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Beyond the Banner: A Better Way to Utilize Display Ads

August 21, 2023
Creative
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It happened again.

You’re unwinding at the end of a long workday scrolling through your favourite websites, and there it is... An annoying ad for something you definitely don’t have an interest in. You search for a barely visible button to close the ad and try to move on with your browsing…

If you’ve been seeing more “bad” digital ads, you’re not alone. The New York Times recently reported how the digital ad landscape is becoming more cluttered and irrelevant than ever before. 

Now imagine if instead of a clunky pop-up ad, you simply scrolled and a sleek, interactive ad experience appeared. Not only is it visually appealing and non-disruptive, but it’s also tailored to your interests and offers unique interactive elements that spark your curiosity.

These types of display ads aren’t some farfetched fantasy, they’re already being used by brands to improve engagement and brand lift. Not only do they create an amazing experience for users, but they also help brands maximize the impact of their campaigns. 

Ultimately, the potential of modern display ads is endless. Join us as we explore the benefits of different types of display ads for brands like yours.

3 Types of Display Ads You Need to Utilize

When it comes time to choose from types of display ads, brands are spoiled with choices. From the standard banner ads and interscroller ads to elongated skyscraper ads, there are plenty to choose from.

But not all display ads are created equal. Many popular types of desktop display ads simply don’t work as well on mobile and vice versa. It’s time for brands to turn to ‘engagement’-oriented types of display ads and utilize attention-based metrics, like view time, to help their ads stand out in the current attention economy.

Let’s explore four types of display ads and how they can benefit brand exposure and lift.

Interscroller Ads Increase Viewability, Attention and Engagement

Basic banner ads are a thing of the past. 

The Interscroller is a highly visible, hyper-engaging digital ad format that is ideal for grabbing consumer attention without disrupting their experience or the content. It works by revealing content as a reader scrolls down a visited page. When the user scrolls to reveal 85% of the placement, it can snap to take over the entire screen. 

Unlike interstitial ads, these types of ads integrate with content seamlessly and aren’t intrusive. They prioritize the user experience and offer ample room for creativity. 

These polite, full-screen ads are unmissable, and interscroller ad specs can perfectly fit the size of a mobile screen. When paired with engaging creative, like interactive drag and drop, these ads are ideal for standing out from the junk and improving engagement.

 

Unibanner Enhances the User Experience

There are also formats like the Unibanner, which will have sizing breaks. This means that once the site it is on changes size, so will the dimensions of the mobile ad. For instance, you can see this by playing around with the size of your web browser on your laptop screen.

For mobile, this ensures the ad size fits a variety of browsers to create a seamless user experience across different browsers. You can have peace of mind that your cutting-edge creative designs will look flawless on any browser and be as eye-catching as you intended them to be.

Double Mid-page Unit (DMPU) Wins Attention

Size is one of the key drivers of attention. Larger mobile ads, such as the interscroller and DMPU, are more likely to win attention – especially when utilizing interactive features.

Sometimes called a half-page unit, this type of display ad often appears along the left or right side of a web page on a desktop. Keeping DMPUs closer to the top of the page or above the fold offers the best visibility and plenty of room for creativity. 

The creative options for this format are endless. Since it’s so large, save some of your most daring creative for these units that are sure to make an impact and capture attention.

Pro Tip!

Responsive Ads Increase Click-Through-Rate

Google defines responsive ads as those that automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit available ad spaces. Simply put, a single responsive ad may appear as a small text ad in one place and a large image ad in another. 

These types of display ads respond to the size of the device it’s on. It’s the primary way desktop and mobile display ads are designed. You can also find some formats that respond to different phone sizes to ensure the visual is always fullscreen on mobile.

Time and time again responsive ads are proven to improve click-through rates and even conversions, according to Google. These smart ads are eye-catching to relevant users and optimal for marketers. For instance, a responsive display ad can showcase your creative as a banner ad on one site and an interactive double mid-page unit (DMPU) on another to maximize its impact. 

Best Practices for Using These Types of Display Ads

Digital advertising is always evolving. Clunky, obstructive ad types like expanded text ads are no longer supported as publishers prioritize user-friendly and relevant content instead. 

Modern marketers should make the shift to more engaging and impactful digital ad experiences to stay ahead of the curve and rise above the noise. The move to outcome-based marketing is an important step to gain a holistic picture of how your campaign performed and, more importantly, how consumers engaged with and perceive your brand. 

Here are some other best practices to consider when developing a campaign leveraging digital display ads.

• Focus on Campaign Goals

To choose the best types of display ads for your campaign, you should outline what you want to achieve. Common KPIs range across engagement metrics, click-through rates, conversions, and awareness.

Attention and engagement metrics, like view time or engagement rate, are some of the most important. Let’s take a look at some popular ‘engagement’-oriented units and the goals they achieve:

Drag & Drop

Enhance a standard shoppable or gallery unit by encouraging users to drag and drop different elements on screen. Check out this eye-catching example from Prada.

VIEW AD IN ACTION
SCAN TO VIEW
AD IN ACTION
VIEW AD IN ACTION
VIEW AD IN ACTION

Tap & Hold

Add an attention-grabbing engagement feature to a simple unit. The best part about this unit is that you can choose from a few different actions to make your ad stand out. This includes Magnify, X-Ray, Tap & Hold to Transition, Tap & Hold and more. 

VIEW AD IN ACTION
SCAN TO VIEW
AD IN ACTION

Tap

Similarly, you can also have consumers engage with your mobile ad with a simple tap. This instantly expands the capabilities of the unit in a way that’s super easy for a consumer to understand. 

VIEW AD IN ACTION
SCAN TO VIEW
AD IN ACTION
VIEW AD IN ACTION
VIEW AD IN ACTION

Selector

An engaging alternative to your standard shoppable ad. This unit empowers consumers to select different colors, shapes, and styles to find what they like. Take a look at this interactive Louis Vuitton ad.

VIEW AD IN ACTION
SCAN TO VIEW
AD IN ACTION

Controller

Add this feature to your display unit to allow for further exploration. Let consumers explore every corner of your ad at their own pace. Try it for yourself!

VIEW AD IN ACTION
SCAN TO VIEW
AD IN ACTION
VIEW AD IN ACTION

• Utilize Tech

To ensure your campaign is a success, it’s important to incorporate tech-enabled features that align with your goals. For instance, if sales lift is the ultimate goal, an engaging shoppable display ad is ideal. If you want to increase foot traffic, incorporating a Nearby & Locators feature can help guide customers to your store.

Also, keep in mind that consumers are more likely to interact with ads that have animation than those that are static. Hootsuite reports that even using the simple carousel ad format generated a 61% lift in click-through rate compared to other ad types. It’s always best to use videos and animation to catch the consumer's attention and guide them through the information on screen.

• Blend of Formats

All these types of display ads work better together! For example, combining full-screen interscroller ads with other formats, such as MPUs or standard IAB desktop formats, allows you to increase scale and reach different types of consumers throughout their journey across devices. 

Pro Tip!

Display ads can work if you put in the work. Save time and hassle by partnering with a full-service company that can curate the right media plan, creative and blend of formats for optimal performance and scale.

A Better Way to Display (Ads)

While it’s easy to measure results, like a spike in website visits or sales of a product or service, these numbers don’t provide the full picture of how a consumer interacted with your brand. It’s important for brands to also pay attention to upper-funnel metrics and utilize engaging types of display ads as part of their outcome-based marketing.

At MOBKOI, we take pride in being experts in mobile marketing and brand building. We help our clients by offering a concierge-based service to recommend the best types of display ads for their goals, and then get to work creating cutting-edge, engaging mobile ads.

Learn more about how we can help you elevate your display ads

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