Banner ads are easy to spot on the Internet. If you have read a blog or used a social media platform, you have probably seen one.
PPC marketers use banner ads to try to get the attention of viewers and encourage them to click on the link to their websites. Display advertising campaigns can be improved by having the right strategy and budget.
We will go over how banner ads work and how to make your own.
What Is Display Advertising?
This type of advertising involves using visuals, such as images or videos, to get customers to take a specific action. Ads that combine text and images are effective in informing viewers about a service or product.
How Are Display Ads Used?
Brands commonly use display ads to earn:
The goal of these ads is to earn as much exposure as possible, just like more traditional ads such as flyers, newspapers, and posters in public places. Distributing banner ads on as many platforms as possible will allow marketers to reach the largest number of potential customers.
You can choose the people you want to see your ads on some advertising platforms. Marketers target their audience by specific demographics to earn more clicks and pay less for impressions.
What is a Banner Ad?
Banner ads are a type of display ad. Companies place these ads on websites, social media platforms, and apps to earn views and clicks. Most marketers prefer to have their banner ads point to a landing page rather than any other URL on their website.
Banner ads typically contain a single focal image, very little text, and a clear call to action.
Common Banner Ad Sizes
The size of your banner ad will depend on which advertising platform you use. Choose an ad size that you think will be most effective and profitable.
Google Ads
Google Ads offer banner ads in the following sizes (in pixels):
- 200 x 200 (Small Square)
- 250 x 250 (Square)
- 468 x 60 (Banner)
- 728 x 90 (Leaderboard)
- 300 x 250 (Inline Rectangle)
- 336 x 280 (Large Rectangle)
- 120 x 600 (Skyscraper)
- 160 x 600 (Wide Skyscraper)
- 300 x 600 (Half-Page Ad)
- 970 x 90 (Large Leaderboard)
Facebook banner ads have the following image sizes:
- Facebook Feed Image Ads – 1200 x 628
- Facebook Feed Video Ads – 600 x 315 or 600 x 600
- Facebook Carousel Ads – 1080 x 1080
- Facebook Right Column Ads – 1200 x 628
- Facebook Marketplace Ads – 1200 x 628
- Facebook Instant Articles Ads – 1200 x 628
- Facebook Stories Ads – 1080 x 1920
- Facebook Collection Ads – 600 x 600
Users can create banner ads in at least one of the following sizes for Instagram:
- Instagram Single Image Ads – 400 x 500
- Instagram Video Ads – 400×500 max
- Instagram Carousel Ads – 1080 x 1080
- Instagram Stories Carousel Ads – 1080×1920
- Instagram Slideshow Ads – 600 x 600 pixels, max. 1080 x 1080
- Instagram Stories Image Ads – 1080 x 1920
- Instagram Stories Video Ads – 1080 x 1920
Tips for Creating The Perfect Banner Ad
There are many factors that will contribute to the success of your banner ad, including your budget, the resources you have available, and your brand.
We recommend keeping a few best practices in mind:
- Appeal to current trends and in-season colorways
- Keep it simple—less is often more
- Use high-contrast colors to grab attention
- Animate your ads to convey more information
- Try adding humor to your ads (if your brand personality allows)
Although creativity is important, it is not the only thing that determines how effective an advertisement will be. Before creating a banner ad, it’s important to do your research. This includes finding out who your target audience is and where your ad will be most effective.
There are research tools available that can help you track what your competitors are doing in terms of advertising and keywords. This can be helpful in terms of keeping an eye on what they are up to and how they are faring in comparison to your own business. These insights can help you plan your strategy and take advantage of opportunities your competitors may have missed.
11 Banner Ads Examples That We Can All Learn From
1. Liberty University
This is another example of an advertisement from a higher education institution that is effective for different reasons. I really like the image on the left side of the ad. I feel like it shows a sense of community and togetherness. Never underestimate the power of a simple visual.
Secondly, the copy argues that online college provides the same benefits as traditional university. The marketers at Liberty are effectively reassured prospective students that they will enjoy the flexibility of online classes and the advantages of a physical campus.
2. AutoZone
Transitioning to a completely different industry, here is a banner ad from AutoZone. Using a pain point that your product or service alleviates is a great copywriting tactic; for example, the all-too-familiar scenario of seeing your check engine light come on. If you want to get your prospect’s attention, try using the same approach.
Bonus points to AutoZone for their geotargeting efforts. They increase the likelihood of conversion by providing the address and business hours of a nearby store.
3. Disney+
This Disney+ banner ad is exclusive and effective. This ad reminds viewers that Disney+ has exclusive content that cannot be found on any other streaming platform. If you want to sell something, advertise that it is exclusive. If you have an advantage over your competitors that they can’t replicate, make sure the world knows about it.
Disney+ did a great job with their CTA. Even if you don’t sign up for the free trial, you’ll remember that Disney+ is an option. The next time you want to watch a lot of Iron Man movies, you will know where to go.
4. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
When creating a brand, it is okay to use a slogan or phrase to help communicate what your brand is all about and to establish your authority in your industry. For example, if the AWS marketing team wrote that AWS is more reliable than the next major cloud provider, I would not disagree with them. This means that it is more effective to use the cold, hard statistics approach. The AWS team does not simply ask us to take their word for it that they are the industry leaders. They have anchored their claim to a specific number—i.e., that they boasted 7X fewer downtime hours in 2018 than their closest competitor.
That, my friends, is good copywriting.
5. DocuSign
This is an example of a banner ad from DocuSign that shows how you can use your copy to create curiosity in your prospects. The six strategies that deliver rapid growth are: 1) customer focus, 2) agility, 3) innovation, 4) execution, 5) growth mindset, and 6) team. The only way to learn more about the ebook is to read it.
The marketers at DocuSign have a strong understanding of how display advertising affects the marketing funnel. Offering something for free is a good way to get people to buy your product or service.
6. Ridge
Some things truly never go out of style. Exhibit A: the side-by-side comparison tactic. There is a long-standing tradition of marketing teams using this tactic to clearly show the value in what they are selling. It is incredibly effective in its simplicity and ability to directly address the customer. It only takes a very small amount of time to understand what our friends at Ridge are trying to say. If you want to keep up with the times, you should upgrade to a slimmer and sleeker wallet.
If you want to create a more striking before and after image, ask yourself if you could substitute the copy for a side-by-side comparison image. This type of image can be very effective in revealing the results of your hard work. If you are wondering whether you should do something or not, it is often a good idea to do it.
7. USA Today
This example of a native banner ad is from USA Today. The most effective part of this advertisement is the way it creates a sense of urgency. It’s always a good idea to let your customers know how much time they have left to take advantage of your current promotion.
“Go Ad-Free” is a great CTA (call to action) that is the icing on the cake. Why? The reason this is being shared with USA Today’s readers is because it is a limited-time opportunity. If the CTA in the ad said “Sign Me Up” instead of “Go Ad-Free,” would the ad be worthless? No way. If you want your banner ad copy to be truly effective, you should focus on outcomes.
8. Allbirds
It’s possible to write copy that is both catchy and effective. This means that you can write text that will be memorable to your potential customers and that will effectively communicate the value of what you are selling.
Take this Allbirds ad, for instance. This text is saying that the tagline for Slip ’em on is clever because it is catchy and memorable. Why? The reason Allbirds shoes are a wise decision is because they are easy and comfortable to wear. While some shoes can be a pain to deal with, Allbirds makes it easy.
9. Staples
Sometimes, it’s best to take the dead-simple route. Newer businesses should try to be memorable, like Allbirds, but established brands shouldn’t be afraid to be direct. No. But it’s close. This banner ad from Staples is not the sexiest I’ve ever seen, but it’s close. Nope—not by a long shot. But then again, who cares?
The purpose of this ad is to remind customers that Staples is the best store to shop at when they are looking to save money. I believe that is has been successful in achieving its goals. Plus, the design of the ad is flawless. The “Shop Now” CTA button is designed to attract your attention. Most certainly not an accident.
10. Apple
Apple’s credit card comes with no fees, just like Ridge’s. Other credit cards have lots of fees. This ad is successful because it addresses a common pain point for people looking for a credit card- having to deal with fees that don’t make sense.
Elsewhere, “Apply in minutes” is an excellent CTA. Calling prospects to action and communicating that applying for our credit card is quick and easy helps to create value for our company. Having one CTA that does two things can be very effective.
11. Microsoft
The moral of this Microsoft ad is that you can create persuasive copy by making your readers feel like they’re in control. Allow me to explain.
” If the copy for this ad said, “Build and develop apps with Azure,” nobody would think twice about it. Start your free trial today.” Bad copy? Not necessarily. Generic copy? Emphatically so. If the text in your banner ad doesn’t interest potential customers, then what is the purpose of the ad?
This advertisement is successful because it presents the “Start your free trial today” idea in a way that makes potential customers feel like they are in control. Advertisers usually restrict free trials to a set amount of time. In this situation, Microsoft has reversed the usual expectation; instead of the company deciding when the free trial period ends and payment begins, the consumer gets to make that choice.
It’s a small change that makes a big difference.
Tools for Creating Banner Ads
By using the Advertising Research tool, you can see what positions your competitors’ ads are in, what keywords they are targeting with their ads, and what their ad copy says. Simply enter your competitor’s domain into the search input:
The tool returns an Overview report, which can be used to track any paid search trends, their projected traffic and costs, and their target keywords:
Spotting position wins or losses that your competitors earn over time can be done by looking at their SERP ads. To view any lost positions, click the Position Changes tab and toggle the Lost option in the toolbar:
The Keyword Magic tool can help you brainstorm potential keywords to include in your banner ad campaigns. To ensure that your banner ads are seen by as many people as possible, target keywords that you know are being frequently searched for.
Start by entering your seed keyword into the tool input:
The tool will generate a list of keywords that are related to the topic as well as their corresponding metrics. Monitor each keyword’s search volume, average CPC cost, and competitive density. These columns can help you determine which keywords to bid on, despite being based on SERP ad data.
Click the + symbol to add keywords to your Keyword Manager.
If you are new to developing ad copy, the Display Advertisting tool can help you generate ideas. This tool allows you to see how your competitors are doing in terms of their text ads, banner ads, ad impressions, and more.
To begin, just enter a domain’s address or keyword. Click Explore now.
Select the Ads tab to your competitor’s current banner ads:
The Instant Banner Generator can be a helpful resource if you’re short on time or design resources. You can create an infinite number of banners for different ad placements and formats.
Key Takeaways
- Banner ads are a type of display advertising that can drive brand awareness and clicks.
- Good banner ads fit their target audience. Use advertising research to determine the best look and placement for your banner ads.
- Use third-party research and design tools to develop effective display advertising campaigns.
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