Step 1: Add Your Website (if not already done)

• On the left-hand side menu, click "Websites" (or sometimes "Inventory").
• If your station website isn't listed, click "Add A New Website".
• Fill in your station website information:
  • Website URL: Enter the full address of your station website (e.g., https://www.mystationfm.com).
  • Name: Enter the name of your website (e.g., "My Station FM Websie" - maybe the same name used in your SoCast website settings).
  • Contact: Enter the Company Admin name or your name.
  • Email: Enter the Company Admin email or your contact email.
• Click "Save Changes". (Your administrator might have already done this step).
  

Step 2: Define Ad Spaces (Zones)

• A Zone in the ad server corresponds to an Ad Unit in SoCast Engage. It's a specific place on your website where an ad can appear (e.g., the top banner, a side square ad).
• On the left-hand side menu, click "Zones".
• Click "Add A New Zone".
• Fill in the details:
  • Name: This might be pre-filled, but you can adjust it.
  • Description: Add a clear name for your ad space. It's helpful to match the SoCast Engage Ad Unit name and include the size (e.g., "Header Ad 728x90", "Activity Stream Big Box Ad 300x250").
  • Zone Type: Select "Banner, Button or Rectangle" (this is the most common type for standard image ads).
  • Size: Use the drop-down to select a standard size or manually enter the Width and Height in pixels. Crucial: This size must exactly match the dimensions recommended for the corresponding Ad Unit in SoCast Engage (see Step 3 for list and details).
  • Comments: Optional. You can add notes here if needed.
• Click "Save Changes".

Step 3: Get the Zone Code (Invocation Code)

• After saving the Zone, stay on the Zone's settings page.
• Look for a tab or section called "Invocation Code".
• Make sure the Tag Type selected is "Asynchronous JS Tag" (this is usually the best option).
• You will see a box containing some HTML/JavaScript code.
• Copy the entire code snippet. You will need this for the next step. This code is what tells the website, "Ask the ad server for an ad to show here!"

How to Paste the Code:

1. Log in to your SoCast Engage dashboard.
2. Navigate to: Website > Website Settings > Advertising.
3. Scroll down to the 'Ad Units' section. You will see a list of available ad placements:
   • Header Ad
   • Mobile Header Ad
   • Footer Ad
   • Mobile Footer Ad
   • Full Page Ad
   • Blog Content Header Ad
   • Blog Content Footer Ad
   • Cancellation Listing Header Ad
   • Cancellation Listing Footer Ad
   • Activity Stream Big Box Ad
   • Light Box Banner Ad
   • Gallery Big Box Ad
   • Blog List Ad Code
4. Find the specific Ad Unit name that corresponds to the Zone you created in the ad server (e.g., 'Header Ad', 'Activity Stream Big Box Ad').
5. Click the 'edit pencil' icon (✎) beside that Ad Unit name. Clicking this also shows the recommended dimensions for the ad creative.
6. In the pop-up window, paste the "Invocation Code" you copied from the ad server (in Step 2.3) into the provided text box.
7. Click Save in the pop-up window.
8. After configuring your ad units, remember to click the main Save button at the bottom of the Advertising settings page in SoCast Engage.

Further Details:

For more information on ad units and dimensions, you can also refer to the official SoCast Support documentation: https://support.socastdigital.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-do-i-place-an-ad-on-my-website

Step 1: Create the Advertiser

• On the left-hand side menu in the ad server, click "Advertisers".
• Click "Add A New Advertiser".
• Enter the details (Name, Contact, Email, etc.).
• Click "Save Changes".
• Notice: After saving, this Advertiser might be automatically selected at the top of the page.

Step 2: Create the Campaign

• With the Advertiser potentially already selected, click "Campaigns" on the left-hand menu.
• Click "Add New Campaign".
• Fill in the campaign details:
  • Name: Give the campaign a clear name (e.g., "Car Dealership Spring 2025").
  • Confirm the correct Advertiser is selected.
  • Campaign Type: Choose the type that best suits your agreement and priority:
    • Remnant:
      • What it is: Lower priority campaigns, often used to fill unsold ad space. They typically run when no higher-priority (Contract or Override) campaigns are scheduled or have met their goals.
      • When to use: For house ads, non-guaranteed bonus impressions for clients, or flexible campaigns without strict delivery requirements. Often used with CPM or CPC pricing.
        
    • Contract:
      • What it is: Standard priority campaigns with specific delivery goals (like a set number of impressions or clicks) or a defined run time (Tenancy). These have priority over Remnant campaigns.
      • When to use: Most standard client campaigns where you've promised a certain amount of delivery or visibility within a timeframe. Use with CPM, CPC, or Tenancy pricing.
    • Override:
      • What it is: Highest priority campaigns. These will always run instead of Remnant or Contract campaigns when eligible for the same ad spot. Use these sparingly.
      • When to use: For critical campaigns that absolutely must run (e.g., a major station event sponsorship, urgent advertiser needs). Often used with Tenancy pricing for short, high-impact periods.
  • Date: Choose Start and Expiry dates.
  • Pricing Model: Choose how the campaign is valued or sold. Here's a quick summary:
    • CPM (Cost Per Mille/Thousand Impressions):
      • Summary: Pay per 1,000 ad views.
      • Use For: General brand awareness. Advertiser pays based on how many times the ad is shown.
    • CPC (Cost Per Click):
      • Summary: Pay per click.
      • Use For: Driving traffic. Advertiser pays only when someone clicks the ad.
    • Tenancy (or CPD - Cost Per Day / Flat Fee):
      • Summary: Pay a flat fee for a time period.
      • Use For: Guaranteed visibility in a spot for a set duration (e.g., a week).
      • Recommendation: Tenancy is often the simplest model to start with, as you agree on a price for a specific time period without needing to track exact impression or click counts for billing.
  • Choose the model that matches your sales agreement. Fill in the Rate/Price and Impressions/Clicks/Days goal if applicable based on the model and campaign type.
  • Campaign Weight: (Optional) This influences delivery distribution among campaigns of the same priority level (e.g., multiple Contract campaigns) that are eligible to run in the same zone.
    • Higher weight gives a campaign a larger share of the available impressions when competing against other campaigns of the same priority.
    • If all competing campaigns have the same weight (e.g., 1), they share the impressions relatively evenly (considering their other targeting and capping rules).
    • Often left at the default (usually 1) unless you need to specifically prioritize one same-level campaign over another.
  • Set Priority, Capping, etc., if needed.
    
• Click "Save Changes".
• Notice: After saving, both the Advertiser and this new Campaign will be automatically selected at the top of the page.

Step 3: Create the Banner & Verify Zone Linking

• With the correct Advertiser and Campaign already selected at the top, click "Banners" on the left-hand menu.
  • Click the downward arrow to change the active Advertiser and Campaign if needed.
• Click "Add New Banner". Because the Advertiser and Campaign are pre-selected, this new banner will automatically be associated with the correct campaign.
• Select the type: Choose "Upload a local banner to the webserver" for image files (JPG, PNG, GIF).
• Fill in the banner details:
  • Give the banner a Name (e.g., "Car Dealership Spring Sale 728x90"). Include the size!
  • Upload: Click the button to upload the image file. Crucial: Make sure the image dimensions exactly match the Zone size you intend to use it in (and the recommended dimensions for the SoCast Ad Unit)! The system will try to detect the size.
  • Ad/Banner Link (Destination URL): Enter the click-through web address.
  • Add alt text and status text.
  • Confirm the Size option reflects the correct dimensions.
    
  • Weight: This setting determines how often this banner is shown relative to other banners within the same campaign that are eligible for the same zone. Higher weight means it shows more often.
  • Example: If Banner A has Weight 1 and Banner B has Weight 3 (total weight 4), Banner A has a 1 in 4 chance (25%) of being shown, while Banner B has a 3 in 4 chance (75%) of being shown each time the campaign delivers an ad to that zone.
  • If all banners in a campaign have the same weight (e.g., 1), they will rotate evenly.
  • Add Additional Data if needed.
• Click "Save Changes".
• Verify Zone Linking: After saving the banner, you'll be on the banner's properties page. The system attempts to automatically link the banner to a Zone with matching dimensions.
  • Click on the "Linked Zones" tab for this banner.
  • Check: Ensure the correct Zone (e.g., "Header Ad 728x90") is listed here and selected/active.
  • If Incorrect/Missing: If the wrong Zone is linked, or no Zone is linked (perhaps due to a dimension mismatch), you can manually link the correct Zone here. Find the correct Zone in the list and use the arrow ( > ) or "Add" button to link it, then save. This step is important to ensure your ad shows up in the right place!

Your campaign, banner, and linking should now be fully set up! Once the start date arrives, the ad server will begin showing the banner in the correctly linked zone.