The purpose of a display advertisement is to encourage internet users to take a specific action. Marketers place display ads on websites, social media, and other digital platforms to encourage the audience to click-through to a landing page. The idea of display ads is to get your advertising message across in an aesthetically pleasing way to encourage users to take the desired action.
Display ads fall into six broad categories depending on their purpose and method of attracting consumers. All of these types of ads fulfil the purpose of enticing customers to visit your page, using different strategies to fit your needs and budget. We’ll briefly explain each of these types of display advertisements and some of their uses.
Video advertising can refer to ads embedded within a shareable video or a short (one minute or less) video clip advertising a business or promotional clip. These ads usually run on social media networks like YouTube or are shown on networks like The Weather Channel, CNBC websites, and CNN. This type of display ad can be compelling and reach many users at a relatively low cost.
Image ads are a more traditional display advertising and consist of either a landscape, skyscraper, or square image with some text. You can find image display ads displayed primarily on websites. A static banner ad is an example of image advertising. The right image can capture a user’s imagination and promote your product without being overly intrusive. An image banner ad was the first type of display advertising used in 1994, and it had a 44% click-through rate.
We refer to Dynamic or animated banner advertisements as HTML5 ads. Instead of a static image or video, the banner uses animation, grabbing attention and seeming more interactive. HTML5 files have replaced Flash as the preferred method to animate banner ads. The HTML format is highly responsive, looking good on all browsers, operating systems and devices. The animation of HTML5 ads allows you to tell a story without making an expensive video ad.
A lightbox advertisement is a responsive or interactive ad. The ads respond to user input, such as hovering or clicking. They may expand to fill the screen, allow users to tap through a series of images that take them to your landing page, or display videos advertising your product. Lightbox ads can automatically adapt to fill the advertising spaces on a webpage, allowing advertisers to target a specific audience and captivate them.
Native ads blend in with existing content and style on a website by design and don’t look like advertising. Most people consider these subtle ads as non-disruptive. They can take the form of images or videos that blend with the native content of the page or social media feed where they appear. Discovery ads or content recommendations such as ‘read next’ or ‘watch next’ are good examples of native ads. Another example is ads that appear naturally in a social media feed.
Dynamic remarketing ads target previous visitors to your page to tempt them to return and complete a transaction or start a new one. Dynamic remarketing allows you to show products similar to ones that users previously viewed on your app or website to encourage a revisit. The advantage of dynamic remarketing is that it uses products already listed on your page and targets users who have previously searched similar products on your site. Dynamic remarketing is the internet version of a follow-up call to a customer in a physical shop.
