Digital Advertising Definition Types And Examples
Digital tools have greatly improved the way marketing operates and interacts with people. It is no longer a matter of publishing a spread in a magazine and cross your fingers that it works, but it is possible to follow up on a video, count the reproductions, how many clicks it has received and if any of them have met the objectives that were set.
What for marketers 40 years ago seemed an impossible dream, we call digital advertising. Let's talk about it, how it works and its different types.
It has great advantages over traditional advertising, because it has the potential to reach wider audiences, its performance can be measured in real time, at the same time that it is fed with information about the current behavior of people who could interact with it. In addition, depending on the format, type of ad and where it is shown, it requires less investment than other channels, such as print or television.
Creating, measuring and tracking a digital advertising campaign is becoming easier and easier, thanks to a wide variety of tools, software, platforms, performance indicators that can be different at each stage. A digital advertising strategy is indeed very flexible and adaptable.
5 types of digital advertising
1. Search
This type of online advertising is also known as search engine marketing (SEM), and appears in the results displayed by search engines when the user makes a query. They are texts that are distinguished by a legend that says "ad" or "advertising" and are located in place 0 (at the top of the page) or even at the bottom.
2. Native
Native digital advertising (or branded content) is a format that seeks to organically integrate an ad into the environment where it will be shown, so that it does not interrupt the user's experience, whether on a website or social networks. The idea is that the piece not only seeks to generate conversions, but also to provide value.
An example of this would be a publication in a magazine or newspaper (printed or online) that talks about the benefits of coffee in people's lives, with real data, but that is requested and paid for by a company that produces coffee. It should be added that, even if it does not look like advertising, it should indicate to users that it is by means of a disclaimer in the article, a hashtag or a caption.
3. Email marketing
It is digital advertising that is done by sending emails to a database that the advertiser organizes and segments, according to the matches that each contact has with their buyer personas. It has the possibility of personalizing messages for the buyer's stages, and the intention is that it becomes a means of information, contact and follow-up of leads and customers of a brand or business.
4. Retargeting
Digital advertising can be very precise, and retargeting (or remarketing) is one example. Thanks to the cookies that websites collect from their visitors, it is possible to create personalized ads that respond to those most recent interactions. For example, if someone visits a flight site and searches for a destination but does not make a purchase, the cookies that are saved from that process will help create ads about a service, product or destination related to what the lead researched, which will appear when the user enters the digital version of their favorite newspaper or does a browser search. The intention is that the lead completes the process.
5. Display
Display advertising is that which we find in applications, social networks or websites that we immediately identify as banners, bumper ads that show a call to action or open videos that play automatically. This is contracted through ad managers such as Google Display Ads, that which is in charge of finding the available and most convenient spaces, according to the market segment, the format and the objective of the advertising campaign.
5 digital advertising media
1. Social Media
It is the one that appears on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and follows the guidelines of each of the platforms to achieve the goals of each advertiser.
2. Streaming media
This type of digital advertising is available for those media known as free streaming or OTT, and that are seen on smart TVs, for example events that are shared on Twitch, Fire TV or IMDb TV.
3. Audio
This is the type of advertising you hear on free versions of platforms such as Spotify, between songs, and at the start or end of podcast chapters.
4. Mobile
It is digital advertising created especially to be seen on mobile devices, which sometimes you will not be able to see on a desktop computer. This speaks volumes about the popularity of smartphones in people's lives.
5. Video
Online videos can be out-stream, which are those that appear on websites or applications, and in-stream, which we see before, during or after playing an audiovisual content.
Now let's go to the section that really interests you: examples of digital advertising!
8 examples of effective digital advertising
- Nike with email marketing
- LinkedIn and Microsoft's targeted advertising
- Aeromexico's native advertising in El País
- Disney Plus SEM
- Invictus Retargeting
- Hostgator videos on YouTube
- Pomellato display advertising
- Walmart mobile ads in Wired
Nike with email marketing
Email marketing is all about catering to a company's customers and prospects, no matter if it's for first contact or to remind them of how important their loyalty is. A good example of this is the messages Nike sends to members of its loyalty program, rewarding them on their birthday.
LinkedIn and Microsoft's targeted advertising
LinkedIn is the social network for those who want to grow their professional contacts, so the market that spends time there has interests related to their careers, the tools that can enhance it, and the skills they need to grow. So it's not surprising to see these types of ads in the feed:
Aeromexico's native advertising in El País
This is a clear example of branded content or native advertising, especially because before there was internet, print media used it a lot. This article, which talks about the importance of prevention when traveling, is actually an advertising piece about the advantages of flying with Aeromexico:
SEM de Disney Plus
When searching in Google for the term "Disney", the result that is placed in the first place is for the most relevant ads, so the landing page to contract the streaming service appears.
Invictus Retargeting
Invictus is a high-end athletic footwear and apparel store. Once you visit their site, you will find advertising for the store on other sites, such as your Facebook profile or when reading a blog page.
Videos de Hostgator en YouTube
Before a YouTube video starts playing, Hostgator will display a pre-roll ad for a few seconds, until the skip button appears. In addition to the video and the explanation it shares, there is a call to action (CTA) on the left side of the screen for interested people to go to a landing page.
Pomellato display advertising
This example is a page-stealing display ad, which is easily integrated into the rest of the elements of the home page (in this case Wired), so as not to interrupt the reading of visitors and, thus, avoid blocking or hiding.
Walmart mobile ads on Wired
And while we're on the subject of Wired magazine, this is an opportunity to show how the mobile version of the same site displays ads that are different from those displayed on the desktop version. In this case, it is an advertisement for a supermarket in Mexico that invites visitors to order their groceries from their cell phones.
