By eric on 07/27/2016
It goes without saying, but if you’ve used the internet in any capacity, you’ve seen ads. Everywhere you look there are advertisements; on the websites you frequent, before your Youtube videos, even in your search results, with the most common form of these ads being display advertisements.
One of the primary uses for display ads is to retarget or remarket to a potential customer that has visited the website, but didn’t make a purchase. If you view a product on a website, you have just made yourself a target for the company’s remarketing campaign. You’ll start seeing banners and other such ads featuring the same product during your daily browsing, reminding you that you can still go back and finish your purchase. Remarketing tactics include showing ads on certain apps if you accessed their site on mobile and having ads show up as you’re doing follow-up searches.
Promoted posts within your newsfeed is just one example of the current state of display advertising. On Facebook, businesses have the option of promoting a post so it will reach its ideal audience and bring in the largest amount of customers who are likely to buy something. Simply put in a list of applicable keywords, the demographic you’d like to reach, the location of the people that should see it, the duration of how long the ad should run, and how many people you want to see it. Depending on your budget, you could reach a few thousand people or even a few million. The posts will be inserted directly into a person’s news feed with the rest of their daily posts. There is also the option of putting ads in the sidebar, but it’s a gamble since most users focus on their feeds and ignore the sidebar entirely.
Another way to display advertise is through the Google Display Network. The GDN is arguably the best way to reach the largest audience possible. Sites within this network have agreed to show Google AdWords ads on their pages, including display ads. You have the option of choosing where people will see your ad, so start by targeting for the most applicable audience. If you want customers, you need to know the importance of ad placement; know where your potential customers are and put your ad on their favorite sites. If you sell car parts online, put your ad on the most popular car websites and maybe a few applicable forums as well. You’ll be able to appeal to the demographic that is most likely to buy what you’re selling this way.
Display advertising is an incredibly versatile way to advertise. It can take many forms and reach an incredible amount of people if utilized correctly. The old saying of “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true for advertising, so seriously consider adding a display advertising campaign to your business!
