Banner advertising for B2B can be very effective if it is placed in the right environment. Discover the advantages of digital advertising banners, compared to print advertising and other digital formats, here.
Banner advertising is an important component of the B2B marketing mix
Some marketers today consider banner advertising to be outdated. It is not very effective, is seen as being bothersome and is often used in a dubious environment. But the figures speak for themselves. According to the Digital Advertising Report 2019, the market for banner advertising continues to be the third-largest segment in the area of digital advertising. The global figure in sales for the year 2018 amounted to 58 billion US dollars; the sales for 2023 are forecasted to reach 76.5 billion US dollars.
Particularly in the B2B sector, companies naturally face special challenges when it comes to banner advertising, as their products or services are often complex and require explanation. The advantages of teasing such offers in a small graphic or animation is indeed not an easy task. But nonetheless, banner advertising should continue to play a role in the B2B marketing mix. After all, when executed correctly and placed in a compatible, serious advertising environment, this form of advertising can be very effective and reach the desired target group.
Benefits of banner advertising compared to print advertising
Banner advertising is suitable, one, to boost brand awareness and, two, to achieve performance-centric objectives. And, in contrast to ads in print materials, the success of such a campaign can be measured. This is not only based on the click rates of the blended-in ads, it also considers the content which interested parties see on the landing page of the advertiser.
At the same time, the target group can be filtered much better. That’s because the banners only appear in countries were the company serves the market, and only in an environment where potential customers can be found. Retargeting is also possible with banner advertising. It is merely a question of the right configuration within the campaign’s management.
For those who retort that decision-makers in the B2B sector continue to fall back on specialist magazines for information about their industry – they are right, but according to the B2B-Entscheideranalyse 2017 (B2B decision-making analysis), 82 per cent of those surveyed say they also use the digital offers provided by specialist media. And a whole 60 per cent say that these digital offers even influence their purchasing process.
Banner advertising is scores compared to other digital advertising
Within the digital advertising realm, banner advertising is also warranted – in addition to email marketing, social media marketing and search engine advertising or optimisation. It scores thanks to its:
- Strong scalability
- Flexible calculation model
- High-degree of freedom when it comes to design
- Possibility to place the banner on websites which perfectly match up with the offers of the advertising company
What does the perfect advertising banner look like?
What goes for advertising in general goes for banners too. They should be attractively designed and not too pushy, to ensure they can convert more effectively. Three elements are essential in every good advertising banner:
- The company logo
- A service promise
- A call to action
At the same time, the banner should not be too busy – neither in terms of the text nor the colours or graphics. A sleek design which gives a clear overview makes it easier to understand the message even when a user only catches a glimpse of the banner ad for a split second.
