What does the term ‘fluid advertisement’ mean?

A fluid advertisement is a job advertisement whose display automatically adapts to different devices, screen sizes and resolutions. Ideally, it is an HTML advertisement that scales dynamically.

Whether on a desktop, tablet, smartphone or even TV, the advertisement remains clear, legible and user-friendly.

Rigid PDF advertisements cannot do this. They are often tiny on smartphones, need to be zoomed in, are difficult to read and are often closed again after a few seconds.

The goal: maximum reach with an optimal user experience. Applicants should be able to quickly understand what the position is about, regardless of the device they are using, and see a display that is optimised for mobile devices and different resolutions.

Fluid vs. responsive vs. mobile-optimised – what is the difference?

To properly classify fluid advertisements, it is worth taking a quick look at the common terms:

• Responsive advertisements
  A responsive advertisement uses predefined ‘breakpoints’ in the layout. It switches to a different variant depending on the screen size (e.g. three columns on desktop, one column on mobile).
• Fluid advertisements
  A fluid advertisement goes one step further: it not only adapts to specific sizes, but scales continuously with each screen width. Text wraps automatically, images adjust proportionally and buttons stay where they belong. This makes the transition between devices seem more seamless and natural than with classic responsive designs.
• Mobile-optimised advertisements
  Mobile-optimised means above all: optimised for smartphones. Readable, clickable, short loading time – but not necessarily ideal for tablets, desktops or social media. Mobile-optimised ≠ automatically optimal everywhere.

In short:

• Responsive = layout jumps between fixed sizes
• Fluid = layout adapts smoothly to any width
• Mobile-optimised = focus exclusively on smartphone usability

Fluid advertisements make all the difference, especially in recruiting: they combine the advantages of responsive and mobile-optimised designs – and ensure that job advertisements really work everywhere.

Why are fluid advertisements important?

1. Mobile first
   More than 90% of job seekers use mobile devices to find out about new job vacancies. If an advertisement is not optimised for smartphones, many will immediately bounce. Fluid advertisements solve this problem and ensure that content is equally ‘consumable’ everywhere – regardless of whether the advertisement is viewed on a smartphone, tablet or desktop PC.
2. Consistency across all channels
   A fluid advertisement not only looks professional on your career page, job boards or social media, but also remains functional. A fluid HTML advertisement remains consistent and demonstrates digital competence – an important factor in employer branding.
3. Candidate experience
   The first experience with your company is often the job advertisement. An advertisement that runs smoothly, is easy to read and works without scrolling or loading problems, even with changing screen sizes and resolutions, conveys appreciation and professionalism.
4. Efficiency for recruiters
   With fluid advertisements, you don't have to maintain different versions. The system automatically ensures that your advertisement is displayed correctly on every device – whether it's a large monitor or a smartphone. This saves time and reduces sources of error.

Challenges without fluid advertisements

What happens when companies still rely on rigid formats?

• High bounce rates: Applicants leave unreadable advertisements after a few seconds. 
• Loss of reach: Unoptimised advertisements are less likely to be displayed by search engines and job portals. 
• Negative employer image: Anyone who still publishes PDF advertisements today gives the impression that they are not up to date with the latest digital trends.

In short: without fluid advertisements, you risk losing suitable talent before they even apply.

Best practices for fluid advertisements

The following principles help fluid advertisements to be effective:

• Clear structure: Headings, paragraphs and lists make texts easier to understand.
• Short loading times: Mobile applicants quickly leave if a page loads slowly.
• Clear call to action: ‘Apply now’ buttons must be immediately visible and clickable – on all devices.
• Accessibility: Fluid job advertisements should also be accessible to people with disabilities (screen readers, contrast, font sizes).

Fluid advertisements compared to traditional formats

• Rigid advertisement: fixed layouts, PDFs, difficult to read on mobile devices, often confusing on small screens.
• Fluid advertisement: responsive, dynamic, mobile-optimised, fast loading, accessible and maintainable at any time. 

The result: greater reach, fewer bounces, more qualified applications.

Conclusion

Fluid advertisements are a must in digital recruiting.

They ensure that job advertisements are displayed optimally on every device, increase reach and candidate experience – and strengthen employer branding.

Takeaway: If you want to reach talent in recruiting, there's no getting around fluid formats. Companies that adopt them early on gain a clear competitive advantage. 

With Refline, you can design job advertisements that are not only fluid, but also easy to maintain, mobile-optimised and automatically suitable for all channels. 

This allows you to reach more talent, reduce bounce rates and offer a compelling candidate experience.

Learn more about our solution – we'll show you how fluid advertisements work in practice.