Be specific when advertising online

"Advertising is all about a big budget".

I find it somewhat true, but it all depends on the OBJECTIVE of the advertising campaign.



Once again, the online space is now facing the same clutter we now experience on TV, Radio and Print.

So how do we make online advertising stand out and touch the people you want to reach? Before placing up an ad on a magazine or newspaper, we usually ask some traditional questions:

1. Distribution reach
2. Readership profile and numbers
3. Subscription numbers
4. Frequency and/or time frame
5. Cost
6. etc (Feel free add a comment to add on)

Relevant questions I'm sure, but for online, it's a different ballgame where some basic rules still applying.

We should ask these question when advertising online:

1. How to spend wisely?
The online platform is not exactly a place to splash ads everywhere and anywhere. Even if you can afford to do so, the probability of 'wastage' is high. It's like giving out flyers on the street hoping someone will buy your second hand Converse sneakers. Determine the number of traffic the site or page is currently getting and work out an effect cost per click. Based on the category you are advertising in. In short, do some research. SearchEngineWatch.com reported some interesting numbers for the US market. This will help you determine how much to spend.

2. Where do my target audience (visitors) come from and what tasks are they performing?
The internet is an extremely task oriented playground. With a specific search string or URL, you head to a certain website for something. This would help you determine where to advertise.

3. How will the ad appear? Which formats should I go for?
There are many different types of online ads you can use depending on the site. From videos to simple text links. Ask the site owner (or media buying house) for advertising performances from previous advertisers. Through that, you can gauge the objectives of the ads and how it performed. For example, a video to launch a new something new could work well for gaining mind-share and awareness, however, a subtle text link works fine for a service perhaps.

Conversion numbers are the great indicators,but how they get converted is important to note. So get the right numbers and streamline your ad message towards what you want to achieve. Understanding this and you will be able to capture their attention with imagery, videos or excellent copy writing to direct them to your website.

Be short, precise, attention grabbing and don't be gimmicky. Being vague won't help at all. This will help you answer how you should craft your ad and on what format you should go for on the sites you have identified.

Tell us what you think।
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