With the continued advancements of technology and proliferation of digital marketing, we are continually influenced by media. Possibly without their awareness, display ads materialize their influence on users, like you, each day. In fact, display ads appear on over three million websites and 650,000 apps, making them a great advertising medium. Statistically, this translates into the average United States user being shown 63 display ads each day, or about 23,000 individual ads each year.
This visibility showcases a significant initiative to create brand awareness, offering the possibility of rapid growth to businesses that take advantage of it. To reap the full benefits of display ads, it is important they are optimized and set up for success. Think of it as creating a story that allows viewers to envision themselves in the reality your service can provide
To best create an enticing story within your display ads:
- Create a concise, yet captivating headline.
- Choose vivid images that help portray a story to viewers.
- Ensure your message is consistent throughout the ad.
- Include a specific call to action.
Creating a Headline
When choosing a headline, it is important to choose a concise, yet captivating message. The headline should show the product you are promoting in a way that interests its viewers to learn more about what you offer. To best do this, avoid common snippets and go for something more unique and enticing. For the purpose of this article, I will use the example of a display ad for a luxury apartment currently leasing. A great headline would be something like “More Than Just a Place to Live,” rather than simply “Apartments for Rent.”
Choosing Images
The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly applicable in the realm of digital marketing. Because it is the first thing viewers of your ad see, it is crucial to choose an image that is visually appealing and has the power to capture their attention. Including vibrant images with multiple facets of what you have to offer is a great practice. For example, if you’re trying to showcase the same luxury apartments, it would be a great choice to include a picture that shows the tile flooring, reserved dining area, and excellent view.
Consistency
With the examples given in the two previous sections, we were able to help paint a picture to those interested in our ad. They were able to see that the apartments offer excellent, luxury amenities; they are much more than just dividing walls. By choosing a captivating headline and image choice, viewers have a good idea of how their life would look if they took advantage of your offer.
Call to Action
Call to actions are buttons within an ad that allow users to learn more. In the previously discussed ad, we might choose various types of CTAs. Some examples are:
- Learn More – This call to action might send users to your website, which has your floor plans and list of amenities to further encourage consideration of living there.
- Apply to Lease Now – This call to action would send users directly to a form that allows them to apply to lease the apartments.
- Call Us to Schedule a Tour Today – This call to action would call the number you provided, allowing users to contact you and schedule a tour.
All of these are great options for creating a call to action to further engage users. Including one is of utmost importance, as it allows for your message to conveniently influence a response.
Putting it Into Action
With your new display ad, you can appear on thousands of websites and apps to users everywhere. Optimizing it in the preceding ways is a great way to make it more than just visible; it allows you to stand out from the vast array of other ads users are served daily.
