Online advertising is here to stay because:
- Google and Microsoft process 4bn searches per day
- Facebook and Instagram have over 3bn users
- YouTube has over 2bn logged in users
- TikTok has 800m users
- LinkedIn has 700m professionals
This selection of digital channels has more users than the global population estimate of 7.8bn. Read on to discover why online advertising is here to stay and how to benefit
Why pay for online search and display advertising
Firstly, the main advantage of search and display advertising is Pay-Per-Click (PPC). This performance related advertising model charges a cost per click (CPC) rather than per impression or visit. Click-through and conversion rates vary by industry but the reason for this popularity is clear.
Between Google search and Microsoft’s Bing search, more than 4bn searches happen every day. These search engines use complex algorithms to determine which results are most relevant to the user’s search query. While Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) offers long-term organic results in text-based searches, search advertising gets you to the top of the list. When you consider that 80% of people stay on the first 3 results and 90% don’t go beyond page 1 of results, PPC makes sense.
Secondly, display advertising allows you to put adverts in front of large numbers of people. The Google Display Network alone puts your brand in front of 90% of internet users. With native adverts, enhanced audience targeting and a lower CPC than search, display advertising increases your digital marketing leads fast.
Why buy social media advertising
Social media advertising cuts through the noise of social media. With Facebook and Instagram having 3bn users globally and only 6% of page followers seeing your organic post, it makes sense to pay for social ads to boost results. Although many think of social media activity as ‘free’ we all know that it is not and if only 5-6 of 100 followers see your output, the click-through will be low.
As more internet users come online and bandwidth to consume content increases, more people are turning to video. YouTube and TikTok are growing quickly, especially in developing markets. YouTube is said to account for 93% of video content consumption in India for example. There are 4.6bn internet users today and democratised content is growing exponentially.
For businesses who need users to follow your page, profile or channel, it will be a challenge to find your target audience without help. Social media advertising allows highly-targeted ads based on demographics, interests and lookalike audiences. Some businesses report up to 4x the return on investment using social advertising versus search advertising. Time to give it a try?
If you would like to find out more about our digital marketing services, simply email sales@think-beyond.co.uk or check out our digital services page.
Why native advertising benefits the most
There is one challenge to online advertising and that is native advertising. Ideally, all of your adverts on display and social media platforms need to display correctly on all types of device. Desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones all have different screen sizes and orientation. In summary, you don’t want awkward-looking images that don’t fit the screen or 4:3 videos in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Both of these can wreck your chances of click-through and achieving ROI.
Display ads in particular are only going to convert if they look right in every setting. There are common sizes for ad placements on the display networks and graphic designers work within this. You could boost your response even further by testing your ads with neuromarketing for greater ROI.
Why affiliate marketing complements your paid online advertising
Tried all the others? Many people forget about affiliate networks. These are the recipients of display advertising in the same way as the Google Display Network. Websites sign up to networks and dedicate space on their pages to serve advertising to users. This means you get to serve your ads to interested users that are consuming related content.
Affiliate networks are a great source of new traffic. When you consider that you only pay for conversions, this is one performance-related form of advertising that is worthy of consideration.
Online advertising is here to stay but remember the basics before you buy
Despite the temptation to cut back, search volumes and consumption of online content continue to grow. If you can believe it, IBM estimate that 90% of the data on the internet was created since 2016. The drive towards home-working and smartphones means searches, website visits, profile views and downloads grows every year.
Unfortunately, many people forget the basics when diving into digital and online advertising. Remember that traditional marketing techniques remain important and you should not neglect a digital strategy. About half of businesses don’t have a digital strategy so perhaps online advertising is more effective than you realise.
But wait, what about SEO? Yes, as part of your digital strategy, SEO is the long game. Whereas PPC, social ads and affiliate networks can get leads now, when you stop spending the leads also stop. SEO requires time and effort to achieve genuine, relevant organic results.
An advertising and digital partner that is here to stay
Here at Think Beyond, we pride ourselves on finding the right solution for you. Jumping into online advertising without a strategy could be an expensive mistake. If you are going to spend big, it pays to seek qualified advice and then we can deploy your advertising for you. It’s as simple as that.
In conclusion, for your PPC/CPC, SEO, social media ads and affiliate advertising, we have you covered. So, you know who to call all for your digital marketing needs.
If you would like to find out more, simply complete our handy contact form for a call back.
Finally, why not check out our FAQ page if you have any further questions.