By: Amy Metzinger
Digital advertising might seem self-explanatory at first. You might think digital advertising equals advertising –just online.
But the reality of the concept of digital advertising goes much deeper and wider.
Digital advertising is not just online banner and sidebar ads that run on websites. It includes anything from social media ads on your business’s Facebook page, search engine optimization on your website, re-marketing social ads, native advertising and beyond.
SO WHAT IS DIGITAL AD, EXACTLY?
There are a plethora of ways to advertise digitally, with newer, more targeted methods appearing everyday. But whatever the format, there is a common thread that unites all of digital advertising: data.
Traditional advertising methods (think print ads and 30-second TV spots) employ a “spray and pray approach” – spreading ads across large audiences, and then praying the ads reached some potential consumers to secure a beneficial return on investment.
digital advertising methods use data to craft campaigns that target specific audiences, and instead of praying, use data metrics to prove results.
THE PROS:
Digital advertising doesn’t have to be expensive like a Super Bowl commercial, or even a commercial at all. Even small business startups with a limited budget can run ads for as little as $5 a day on platforms like Facebook and Google.
According to eMarketer, 81 percent of adults in the U.S. own a mobile device and 52 percent own tablets.
It’s estimated that the average adult spends three hours and fifteen minutes on their mobile device daily. The future is mobile, and to reach your audience, your advertising should be too.
THE CONS:
It is important to note that digital advertising can not always be backed by data. While data metrics are usually easily accessible, certain advertising publishers, such as Facebook and Amazon, withhold some data for themselves.
There is also the challenge of fraud online.
Bots, Pixel Stuffing, Popunders, domain spoofing and ad stacking can drive up engagement, leading your business to pay for ads that were not actually seen. This August, Statistica predicted that the costs related to digital advertising fraud worldwide would grow from $19 billion to $444 billion.
It can be complicated – but we can help
At the 1893 Brand Studio, our campaigns team specializes in crafting, launching and conducting targeted digital advertising campaigns for your business, from inbound marketing to Facebook Ad management to Google AdWords campaign building.
See our services to learn more or contact us to schedule a consultation.
