Banners & links

Banners and links

Here you can add banners and links, affiliates can use them to promote your campaigns. Once added, banners and links are automatically generated for all affiliates. To use them, affiliates just have to copy and paste the code available in their panel.

7.1 Add banners and links

Banners and links are the tools used by your affiliates to promote your campaigns and to bring you traffic and conversions.

The affiliate network administrator can add unlimited banners and links in each campaign.

The banners/links added are visible to users on the "banners and links" page of the affiliate panel. To promote a campaign, the affiliates should copy and paste the code displayed. This code already contains their reference, necessary to automatically recognize and track conversions.

If someone clicks on an affiliate's banner/link and then performs a conversion (such as a sale or lead), AffiliationSoftware recognizes it and automatically assigns a commission to this affiliate.

How to add a link

1. Log in to the Admin panel
2. Go to the “Banners and Links” page
3. Click on the “Action > Add” button
4. Select “Link” as type 
5. Type a name of your choice (for example: product link1)
6. Enter the destination URL (for example: http://www.site.com/product1.html)
7. Save your changes

How to add a banner

1. Log in to the Admin panel
2. Go to the “Banners and Links” page
3. Click on the “Action > Add” button
4. Select “Image” as type 
5. Type a name of your choice (for example: product link1)
6. Specify the size of the banner (for example: 468 × 60)
7. Enter the destination URL (for example: http://www.site.com/product1.html)
8. Enter the URL of your image or click the link to upload an image from your PC.
9. Save your changes

7.2. Types of banners and links

There are many different types of banners and links you can give your affiliates to help them promote your campaigns. Each type of banner has different characteristics.

Link (example)
It is a simple link that redirects to a web page. The links are the easiest type of creativity to use, affiliates can easily publish them on: sites, blogs, emails and social networks.

Text link (example)
This type of creativity is similar to the link, but it is in HTML format and is designed to be placed on sites and blogs. Inside the link is included a text, usually a keyword or keyphrase, also useful for SEO.

Deep-Link (example)
If you have hundreds of products in your e-commerce you don't have to insert a link for every one of them. Thanks to the deep-link just enter the main domain. Affiliates can independently create links that direct to the page or product they wish to advertise.

Banner image (example)
It consists of an image with a promotional message. It is the most used and known banner on the web. Image banners can be static (in jpg and png format) or animated (in gif format). The image can be of any size, but the most common sizes are: 728x90, 468x60, 300x250, 250x250 and 160x600 pixels.

Flash banner (deprecated)
Flash banners contain more complex animations than image banners. A flash banner consists of a ".swf" file which can be of any size. To work, the flash file must support the "clickTAG" attribute.

Hover banner (example)
It is a special, non-invasive popup, which instead of being displayed in a new browser window, is overlaid on the center of the web page. It has greater visibility and does not take up space in the site's layout.

Floor Ad (example)
This banner is displayed at the bottom of the web page, overlaid on the contents, and remains visible when the user scrolls. It has greater visibility and does not take up space in the site's layout.

Notification (example)
This banner is displayed in the upper right corner of the web page, overlaid on the contents, and remains visible when the user scrolls. It consists of a small square image (icon), a title and a description.

HTML banner (example)
This type of banner allows you to insert any type of creativity, as long as it is in HTML format. From simple image banners, to complex custom widgets. In the code, you need to replace the destination URLs with the variable [url].

Email / DEM
It allows you to insert email creatives, also called DEM. The affiliate can download them and send them to his users. Emails must be in HTML format. In the code, you need to replace the destination URLs with the variable [url].

QR code (example)
A QR code can be scanned with any smartphone and redirect the user to the affiliate's tracking link. Together with the coupons it is useful for influencers who cannot use links or for offline promotions.

Zip archive (example)
You can group images, such as banners of different sizes, and put them in a single zip archive. The affiliate will be able to download the Zip file containing the images and a text file with its own tracking link.

7.3. Banners and links statuses

Active
The banner is visible in the affiliate panel and the affiliates can use it.

Hidden 
The banner is not visible in the affiliate panel but the affiliates can use it.

Inactive
The banner is not active, it cannot be used and is not visible in the affiliate panel.

Pending
The banner is under construction and is not visible in the affiliate panel.

7.4 Banner and link variables

In the destination URL of banners and links you can enter certain variables to pass values to the destination page. The purpose of each variable is explained below.

[campaign] returns the ID of the campaign.
[affiliate] returns the affiliate ID.
[subid] returns the SubID assigned to the affiliate.
[channel] returns a custom value passed in the banners/links by the affiliate.
[channel2] returns a custom value passed in the banners/links by the affiliate.
[channel3] returns a custom value passed in the banners/links by the affiliate.
[token] returns the token, required to track with the postback.