Creating Dynamic Video Ads
- Justin Shackelford
Step 1) Template Selection
Create a new ad by navigating to one of the following:
The “Video Ads” tab on the homepage
The “Templates” option in the site header
The “Video Ads” option for a specific advertiser
Select your advertiser in the popup modal, and hit “Create Video Ad”.
Name your ad, select a data source, and designate a distribution method. Hit “Create Video Ad”.
Step 2) Ad & Source Settings
Once your template has been selected, you will be able to access the ad builder.
The Ad Builder menu is comprised of three main sections:
Ad Preview & Timeline
Checklist
Media Panel
Our work will primarily be done in the Media Panel on the right-hand side.
The Ad Preview is not a 1:1 reference of your final render. To decrease load times, many effects and transitions will not appear in the preview window.
Since the distribution method has already been set, all that needs to be done is adding an Ad URL and toggling your ad to “Active”.
A future start date and rendering time can also be designated if needed.
Step 3) Creative & Dynamic Elements
Once the preliminary ad settings are completed, creative and dynamic elements can be set. Changes made can be referenced in the Ad Preview on the left-hand side. This will serve as a quick reference as you build your ad.
Define your color palette.
Colors can be set via HEX code, dropper tool, or presets from the advertiser library.
Upload assets and files.
This section will vary the most from template to template. Fields that are required and optional will be marked as so. See our specs for uploads.
Designate Text Elements.
Font and color styles can be designated at this time.
Assign Dynamic Elements.
Similar to the Text Elements, font and color styles can be designated for Dynamic Elements as well.
Step 3) Save & Render
Hit “Save & Render”.
Copy your VAST Tag to distribute (if applicable).
Hoot will alert you once your ad is ready to preview, or if there are any errors along the way. The average render time for our templates is 5-10 minutes.
After your ad has rendered, a preview will become available here as well as in the “Archive” section.