Display advertising has come a long way. Initially, internet-based advertisements were created to help marketers measure advertisement impacts, entice buys and connect with users. That said, the question of customer influences has come into effect. Do customers respond more to online display advertising or search advertising?
In recent history, Sunil Gupta, Harvard Business School professor, initiated research surrounding online display advertising and its incredible growth. A lot of his work can be found on the Harvard Business School’s website, focusing on display advertisements and today’s leading analytic technologies.
Banner Ads and Evolving Advertisement Initiatives
While search ads are one of the most measurable forms of online advertisement, they require in-depth search query analysis. Display ads, meanwhile, are more visible. They’re less likely to create direct clicks, but they’re responsible for raising brand awareness, product attraction and consumer retention.
That said, the display advertisement can be tracked analytically. Display advertising can be measured over time, resulting in a business’s ability to do the following:
- Adjust budgets
- Track buyer trends
- Consider new products
- Target new audiences
When used effectively, these practices can change a buyer’s purchasing decisions. Data can be used to “convert” customers, assuming a display advertisement is clicked upon. In fact, many business providers rely on historical data to make a lot of spending predictions.
All About Search Clicks
Because a business’s display advertising banners, content and media can drive buyers down the purchasing funnel, it’s also responsible for exposing them to search ads. More importantly: It initiates more clicks, gains more customers and helps business operators understand the data behind display advertisement, itself.
All-new display advertising targeting options are here, and they’re evolving at a rapid pace. In the past, display advertising wasn’t terribly effective. New targeting analytics, however, have made age-old display advertisement initiatives far more valuable.
First, keyword targeting was a bit hit. Soon after, interest targeting was trending. Remarketing initiatives soon took off, resulting in many experts focusing on hyper-specific display advertisement designs. A lot of pay-per-click advertisement initiatives used classic email marketing approaches, though marketers needn’t be worried about unsubscribed readers.
How are Analytic Technologies Used?
In display advertising, business marketers can examine trends, data and recorded user experiences in a variety of ways. Among these—and, admittedly, one of the most popular—is Google’s Display Network. Display Network websites, currently, reach over 90 percent of the Internet’s users.
Marketers using the Display Network can use targeting practices to display website advertisements in specific contexts. They can additionally separate audiences based upon the following categories, and more:
- Location
- Age
- Buyer Personas
- Previous purchases
Google’s Display Network has a partner: Search Network. Both are contained within Google AdWords. When business operators decide to advertise via the Search Network, they can place various text-based advertisements within search engine results. Then, they can empower their display ads by checking the Display Network for ad network “real estate.”
Why Do People Use Display Advertising Networks?
There’s been a lot of hesitation towards accessing Google’s Display Network. That said, professionals such as Sergey Rusak, Paid Search Strategist, consider impressions to be paramount in the digital marketing world. To him, display advertising is the new “local newspaper or a highway billboard.” Fortunately, today’s advertisers don’t need to spend thousands of dollars. They can promote their brand, avoid expensive fees and use technologies similar to Google’s Display Network.
Remarketing with Online Display Advertising
Many experts agree that remarketing is a common goal of online display advertising campaigns. When it comes to various display network initiatives, the ability to constantly shift towards ever-changing markets is vital. Remarketing can occur when a business looks at its website’s cookies. These cookies log a website’s visitors, helping providers follow them through other websites. If a consumer has expressed legitimate interest in your business, tracking them can create a future of buyer excitement.
Managed Placement Technology
In 2017, quite a few digital marketers use managed placements to target users. Often, managed placement technology grants advertisers granular control over each display advertisement’s placement. By using topic marketing tools, Google’s tools and relevancy-targeting tools, you can pinpoint conversions, determine new strategies and save quite a lot of money.
By identifying between five and 10 domains, a business can redirect relevant products and services. Then, they can dish out new display advertisements crafted for relevancy. The display advertising world is huge. In fact, experts believe it reaches 90 percent of the United States per day. For this reason, display advertising pros are careful with their budgets.
Visuals and Direct Downloads
Display ads, in 2017, heavily utilize “Download Now” options, too. While the text is important, imagery prompts this Download Now craze. A proper display advertisement is simple, easy to read and visual. Download Now display advertisement strategies work well, as customers can be tracked not only through their click behaviour—but through their online dedication to a business’s digital service.
Exploring Advertisements with VR
Online display advertising won’t stop evolving. In all likelihood, it’ll adapt to virtual reality and augmented reality. In fact, big companies are already using virtual advertisements to create immersive advertisements.
Products like Google Cardboard and the Oculus Rift, for example, offer incredibly advertisement accessibility while prompting direct engagement. The advertising world is hopping aboard immersive, highly-engaging campaigns. It’s also targeting videogames first. A recent example of this is Mariott’s virtual gateway experience. Customers were invited to digital worlds, beautiful locations and a taste of future exploration. Because powerful display advertisement campaigns evoke emotions via the senses, such initiatives are incredibly effective.
Other Bright Futures
While virtual reality and augmented reality advertisements are coming, they’re not the only innovations upon the horizon. In-vehicle display advertisements are a likelihood, too, showing drivers safe, digestible advertisements near their stereo. Technology like the Microsoft HoloLens has made online display advertisement virtually limitless.
Again, data collection is a huge part of online display advertising. Today’s data collectors are tomorrow’s bankers, and buyers are expressing their interests in many new, unique advertisement strategies. If companies want to expand their display advertisement abilities, they’ll need to cater to the audience’s excitement.
On Security and Non-Intrusion
While online display advertising may seem like a no-restrictions game, plenty of security and privacy regulations protect users from online information-gathering services. In fact, a lot of today’s publishers and advertisers are changing domain names and server-side advertisement rendering options. By using standardized APIs, marketers can use publishing systems which seamlessly operate with advertisement networks.
In the near future, we’ll probably witness non-intrusive, streamlined display advertisements which are deeply connected to the content. Privacy, too, will get better—allowing advertisers the ability to target users without sacrificing buyer integrity. The way data is processed, now, is still relatively safe, but it still carries a few quirks.
Inspiring, entertaining ads, of course, are the main goal. A lot of business marketers write, rewrite and update online display advertising options—and for good reason. Creative, engaging content wins. While virtual reality, and truly immersive advertisement experiences, are slow to evolve, their very existence has helped businesses redefine the advertisement world. Image-rich display advertisements, still, seemingly rule the Internet. Alongside mobile advertisement, however, innovative display advertisement campaigns are constantly searching for new formats, new additions and new ways to inspire the customers responsible for their ongoing success and creativity.
