a selection of image ads of different sizes. To make sure that your ads look good on different devices and platforms, it's convenient to use both mobile and desktop formats in the same ad group.

What are the requirements for image ads?

Many advertisers already have media ads ready for placement on Yandex or for placement on other ad systems. These prepared ads should be suitable for image ads in Yandex.Direct.

A range of image sizes are available for your image ad:

• Popular on desktop: 728×90, 300×250, 336×280, 240×400, 300×600, 300×500, 970×250.
• Popular on mobile: 640×100, 640×200, 640×960, 960×640.

File formats: JPG, PNG, or GIF (meaning your ad can be animated). Maximum file size — 120 KB. Further information on the requirements of image ads and examples of their usage can be read in the relevant help section.