Banners that work
Tips for successful banner advertising.
When banner advertising made it’s debut into the digital marketplace, the tendency was to bombard users. Since then, banner advertising has matured to target and drive measurable traffic. Thoughtful banner advertising can be highly effective when backed by strategy and should be a part of any successful marketing campaign. Here are a few suggestions:
Define your destination. What goals are you looking to achieve with your banner campaign? A realistic goal may include: increase traffic to a specific landing page to measure results.
Plan your course. Create a simple call to action. Craft a strong message to elicit response. Focus on user advantages. Keep messaging concise and well supported by imagery. If you need to promote more than one message or product, consider creating several banner ads, each with a specific, measurable goal.
Maintain consistency. Make sure your messaging supports existing brand, on and off-line. Leverage brand recognition to maximize overall impact. Use limited space well with smart design to support your message and gain attention. Minimize negative space and get noticed with bright colors and clickable shapes. Design banner ads to compliment sites on which they appear. Multiple banner ads appearing on the same site should compliment and support each other visually and contextually.
Position appropriately. Consider how you might attract attention and encourage users to engage with your banner ad. Successful banner ads appear in the right place, to the right audience, and at the right time. A well-designed banner ad must be properly positioned to be effective.
Measure progress. Review metrics to determine whether goals are being reached. Google Analytics can provide real-time feedback on your campaign.Adjust your campaign and test different variations (i.e. color, imagery, messaging) to increase effectiveness.
Banner advertising has become an essential marketing tool for reaching a targeted audience quickly and relatively cost-effectively. Execute a successful strategy by developing measurable goals, crafting a simple branded message, engaging your audience, and analyzing metrics. Then repeat.