Banner Ads – what to do?

Interesting that banner ads (aka as display ads) are the first type of Internet advertising, after all, it was the only way we knew how to market. Banner ads appear to be under siege due to the fact that only 1 in 1000 are clicked.

Since the click rate is low, banner ads are sold in the CPM (cost per thousand views). Doesn’t seem like a great deal, I mean that’s one in a thousand. The fact is that banner ads work, they provide brand recognition, familiarity with your logo and your brand and they build trust.

You can manage your banner ads in many places; the most common are naturally the biggest and easiest to manage. Facebook Ads is the largest and has a very easy to user interface, and it has a great degree of targeting due to the vast amount of information (demographics) available about you (and all other users).

Google has a ‘do it yourself’ offer as well, if you check out Google Display Network you will find many features. The ads do not appear on Google, but on their affiliated websites. You can use Google Ad build to put up the graphics.

Microsoft Media Network offers the same services and provides a variety of payment type plans.

A great article on the Globe and Mail website, part three of four on Online Advertising,  “Display ads rarely get clicked. So why bother?” gives you some additional feedback.

Banner ads aren’t the only game in town, but certainly are effective as part of a larger online or social media strategy. They are larger affordable and provide a great branding opportunity. I’ve pointed out before that although things have changed and buyers have changed, some things remain the same and banner ads are for the most part unintrusive, and as such could be considered eye candy!

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Toronto, March 2011

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