5 Ways to Rock Your Banner Ads
Banner advertising on the internet first began in 1994. According to Digiday, the first banner was placed on Wired Magazine’s digital affiliate HotWired, and so began the digital marketing revolution. A banner ad is a digital advertisement placed on a website. They can appear in a variety of shapes and sizes, but typically feature a brand, message and call to action.
Selling banner ads serves as a source of revenue for website owners, but is also a way to create brand awareness and generate leads for advertisers. In Q1 2019, revenue from digital advertising reached a landmark high of over $28 billion.
To find success with banner ads, follow these five best practices for banner ads.
Feature the brand. Probably the number one benefit of banner ads is that they get website users curious about your brand and they grow brand recognition. Make sure your logo is prominently displayed on the ad for your brand to be seen.
Use an eye-catching image. Website users aren’t surfing the web looking for great banner ads, so the image used needs to catch the eye. Consider a colorful image, a funny or interesting image. Whatever image you use, the goal is not to distract and annoy, the goal is to grab the user’s attention. Keep within your brand and don’t go to extremes, or you may risk looking like spam.
Less is more. As mentioned above, the goal of a banner ad is to drive curiosity, so leave some information yet to be discovered. Banner ads are typically limited in space, and so the text on them should be limited as well. If you are in an industry that requires lengthy disclosures, consider how to increase curiosity and drive users to a landing page for more information and the important disclosures.
Call them to action. Every banner ad should have a strong call to action. What do you want them to do? Consider using strong statements like “Get your free widget now” or “Get Started” versus “Learn More” or other passive actions. Then, link them directly to the place where they can take that action.
What’s next? After clicking on the banner ad, a best practice is to send the user to a landing page. Be sure to create an informational and engaging landing page to drive the sale, or make clear the next action they should take. Make sure the experience from banner ad to landing page is expected and cohesive.
Looking to grow your marketing mix with banner ads? B2E can help you target and place your digital ads to ensure the greatest impact. Contact us today to discuss digital targeting strategies.
