Display advertising is a type of paid online advertising that consists of text, image, video, audio, and motion ads. These ads display on websites, apps, and social media platforms, in several different sizes.
To start, all display ads go through a display ad network to reach customers. The top display ad networks are Google, Facebook, and Twitter. You choose what demographics or other targeting criteria you want your audience to consist of and they take it from there. They serve your ads to users who fit that description. Those users can then click on your ad and (hopefully) convert into a paying customer.
Types Of Display Advertising
There are several types of display ads, however static, rich media, video, and interstitial ads are predominantly used by marketers.
Static – Static ads are hyperlinked, image-based ads that clearly stand out on any webpage. Often called banner ads, this format is a good place to start for branding and product placement.
Rich Media – Rich media is one type of display ad that involves using interactive elements such as video, audio, and clickable elements to make the advertisement more engaging.
Video – When comparing cost, video ads are slightly more expensive but provide a whole different experience that can definitely be worth the additional ad spend. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram have made it extremely convenient for marketers to deliver video ads and attract a lot of attention to their products or services.
Interstitial – Interstitial ads load as a separate webpage or window before you are directed to the original page you wanted to visit. They take up the entire screen and often require being closed by the users in order to continue.
Your company can take advantage of these display ad types and see which works best for your product or service with display advertising. If you came to this page for a definition then you can stop reading, but if you want to know how to start using display advertising for your company, that’s what this entire page is for.
How To Create Display Ads That Convert
If you’re beyond definitions and want to dive right in and start designing your display ads, start with these steps:
Follow Best Practices For Landing Pages
Yes, the first thing to focus on is not the ad itself. Make sure your landing page is optimized for conversion. The landing page should be where you drive traffic from an ad, and please don’t make it the homepage! A landing page should be specific to your product and offer an easy way for people to convert. Have a clear call to action (CTA) and follow these best practices:
- Build a responsive and mobile-friendly page
- Keep it simple, anything that is too intricate will be distracting
- Make sure it includes company branding
- Include company awards, certifications, testimonials or other signals that encourage trust in your brand
- Use a CTA that stands out on the page
By following the best practices, you will have an attractive and optimized landing page for your audience.
Use A Compelling Design
Just like your landing page, using a simple and attractive design for your display ads should be a focus for your ad campaign. Too much information can be overwhelming too. Keeping it simple with some clear copy and basic visuals can effectively tell the customer what you sell and why they should be interested.
Create A Clear Message And Offer
Honing a clear message and attractive offer for your audience should be identifiable in about 3-seconds. A glance. If you don’t grab someone’s attention within that time frame you run the risk of losing their interest. Brainstorm various options before deciding on your messaging and offer. Most times, creating multiple ad variants and testing which is best creates the best ads.
Use Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising can help your business advertise to the people that matter most to your company. Programmatic offers immediate value for any display ad strategy because it utilizes user data like demographics, topics of interest, and age to deliver relevant ads.
Creating ads for display is one thing, but the experimenting and careful planning behind successful campaigns takes time. If you want to learn more about the process reach out to an AdEdge Team member today at info@adedgemarketing.com.
How To Measure Display Advertising Performance
The story is always in the numbers. No matter what kind of campaign you decide to run, continuing to do so will be determined by its performance. When you take a proactive approach to campaign monitoring, you can improve your strategy on an ongoing basis.
Impressions – An Impression is the number of times an ad is served to a user during its placement. Every time an ad is loaded and displayed on a webpage or mobile app, it counts as an impression. This metric is important when analyzing your campaign metrics. If your impressions are very high or increasing and your conversion rate is low or decreasing, you may want to reconsider your display ad management plan.
Click Through Rate – Click Through Rate is a crucial indicator of engagement as it indicates the number of people who have clicked on your ad. It is the ratio of impressions to clicks. If your ad receives 1,000 impressions and 200 clicks, the click-through rate is 10%.
Conversion Rate – A conversion is the most important metric because a conversion is the main objective of running ads. A conversion takes place when a person clicks through to your landing page and performs a definitive action such as downloading your app, signing up for a newsletter, or buying a product.
These key performance metrics are generated by the ad you choose and your target audience.
How To Choose A Display Advertising Target Audience
There are many elements to the best targeting audience for your ads. Getting there is a process. But it can be so worth it. Perfecting a targeting audience takes time and careful planning.
Define Your Demographic – Segmenting audiences based on information like age, gender, or interests can benefit any campaign.
Identify Target Keywords – Reaching the target demographic based on selected keywords that relate to your product or service. The display ad network will match the keywords you choose with words/phrases present on the sites where your ad will be displayed.
Double-Down On Topic – Choosing a group of websites that fit a specific category will greatly focus your ads towards people within that niche. Sometimes display ad networks provide categories broken down by business type or you can upload custom audiences.
Develop The Ideal Placement – Choosing the best placement is a process that always evolves. But you should be asking the question – where would the most influential place be to see my ad? If you’re targeting customers of a specific vacuum brand, you can display the ads on articles related to that model, or even on a product review page.
Ads Based On Interest – Google collects data on its users’ behavior, and depending on what users are searching for, you can run display ads that resonate with specific interest groups. For instance, a grill enthusiast may be researching spatulas, grill baskets, etc. Interest-based display ad targeting will place your ad on all of these relevant web pages.
Retarget Based On Past Behavior – Also referred to as retargeting, this display ad targeting feature lets you target users who have already visited your website. This process reinforces brand impact and recall.
AdEdge’s Strategies Incorporate Display Advertising
If you have struggled with where to start or with other elements of an effective display advertising strategy, our team of experts is working on more content for you! Reach out to ask any additional questions at AdEdge at (203) 682-4585 or email us at info@adedgemarketing.com. Have you found other best practices that were not mentioned work well for you? Let us know!