Understanding the Types of Online Ads
"The most powerful element in advertising is the truth."
This quote by advertising godfather William Bernbach captures the essence of effective online advertising. While clickbait and exaggeration abound, compelling ads tell the truth, just dressed up to capture attention.
This principle guides modern ad platforms across search, social, and native formats. A well-rounded strategy leverages each:
Search and display ads for broad, targeted reach
Social media ads for credibility and engagement
Native ads for subtle placement alongside trusted content
However, each platform has its own evolving guidelines, making it challenging to keep up. While this multi-platform approach is powerful, keeping up with each platform’s evolving guidelines isn’t easy. That’s why we wrote this guide to help the modern marketer stay on top of the world of online advertising.
In this guide, we’ll cover the different types of online ads, such as search advertising, display ads, native ads, and social media ads. We'll also discover how each ad type can be leveraged to achieve specific marketing goals. We’ll also break down the guidelines for each platform and give you the best practices for each of them.
Let’s get started.
Understanding the Basics of Search Advertising
Over 90% of web journeys begin with search, creating a prime opportunity for advertising at the exact moment someone is looking for something.
This is the basic principle of search ads; your ads connect with users at the moment they're looking for relevant products or services.
Basics of Search Advertising
The big 2 platforms here are Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads). Search ads give you a stage to showcase their offerings through strategically placed text ads on search engine results pages (SERPs).
They are clearly marked as “Sponsored” but offer brands a quick way to the top of search engine results for a specific keyword. Here, Figma, Lucidchart, and Petpooja are all bidding for the keyword “workflow tools”.
These platforms operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their products or services. When users search for these keywords, the platform's algorithm determines which ads to display based on factors such as bid amount, ad quality, and relevance.
Advantages of Search Ads
Search advertising's primary strength lies in its ability to capture high-intent audiences.
Users actively searching for specific products or information are more likely to convert, making search ads an efficient way to drive immediate results.
Keyword-based targeting allows for precise audience segmentation, ensuring ads reach the most relevant users. Make most use of this.
Best Practices
Conduct thorough keyword research using tools like Yarnit’s Keyword Insights feature to identify high-value, relevant search terms.
Craft compelling ad copy that aligns with user intent and includes a clear call-to-action.
Utilize ad extensions like Google Tag Assistant and Moz to provide additional information and increase ad real estate on SERPs.
Implement negative keywords to prevent ads from appearing for irrelevant searches.
Continuously optimize campaigns based on performance data and search trends.
Guidelines for Search Ads
Ensure landing pages are relevant to ad copy and optimized for conversions.
Regularly review and adjust bids to maximize ROI while staying within budget constraints.
Leverage audience targeting options to refine ad delivery based on user demographics and behavior.
Stay informed about platform updates and new features to maintain a competitive edge in the search advertising arena.
To help you get search ads best practices at a glance, we created this infographic.
How Display Ads Work and When to Use Them
Display ads usually have a bad rep, mainly owing to their beginnings as banner and skyscraper ads on less than reputable websites. However, display ads have undergone somewhat of a renaissance thanks to social media, taking up 28.8% of all advertising spend.
As the name suggests, display ads go beyond text, incorporating images, animations, and interactive elements to capture user attention and drive brand awareness.
Basics of Display Ads
Display ads come in various formats, including static images, animated GIFs, and rich media ads with interactive features. These ads are served through extensive networks such as the Google Display Network (GDN), Facebook Audience Network, and LinkedIn Advertising reaching users as they browse content across the internet.
Advantages of Display Ads
Display advertising utilizes both contextual and behavioral targeting to ensure ads are shown to the most relevant audiences.
The visual nature of display ads allows for creative storytelling and brand building.
With the ability to retarget users who have previously interacted with a brand's website or products, display advertising can nurture leads through the sales funnel.
The wide reach of display networks enables advertisers to build brand awareness at scale, often at a lower cost-per-impression than other ad formats.
Best Practices for Display Ads
Design visually striking ads that align with brand guidelines and resonate with the target audience. You can easily scale this up with AI tools like Yarnit’s fine-tuned ads use-cases.
Implement responsive ad designs to ensure optimal display across various device types and screen sizes.
Utilize retargeting strategies to re-engage users who have shown interest in your products or services.
Experiment with different ad formats and placements to identify the most effective combinations.
Tailor your messaging to specific user groups with audience segmentation.
Keep an eye on display ad best practices with this handy cheatsheet:
Making the Most of Social Media Ads
Research shows that people spend about 143 minutes (that's 2 hours and 23 minutes) on social media apps every day. That’s time advertisers can spend targeting their audiences.
From in-feed ads to story ads, social media advertising gives advertisers uncountable opportunities to engage with audiences in the spaces where they spend the most amount of time.
Basics of Social Media Advertising
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok offer in-depth advertising tools that allow brands to reach highly targeted audiences. These platforms leverage user data to enable precise targeting based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even life events.
Ad formats vary across platforms but generally include options like image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and story ads.
Different Types of Social Media Ads
Image Ads: Image ads are the most straightforward type of social media advertising. These advertisements consist of a single image combined with a call-to-action (CTA), headline, and description. They are widely used on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to drive engagement through visual impact and simplicity.
Source: Later Blog
Carousel Ads: Carousel ads enable advertisers to display multiple images or videos within a single ad, each with its own link. This format is effective for showcasing a range of products, highlighting different features or aspects of a product, or telling a story through a series of content.
Slideshow Ads: Slideshow ads are similar to video ads but use a series of static images to create a video-like experience. These ads are a cost-effective alternative to video ads as they require less data to load, making them suitable for reaching audiences with slower internet connections.
Collection Ads: Collection ads are designed to offer audiences an engaging way to discover products. They usually include a cover image or video, followed by several product images. When users tap on the ad, they enter a fullscreen experience where they can explore and purchase products directly.
Stories Ads: Stories ads are short, immersive, full-screen ads that appear between stories on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. They blend seamlessly into the user's story feed and are designed to be viewed in vertical format.
Messenger Ads: Messenger ads appear in the user’s Facebook Messenger app and can initiate interactive engagements with users. These ads can prompt users to start a conversation, make inquiries, or receive personalized customer service directly through the messaging platform.
Sponsored Posts (Native Ads): Sponsored posts, or native ads, are advertisements that match the form and function of the platform on which they appear. They appear as regular posts in users’ feeds but are labeled as “sponsored.” This format is designed to engage users without disrupting their experience.
Best Practices for Social Media Ads
Develop platform-specific content that aligns with each social network's unique user behavior and algorithms. You can refer to Meta’s and LinkedIn’s guidelines here.
Utilize a mix of organic and paid strategies to build a cohesive social media presence.
Make use of platform-specific features like Facebook's Lookalike Audiences or LinkedIn's Account Targeting for advanced targeting.
Use user-generated content and influencer partnerships to enhance authenticity and reach.
Continuously test and optimize ad creative, targeting, and bidding strategies to improve performance.
How to Serve Native Ads for Better Outcomes
Native advertising used to just be promotional content presented in between high-quality content, but the landscape has changed. Intelligent algorithms have begun to present these ads in a more relevant way, skyrocketing CTR up to 5x and making native ads relevant for advertisers again.
Basics of Native Ads
Native ads come in various forms. We’ve already spoken about in-feed ads on social media platforms, but there are other formats like sponsored content on publisher websites, and recommended content widgets which play relevant videos in small boxes.
Platforms like Taboola and Outbrain specialize in distributing native ads across extensive networks of publisher sites. These ads are typically labeled as 'sponsored' or 'promoted' to maintain transparency with users.
Advantages of Native Ads
The primary benefit of native advertising is its ability to overcome 'ad blindness' by presenting promotional content in a format that users are already accustomed to consuming.
Native ads generally present higher engagement rates and a more positive user experience compared to other formats.
Native ads also offer the opportunity for more in-depth storytelling and brand education compared to traditional display ads.
Best Practices for Native Ads
Create high-quality, valuable content that genuinely interests and informs your target audience.
Ensure native ads align closely with the style and tone of the surrounding content.
Use compelling headlines and visuals to encourage clicks, but avoid clickbait tactics that can erode trust.
Use publishers’ smart tools to optimize content distribution and targeting across native ad networks.
Creating a Digital Ad Strategy
Creating an effective ad strategy that makes use of all these platforms can seem daunting. Here’s how you can get started:
Step 1: Start by clearly defining your marketing goals. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Each objective may require a different mix of ad types and platforms. For instance, if brand awareness is your primary goal, a combination of display advertising and social media campaigns might be most effective. For direct response and sales, search advertising and retargeting could be your focus.
Step 2: Understanding your target audience is crucial. Develop detailed buyer personas that go beyond basic demographics to include psychographic factors like interests, values, and online behaviors. This deep understanding will inform your choice of platforms and help you craft messaging that resonates with your audience.
Step 3: Budget allocation is another critical aspect of your strategy. While it's tempting to spread your budget across multiple platforms, it's often more effective to focus on a few key channels where your audience is most active. Start with a modest budget to test and learn, then scale up your investment in the channels that show the best performance.
Step 4: Creative development is where your strategy comes to life. Ensure your ad creatives are not only visually appealing but also aligned with your brand identity and campaign objectives. Develop a variety of ad formats and messages to test what resonates best with your audience. Remember to optimize your creatives for each platform's specific requirements and best practices.
Step 5: Measurement and optimization are key to long-term success. Implement robust tracking and analytics to measure the performance of your campaigns across all channels. Regularly review your data to identify trends, optimize your targeting, and refine your messaging. Be prepared to pivot your strategy based on these insights, continuously improving your digital advertising efforts over time.
Digital Advertising - Key Takeaways
Each ad format and platform offers unique advantages and challenges, requiring marketers to approach their digital advertising strategies with careful consideration and strategic planning.
Remember that digital advertising is not a set-it-and-forget-it endeavor. Continuous testing, optimization, and adaptation are crucial to maintaining and improving performance in an ever-evolving digital ecosystem. Stay informed about emerging trends, platform updates, and technological advancements to ensure your strategies remain cutting-edge and effective.
Before you start your next digital advertising campaign, bookmark and save this article as a valuable resource. Return to it whenever you need guidance on best practices, targeting strategies, or platform-specific insights.
By applying the knowledge and techniques outlined in this guide, and leveraging innovative tools like Yarnit to streamline your content creation process, you'll be well-equipped to drive meaningful results for your brand with digital advertising.
Don’t ignore the opportunities in digital ads and approach it with creativity, strategy, and a willingness to adapt. Start planning your next campaign with confidence, armed with the insights and strategies you've gained from this guide.
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