Display advertisements are omnipresent. They can show up on practically any website and are a great way for small businesses to reach relevant customers. But what distinguishes display advertising from other kinds of online advertising, and why does your small business need display ads?
In this article, we will discuss what display advertising is and the benefits of display advertising (plus, how it works with other strategies to increase the effectiveness of your marketing).
What Is Display Advertising?
Let’s start with a quick definition: Display advertising refers to online advertisements that involve visual ads appearing on websites, typically with a call to action. Display ads can show up on any website a consumer visits.
Display advertising differs from search advertising or pay-per-click (PPC) ads, which appear on search engine results pages. PPC ads are shown when a consumer searches on a search engine like Google or Bing, while display ads are shown on the site the consumer clicks on from search engines (or any site they visit online).
There are a few different types of display ads, each serving a unique purpose. For instance, you can run display ads on the USA TODAY NETWORK to get visibility on local and national news sites to increase awareness and drive clicks to your website.
Other display ads, like geofencing ads, allow you to target consumers based on their location and hopefully direct them to your physical location or website.
How exactly does display advertising operate?
Display advertising has become a central part of today’s society. It is the most widely used form of advertising and involves placing promotional content on websites, newspapers, or magazines.
The purpose of display advertising is to showcase promotions to potential customers who may be drawn to what a company is advertising. Marketers can target their promotions using various methods like age, gender, location, and interests of the audience.
The display advertising industry brings in almost $250 billion every year and is expected to continue growing. There are a few reasons why display advertising is effective for brands.
First, people spend a lot of time on digital devices, so ads placed where users browse for information or entertainment get more visibility and recall. Second, visual content tends to be more influential. Ads that look professional and aesthetically pleasing tend to perform better than amateurish or distasteful ads.
What are the benefits of utilizing display advertising?
Because of the exponential growth in internet users—now exceeding 4.66 billion globally—it is no surprise that the internet has become one of the most effective places to market a business. The digital era has enabled the convenience of online shopping with just a few clicks, removing the need to visit physical stores. Consequently, display advertising can be an extremely powerful approach to reach your target demographic.
By enabling your business to appear on sites where your audience is already engaged, display ads can accomplish what search advertising cannot. Given the vast reach of the Google Display Network, investing in display marketing without caution risks wasting substantial advertising funds.
However, numerous benefits exist for display advertising. For advertisers who employ it strategically, display ads can transform PPC campaigns. The visual nature of display ads can dramatically boost brand recognition. With display marketing, you can promote brand consistency and visibility, nurture leads, track performance, and bolster the success of other PPC efforts—just a few of its advantages.
The Advantages of Display Advertising
So now that we understand what display advertising is, let’s discuss why it’s such an effective marketing approach for small businesses.
Display Ads Have Eye-Catching Visuals
One of the first benefits of display advertising is that display ads can (and should!) utilize graphics, video, audio, and branding to grab attention and quickly convey a message. Regular PPC ads are text-only and have strict character limits, which restricts how well and fast you can capture attention and communicate.
With digital display advertising, you can utilize visuals, video, audio, and branding to stand out and attract users’ attention.
Display Ads Boost Brand Recognition & Exposure
To gain a new customer, that customer must know your business exists. And according to Localogy, consumers need to encounter a brand 10 times before considering doing business with them – up from seven just a few years ago.
Display advertising allows you to actively put your brand in front of consumers before they need your specific goods or services. By the time they require what you offer, you have a better chance of being top of mind since they’ve seen your brand repeatedly online.
Display Ads Can Be Targeted
When running digital marketing campaigns, targeting relevant people is vital. As with PPC and Facebook ads, you can set specific parameters for your digital display ads: which sites they appear on, location, and demographic or niche.
For example, a car dealership can target driving-age people in their zip code visiting auto websites.
Targeting your display ads allows you to maximize your spend and ensure the most relevant audience sees them.
Display Ads Permit Retargeting of Interested Shoppers
Display ad retargeting shows ads to consumers based on their past online behavior, including those who visited your site but didn’t convert.
You’ve probably experienced this. You’re browsing electric drills on a home improvement site. You search for something else on Google, and you see drill ads on those pages, promoting a sale at that home site.
You’ve shown interest in their product. Now you keep seeing their name and deals which may convince you to buy. Retargeting engages consumers who know your business and motivates them to purchase.
Display Ads Can Reach Mobile Users
Geofencing is another effective display ad tactic. By sending ads to mobile devices based on location, you can target people shopping now with high intent.
Geofencing sets up a virtual perimeter around an area, like your business or a competitor’s. You can then push geofencing ads as offers to anyone entering that area.
Geofencing grabs new consumers’ attention in your area and entices old customers back with timely deals.
Display Ads Can Block Competitors
Display ads interrupt consumers considering a competitor and get them to choose you instead. Using search retargeting on those who viewed a competitor’s site and offering a deal can win new customers.
Display Ads Complement Other Marketing
Display ads pair well with other marketing. Studies show 27% search for a business after seeing their display ad, and a 59% lift in conversion when the search was display ad-related.
While PPC and SEO drive direct traffic and sales, display builds crucial brand awareness.
Display Ad Results Are Trackable
It’s vital to measure marketing performance. With display ads, you can track impressions and clicks. Since display is brand awareness-focused, impressions are the key metric.
Why Should You Invest in Display Advertising?
Display advertising offers several benefits that make it a smart marketing investment, including:
Broader Reach
Display ads allow for precise targeting based on user interests and behaviors, enabling you to get your message in front of more of your target audience compared to other online tactics like search engine marketing or social media ads.
Increased Frequency and Strategic Timing
With display ads, you can expose the same users to your ads multiple times per day, giving your campaign higher perceived value and making it more likely your ad is seen. Display ads also have short time limits – usually 30 seconds – so you have to make them effective quickly.
Higher Engagement
Display ads tend to be more interactive than other online ad formats, which translates into superior engagement rates and a greater chance users will take action, like clicking your ad or purchasing your product. This leads to better conversion rates, which are key for customer acquisition.
When is Display Advertising Most Effective?
Display ads can achieve different goals at various stages, including:
| Building Awareness | Display ads showcase products and services to new potential customers unfamiliar with the brand, thereby raising awareness. |
| Driving Engagement | Interactive, entertaining display ads emotionally engage users, encouraging them to learn more about the brand and building trust. |
| Sparking Consideration | When users see relevant, targeted display ads, they’re more likely to consider purchasing that product or service. |
| Prompting Conversion | Display ads that provide a clear call-to-action can effectively convert site visitors into customers. |
| Advocating Causes | Display ads can promote or oppose viewpoints, like environmental regulations or tobacco use, to shape public opinion. |
What is display advertising: the three categories of display advertisements?
Display advertising includes three main strategies: placement, context, and remarketing. Each has a purpose and works with the others to achieve marketing goals.
Site placement puts advertisers in control of where their ads appear. They choose sites, pages, and apps where their target audience is found through research.
Contextual advertising ensures a brand’s ads are on relevant sites based on the context. For example, a hotel would be on travel sites while clothing is on fashion blogs. Google determines context through keywords, page structure, audience data, etc. Using their keyword planner when creating ads reaches the right people.
Remarketing displays ads to users who previously interacted with the brand. Advertisers choose who to retarget based on past site visits, purchases, etc. Remarketing reminds people who forgot to complete a purchase. It’s a personalized strategy that can be very effective.
In summary, placement, context, and remarketing each play a role in display advertising. They complement each other in guiding users through the sales funnel from awareness to conversion. Used together, they help advertisers connect with audiences and achieve goals.
Read Also: The Rise Of Ad-Blocking Technology Influenced Digital Advertising Strategies
Introducing Display Advertising
Display advertising is an effective marketing strategy that can strengthen your broader marketing efforts when combined with other tactics. From increasing brand awareness early in the customer journey to enticing returning customers with targeted promotions, display ads are a smart approach at every stage of the customer experience.
To summarize, here are the top 8 benefits of display advertising:
– They have visual appeal.
– They build brand recognition and visibility.
– They enable targeting.
– They facilitate retargeting.
– They reach people on the move.
– They can block competitors.
– They complement other marketing.
– They allow tracking of effectiveness.
In Conclusion
Hopefully this overview has answered “What is display advertising and why is important?” and highlighted the value of display ads within your digital marketing initiatives.
Display advertising is a great way to boost brand awareness and turn prospects into buyers through customizable, personal, and responsive ads. Display ads alongside website content like articles can powerfully communicate your message through images, animations, videos and more.