This guide explains the assets needed for Audience Retargeting across display, native and video advertising.
Audience Retargeting helps keep your university visible as students continue exploring their options. Your asset requirements depend on the formats in your booking. For native advertising, we can also write your title and body copy, saving your team time.
What we need from you
To prepare your campaign, please supply:
One UTM tracking link to your chosen landing page.
Creative assets for the formats in your booking:display, native and/or video.
Your targeting preferences for video activity, such as a particular region.
A standalone website pixel, if you choose to use one. This is optional but recommended.
A pixel helps us understand more about the traffic reaching your landing page and supports campaign optimisation. We can run Audience Retargeting without one.
Display advertising: Sizes and formats
Please supply the following banner sizes for display activity. Dimensions are width × height in pixels.
Banner | Dimensions | Maximum file size |
Mobile Banner | 300 × 50 | 250KB |
Mobile Leaderboard | 320 × 50 | 250KB |
Leaderboard | 728 × 90 | 350KB |
Wide Skyscraper | 160 × 600 | 450KB |
Medium Rectangle | 300 × 250 | 450KB |
Half-Page Skyscraper | 300 × 600 | 550KB |
Billboard | 970 × 250 | 550KB |
Accepted formats: JPG, PNG or GIF. We recommend GIF assets where suitable for your creative.
Use bright, clear visuals, positive imagery and a relevant call to action, such as “Book now”, “Learn more” or “Apply now”.
For display assets, references to ranking and editorial sources such as The Guardian, The Times and CUG are allowed. Direct competitor website references are excluded from this activity; ask your Client Success representative if you are unsure about a particular reference.
Native advertising: images and logo
Please supply four image assets in these sizes:
400 × 300 pixels.
800 × 600 pixels.
1200 × 900 pixels.
1600 × 1200 pixels.
Native images must be JPG or PNG; GIFs are not supported. Aim for 750KB per image, with a maximum of 5MB.
Also supply one square logo on a white background, with a 1:1 aspect ratio and a file size under 1MB.
Choose lifestyle imagery with the main subject centred. Text-free imagery is preferred. If text is included, keep it below 25% of the image area.
Native advertising: title and body
You can supply your own copy or let us write it for you. If you would like us to prepare it, you can save your team the drafting time and focus on reviewing the proposed message.
Title:a maximum of 60 characters.
Body:a maximum of 140 characters.
Keep the message relevant to the image and destination page, with a clear reason for students to find out more.
Video advertising: asset requirements
Please supply one to three video creatives, your UTM tracking link and your targeting preferences. Multiple videos are recommended so the campaign has more creative options.
Preferred length:30 seconds. Options for 15-second and 60-second videos are also available.
Aspect ratio:16:9 or 4:3.
Listed resolutions:1280 × 720 pixels at 720p, or 1920 × 1080 pixels at 1080p.
File format:MP4.
Maximum file size:150MB.
The listed resolutions are 16:9. If you plan to supply a 4:3 video, confirm the required export dimensions with your Client Success representative before preparing the file.
Making your video effective
Capture attention within the first three seconds and include a strong call to action, particularly in the final quarter of the video.
Focus on a clear university story that still makes sense if shortened to 10–20 seconds. This helps keep the message focused even when developing shorter creative variations.
Key information: Pixel implementation is optional for display, native and video Audience Retargeting. We recommend it because it gives us additional information to support optimisation.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to supply display, native and video assets?
Do we need to supply display, native and video assets?
Only supply the formats included in your booking. Your Client Success representative can confirm which specifications apply.
Can the campaign run without a pixel?
Can the campaign run without a pixel?
Yes. A standalone pixel is optional, but recommended to help us understand landing-page engagement and optimise the campaign.
Can Uni Compare write our native advert?
Can Uni Compare write our native advert?
Yes. We can prepare the title and body for you, so you do not need to write them yourself.
Can we use GIFs for native advertising?
Can we use GIFs for native advertising?
No. Native images must be JPG or PNG. GIFs are accepted for display banners.
Can we put text on native images?
Can we put text on native images?
Text-free imagery is preferred. Where text is included, it should cover less than 25% of the image.
Can we supply a 60-second video?
Can we supply a 60-second video?
Yes, a 60-second option is available. Thirty seconds is preferred; confirm the planned length with your Client Success representative before exporting.
Please contact your Client Success representative or email clients@universitycompare.com if you need help preparing assets for your Audience Retargeting campaign.