You may have heard that in 2016, more money will be spent on display ads than on traditional PPC. You may find this a little surprising considering that some believed display advertising would be dead.
Boy were they wrong.
Should you be throwing more dollars to display advertising instead of search? Well, it’s important to realize what exactly is being counted as display. Included under the display umbrella are platforms like video ads, native ads, and social media ads. With improving technology, both display and search can yield leads on their own, but they’re even better together.
The most effective online marketing campaigns will be able to utilize both platforms to market to consumers at different stages in the buying process. Let’s take a look at how to use both for an effective strategy instead of choosing one over the other.
Paid Search
Paid search should be used to target consumers looking for a direct response. Searchers are looking for the most relevant results. To capture their attention, it’s important to have tightly worded, strong ad copy and an equally relevant landing page that works correctly to keep the searchers attention.
Display
Display ads should be used to primarily build brand awareness. Your display ads, across all display platforms, should do a good job of creating connections in a consumer’s mind. This can be done in a number of ways.
One way to help with creating a connection is to have strong, relevant ad copy. Another way is to have a strong visual to your business, like your logo or picture of your business. Another way to build awareness is to use consistent color schemes from your display ads and your website.
The question shouldn’t be whether display is taking over search ads but rather how can they be used in conjunction with your online marketing efforts? First, you have to decide if your goal is to build awareness for your brand or create a direct response to consumers. For most businesses, both are important and you’ll want to cover all of your bases.
So while many in the industry will continue to speculate if display or search will overtake the other, the most successful online marketers will continue to utilize both in their strategies.
If you want to take your learning to the next level, take a look at our ebook Pay Per Click & Search Engine Optimization: Understanding How They Work Together to Maximize Results.
Ready to discuss ways to improve your marketing? Let’s talk.
—Dan Gaughan is a Paid Search Strategist at Stream Companies, a full-service Philadelphia-area advertising agency.{{cta(‘ae2baadb-9743-447c-ad44-0f9bf9ca19b0’)}}