Beginners and pro advertisers over the years have often struggled with the question of what ad type to use for their business, whether search ads, display ads, social media ads, or just go with all if they have the cash. It is important to note that there are several different factors to take into consideration when deciding which type of campaign is right for you. Whether you’re a newbie just starting your digital advertising efforts or have years of experience but are still looking for the right direction when it comes to digital advertising – in this article, you will learn those differences and know exactly what type suits your business.
Here is a look at the different factors that can help you decide if search, display or social media ads are better for your PPC goals.
Want to know more about PPC? Read this article
If you’re new to digital advertising, it’s important to know that several categories fall underneath this umbrella. Understanding the differences and figuring out which industrial paid strategy will work best for your company isn’t always easy or straightforward. We’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each below.
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What Are Display Ads?
Display ads are a great form of industrial paid advertising that many companies use to date. These types of ads appear at the sides, on the top, at the bottom, and in the middle of web content on almost every website. Display ads are known for their effectiveness and they reach more than 90% of people who surf the internet.
As a matter of fact, the high visibility from displayed ads gives them a wide reach among users to generate new traffic to the target site. Since these types of ads are fairly common and widely used, they face less competition and are less expensive than search ads. They’re also much more dynamic than search ads — allowing you to use a mix of images and text to create an ad that can really engage your audience. With fewer limitations, your ads can be personalized to fit your brand.
Although the wide presence of display ads gives the impression that they can get you a lot of exposure, their prevalence can also be their downfall. Because they have inundated people’s screens for so long —in what feels like, since the inception of the internet to some, lots of people don’t notice them or ignore them altogether. This can however translate to a very small number of actual clicks on the ad.
The dominance and oversaturation of display ads have also made lots of people associate them with spam, making internet users less likely to click on them. Many people go as far as to install ad-blocking plugins on their internet browser to limit the number of ads that filter through to their screen. Even now, some of the internet browsers now come with ads blocking ability to help uses filter out ads from content. If your targeted audience uses an ad-blocking plugin, you could be wasting your manufacturing marketing budget on ads that might not even be seen.
So, the key to making display ads work better for you is choosing a platform that specifically has the buyers you want to do business with. Your advertisement should also be created with your buyers’ interests in mind — don’t make the ad all about you.
What Are Search Ads?
With the high authority of Google, Bing, and Yahoo, a lot of advertisers have turned to these giants for their paid ads making search ads become the most common form of paid advertising. Search ads are linked to certain keywords, and they appear along with your search results when a certain keyword or phrase is entered into the search engine address bar. This particular method of advertising is very smart because it places your ad in front of your target audience; people who are already interested in your industry, service, or product since their search is in relation to your keywords.
With this approach of using interested keywords, search ads can provide strong, high-quality leads for new customers. And because these individuals are already searching for a related item, there is a much higher chance that you’ll be able to convert these leads into actual sales. These types of ads are very simple to set up and straightforward in their design. — usually consisting of a set number of texts which makes it very easy to use as a marketing strategy.
The simplicity in search ads can also be its drawback, this is because lack of visuals and images in the ad itself can make it harder for your ad to stand out among others and engage new customers. Although search ads come in a very simple manner, they can also be fairly expensive, as there is usually a lot of competitors that may be bidding for the same keywords.
Pricing points also vary, and since you’re paying for each individual click, those clicks matter a lot — especially if you’re not able to convert the majority of click leads into sales. Also, because the ads are linked to certain keywords or phrases with limited options, it can be difficult to get your message out to a wider audience.
What Are Social Media Ads?
Social media ads are the fastest-growing segment of paid advertising, thanks to the large growing popularity of different social media platforms among internet users and also the huge number of users that can be found on social media. Most social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, are programmed to target specific audiences based on their network, hobbies and interests, and professions, among other factors. As a result, social ads effectively get your message to your intended audience quickly and effectively.
Social media ads are also very easy to use and cost-effective — which makes them accessible to nearly any size company or business. They’re also very effective at reaching your targeted audience with a high click rate. The ads themselves also have a certain degree of flexibility in terms of design and content — allowing you to really show your brand through your ad.
Since social media is a relatively new media and considered to be more popular among certain age groups, its use as a marketing tool might be met with some resistance by your company’s leadership or stakeholders. Many people are also hesitant to adopt social media marketing because of its very different platforms and unique approaches to content. Thus, it might take more to convince your marketing managers or executives to invest in this particular form of industrial paid advertising.
Social media ads can also be time-consuming to create. This is because new content is always being posted on social media at a very high rate — with different keywords and topics trending at a given moment, this means you need to stay current with the latest content being posted so as to keep up with the trend. Also, social media networks are known for introducing new ad products, removing old ones, and even changing specs, so you’ll need to keep up at all times.
So, Which Ad Type Is Best for Your Business Goals?
This all depends on your target audience and your specific intentions. Different advertising methods and platforms may be more worth your time and marketing spend. However, if you are still stuck with making a decision on which to choose, we’ve broken down the options for you to make the right decision based on your specific needs:
Display Vs. Search Ads
Some advertisers debate the value of search vs. display ads, well this can easily be decided depending on your business objectives. The main difference between display ads and search ads is intent. While the display ads network creates demand, the search ads network answers to the demand.
Search ads network is best for intent or interest-based searches. This means the user is in desperate need of something or need a solution to a problem, so they search the web for results or solution. Intent-based search queries have a higher chance of making them click from a SERP to a specific landing page. You as the advertiser need to identify the terms that your buyers and target audience is searching for. Search ads are great for driving sales and seeing a huge ROI.
Meanwhile, display ads are best for creating and building awareness and can be bought on different models including CPM, and PPC. This type of ad format is usually seen while a user is browsing a particular website and forums, therefore, they may not be actively searching for your product. The user may not know who you are and may not be interested in your product, therefore it’s your job as the advertiser to show them that there is a need for what you have to offer them. At this point, you’re not trying to immediately generate the sale, but rather offer valuable content that will help build awareness.
Search Vs. Social Advertising
Search ads and social media advertising are both forms of paid advertising, and they each have their unique benefits. So understanding which is better for a niche industry is important. As I mentioned earlier, search ads are best for targeting users who already know what they want.
Meanwhile, social advertising is really taking the stage as a high contender of paid marketing efforts. Recall, social media marketing allows you to connect with your existing industrial customer base and potential customers, helping you drive more leads and generate revenue. Just like display ads, social advertisements are for a more passive buyer. This method allows users to interact with your ads and improve click-rates with your content. This level of interaction from users and potential buyers on the actual social media platforms in this case; Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest LinkedIn, Twitter makes social media advertising different from any other paid marketing strategy. Considering that social sites like Facebook alone have over 2 billion active users, it’s clear that this is a large platform to help boost your business with some paid advertising.
Still not sure what method of ads will be suitable for your business? Send us a message and we will be glad to help.
