Mastering Online Advertising Strategies for Your Business Success

Online advertising has grown significantly since its humble beginnings as simple static images. Today, businesses can utilize a wide range of advertising types to reach their target audience. This article will explore seven popular forms of online advertising and discuss their effectiveness and implementation.

Getting Started with Online Advertising

There are two primary methods for initiating your online advertising journey: doing it yourself and working with an agency. Ad platforms on various social and search engines can be straightforward to begin with, especially if you have the patience to learn the ropes. However, if you want immediate results, working with a digital ad agency can bridge that gap and help elevate your strategy.

7 Top Types of Online Advertising

Show Ads

One of the most traditional forms of online advertising is Show Ads. These visual ads can take various forms, including:

Static Pictures: Standard or square ads that appear around the content. Text Ads: Automatically generated text ads that are relevant to the surrounding content. Sliding Standards: Ads that move over the screen or float over web content. Backdrop Ads: These ads change the entire page background. Popup Ads: New windows that appear before the main content. Streaks: Moving ads that slide across the screen. Videos: Small autoplay or click-to-play videos.

Show ads are relatively inexpensive, with rates varying based on the partner. Some websites, like the Google Display Network, offer geographic and behavioral targeting options, which can help you reach a more relevant audience.

Online Media Ads

Online media ads have become a prevalent form of digital marketing. In 2015, the US social media advertising market reached 30 billion dollars. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest offer a wide range of targeting options, including age groups, interests, and educational backgrounds.

There are two main types of social media ads:

Natural Ads: These posts and interactions generate trust and provide valuable feedback from your target audience, often referred to as word-of-mouth marketing. Paid Ads: These ads can boost posts and target specific individuals.

The best platforms to target include:

LinkedIn: For B2B advertising Facebook: For broad reach and top-of-funnel marketing StumbleUpon: For eye-catching content Other platforms to consider if budget allows: Twitter Google Pinterest Instagram Tumblr Reddit

You can set up your social media campaigns yourself or work with a marketing agency for professional management.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search engine marketing is the most reliable and popular form of online paid advertising. SEM campaigns depend on keywords, where you and other businesses bid on keywords to get higher placement on search engine results pages (SERPs).

SEM ads are either Pay Per Click (PPC) or Cost Per Thousand (CPM) ads. PPC ads are charged when someone clicks, making them easy to track and manage. CPM ads charge a fixed fee for 1000 impressions, which is simpler for budgeting but poses the risk of overspending. SEM can also be used in unpaid SEO form, which helps improve your website's visibility without immediate cost.

Local Advertising

Local advertising includes supported posts at the end of blog entries, appearing on your Facebook channels, and other social media platforms. Native advertising can come in various forms such as:

In-feed ads Search ads Recommendation gadgets Native posts

These ad formats are integrated into the platform they appear on, often disguised as regular content. You can work with platforms like Adblade, Adsonar, Outbrain, and Taboola to promote your native ads.

Remarketing/Retargeting

This strategy is ideal for reaching individuals who have previously shown interest in your product or service. You can place a tracking pixel on your website, and as they browse the web, your ads will remind them of your offerings. This type of advertising is cost-effective and can be more effective than PPC, boosting conversions by keeping your brand top-of-mind.

To set up remarketing, you can use services like Facebook Remarketing, Google Remarketing, or other available platforms. Outsourcing remarketing efforts to a professional can yield better results, as seen in our Retargeting Cagematch guide.

Video Ads

Video ads, primarily on YouTube, offer a wide range of content types. You can use educational, how-to videos, or emotional storytelling to catch your audience's attention. Video ads are gaining popularity as they avoid the directness of traditional ads while engaging with the focused attention of YouTube creators.

Beyond YouTube, you can post videos on Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Brightroll, YuMe, Hulu, Live Rail, Specific Media, Cylinder Mogul, Quake Video, and AOL. YouTube also offers pre-roll ads that play before the video the user wants to watch.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is an affordable and quick way to build customer loyalty and boost sales. Email campaign managers like MailChimp, Constant Contact, AWeber, ConvertKit, GetResponse, Mission Monitor, and Dynamic Campaigns can help manage your email efforts. Building an email list through sign-ups or incentives is the first step. Follow-up campaigns can emphasize product features, blog content, or updates, making it easy to track performance and ROI.

In conclusion, choosing the right online advertising strategy depends on your business goals and target audience. By leveraging these seven types of online advertising, you can effectively reach and engage with your audience, driving growth and success for your business.