Display Advertising – Best Practices

Are you planning to launch your display ad campaign? Well, there are a few things you should be aware of before you do!

We all live in a world where everything is primarily done online. People do a variety of things online, including jobs, dating, and shopping. Businesses are now using online advertising to attract prospects, expand their operations, and improve their online brand visibility. Therefore, digital marketers have also picked up on this trend.

Display advertising has grown in popularity and is a highly visual format that has the potential to grab your audience’s attention right away. These advertisements provide a number of marketing advantages, such as brand consistency and metric tracking. PPC or Pay Per Click Campaigns can be enhanced by using display advertisements by using eye-catching unique designs that differ from the typical text-only ads. Display advertising may be provided by advertising companies as a cost-effective marketing strategy that can give the results you want.

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What are display ads/display advertising?

A display ad, commonly referred to as a banner ad, is a type of paid internet advertising that primarily uses visual elements. So, display advertising is a type of online advertising that combines visual formats with text and is presented on various applications.

These ads are typically seen on social media platforms, websites, and mobile apps. Along with the words, these advertisements frequently include an image or a professionally created graphic. Working with a display ad network can help you achieve the best outcome, an interactive display that motivates users to interact with the advertisement.

Although there are many more, Google has its own Google Display Network. The aesthetics and placement of these ads set them apart from paid search ad campaigns developed through Google Ads or other search engine platforms. This type of advertising strategy serves to improve online brand presence, customer engagement, and conversion rates. It has an impact on small companies with limited advertising resources.

Advantages of display advertising:

For businesses, display advertising has several advantages. Display ads are excellent for grabbing your audience’s attention through a variety of online channels and improving audience response by pointing them in the direction of a clear call to action (CTA). Display advertisements help your business make the best first impression possible by providing some of the best benefits, which are listed below:

1. It is visually appealing:

GIFs, videos, and images that are stylized to match your brand and overarching campaign theme are used in display advertising to keep the audience interested. According to industry research, 91% of viewers prefer visual content to written content. As a result, a highly visual display advertising campaign will help you connect more effectively with your target audience and entice them to continue interacting with your company.

2. An effective targeting strategy:

The PPC approach is used to distribute display adverts via the display advertising network, and you can choose how you reach out to your target audience. You can alter the ad details based on the preferences of the intended audience.

Age, gender, the buyer’s interest, location, and the time of day with the most online activity are among the targeting criteria for display advertising. Retargeting the display advertising with an extensive remarketing list is made possible by platforms like Google Adwords and Google Analytics. Retargeting tactics can aid in converting prior site visitors who abandoned a particular purchase or call to action (CTA) during their first visit.

Pre-configured audience segments are available, including “users who completed transactions” and “returning users.” As an alternative, you can start fresh with a new segment based on audience profiles, which might simplify your targeting tactics.

3. The visibility of the brand improves

A brand’s exposure to a larger audience can be increased by using display advertising to connect with lots of individuals on various websites. In light of the fact that display advertising may be tailored to particular demographics, interests, and behaviors. This implies that a company can target its advertisements to individuals who are more likely to be interested in its goods or services.

By exposing the brand’s messaging, colors, and emblem to a larger audience, it can aid in increasing brand recognition. Retargeting customers who have already interacted with a business is another use for display advertising. Advertising to people who have already expressed interest in a company can increase the likelihood that those people will become customers.

4. Cost-effective

Display advertising offers adaptable pricing structures, such as cost-per-impression (CPM) and cost-per-click (CPC), that let companies customize their ad campaigns and get results at a reasonable price. With the help of this capability, businesses may plan and tailor the amount of advertising needed to fit their unique campaign requirements.

Display ads give crucial metrics like CPC (Cost Per Click) and CTR(Click Through Rate), which have been beneficial in enabling successful programmatic marketing campaigns that result in a positive return on investment (ROI), despite having a lower entry cost than other advertising channels.

Types of display advertisements:

Businesses may use a variety of ads in display advertising to interact with their audience, including animated videos, interactive elements, and static images. Businesses can think about combining various display ad types in order to vary advertising campaigns and promote client engagement. Instead of contrasting banner advertisements with native ads or display ads with native ads, companies could combine various techniques to get the best results.

1. Banner Ads:

In banner ads, eye-catching images like logos, graphics, and textual copy are used to draw in viewers. Interested site visitors can click on the image integrated with a hyperlink to go to the brand’s landing page. GIFs and animations can be used in interactive banner advertising, which are useful for promoting products, events, or limited-time deals.

2. Interstitial Ads:

To capture the audience’s attention and leave a lasting impression, rich media display ads use dynamic visual components with sound, videos, and photos. They may also incorporate interactive elements like surveys and flash games. Pop-ups appear and occupy the entirety of the page or app screen, requiring users to engage with the ad in order to proceed. This can be achieved by either closing the ad or clicking on the call-to-action (CTA).

3. Video Ads:

Given that 91% of consumers desire to see more video content from brands, video advertisements are among the most well-liked sorts of display advertisements. Interested viewers can click on the non-linear video ad to access the company’s landing page and engage with the business. Video ads typically run alongside video content in a smaller format to avoid interfering with the viewing experience.

4. Native ads:

Native advertisements are specifically created to mix with the internal brand idea, resulting in an online campaign that is seamless. Native advertisements blend seamlessly with the rest of the online channel’s design without being distracting, unlike banner and rich media ads that stand out to grab attention. Because non-native display ads could be recognized as such, they might have a lower click-through rate (CTR).

5. Remarketing ads:

Online advertisements that target consumers who have already interacted with a website, app, or brand are referred to as remarketing or retargeting ads. By showing pertinent advertising to people across the web, social media, and other digital platforms, these advertisements seek to re-engage customers who have already expressed interest in the brand or its products.

For instance, a website can utilize remarketing advertisements to show customized adverts to a user who visits the site but leaves without buying anything, reminding them of the things they were interested in and enticing them to come back to the site and complete the purchase.

Remarketing ads are often made utilizing information from analytics systems for websites or mobile apps, which monitor user behavior and activities including pages visited, goods seen, or items added to a shopping cart. Based on the user’s prior activity and interests, this data is utilized to develop tailored adverts that are more likely to connect with the user.

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Best Practices for Display Advertising:

By learning about the strategies used by competitors and focusing on consumers that are interested in your brand’s offering, you can optimize your display ad campaigns. Finding the right platform for extending your audience’s reach can benefit from your knowledge of display advertising networks.

Therefore, you need put best practices into effect in order to maximize the benefits of display advertising and expand your business. Here are a few things to bear in mind while running display advertising campaigns. Your marketing approach will be more successful if you follow these best practices.

1. Target the right audience:

It’s crucial to first determine your ideal client persona and carry out research to have a better understanding of your audience in order to achieve successful targeting in your advertising. Displaying your advertising on websites with content that matches the targeted keywords is known as keyword targeting. While demographic targeting focuses on focusing on consumers based on their demographic profile, placement targeting allows you to choose which websites you want your adverts to display on.

Topic targeting entails choosing websites that are relevant to a given topic, while display targeting involves presenting advertising based on user search queries.

2. Keep in mind the experience of your audience:

For audience attention and engagement, the display ads’ technical excellence is essential. A 5-second delay can result in up to 19.24% of site visitors leaving a site, and technical problems like ad delays and repeating adverts can increase the rate at which people leave your website.

The audience experience can be enhanced by incorporating adaptable ad scaling frameworks that take into account various screen sizes. Your display ads’ efficacy can be increased by keeping track of important indicators and comparing performance to current trends in display advertising.

3. Implement a simple design with a clear CTA

Simplicity is key when it comes to display ad design. A clear and concise design featuring your unique brand elements can create an engaging touchpoint without overwhelming your audience. Strong calls to action are also essential for successful display advertising campaigns, with a clear and prominent CTA promoting a clear follow-up action.

When using display advertising, it’s critical to utilize a straightforward design with a distinct call to action (CTA), since this contributes to the creation of an effective ad that can draw in your target market. Your ad may stand out from the competition with a clean, straightforward design that incorporates distinctive brand features like color schemes and typography without saturating your viewers with unnecessary details.

In order to direct the audience towards the intended action, whether it be subscribing to a newsletter, making a purchase, or visiting a website, a clear CTA is also essential. To make it simple for the audience to recognize and interact with the CTA, it should be noticeable and visually distinct from the rest of the advertisement. Your display advertising’ chances of generating conversions can be raised by using a straightforward design and a crystal-clear call to action.

4. Create a unique ad that stands out:

It is vital to make sure that your ideal leads see your display ad and act on it. In order to create a good display ad, content and design are essential.

An emotional response from your target audience can be elicited by using excellent images that successfully express your message. To ascertain which design components, such as background color or font selections, your audience responds to the most, it is also crucial to do A/B testing.

Additionally, different variations of the same ad copy can be served to different segmented audiences using programmatic advertising. Last but not least, writing succinct ad content that conveys a feeling of urgency and leaves the audience curious might be a useful strategy to encourage engagement and action.

5. Use a set of KPIs to measure the success of your display ads

Measure the success of your display advertising campaigns using a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to make sure that your brand message is constant, affordable, and optimized across all channels.

The following KPIs are frequently used by advertising professionals, including creative ad agencies and full-service advertising firms, to track and manage the success of their display advertising initiatives:

1. Audience Reach:

This indicator displays the quantity of distinct views and the regularity with which your display adverts are exposed to a particular audience. You may monitor the performance of your ongoing campaign and make wise decisions to meet your audience reach objectives by analyzing audience reach.

2. Impressions:

Impressions are the total number of digital views that a piece of online material, like a native ad or banner, receives. This metric is important since it measures audience outreach; a low score can indicate subpar keyword performance or other problems that call for more action.

3. Click Through Rate (CTR):

The effectiveness of your advertising campaign is determined by the click-through rate (CTR), a metric that counts the number of clicks per impression. The formula (Total Clicks on Ad) / (Total Impressions) = Click-Through Rate can be used to determine your ad’s CTR.

4. Conversion rate:

Another crucial indicator that determines the amount of conversions per ad interaction is conversion rate, which is expressed as a percentage. This aids in your comprehension of the effectiveness of your display advertisement in generating sales.

5. Cost:

When evaluating the effectiveness of your display advertising efforts, cost is another crucial factor to take into account. One mille equals 1,000 views, and advertisers commonly use cost per mille (CPM) to calculate impressions. Your ad targeting strategies and the platform you choose will affect the cost of your advertising. You can assess the effectiveness of your advertising strategy by computing your advertising cost.

6. Rich media must be explored:

Rich media advertisements use interactive components like audio, video, Flash, and expandable formats when the mouse is hovered over, setting them apart from conventional static display advertisements. These elements can aid in drawing in and holding the interest of your target market.

Rich media investments may incur additional costs, but when done well, they can yield a large return on investment (ROI). Particularly, video material has grown in favor in multimedia advertising. However, it’s important to take sound levels into account, as more than 66% of American internet users find ads with loud noise annoying. Outstream video advertisements that allow users to mute and unmute videos with a single tap are growing in popularity as a result.

7. Create Optimized landing pages:

You should make sure that the landing page is pertinent, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly when creating optimal landing pages for your display adverts. The following are some guidelines to follow:

• Consistency: Make sure that the messaging and visuals of your display ad are consistent with the design and content of your landing page. Visitors will remain interested and the user experience will be constant as a result.
• Ensure simplicity: On your landing page, stay clear of clutter and other distractions. To increase conversions, concentrate on a single call-to-action (CTA) and a clear, succinct message.
• Optimize for mobile: Make sure your landing page is responsive and has a fast loading time for mobile devices.
• Test: Utilize A/B testing to experiment with various CTAs, message, and landing page designs. Examine the findings to see what appeals to your audience the most, then make necessary corrections.

It is crucial to create optimal landing pages because they increase the efficiency of your display ad campaigns. By delivering a concise and pertinent message, lowering bounce rates, and enhancing user engagement, a well-designed landing page may increase conversions. You can give the consumer a seamless experience that will build their trust in your business and eventually result in more conversions by matching the ad’s messaging and design.

8. Remarketing benefits should be considered:

Remarketing is a useful tool to retain in your marketing arsenal because it can offer a cost-efficient approach to stay at the top of potential clients’ minds. Remarketing delivers exposure that is almost completely free and has a higher clickthrough rate than paid search, albeit it may not be as effective.

But with third-party cookies being taken out by 2024, remarketing is also evolving. Focusing on alternative retargeting strategies is crucial in order to get ready for this transformation. Google is working on FLEDGE, a privacy sandbox idea that will let you target past website visitors without jeopardizing their browsing history. FLEDGE stands for First Locally-Executed Decision over Groups Experiment.

To obtain a competitive edge, it’s critical to quickly adopt innovative alternatives given that 83% of marketers now rely on third-party cookies. Before third-party cookies are gradually phased away, you can increase your market share over time by reacting to new strategies.

9. Never take brand authenticity for granted

Brand authenticity is vital to gain the trust of your audience. Make sure your brand’s mission, values, and messaging are consistent throughout all of your advertising initiatives. This develops a unified brand identity that connects with and inspires trust in your target market.

Use high-quality visuals. Pick images and videos featuring real people using or engaging with your product to best reflect your brand and product. Avoid utilizing stock photos that are too generic and might not adequately capture the essence of your company. Then make sure you do personalized targeting. Tailor your display advertising to each target audience member’s unique interests and behaviors using data-driven insights. For the user, this results in a more genuine and pertinent experience.

Include user-generated content in your display advertising, including client testimonials or posts on social media that highlight your product. Potential customers will feel more trusted as a result, creating social proof. Most importantly be transparent to win the trust of your audience. Be open and honest about your company’s principles, methods, and product specifications. This promotes trust and establishes the credibility of your brand.

By keeping these elements in mind, you can create display advertisements that truly represent your brand, resonate with your target audience, and boost engagement and conversion rates. This will help your brand come off as authentic.

10. Understand display ad sizing:

Understanding how each type of ad appears may make the process of developing and executing your campaign simpler, whether you decide to employ static image advertising or RSAs.The display ad size has an impact on how your advertisement will appear on various platforms and devices. Choose the ideal size for your display ad to guarantee that it is displayed correctly and grabs the attention of your target audience. Display advertising come in a variety of sizes and dimensions.

Your ad should be tailored to each of the many display sizes available on different devices and platforms. You can make sure that your ad matches the space provided and seems visually appealing on any device or platform by utilizing the proper display ad size. Better engagement, greater click-through rates, and eventually higher conversion rates can result from this.

According to Google, image ads won’t change or adapt to different ad spots; they will display precisely as you upload them. RSAs, on the other hand, will automatically shrink to fit the display area. These advertisements rely more on Google’s machine learning tools, which are used to enhance the ad assets’ performance on the Display Network. Not adhering to the size requirements may result in rejection of the display ad.

Final Words:

Ultimately, a display ad that has been properly tuned can effectively engage and keep your target audience, offering precision, affordability, and consistency for maximum impact. You can advertise your products or services without impairing online user experience by utilizing a number of display ad types. This will generate attention while upholding a strong brand image.

Choose the right type of display ad as per your needs and make sure to follow these practices to win the attention of your audience. The purpose of display ad best practices is to guarantee that advertisements are created and delivered as efficiently as possible. Ad performance, including click-through rates, conversions, and return on investment, can be improved by adhering to these best practices.

Regardless of the platform they are presented on, following display ad best practices may assist guarantee that the ads are consistent and of a high caliber. This can improve the reputation of the brand while also fostering audience trust and credibility.

**The primary author of this article is our contractual staff writer – Sakshi John.