There are plenty of reasons why we encourage our clients to invest in display ads, but if we had to boil it down to just one, it would probably be because the research shows that customers are more than 70% more likely to use your brand when exposed to your message after initial exposure. Display ads are pretty much everywhere. With the right strategy, you can use display ads to engage with customers across their digital experience, no matter the device or platform they’re on.

At enCOMPASS, we consider display advertising to be one of the foundational elements of just about any digital ad campaign. Allow us to tell you why.

What is Display Advertising?

Before we hit on the specific benefits of display advertising, it may be helpful to review what this term actually means.

Display advertising generally refers to visual ads, often accompanied by a strong call to action, that can be displayed on any type of site that a consumer visits. Crucially, display ads are different from SEM ads, which appear on search results pages as opposed to on individual websites.

What Makes Display Ads Beneficial?

There are plenty of perks to display advertising, starting with the following:

1) Display ads can provide a strong sense of visual style.

Start with aesthetics. SEM ads are text-only and come with strict character counts… and while these ads certainly have their place, they are undoubtedly limited in how quickly or effectively they can capture a user’s attention.

By contrast, display ads can (and should) be carefully styled to convey your brand identity through logos, graphics, and color choices. Display ads can even contain audio and video components, providing unique opportunities for your creative team to command attention.

2) Display ads can promote brand awareness.

In order for customers to be truly aware of your brand, it usually requires them to encounter it multiple times. Depending on the study you read, brand awareness may require anywhere from seven to 10 total touch points.

Display ads can be uniquely effective in helping you accumulate those touch points, providing many opportunities for you to get your brand out in front of customers at the sites they visit. Note that, through display advertising, you can build brand awareness long before customers actually seek out information about your specific products or services.

3) Display ads can be carefully targeted.

The heart of display advertising is audience targeting. Simply put, you don’t waste money showing your ads to people who are unlikely to ever give you their business. Instead, you want to target your efforts on the most relevant consumers, based on factors like geography, demographics, purchasing history, online behavior patterns, and more.

Display ads make this possible, allowing you to zero in on customers who fall into a niche market. Not only does this help you optimize your ad spend, but it ensures that your brand gains exposure among the audiences that matter most.

4) Display ads offer options to retarget.

Retargeting involves showing your ads to consumers based on their previous search activity or websites visited. For example, you can use retargeting to show your ads to customers who previously visited your site but didn’t make a purchase; or, to customers who added products to their shopping cart but ultimately didn’t complete their transaction.

In other words, retargeting allows you to follow up with customers who you know are interested in your brand on some level. This is another way you can ensure you’re using your ad budget responsibly and showing your ads to the audiences who matter.

5) Display ads allow you to reach customers on the go.

Display advertising allows you to use a tactic known as geofencing, basically enabling you to set up a virtual perimeter around any brick-and-mortar location. You can then push mobile ads to consumers who enter that perimeter, allowing you to command the attention of shoppers who may be in the neighborhood or may be at a competitor’s location.

For brick-and-mortar businesses, including restaurants and retailers, this can be an incredibly impactful way to reach customers on the go.

6) Display ads work well with other approaches.

A final note: Display ads don’t have to be your only means of reaching target consumers, nor should they be. Display advertising works best when complementing other methods, including SEM, video advertising and digital audio to help you reach potential customers at each stage of their consumer journey.

Learn More About Display Advertising with enCOMPASS

At enCOMPASS, we are always happy to talk about the benefits of display advertising; but more importantly, we love to strategize with our clients about developing a thoughtful and effective strategy, one that balances such considerations as data-driven targeting, careful budgeting, and integration with other kinds of advertising.

If you’re ready to discuss the merits of display advertising, we invite you to contact enCOMPASS Agency at your convenience. We’d love to share some details about our unique approach.