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Question Advertisement graphics

7 years 9 months ago #1 by Kristin Darken
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    • I am planning to run some advertisements for the Universe and community this fall. I'd like to do so with some really nice banners. I am personally capable of making some myself... but I thought I would open this up to the community and see what you all come up with. We'll start with some Project Wonderful placements and go from there... and my plan is to bid on some placements at popular super-hero based web comics (like Grrl Power) and web fiction sites (like Twisting the Hellmouth). High profile means more expensive bids will be needed, but they're also the most likely places to find people who will read the Whateley Universe.

    Banners can be one of the following sizes:
    button - 117x30 px
    square - 125x125 px
    half banner - 234x60 px
    banner - 468x60 px
    rectangle - 300x250 px
    leaderboard - 728x90 px
    skyscraper - 160x600 px

    For reference, the google ads on this site are responsive... so they change sizes depending on available screen space. But by default, if you're viewing the site with a decently sized widescreen capable monitor, you're probably seeing a leaderboard at the top and a skyscaper in each of the sidebars. A really large screen might get a 'larger' version of the skyscraper that's 300x600, but that's not a Project Wonderful size, that's purely google ads.

    Most sites that we're likely to bid for are going to have either banner, leaderboard, or skyscraper placements. So those would be the images I'd like the most options to select from. BUT, if you have something really good for one of the other sizes, I'll see what we can do with it.

    Some details of things we can put on them?

    Names: The Crystal Hall ... Whateley Academy ... Whateley Academy Universe
    Read for Free!
    More than 11 million words in the canon story collection.
    Hundreds of non-canon community written stories.
    13 years of development and stories
    Nearly two dozen canon authors
    Community forums, art gallery, PM's and more.
    Epic world building
    Teen-aged mutant paranormals
    Private school environment
    Hero AND Villain teachers and staff
    Lovecraftian mythos influences


    Obviously, that's far too much for any one ad... but pick a couple things and build the look of the banner around it.

    As I said above, this is long range planning for the Fall, so don't feel like you have to jump and work on it tonight and post something before everyone else tomorrow. Badass is far better than really fast. :)
    Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
    7 years 9 months ago #2 by Malady
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    • Well, as a preliminary comment, and if what you've posted is a representative sample...

    I'd say to not focus on the size of the universe in isolation, because I think that would only lead to ArchivePanic...

    Personally, I'd focus on the worldbuilding 'cause I think that's what sets Whateley out from the rest of the pack? ... Well, that, and the Neutral environment?
    Archives: Rubberjohn's Fanfic + CrystalHall + Mittfh's Wordcount Spreadsheet

    My Patreon. But, support the Crystal Hall 1st?
    7 years 9 months ago #3 by Sir Lee
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    • I think the "Read it for free" is on the right track, but to the unfamiliar with the site/universe it might suggest something like the "free-to-play" game model, where there will be "optional" purchases later... we might want to think a bit on the phrasing to convey the desired impression.
    Don't call me "Shirley." You will surely make me surly.
    7 years 9 months ago #4 by elrodw
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    • Yeah, I agree with Sir Lee here. Gotta watch out for phrases that invoke a cynical reply.

    What we really have is 11+ million words of over XYZ number of stories, a lively forum of fans discussing the new releases, of which there are additions every week, and readers NEVER pay anything for ANYTHING.
    Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
    7 years 9 months ago #5 by Katssun
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    • Maybe try something like, "Active fan discussions and community," or, and this one has to be phrased delicately to convey the right message, 'Active community of authors and readers.' Hopefully someone else can think of an even more diplomatically enticing phrase for the latter.

    Something to make it clear that the authors do engage (and frequently tease) the fanbase, giving hints, clarifications, and clues and engaging with their readers in general. There are a few authors in mainstream publishing that do this (Brandon Sanderson of course comes instantly to mind), and it is certainly a big selling point for the genre that Whateley falls into.
    7 years 9 months ago #6 by Kristin Darken
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    • Well... remember, I'm not asking for 'print' advertisement... I'm asking for graphics banners. The phrases are just details that can be incorporated ... trying to cram entire sentences and disclaimers and so on onto them is not really the point. BUT... if you wanted to use the 11 million words of free reading in the canon collection... you might do something that reflects that graphically... like:

    divide a skyscraper into quarters vertically. In the top quarter, show a book labeled Whateley Academy surrounded by the words "Read for Free!" ... in the second part, show a whole shelf of books... with "Also free!". In the third part, piles of books "All of this, free!" Then at the bottom.. Canon story over 11 million words, all free to read.

    Or... something more clever...
    Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
    7 years 9 months ago #7 by Phoenix Spiritus
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    • Something I thought we might want to do before we start advertising, set up a "new readers" section.

    Have a section of the site setup similar to how we have setup Library stories with a blurb explaining what the Whateley Academy Universe is all about and then a listing of the stories in publication order (i.e. "oldest to newest" so that the new readers can just dig right in with the original stories without having to learn how to sort columns or anything.

    We can then use this section as the "landing page" for our adds so that the newly arrived can get hooked on the stories right away.

    We might also want to dedicate some time to checking the presentation of the oldest stories and also getting them tagged and the like so we make sure to put our best foot forwards.
    7 years 9 months ago #8 by Kristin Darken
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    • *nods* I have a couple things in the works for this. One is a 'dramatus personae' section. An update on the 'backstory' and 'what is whateley academy' and the FAQs pages. I just figure the process of developing good graphics is going to take longer than us writing up some basic character summaries and me doing some clean up on menus and spring cleaning some site layout stuff. Like getting rid of the shoutbox that no one uses.
    Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
    7 years 9 months ago - 7 years 9 months ago #9 by Phoenix Spiritus
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    • RIP Shoutbox /sniff

    We nearly got a story out of you.
    Last Edit: 7 years 9 months ago by Phoenix Spiritus.
    7 years 9 months ago #10 by cprime
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    • Once the advertisements start going up, how hard would it be to do formal or informal a/b analysis of the clickthrough rates? I've got a few ideas to throw out, but I wouldn't mind a second opinion before I start figuring out how to make animated gifs in the GIMP. I have the graphics skills of Tink on a mug of devisor coffee, so any artwork would be simple at best.

    Most of these ideas are the landscape/leaderboard format, but some could be adapted for skyscraper spots. I imagine the text the 'standard' brown on brown color of the site color scheme. If a screen/page spans multiple lines, the line separators are denoted with a \n.

    1. Tests ...
      Tests ... Teenage Angst ...
      Tests ... Teenage Angst ... Squirrels.
      Tests ... Teenage Angst ... Squirrels???
      Just another day at Whateley Academy
      Click here to read more.

      As an alternative, replace Squirrels with another notable incident like 'Ninjas' or 'Charging Buffalo'

    2. Class schedule:\n1. History
      1. History\n2. Introduction to Magic
      2. Introduction to Magic\n3. Algebra
      3. Algebra\n4. Biology
      2. Introduction to Magic\n3. Algebra
      2. Introduction to Magic???\n3. Algebra
      Just another day at Whateley Academy
      Just another day at Whateley Academy\nClick here to read more.

      As an alternative, replace 'Introduction to Magic' with another mutant-centric class, like Flight, Costume Theory or Advanced Marshal Arts
    3. I imagine the blanks being filled in in typewriter fashion using a handwriting fornt, which may imply a flash animation. An animated gif version could typewriter on a per-word basis

      Enrollment form:
      Name:
      Name: Gwendolynn Wylann
      Age:
      Age: 14
      Codename:
      Codename: Absinthe
      Powers:
      Powers: Wiz-4
      Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] It's complicated
      Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] It's complicated
      Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] It's complicated
      Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female [X] It's complicated
      Enroll now at Whateley Academy

      Variants on this could be crafted for any of a number of characters, such as Loophole (with the pause on powers, followed by 'Human, Damnit!'), Roulette, or Lancer). Characters should be selected from among the active cast.
    Is your muse looking for inspiration? Send them to Parkerville! Welcome to Parkerville is the latest edition in my series of writing prompts.
    7 years 9 months ago #11 by Sir Lee
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    • I think cprime's concepts might work better with animated ads. Kristin didn't mention... on the technical side, what are the constraints? Only JPG images, or are PNG also allowed? What about animated GIFs? Besides pixel dimensions, are there constraints on file size too?
    Don't call me "Shirley." You will surely make me surly.
    7 years 9 months ago #12 by Arcanist Lupus
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    • I really like the "enrollment form" idea. It gets across the idea that these are stories about a school for people with unusual powers with a high number of non-binary characters. And it doesn't require a highly skilled artist to create, either.


    Another idea would be a scene from inside a classroom with a high number of obviously powered students (Students with GSD, or actively using telekinesis or magic, etc). Obviously this is more art intensive, but also more eye-catching.

    I really like the idea of a tag line along the lines of:
    "Aspiring Heroes!
    Aspiring Villains!
    ... and Jericho!"

    Actually, with a clever layout, you might be able to combine the two: Make a classroom scene, and then label the students in the scene as "Aspiring Hero" (probably Marty), "Aspiring Villain" (Jello, maybe?), "Aspiring Artist" (Razorback), "Jericho" (take a wild guess). Maybe not "aspiring artist" for Jack (aspiring rock star?), but the point is to describe a heavily GSD student with something totally innocuous.
    "Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
    7 years 9 months ago #13 by Kristin Darken
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    • They can be jpg, gif, or png. Size parameters listed above. Max memory size 300 Kb.
    Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
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