What is Display Advertising?

What is Display Advertising?

Display advertising plays a pivotal role in modern B2B advertising strategies, helping businesses increase brand visibility, attract potential customers, and drive conversions. In this article, we will explore the concept of display advertising and delve into how it can be effectively utilized in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies. By leveraging display advertising in ABM, B2B businesses can target specific accounts, personalize their messaging, and achieve remarkable results. So let’s dive in and uncover the potential of display advertising for ABM.

Understanding Display Advertising

Display advertising refers to the practice of using visual ads, such as banners, images, or videos, to promote products, services, or brands across various websites and digital platforms. Unlike search advertising, which relies on user intent expressed through search queries, display ads are typically shown to users based on their browsing behavior, demographics, or interests. At Demandbase, our account-based advertising platform (otherwise known as a demand side platform (DSP), was built specifically for B2B organizations – therefore, our display advertising is always optimized to reach the most relevant, high-value accounts. Our display ads can appear across various publisher websites, social media platforms, and mobile apps.

The Role of Advertising in ABM

Display advertising plays a crucial role in ABM by allowing businesses to reach and engage their target accounts effectively. Here’s why display advertising is a valuable component of ABM:

• Enhanced Personalization: ABM display advertising enables businesses to create personalized experiences for their target accounts. By leveraging data insights and account-specific information, businesses can tailor their ad messaging to address the specific pain points, challenges, or opportunities of each account based on their journey.
• Account-Based Targeting: B2B display advertising platforms provide robust targeting capabilities, allowing businesses to precisely target their ads towards their identified key accounts. By narrowing down the audience to a specific set of accounts, businesses can maximize the impact of their ads and increase the likelihood of engagement.
• Multi-Channel Engagement: Display advertising extends beyond websites and can be implemented as part of an orchestrated ABM play to reach accounts across various other digital platforms simultaneously, such as social media platforms and video streaming services. This multi-channel approach enables businesses to reach their target accounts across different touch points and increase brand visibility.

By combining the personalized approach of ABM with the reach and impact of display advertising, businesses can effectively engage decision-makers within their target accounts, fostering stronger relationships and increasing the chances of conversions.

Creating Effective ABM Display Advertising Campaigns

To leverage display advertising effectively within an ABM strategy, businesses should follow a systematic approach. Here are the essential steps for creating impactful display advertising campaigns for ABM:

1. Defining campaign goals and objectives

Before launching a display advertising campaign, it is crucial to define clear goals and objectives. This involves aligning the campaign with ABM objectives, such as increasing brand awareness among target accounts, generating leads, or driving conversions. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals will help guide the campaign and evaluate its success.

2. Identifying target accounts and personas

In ABM, the identification of target accounts and personas is a critical step. By analyzing data, insights, and collaboration between marketing and sales teams, businesses can identify high-value target accounts that align with their ideal customer profiles by creating an account-based foundation. Understanding the key decision-makers and influencers within these accounts, otherwise known as buying groups or buying committees, is also essential to craft personalized ad messaging.

3. Crafting compelling ad creatives

Ad creatives are the visual and textual elements that grab the attention of the target audience. When crafting display ads for ABM, businesses should ensure the ad creatives align with the messaging and value proposition tailored to each target account. Compelling visuals, persuasive copy, and a clear call-to-action (CTA) are crucial elements of effective ad creatives.

By following these steps, B2B businesses can create account-based advertising campaigns that effectively engage their target accounts and drive desired outcomes.

Best Practices for Display Advertising in ABM

To ensure the success of display advertising campaigns within an ABM strategy, it’s important to follow best practices. Here are some key guidelines to consider:

Aligning messaging with account-specific needs

To resonate with target accounts, it’s crucial to align the messaging of display ads with their specific needs and pain points. Demonstrating an understanding of the challenges and providing solutions tailored to each account’s context increases the chances of engagement and conversion.

A/B testing and continuous optimization

A/B testing involves experimenting with different variations of ad creatives, messaging, or targeting parameters to identify the most effective combination. By continuously testing and optimizing display ads, businesses can improve performance and maximize results.

Monitoring and tracking campaign performance

Tracking and monitoring the performance of display advertising campaigns is essential to gauge their effectiveness. By analyzing account-based analytics such as impressions, clicks, click-through rates (CTRs), conversions, and cost per conversion, businesses can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.

Retargeting and nurturing strategies

Display advertising provides opportunities for retargeting, where ads are shown to users who have previously interacted with a business’s website or shown interest in their products or services. By implementing retargeting and nurturing strategies, businesses can reinforce their messaging, stay top-of-mind with potential customers, and increase the chances of conversions.

Following these best practices will help businesses optimize their advertising campaigns within an ABM framework, ensuring maximum impact and return on investment (ROI).