Digital advertising networks are online advertising services that connect advertisers with publishers (publishers usually being website owners). Here, you pay a certain amount per view, or “impression,” of your advert. It’s the same principle as buying space on a billboard or in a magazine, except it’s done online using digital ads. So, there are several different digital ads out there, each with its strengths–and weaknesses–depending on what type of advertiser you are and what kind of audience you’re trying to reach. However, it would be best if you were careful before approaching an agency that promises to increase the reach of your websites, as some of them commit ad fraud. They use bots to drive traffic to your website.
Banner, Button and Skyscraper Ads
Banner ads are the most common type of digital ad, and they’re designed to be rectangular. They can be static or animated and placed on a web page, in an email or in an app. Meanwhile, buttons are banner ads that direct users to more information about a product or service.
- Static banner ads: These are rectangular, with images and text that appear on top of your site’s content. They don’t move, so they’re suitable for branding but not for conversions (since they distract users from clicking).
- Animated banner ads: These use animation to attract and get users’ attention. They’re usually too distracting for conversion purposes but great for branding if you have a compelling message to convey through the animation (like an explainer video).
Interstitial Ads
Interstitial ads are full-page ads that appear in the middle of a user’s journey. They’re used to get users to click on the ad or close it and return to the content they were viewing. These ads can be used for branding, lead generation or sales.
Native Ads
Native ads are content similar to the platform on which it is being displayed. For example, an ad for a new movie might be displayed on a film review website, or a coupon for a clothing store could be shown on a blog about fashion.
Native ads are becoming more common, especially in this digital age of social media and mobile devices. But if you become a victim of ad fraud, you may not have organic growth.
Video Ads
Video ads are becoming more popular as advertisers see the value in video content. They can be used for brand awareness, engagement and direct response. Video ads have an average completion rate of 55% and a viewable time of 38%, which is higher than any other type of ad format (according to eMarketer). So, people choose to watch videos over different ads because they offer more information about the advertised product or service.
Popup and Popunder Ads
Pop-up and popunder ads are two types of advertising that can be used to generate more conversions. They are both annoying, but pop-ups are more intrusive and can be blocked. Pop-ups and popunders are effective because they are unexpected, which makes them stand out from other forms of online advertising. So, there may be better choices than these two ad formats if you want to drive traffic to your site or increase brand awareness, but they’re great for growing clickthroughs from certain pages on your website (e.g., product pages).
You hopefully have a better idea of which type of ads to use now. Remember that the best way to find out which one works best for your business is by testing different options and seeing what performs best.
