Advertising Zone Component

Advertising Zones are a great way to generate extra revenue. By simply allotting a small amount of your website to serve as advertising space, you can set up custom campaigns for companies to display their ad.

*Please note: The Advertising Zone is NOT a standard Fission CMS component. If you are interested in adding this feature to your website, please contact your account manager, or, fill out a request here.

Step 1 - Add an Advertiser

This is a list of your advertisers; they will connect to a campaign in step 2.

Access: Components>Advertising>Advertisers.

  • Select Add Advertiser.
  • Enter your Advertiser Name - this will be for internal reference.
  • Click Save.

Step 2 - Campaigns

This is where you will associate the advertiser from step 1, with a specific campaign. Here, you will specify the media which will display and the campaign limits (if applicable). You can also view the number of impressions and clicks for each campaign.

Access: Components>Advertising>Campaigns.

  • Click Add Campaign in the lower left corner.

Details Tab

  • Select the Advertiser from the drop-down list.
  • Enter a Name. This is for internal reference only. You can give it a generic name like "Jim's Plumbing" or be more specific, "Jim's Plumbing: October 2016."
  • Set the Campaign Status to Active.
  • Check the applicable Available Zones. These are the locations (and sizes) of available advertising zones on your site. If you're not sure where these zones are or which of them to use, check ONE of them for the time being (as it is required). Continue with the directions; zones will be explained in the latter part of step 2.

Campaign Limits Tab

These are automated sets of campaign limitations. If either the campaign's end date, impression, or click limit are reached (whichever happens first), the campaign will become inactive and no longer display on the site.

  • Start and End Dates/Times (optional) can be scheduled to automatically display and remove the campaign on specified dates. (This can also be done manually by turning the campaign's light bulb off.)
  • Impressions (optional) are the number of times that the ad is shown to a website visitor.
  • Clicks (optional) are the number of times that the ad is clicked on by a visitor.
  • Media Types are display options for ads. Simply uncheck what you do not want allowed for the specific campaign. (Most ads utilize images.)
  • Select Save.

Adding Media/Finding Zone Dimensions

Once the campaign is saved, it is time to add the media which will be associated with it. IMPORTANT: Images and Flash pieces must be sized to the exact dimensions of the associated ad zone PRIOR to upload. Valid file types are as follows:

Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png 
Flash: .swf

Access: Components>Advertising>Configuration>Zones. Here are the zones associated with your site. Please note their respective sizes.

Access: Components>Advertising>Campaigns.

  • Select the 'Manage Ads' icon to the right of the campaign.
  • Click the Add Media button in the bottom right of the popup.
  • Select the appropriate media type.
  • Enter a Label. This will be an internal reference.
  • Click the 'Upload File' button to select the media from your computer.
  • Select Choose File and double-click it once located.
  • Press the Upload button.
  • The Click Through URL is what the ad will link to when clicked. IMPORTANT: You MUST have "http://" in front of your web address (ex. http://www.google.com).
  • Enter an Alt Caption. This will appear as you hover over the image on the front end.
  • Click Save.
  • 'X' out of the popup window.

*Please note: Ad media will display in it's designated zone on random (each page load). It is NOT advised to select multiple zones (of the same dimensions) for the same media piece, or you run the risk of the same ad showing up twice at any given time.

Step 3 - Setting the Module

The module acts as a placeholder for your advertising zones. 

Access:  Content>Module Manager.

Add The Module

  • Click Add New Module in the lower left corner.
  • Select Advertising Zone.
  • Provide a Module Name - Be sure to reference the position of the module in the title for quick reference (ex. "Ad Zone - Right Side").
  • Choose the Position in which to place it. (Left or Right side modules are most common (sometimes stylized as "aside_left" or "aside_right".)
  • Theme, for the majority of sites, can be left blank. However, if you are using a 'left' position and have a 'left' type theme available, choose that. The same can be said for 'right' positions and themes, if available.
  • Click Add & Configure.
  • Select the Common tab, and choose the zone to associate the module with.
  • If desired, you can edit which pages the ad zone will appear on. For more information, see: Visibility Tab.
  • Choose Save & Close.
  • Turn on the module's light bulb.

Setting a Placeholder (Recommended)

When a campaign limit is reached, the media will stop displaying. If no other campaigns are active for that position, a placeholder image can be set to fill the ad zone space. With this placeholder, it is recommended you display your own advertisement. (ex. Northwest Savings Bank - Advertise with Us! Call 555-555-1234.)

Access: Components>Advertising>Configuration>Zones.

  • Click the 'Edit' icon for the appropriate zone.
  • Note the dimensions in the Zone Banner Size field - your placeholder image will need to be set at this size PRIOR to upload.
  • Select the Placeholder tab.
  • Click the 'Upload File' icon to select the image from your computer.
  • Hit the Choose File button and double-click it once located.
  • Press the Upload button.
  • Provide a Click Through URL, perhaps directing to your contact us page. IMPORTANT: You MUST have "http://" in front of your web address (ex. http://www.google.com).
  • Click Save.

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