Display advertising is one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers. It can, however, be challenging to optimize your ads for maximum impact.
What Is The Purpose of Display Advertising?
Optimizing your display ads starts with examining what good display advertising campaigns can bring you. In a nutshell, its main purpose is so that people can see your ad and consider buying your product or service.
Since display advertising can be in text, image, video, or a combination of these three, you can alternate between them so your ads don’t look or feel stale. Not only do they bring you top of mind for your audience, but they also make your website or conversion page accessible. This is crucial so that you are just a click away when they’re ready to buy, eliminating all hurdles in the sales process.
Here are five tips to improve your display ads:
1. Choose a target audience
The first step in creating effective display ads is to choose a target audience. You need to decide who you want to reach and what type of message you want to send.
Depending on your product or service, there may be specific demographics that will show more interest than others. For example, if you sell leadership programs, targeting people around their thirties could be effective since management positions are typically more available to people in this age range.
2. Tailor your ad content to specific demographics and interests
Once you know who you are targeting, the next step is to make sure your display ads are tailored specifically to them. Remember that each person reads and responds to advertising in a different way, so it’s important that your ads reflect this. Prioritize clarity over wordplay, avoid clichés, and include images and videos that will appeal to your target audience.
3. Use effective images and video
You might spend so much time perfecting your copy but when your marketing collaterals (your images and videos) are lackluster, it can similarly deaden the impact of your ad. That’s because in the digital world, attention is as good as gold.
Your images and videos have to pop out from the sea of ads instead of just adding to the clutter online. Besides that, they should convey information and be actionable. Your ads must generate action from the target audience–whether it’s subscribing to your newsletter, enrolling to a course, or downloading a how-to guide.
When choosing which photos or videos to use, keep your target audience and company branding and sales strategy in mind.
For example, if your course targets professionals aspiring to break into the tech industry, your photos must reflect this desire. Images play an important role in display advertising because they can attract attention quickly. When you make someone stop scrolling, you’ve got yourself a win!
4. Research what’s working elsewhere in the market
Take inspiration from ads that are already doing well in your target market. For example, what elements are top MOOCs using to particular segments of their userbase? Take note of the images used, the word choice, the messages ads are giving, etc. When you know what your audience wants—or better yet, what they need—it will help add a personal touch to your ads and make you stand out.
Deep-diving into research will also help you get to know your audience better—and what it will take to convert them. Are they more likely to respond to ads that highlight the benefits of a learning platform? Or maybe appealing to their emotions are better? Knowing this will help you adjust and create display ads that accurately represent the ambition of your students.
5. Test different advertising tactics
Marketing and advertising don’t end once you launch a campaign. Measure results regularly and course-correct where necessary to achieve your target outcomes. A simple goal-setting and quick look at your progress can help you pinpoint your position in the market.
