A Beginner’s Guide to Display Advertising

Introduction

 

To put it simply, display advertising is a method of online advertising in which banner ads are utilised by marketers in order to boost their brand presence on websites, apps and social media networking sites. 

 

It is a form of digital marketing which has gained immense popularity and utility in recent times owing to the leveraging of the internet and websites in enhancing brand awareness. 

 

It usually takes the form of appealing visuals like texts, images and videos not only to attract potential customers but also to mark a long-lasting visual effect on their minds. 

 

The visual ad you spot on a website or any social media platform ( whether it's a simple text or a creative video ) simply comes under the banner of display advertising.

 

You must have seen ad campaigns using a combination of text, images, videos or even gifs. This tactful technique lets marketers make a creative impact on the users.

 

 

What is the targeting process to be used?

 

Targeting process is a really significant process when it comes to displaying your ads to the right audience and especially at the right time. 

 

After spending so much time and efforts on getting to that perfect creative, the last thing you would ever wish for is wasting all of that. 

 

To ensure that your ad helps in making an impact for your product or service, you need to get the targeting process right. There is a large variety of options present, but you need to figure out the one that suits you the best. 

 

Some must-know points for keeping the right targeting in mind are; 

 

1. Getting the demographics right

2. Selecting the perfect website within the perfect category 

3. Matching keywords to provide a great experience to the user

4. Leveraging data analytics to gain a deeper and better understanding of user's interests 

5. Making the best use of retargeting to boast of your brand's visibility 

 

 

How to get the maximum ROI From it?

 

Unsurprisingly, display ads demand time and resources. Hence, planning plays a pivotal role in ensuring optimum reach and success of your display ads. 

 

For this, actively working on the key strategy is more than essential. 

 

1. Research well about the demographics : get right about the gender, age and other interests

2. Pitch your display advertising by studying competitors 

3. Assess the response you get studying all the key metrics involved  

4. Remember a high impression rate is worthless if it ultimately does not lead to a high click-through and a much higher conversion rate

 

Keeping all these things in mind is definitely going to pave the way for securing a better success rate. 

 

(Must read: Digital marketing channels)

 

 

Types of Display Advertising

 

While surfing the internet people tend to ignore some websites and ads casually, so it becomes really pertinent to figure out the appropriate type of display advertising. 

 

1. Video ads

 

With the exponential rise in internet users sticking to Instagram and YouTube, video ads go a long way in capturing their attention, for a longer time span. 

 

 

2. Interstitial ads

 

Covering the entire screen, these ads are thoughtfully placed between content, so that it does not interfere with a good user experience. 

 

Pop-up, native advertising and banner ads come with their own advantages but the reason why interstitial ads are ranking higher and higher for developers and marketers is indisputably their high impression rate. 

 

Pinterest and Airbnb have witnessed significant increases of 100% and 300%, respectively in app installs, thanks to utilising interstitial ads.

 

When accompanied with the best practices, interstitial ads are bound to generate more traffic and conversions along with increased user attention.

 

 

3. Rich Media

 

In order to break the monotony of conventional banner advertisements, ground-breaking innovations are leading the way in display advertising too. 

 

Utilizing audio, creative video and click to action buttons are not only benefiting the marketers but also enriching user experience.

 

 

4. Banner ads

 

Usually shaped like a strip and displayed on the top of a webpage, these ads contain images that easily grab the attention of users. 

 

(Also read: Influencer Marketing guide)

 

 

Choosing Display ads over traditional ads

 

When most of the marketers are using search ads it becomes a vital point to get more clarity as to why someone should choose display ads over the others. 

 

1. Definitely go for a display ad in case your product demands it 

 

If you wish to convey that your vacation package is the best or that your home decor will be loved by your customers, what better way to do that than using an appealing image or a creative video?

 

In a time when users are getting served so much content than ever before, they tend to engage more with a video than a simple image or a text. 

 

 

2. Why not create a need?

 

Search advertising serves only those users who are already in need of your product. But, Display Advertising works on creating that demand.

 

Even if someone is just browsing a website passively and sees a creative ad that immediately grabs their eyeballs, then there's a way to get higher click-through and conversion rates. 

 

This is due to the fact that your ad can inculcate a sense of need or demand in the passive user, if your ad content is catchy enough.

 

Remember to make use of Google targeting features to boost your brand awareness, by appearing and reappearing on popular sites. 

 

This enables your brand to get embedded in the minds of even those users who were not having a plan of using it. 

 

 

3. Display ad is the go-to solution if your product requires multiple touchpoints 

 

In case your product is such that normally it takes a longer time of planning and thinking to buy it, then display ads can prove to be the right fit. 

 

To ensure that your customers remain engaged with your ad, it is best to utilize retargeting. 

 

Keep in mind to target all the people who have interacted with your brand in the past. Make the best use of your display ad and then just stay on top of their mind,always!!!

 

(Related reading: Marketing Management Goals)

 

 

4. If you want to reach an audience who is exploring something related to your product or service.

 

By matching the keywords perfectly across all the relevant webpages, you can easily place your ad close to someone who was looking for something related. 

 

For example, if your ad focuses on the next-gen tyres and a user is going to buy a new car, then there are high chances that you can generate interest. 

 

According to statistics, 

 

• The average conversion rate for search campaigns is 4.40% while the average for display campaigns is a meagre 0.57%.

• However the good point is that if you are heading for a lower ad spend then display ads are the right choice. 

• Statistics also show that the average Google Ads cost per click is $2.41 for search network ads, and a much lower $0.59 for display network ads. 

 

This brings us to the conclusion that both search network and display network come with their own set of advantages but as a successful marketer, you need to determine your targets and then decide on the perfect ad strategy for catering to the right audience at the right time. 

 

There are numerous cases to show how display advertising proved to be highly beneficial for various brands and marketers. 

 

If we go by the data;

 

• ResortQuest used Google’s display ad builder to achieve a 50% higher click-through rate.

• Babson College made use of the Google display ad network to not only reduce cost per action by an impressive 67%, but also get a higher conversion rate. 

 

(Click on this link to gain a better understanding of programmatic advertising)

 

Ending notes 

 

The blog ends here. While ending the blog, it can be successfully stated that display advertising certainly can build a crucial brand awareness at a low cost. 

 

There are a multitude of factors to be considered before choosing the right approach to an ad network. 

 

Thorough research, thoughtful planning and deep strategizing are more than necessary to execute the right ad strategy. This will go a long way in capturing the attention of your users at the most appropriate time and at the most important platform.