How time frames work - a quick overview
The time frames slider lets you choose whether you want to trigger ads/ make bid adjustments based on past, current or forecast weather.
In other words, do you want your ads to trigger or your bids to be modified before, during, or after the weather event has taken place (or all of the above)?
Each weather condition comes with it's own time-frame option, which means you can can create precise and nuanced weather targeting rules, to fit your campaign objective.
Example: Display ads if it has snowed in the past 24 hours and winds are strong currently.
To change the time-frame for your weather condition, simply move the slider to the left or to the right, to expand or contract your time frame.
The default setting for time time frame is ‘now’ which means current weather (ie. hour-by hour real-time weather)
Current weather (‘now’)
The default setting for the time frame is ‘now’ which relates to current weather (or real-time weather).
Another way of thinking about current weather is if you look out of your window at any given moment in time, what is the weather doing? This is current weather, for your location. Obviously, current weather changes on an ongoing basis, and this is why we use a real-time weather data feed to continuously update your ads based on the most recent current weather conditions for every location within your geo targeting boundaries.
Past weather
By dragging the ‘time frame’ slider to the left, you can target based on past (or historical) weather, up to 7 days in past.
This is a great way to trigger ads after a weather event has occurred. Let’s say you set your trigger to rain, and the time frame to [-2 days to now]. This means that if it has rained at any point in the last 2 days, or is raining currently, your trigger will be actioned (i.e. your ads will show or your bids will be modified – whichever action you've selected).
Advanced options - frequency of condition
You can also decide how often you would like your desired weather condition to occur over your selected time frame, using the advanced options. For instance, you can choose to trigger ads if:
It has rained at least once at any point over the past few days (default setting)
At least once on each of those days
Continuously over that whole time period
This means you have ultimate flexibility in setting up precise targeting rules that perfectly match your business objectives.
A use case for this feature might be a company selling air conditioners. For example, it might actually take a 2 consecutive days of hot weather before consumers start to think about buying air conditioners.
And with these time frame options you can trigger ads for air conditioners after 2 consecutive days of hot weather.
Forecast weather
By dragging the ‘time frame’ slider to the right, you can also target based on forecast (or future) weather, looking up to 7 days ahead.
You would use ‘forecast weather’ if you want to trigger ads before a weather event has occurred. Let’s say you set your trigger to snow, and the time frame to [+2 days to now]. This means that if, at any point going forward, it is forecast to snow in the next 2 days, or is currently snowing, your trigger will be actioned.
How to keep ads showing after the weather condition has occurred?
Let’s also say you want to trigger ads for 24 hours after it has rained. This would be done using the past weather time frame. You would set the time frame to: -1 day to now. This means that your ads will be shown wherever it rains, and will remain shown for 24 hours afterwards.