Why Use Banner Advertising?
When it comes to advertising there are many avenues that you can take. There are billboards, flyers, email marketing, and banner advertising just to name a few, and each has its own set of distinct advantages. When it comes to banner advertising, the ability for this form of marketing to provide you with prime placement can be extremely beneficial to your business.
So what exactly is banner advertising and how does it work? Banner ads are also referred to as display ads and the best way to think of them is as a type of digital billboard that uses images to attract attention. The goal of these ads is to grab attention and drive traffic to your site.
A great banner ad will grab the reader’s attention and prompts them to want to learn more about what is being advertised. They are typically brightly colored, welcoming, and use images instead of text to convey their messaging.
A Deeper Look at Banner Advertising
Banner ads can consist of either still images or animated images. A still image banner ad can be a simple photo or visual element that acts just like an ad, however, you can click on the image and are then taken to the advertiser’s page.
On the other hand, an animated banner ad is typically delivered by an ad server. The purpose of an animated ad is the same as for a still image, to drive traffic. These ads are sometimes referred to as a programmatically generated display or a sequential visual, but to keep things simple we will just be referring to them as animated banner ads.
Why Use Banner Advertising
There are quite a few benefits when it comes to using this method of advertising. The first being brand awareness. You can grow your brand’s online presence by using banner advertising, helping people be able to easily recognize your products and services. Another benefit is that this type of advertising is a way to generate leads. These ads will help build your user base by enticing people to sign up to try your product or service or even to join your email list. The last benefit that we want to touch on is that they are a great way to retarget your audience. If someone came onto your website but didn’t purchase your product or sign up for your newsletter, these will work as a reminder that they should!
Banner ads are typically located on websites with high traffic volume or websites that offer useful content. However, when choosing what website to advertise you have to consider more than just traffic volume. Our team at Focused Image works with you to find websites that are within your industry’s niche to advertise on so that your ideal customer is directly targeted.
Creating a Banner Advertising Campaign
Because banner ads are visual there are a few elements that you want to incorporate to make sure the ad is effective.
1. Incorporate a Call to Action
A call to action phrase is what invites prospective customers to learn more about your products and or services. These are the words that get them to click on the ad. Some examples of these phrases are, “Book Now,” “Get Started,” “Contact Us Today.” Adding one of these phrases to your banner prompts viewers to click on the ad and be taken to your site.
2. Use Keywords
We’ve talked about SEO and keywords before and how they can benefit online marketing campaigns.
3. Keep Things Simple
When an ad is crowded it can become overwhelming to web browsers. The most effective ads have minimal amounts of texts, one or two powerful images, and a call to action. Sometimes banner ads don’t even have text or images, but instead just a logo and a call to action. When it comes to banner advertising your ad doesn’t have to be that simple but it doesn’t have to have as much information as you may think. Just one strong sentence is typically more than enough to grab the attention of your audience.
4. Use High-Quality Images
In order to keep your banner advertising professional all visual elements, either a still image or an animated one should be high quality. Moving images are an effective way to keep ads interesting but it is important to know that static images can be just as powerful. These photos should also be brand-related and recognizable so that the images keep your company in your audience’s mind.
5. Add your Brand
It doesn’t matter whether or not you are a small company or a larger one, establishing and having brand awareness is extremely important. This is the identity that customers and potential customers associate you with. This is why including your brand colors and brand logo in your banner ad is vital to your company’s success. If you always use a light blue in your advertising and logo, you should use that same light blue in your banner ad too. If people already know your company they will recognize the ad and be more likely to click on it, which will then boost your click-through rate too!
The Benefits of Banner Advertising
Banner advertising remains a popular and effective way for businesses to promote their brand, products, and services. With the right design and targeting, banner ads can greatly increase brand visibility and attract the attention of potential customers. Let’s dive into the numerous benefits of banner advertising and why it could be a worthwhile consideration for your marketing strategy.
They Promote Brand Awareness
Banner advertising plays a crucial role in promoting brand awareness. With the strategic use of compelling visuals and concise, impactful text, banner ads can grab the attention of viewers, making your brand more memorable. They can be placed on various digital platforms, such as websites, social media, and apps, which broadens your brand’s exposure to diverse audiences. When targeted correctly, these ads can reach potential customers who are interested in your industry or product type, increasing the likelihood of recognition and recall of your brand in the future. This constant exposure can strengthen your brand’s identity and reputation, making it more familiar and recognizable to current and potential customers.
They Are Eye Catching
Banner advertising offers the benefit of being eye-catching. Well-designed banners with vibrant colors, compelling visuals, or creative animation can immediately draw the viewer’s attention, standing out amongst other content. These visually appealing advertisements can increase engagement, encourage clicks, and make a lasting impression on potential customers. The use of eye-catching banner advertisements is an effective way to command attention and generate interest in your products or services.
You Can Track Effectiveness
One of the significant benefits of banner advertising is its capability for real-time tracking and analysis of its effectiveness. Various metrics can be monitored using the analytics provided by most digital platforms, including the number of views your ad has received (impressions), the frequency of clicks (click-through rate), and the sales generated from these clicks (conversion rate). The ability to access this data instantaneously is invaluable, providing insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your banner ad. These insights can then be leveraged to adjust and optimize your strategy, ultimately enhancing the impact of your banner ad and improving your return on investment.
It is Affordable Marketing
Banner advertising is a cost-effective marketing strategy that offers a substantial return on investment. Compared to other forms of digital advertising, banner ads are relatively affordable to create and distribute. They can be strategically targeted to reach specific demographics or broad audiences depending on your marketing objectives, ensuring that your ad spend is utilized effectively. Furthermore, the performance of banner ads can be easily tracked and adjusted in real-time, allowing for ongoing optimization and improved cost-efficiency. This affordability, combined with their potential reach and effectiveness, makes banner advertising an attractive option for businesses of all sizes and budgets.
Attracts Your Target Audience
Utilizing banner advertising is a potent strategy for zeroing in on your target audience. By customizing these ads and placing them strategically, you can directly reach your preferred demographic, taking into account factors like location, age, interests, and browsing habits. Sophisticated tracking technologies, like cookies, allow banner ads to be presented to users who have already shown an interest in your site or similar products or services, thereby increasing the chances of engagement and conversions. Such a targeted strategy ensures your ads are viewed by those who are most likely to be interested in what you offer, leading to an optimized impact of your advertising efforts.
Effective Banner Advertising with Focused Image
One of the best things about digital marketing is that the effectiveness of an ad can be easily measured. With banner ads, the best way to measure the effectiveness is by looking at the click-through rate. The Click-through rate is calculated by dividing the number of users who clicked on the ad by the number of times the ad was displayed. The number that you get is often referred to as impressions.
An example of this is that if an ad has a click-through rate of 9%, that means that out of the 100 impressions delivered the banner was clicked on nine times. The higher the click-through rate, the more effective the advertisement.
Banner advertising is a great way to put your business in front of your targeted audience and our team at Focused Image is here to help! Contact us today for more information about how banner advertising can benefit your business.