With people spending more and more time on the internet, it’s crucial that you’re using online advertising in order to reach your ideal customers. However, the online world is ever-evolving; there are a variety of ways to promote your message that all have their own benefits so it can be confusing knowing the right type of advert to use for your business.
So if the thought of online advertising puts your head in a spin, we’ve created the quick guide below to the different types of adverts to help you understand the most effective ways to make use of your budget.
1) Banner adverts
These are banner-style adverts that are typically found on other websites. The key benefit of this type of advertising is that you can target people browsing particular websites suited to your business depending on their age, location or interests for example. Think about who your ideal customers are and target them specifically online so that your adverts are seen by those who are more likely to buy from you.
You also have the opportunity to make your adverts visually strong to capture people’s attention. Coupled with effective targeting, a visually appealing advert can help to drive people to take action such as clicking through to your website. If this is your goal, remember to ensure your landing page matches your advert creative; this way, it provides a consistent journey for the user which is easily identifiable from the advert they clicked on.
Ideal for: Businesses on a small budget; it’s a relatively low-cost way to raise awareness and focus your budget on those more likely to buy from you.
2) Web page takeover
This is another form of advertising on other websites, except it’s more than just a banner slot - you are literally taking over a specific webpage with your branding, which helps to create more impact and gives you huge, immediate exposure.
Another key benefit of a web page takeover is the fact that it will be used solely to promote your business. With banner slots, competitors may also appear alongside your adverts so if you’re wondering how to win customers from competitors online, a web page takeover is a great way to do this by displaying your ads and only your ads for a period of time.
Ideal for: Generating sales; the exclusivity of this type of advertising helps to grab a visitor’s attention instantly and drives action without distraction. If you’d like to give online advertising a try, check out our product page which gives more information on how to get started.
3) Sponsored content, also known as native advertising
Native adverts are usually found as articles on websites designed to look like regular content on the site (hence the term “native”), however there should be clear signposting to show that it is a paid-for post. Therefore, it is more subtle as a form of online advertising in comparison to banner ads or web page takeovers. The main aim of this type of advertising is to raise awareness of your business and educate readers demonstrating your expertise to establish your business as reliable and trustworthy in your local community.
Ideal for: Those wanting to establish their reputation and stand out from competitors; sharing content that is informative and useful enables you to raise awareness of your local business so that you’re more likely to become a person’s first choice when they look to buy products or services that you can provide. Our own sponsored content service can help you get started with native advertising.
4) Google AdWords
Google AdWords adverts are designed to help you get found when people are searching online for products and services that your business can offer. Getting in the mindset of your customers is key with this type of advertising so think about the different phrases and words they might use to search for your type of business. For example, people looking for a florist might use search terms such as ‘rose flower bouquets’ or ‘where to buy flowers in Derby’. Keep these phrases in mind and use them to help your business appear prominently in Google search results.
Ideal for: Generating sales; people searching for products and services on Google are a key audience to tap into as they are already in the market to buy. However, it is very time intensive, so it’s often a good idea to get external help to manage it for you, like our own Google AdWords service.
5) Facebook adverts
As Facebook now has 44.84 million active users in the UK (Social Shepherd, 2023), the social media giant is a great opportunity to reach a wider audience. By advertising on Facebook, you can target people's news feeds based on their location, interests, behaviour and more which helps to engage followers through likes and shares, as well as driving people to your website and other key actions.
Ideal for: Raising awareness and engaging customers; the social media platform is a great way to appeal to people already engaged with Facebook itself by advertising in a way that isn’t intrusive to users and drives interest to your business. However, it can take time to target your ads effectively, but there are services out there to help like our own Facebook Advertising product.
As you can see, there is a wide variety of options when it comes to online advertising, but hopefully this article can help guide you on the best solution for your business’s goals. However, to really know what’s best for you, give them a try, monitor performance and see what’s most successful - you’ll soon be thriving in an online world.
To find out more about the importance of online advertising and how it can benefit your local business, read the following articles:
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