For years, online advertising has been the go-to method for businesses looking to reach a larger audience. Experts predict that total global digital ad spending will exceed $220 billion by 2022 due to the vastness of the digital advertising landscape. However, not all advertisements are created equal. Certain types of advertisements have long dominated the online world. Display ads are by far the most popular tool among many digital marketers. These ads have proven ideal for the digital realm due to their visual nature. But what exactly are display advertisements, and why are they so effective?
Furthermore, why do we use display advertising in the first place? Let us investigate.
What is Display Advertising?
Display advertising uses text-based or visual advertisements on websites or social media networks to entice people to act or simply raise brand awareness. The prices of these ads are frequently calculated using a CPC model. That means you'll be charged a fee every time someone clicks on your ad. Although display ads are most commonly used in programmatic advertising, brands enjoy using them in retargeting campaigns. They use display advertising platforms to target users who have previously visited their websites but did not make a purchase. That way, you can entice them to return and reconsider.
Nonetheless, despite their many applications, display ads are particularly well-suited for targeting potential customers who are still in the awareness stage of the marketing funnel. This is because users who see display ads aren't looking for specific products or services. They'd be using a search network if they were. That is, their search intent is informational rather than transactional. As a result, very few display ad impressions result in a conversion.
Types of Display Advertising
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Display ads, as previously stated, come in various formats. The following are among the most prevalent:
- Banner Ads — These are the most well-known types of display ads. They appear at the top or sides of websites and get their name from their resemblance to banners.
- Interstitial Ads — These ads are similar to pop-up ads from the past. An interstitial ad is a type of advertisement that appears before you can access the landing page of a website. Most users dislike these ads because they prevent you from visiting a website before closing the ad. Furthermore, these display ads are most commonly seen on mobile devices.
- Rich Media — These are interactive advertisements that can engage users in various ways. For example, rich media ads could be an interactive video, poll, button, or similar.
- Video Ads — Video advertising is all the rage in the digital marketing world because it provides an interactive experience for users and a plethora of opportunities for advertisers. There are two types of video ads: instream and outstream video ads. The former usually appears as pre-, mid-, or post-roll ads on videos, whereas the latter usually appears as a video player somewhere on a website.
Now that you understand tips and tricks for managing display advertising and the various display ads available, let us return to our original question: why use display advertising?
The Advantages of Digital Display Advertising
We cannot overstate the importance of display advertising. Why? Because display advertising has numerous advantages for your company. You will miss out on a cheap and effective way to grow your brand if you do not use them. But don't just take our word for it; here are six compelling reasons to use display advertising:
1. It has a Tremendous Reach
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When you consider that the Google Display Network alone reaches 90% of all internet users, the enormous potential of display advertising should be obvious. Few other mediums can compete with display advertising in terms of reach. That is why it is one of the most widely used digital marketing strategies.
2. It is Great for Increasing Brand Awareness
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This type of marketing is ideal for companies looking to increase brand awareness. Why? Because these ads are rarely shown to users who are looking to make a purchase. On the other hand, display ads are inexpensive, making them an excellent choice for growing an audience.
When you combine all of the above, you have a powerful tool for spreading the word about your brand. You can even exclude your ads from sites with which you do not want to be associated. This high level of brand safety is why so many advertisers prefer display advertising.
3. It Engages Your Audience
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Instead of plain old boring text, these ads make use of engaging visuals. These assist you in capturing your users' attention and drawing them to your brand. When it comes to designing these ads, you have many options. So don't be afraid to branch out and try new things!
4. It Provides Numerous Targeting Options
Display advertising technology enables marketers to target specific people with their ads. This has proven to be a true game-changer in the digital realm, and it is the primary reason so many businesses are flocking to this type of advertising. Here are a few examples of the various targeting options you'll have at your disposal:
- Contextual targeting- This entails targeting your customers based on their search engine activity and search history. Contextual targeting allows you to show your ads to people who have searched for relevant keywords, increasing your chances of conversion.
- Placement Targeting — This type of targeting entails selecting which websites your ads should appear on. You can allow Google ads to appear on any site you want, but having the ability to restrict or even "favorite" specific sites is invaluable. You'll be able to include or exclude them from your follow-up campaigns this way.
- Demographic Targeting — This is possibly the most useful option because most brands cater to specific target audiences and age groups. Ad targeting of this type allows advertisers to distribute display ads only to people who meet specific criteria such as age, gender, location, interests, language, etc. This enables brands to maximize the effectiveness of their advertising budget by delivering ads only to people who most closely resemble their target persona.
- Behavioral Targeting — This type of targeting uses your people's search history and online behavior to serve ads to users who have similar interests. Behavioral targeting is one of the most popular targeting methods today because it places advertisements in front of people who are most likely to buy.
5. It has various Pricing Options and is Reasonably Priced
One of the best advantages of display advertising is its payment flexibility and low cost. Cost Per Impression (CPM) and Cost Per Click (CPC) ads are the two most common paid search engine ads. However, the latter is more popular because you only have to pay for each person who clicks on your ads rather than per impression. However, both of these methods are less expensive than more traditional forms of advertising, so you can't go wrong with either.
6. It has Excellent Tracking Options
Adapting when necessary is an essential component of any marketing strategy. That is why understanding the performance of your campaign is critical to its success. And display ads provide exactly that! You'll be able to track the number of impressions and clicks your ads receive with these types of digital ads. This will allow you to re-evaluate your tactic and adjust your strategy on the fly.
Conclusion
Were these reasons compelling enough to convince you to use display advertising in your next marketing campaign? If you answered yes, all you have to do now is decide which types of ads to run! Will traditional banners be used? Perhaps you'd prefer rich media ads? Why not use in-banner video ads to stay on top of the latest digital trends? Whatever you choose, we're confident you'll get a great return! It is not the end of your work once you have launched your display advertising campaign. In fact, hard work only begins there, as you must go through numerous aspects of a display strategy. For example, you could be in charge of analyzing the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, visualizing campaign costs and conversion rates, and running A/B tests to determine which aspects of your business brand are in good working order.
It is not the end of your work once you have launched your display advertising campaign. In fact, hard work only begins there, as you must go through numerous aspects of a display strategy. For example, you could be in charge of analyzing the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, visualizing campaign costs and conversion rates, and running A/B tests to determine which aspects of your business brand are in good working order.
To improve the display ads performance, you must use a high-quality website builder, such as Strikingly. The best part about Strikingly is that you don't have to spend a lot of time looking for a web developer. Instead, you can use our pre-made website templates and customize them to meet your brand's needs. So, go to Strikingly and make the most of your advertising strategies.
