What is FourSpots?
FourSpots is a web-based self-serve digital ad platform that allows small to medium sized (SMB) advertisers to quickly and easily create video and banner ads from ad templates, customize the ads online, and then place the ads with media publishers. The "four spots" in our name represent the media platforms an ad can be placed on: The web, Internet Protocol TV, browser-enabled mobile devices and out-of home digital displays.

Who is behind FourSpots?
FourSpots founder and CEO Ken Lipscomb has more than 20 years experience in implementing database, interactive multimedia, publishing and communication technologies. Ken was most recently the Founder, Chairman and CEO of DAVE-TV, an online international broadband and broadcast network. A serial entrepreneur, Ken also founded and ran ZapMedia and Infographix Technologies before starting FourSpots. The company has raised over $2.2 million in early round angel funding.

Why Should I use a self-serve ad platform over traditional methods of creating and deploying advertising?
Since the beginning of spot television, small businesses have struggled to compete with larger brands and their big ad creation and media budgets. The FourSpots self-serve platform levels the playing field, making it affordable for businesses to compete. This do-it-yourself technology creates production and media planning and buying efficiencies that enable the smaller advertiser to create video ads or banner ads, customize that ad and deploy it to media properties based on an advertiser�s discreet targeting objectives-right down to the zip code where the business resides.

Does FourSpots license its technology?
FourSpots licenses a brandable version of its self-serve platform to media and online operations seeking to grow local revenues with a video ad product offering as well as to companies seeking efficiencies in the production of video and banner advertising. Additionally, brandable AdStores can be licensed directly by brands and franchised operations seeking to localize their message and point-of-sale offers in real time and through automation.

Advertiser FAQs

AdStore Questions

What is a template?
A template is an ad that is close to completion but needs some advertiser customization to make it campaign ready. A template typically includes video and a narrated script. It sometimes includes music, too. An advertiser can select a template and personalize it with details like a business logo, address, photo of the business or even video or music. FourSpots has an extensive library of images, music and font styles that can help you customize your ads. In the event you don’t find the ad you are looking for, please contact creatives@fourspots.com - we'll be happy to help!

What can I do in the AdStore?
As an advertiser, you can select from ad templates across more than 100 categories in the FourSpots AdStore. After you select a template, you can create customized ad(s) with video, photos, text and audio. You can also build an ad completely from scratch using content you upload.

What does it cost to customize an ad?
There is no cost to customize ads using the AdMasher and Banner Masher, FourSpots' online ad editing tools. You can make as many ads as you like, and save them in your My Ads account. You pay for only the ads that you license within the geographical area(s) you want your ad to run in. The FourSpots’ creative department is happy to assist advertisers seeking custom ad productions or simple editing requests. You can make a request by sending an email to creatives@fourspots.com or online in your My Account area of the website for any type of custom ad design or custom editing. An estimate will be provided and an estimate approval will be required.

How many ads can I make from a template?
As many as you like. You pay for the use of a template when you create a campaign, not when you create an ad. We encourage you to make multiple ads and test them to see which creative elements or business offers best meet your needs. All your ads are saved in your My Ads account so you can change them out as often as you want.

Can I upload already produced/finished ads to my account?
Absolutely. Before you use the ad in a FourSpots media buy you will still need to go through the FourSpots campaign and licensing process so that your ad can be converted into the proper formats for publisher distribution.

How can I find out what other businesses have purchased the same ad?
It’s important to understand that when you license a template for a geographic area, no one else can use that template to create ads to run in that same geographical area for the duration of your license. This eliminates ad duplication. However, other advertisers may have licensed the same ad in other geographical areas. This information can be accessed by sending an email with template details to: creatives@fourspots.com.

What can I do with my FourSpots ad once I complete it?
Create a campaign. Select from one of our affordable media packages. We have plans for all budgets. Answer a few questions about your target demographic and your desired media parameters and we will build a media campaign to meet your needs. You can also build your own plan by personally selecting your media partners and building your own schedule. Not ready to place a campaign? For absolutely free you can place your ad on your website, post it to YouTube, your blog and social networks like MySpace.

Once you build an ad, it’s saved in your My Ads account. You can always come back to edit your ad, create new campaigns for your ad or change the current campaign at any point in time. Track the performance of your ad in your My Reports account. Our reporting tool provides you with information to help you manage the success of your campaign.

Licensing an Ad

How do I license an ad?
Your template is licensed to the geographical area(s) selected in the campaign creation process. Please note that selecting, customizing and saving an ad from a template will not reserve the template. To protect your ad, you need to license the template for the areas you want the ad to run in.

How does a license protect my ad?
Each template is exclusive to the area in which it is licensed for the life of the campaign run. Shortly before your ad license expires you will be notified and given the opportunity to renew your license.

What's the difference between a package campaign and a custom campaign?
The main difference between a custom campaign and a package campaign is the selection of publishers and the dollar amount dedicated to the campaign. In a custom campaign, you have very detailed control over which publishers you want to run your ad with and how much you wish to spend with each publisher. In a package campaign, FourSpots makes most of those decisions for you based on the information you provide to us.

How do I create a custom campaign?
Once you have selected to build a new campaign you can select the option of creating a custom campaign from the drop down menu containing media packages. After providing the targeting information, you proceed to the bid page where you can select from our list of publishers.