You’ve undoubtedly noticed all those banner ads that pop up when you go to your favorite websites. Do you ever pay attention to them? Are they just small annoyances that you barely notice anymore?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In a study conducted from August 2016 to April 2017 the average Click Through Rate (CTR) on these unsearched display ads was a measly 0.11%. Meaning most of these ads aren’t doing their job.
If you want to truly reach your target customer there are three mandatory rules to follow to get them to give you those clicks. Let’s discuss your banner ads’ best practices.
Pictures Make an Impact
If it makes sense, use an image that will grab attention while generating a feeling. As humans, we just notice images before copy. Our eyes are drawn to them, can’t help it. So don’t fight it, let the images do the work for you.
Say you’re a digital marketing company, instead of showing an image of a computer or a dude in a suit, use an image that works with your ad, but is alluring. Maybe someone sitting on a train with their laptop open and headphones on, or cat paws on a keyboard. Do something fun that will get you noticed.
You want to pull the customer in. So don’t use boring stock photos!
Lay It On ‘Em
Your copy should be precise and direct. There’s not enough space for you to romanticize your whole sales pitch and frankly, no one would read it anyway.
Create copy that tells the customer what they’ll be getting when they give you the click and do it with some brand personality. Maybe an image just doesn’t make sense for a particular ad. Use your company colors or logo in an impactful, cool way instead.
So if you’re looking to get the customer to download a whitepaper, just tell them that in the ad. Or if you want them to sign up for an event you’re hosting, tell them that in the ad. The customer should not be trying to figure out what exactly you’re selling them.
So be to-the-point, and if you can show some personality (through images, colors, branding, even copy) go for it, but don’t forget that your play on words may be cute to some and unprofessional to others. Your ad isn’t the place to get overtly crafty.
And don’t forget you’ll have your CTA to do some heavy lifting for you, too. Speaking of…
Your Call-To-Action
Sounds crazy-obvious, but make your CTA clear. You’re not paying for an ad to just let your customers know you exist. You want them to do something, so be sure they get that.
Users are constantly bombarded with ads and it’s important that they understand the relevance of yours and why you’re beneficial to them. Without a smartly placed and readable CTA, you’ll lose that.
Including a button or arrow that states exactly what you want your customer to do, is the best way to go. This tells them clearly that they’ll be taken to a new landing page or website.
And of course, stay on brand, use wording or direction that makes sense with the rest of your ad. People like consistency, so use that knowledge to your advantage. And make sure your customer knows why they want to click, what’s your value to them?
Winning At Digital Ads
Keeping these three factors in mind, you’re well on your way to nailing your banner ad game.
Keep your images entertaining, yet telling, and your copy and CTA clear and direct, while staying true to your brand. And just like that, you have an ad that your customer not only notices, but is eager to click on.
If you’d like to step up your banner ads (and other advertisements), we’re right here to help. At Denver PPC, we have a stellar expert team that is ready to optimize your campaigns and increase those leads you absolutely love. Contact us today if you’d like us to give you a PPC audit!
