Effective Display Advertising |
| Written by Stephanie Theisen |
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There have been many trends in online display advertising over the last few years. At first, it seemed to be a growing trend and the future of advertising. In order to promote this trend, the Interactive Advertising Bureau standardized sizes for ads in 2001. While this made it easier to buy and create ads, it has led to problems with networks buying space in bulk and driving down prices as well as making ads dull and unexciting. Several years ago, one of the most attractive features of online display ads was the ability to track success by counting clicks. This has proved to be an inaccurate way of determining more important effects of the ad like branding and quality of clicks. Many companies have decided to spend their online advertising dollars on search engine marketing instead of display ads. Despite the shift in the way advertisers think about and use online advertising, display ads are still being used effectively by some companies. In order to determine if an online display ad is effective, without behind the scenes data like brand image or click-throughs, it is necessary to determine some general factors that make an online ad effective. One important factor and the main reason that advertisers are shifting to search engine marketing is relevance. Companies want to place ads where they are relevant to the content on the page or what the user might be interested in. These ads also are more effective when they are part of a larger campaign that includes other forms of online or traditional advertising. As mentioned previously, these ads should be used to convey the brand image and story and if possible, measured and tracked for impression as well as click-throughs. They should be creative and eye catching, but not annoying. This is easier said than done, but many companies are finding that using interactive media works better when the action or sound is user initiated or the ads feature celebrities. Non-standard size and placement is also becoming more important, since so many people have gotten used to tuning out standard ads. Many sites, like MSNBC.com are converting their ad space to non-standard sizes, which forces advertisers to create ads specifically for them and buy the space directly from them. Companies are also finding that the online ads work well when backed up by emails. If a company advertises on a site that sends emails out to users, they might want to consider renting their email list or advertising in the emails sent out by the site. Another key factor for success is targeting people in ‘buying mode’. Online ads tend to work better when people are on a site to buy products or the products advertised are ones that the consumer is used to purchasing online. Online advertising continues to grow as a whole, even though display ad sales continue to decline. Online display ads can be a useful tool when they are placed on the right sites at the right time, are noticeable and well placed on the page, look appealing or interesting, reinforce brand image, and work with a larger campaign. Advertisers have to invest the time, money and research into making sure that their display ads efforts are organized and well planned. Through these efforts they can achieve their advertising goals and reach the right audience. Sources: Bannan, Karen J. "Mix e-Mail with Online Ad Efforts; Display Ads can Help Prepare Potential Customers for a Focused Campaign." B to B September 29 2008: 27. |