Banner Management (Advanced)

Available in:

Post Affiliate Pro , Post Affiliate Pro Ultimate , Post Affiliate Network

Banner Management Overview

Post Affiliate Pro provides comprehensive banner management capabilities beyond basic banner creation:

• SmartLinks (Banner Destinations) - Multiple URLs per banner with device and country targeting
• Banner Categories - Organize banners into hierarchical structures
• Banner Rotator - Automatically rotate multiple banners in one placement
• Multiple Banner Types - Image, text, HTML, PDF, lightbox, and more
• Banner Statistics - Detailed performance tracking and reporting

These features help you manage complex promotional material libraries, target different audiences effectively, and optimize banner performance.

Banner Types

Post Affiliate Pro supports a variety of banner types to suit different promotional needs:

Choosing the Right Banner Type

SmartLinks (Banner Destinations)

SmartLinks allow you to configure multiple destination URLs for a single banner, with automatic URL selection based on visitor characteristics.

Enabling SmartLinks

1. Go to Configuration > Features
2. Enable SmartLinks
3. Access destination settings in each banner’s configuration

How SmartLinks Work

When a visitor clicks a banner with multiple destinations configured:

1. The system detects the visitor’s device type and operating system
2. Country detection is performed based on IP address (if GeoIP is enabled)
3. The most appropriate destination URL is selected based on your rules
4. The visitor is redirected to the matched URL

SmartLinks automatically use the “Redirect links” tracking method to enable this dynamic URL selection.

Targeting Options

Device Type Targeting

Target visitors based on their device:

Operating System Targeting

Target by operating system:

Country Targeting

Target by visitor location:

• Select specific countries for each destination
• Leave empty to match all countries
• Combine with device targeting for granular control

Destination URL Configuration

Each destination rule includes:

Rank-Based Selection

When multiple destinations match a visitor’s criteria, the rank determines selection probability:

This enables A/B testing of landing pages within the same targeting criteria.

Example Configurations

Mobile App Deep Links

Route mobile users to app store links:

Regional Landing Pages

Route visitors to localized content:

Mobile-Optimized Pages

Creating Destination Rules

1. Navigate to Banners > Banners Manager
2. Edit the desired banner
3. Go to the Destinations tab
4. Click Add Destination
5. Configure:
   • Destination URL (required)
   • Device types (optional - leave empty for all)
   • Operating systems (optional - leave empty for all)
   • Country codes (optional - leave empty for all)
   • Rank (default: 10)
6. Save

Banner Categories

Banner Categories provide a hierarchical organization system for your promotional materials.

Enabling Banner Categories

1. Go to Configuration > Features
2. Enable Banners Categories
3. Access categories in Banners > Banners Categories

Creating Categories

1. Navigate to Banners > Banners Categories
2. Click Add Category
3. Enter category name
4. Optionally select a parent category for nesting
5. Save

Category Hierarchy

Categories support unlimited nesting levels:

All Banners
├── Seasonal Promotions
│   ├── Holiday 2026
│   ├── Summer Sale
│   └── Black Friday
├── Product Types
│   ├── Software
│   │   ├── Desktop Apps
│   │   └── Mobile Apps
│   └── Services
├── Banner Sizes
│   ├── Leaderboard (728x90)
│   ├── Medium Rectangle (300x250)
│   └── Skyscraper (160x600)
└── Languages
    ├── English
    ├── German
    └── Spanish

Assigning Banners to Categories

1. Navigate to Banners > [Banner Name]
2. Go to the Categories tab
3. Select one or more categories
4. Save

A banner can belong to multiple categories simultaneously.

Default Category

Configure a default category for new banners:

1. Go to Configuration > Banners Categories
2. Set Default Banner Category
3. New banners are automatically added to this category

Filtering by Category

Categories enable filtering throughout the system:

Banner List

In the banners list:

1. Click the category filter
2. Select one or more categories
3. Only banners in those categories are shown

Reports

Filter reports by banner category:

• Click reports
• Transaction reports
• Banner performance reports
• Trends report

Affiliate Panel

Affiliates can filter available banners by category, making it easier to find relevant promotional materials when you have many options.

Category Display in Grid

The banners grid can show category assignments:

• Banner category column displays assigned categories
• Category count shows how many categories each banner belongs to
• Click category names to filter by that category

Banner Rotator

Banner Rotator is a special banner type that displays different banners each time the page loads.

How Banner Rotator Works

1. You create a Banner Rotator and assign multiple banners to it
2. Affiliates place the rotator code on their website
3. Each page load displays a different banner from the rotation
4. Selection is weighted by rank values you configure

Creating a Banner Rotator

1. Navigate to Banners > Banners Manager
2. Click Create Banner
3. Select Banner Rotator type
4. Configure basic settings (name, campaign, status)
5. Save the rotator

Adding Banners to Rotator

1. Edit the Banner Rotator
2. Go to the Banners in Rotator section
3. Click Add Banner
4. Select a banner from the list
5. Configure:
   • Rank - Display frequency weight (higher = more frequent)
   • Valid From - Optional start date
   • Valid Until - Optional end date
6. Repeat for additional banners

Rotation Settings

Rank-Based Rotation

Ranks determine how often each banner appears:

Time-Based Rotation

Control when banners appear in rotation:

Rotator Statistics

Banner Rotators track statistics for each included banner:

Access these in the rotator’s banner list to compare performance.

Use Cases for Banner Rotators

A/B Testing

Test which creative performs best:

1. Create two versions of a banner
2. Add both to a rotator with equal ranks
3. Monitor click rates
4. Adjust ranks based on performance

Seasonal Promotions

Automatically update promotions:

1. Add seasonal banners with date restrictions
2. Add evergreen banners without dates
3. Seasonal banners appear during their valid period
4. Evergreen banners fill remaining rotation

Product Variety

Showcase multiple products:

1. Create banners for different products
2. Add all to one rotator
3. Visitors see product variety
4. Track which products generate most interest

Lightbox (Hover) Banners

Lightbox banners display as overlays on top of the page content, capturing visitor attention effectively.

Lightbox Banner Features

• Displays when page loads (with configurable delay)
• Overlay effect dims background content
• Visitor can close the lightbox to continue browsing
• Supports two images: display image and preview image
• Configurable dimensions

Creating a Lightbox Banner

1. Navigate to Banners > Banners Manager
2. Click Create Banner
3. Select Lightbox Banner type
4. Upload:
   • Main Image - The full-size banner image
   • Preview Image - Thumbnail for affiliate panel preview
5. Configure:
   • Delay - Seconds before lightbox appears
   • Destination URL - Where clicks lead
   • Size - Width and height of the lightbox
6. Save

Lightbox Behavior

Best Practices for Lightbox Banners

1. Use sparingly - Lightboxes can be intrusive if overused
2. Provide value - Offer something worthwhile (discount, content)
3. Easy close - Ensure visitors can easily dismiss
4. Mobile consideration - Test on mobile devices for usability
5. Delay appropriately - Allow page content to load first

Deep Linking with Banners

Deep linking allows affiliates to modify banner destination URLs to link to specific pages on your site.

How Deep Linking Works

1. Affiliate gets banner code with default destination
2. Affiliate modifies the target URL parameter
3. Click tracking still works normally
4. Commission attributes to the affiliate

Enabling Deep Linking

Deep linking works automatically with:

• Redirect link tracking method
• SmartLinks feature
• URL parameter modification

Deep Link Format

Affiliates modify the banner URL:

Original: https://yoursite.com/
Deep link: https://yoursite.com/product/specific-item

The tracking code preserves affiliate attribution while redirecting to the custom URL.

Banner Types Supporting Deep Links

Banner Statistics and Reporting

Post Affiliate Pro provides comprehensive banner performance tracking.

Banner-Level Statistics

View statistics for each banner:

Accessing Banner Statistics

1. Navigate to Banners > Banners Manager
2. View quick stats in the grid
3. Click banner name for detailed statistics
4. Use date range filters for period analysis

Banner Reports

Detailed banner analysis in Reports section:

Clicks Report

• Filter by banner
• View click timestamps
• See visitor details
• Analyze geographic distribution

Transactions Report

• Filter by banner
• See conversions per banner
• Compare banner effectiveness
• Analyze commission by banner

Campaign Banner Report

Combined campaign and banner analysis:

• Banner performance within campaigns
• Compare banners across campaigns
• Identify top performers

Banner Comparison

Compare multiple banners:

1. Go to Reports > Banner Report
2. Select banners to compare
3. Choose date range
4. View side-by-side performance

Key Performance Indicators

Monitor these KPIs for banner optimization:

Best Practices

1. Organize with Categories

Before creating many banners:

• Plan your category structure
• Consider affiliate browsing needs
• Design for future growth
• Keep depth reasonable (3-4 levels)

2. Use SmartLinks for Mobile

Modern traffic is heavily mobile:

• Create mobile-optimized landing pages
• Configure device-specific destinations
• Test on actual devices
• Monitor mobile vs desktop performance

3. Test with Rotators

Continuously improve performance:

• A/B test banner variations
• Use equal ranks for fair comparison
• Monitor statistics regularly
• Promote winners, replace losers

4. Provide Variety

Give affiliates options:

• Multiple sizes per campaign
• Different messaging approaches
• Seasonal and evergreen options
• Various banner types

5. Track and Optimize

Regular performance review:

• Weekly statistics review
• Identify underperformers
• Update or replace low-CTR banners
• Share insights with affiliates

6. Maintain Quality

Professional promotional materials:

• High-quality images
• Clear call-to-action
• Consistent branding
• Mobile-friendly designs

Integration with Other Features

Banner management features integrate with:

• Campaigns - Banners belong to campaigns
• GeoIP/Geotargeting - Country-based destination selection
• Reporting - Performance analysis
• Audit Log - Track banner changes

Related Features

• Image Banners - Standard display banners
• HTML Banners - Customizable HTML content
• Text Link Banners - Simple text links
• Lightbox Banners - Overlay banners
• PDF Banners - Downloadable materials
• Banner Rotator - Rotating banner display
• Promotional Materials - Overview of all materials