The Shift to Display Ads, Is Your Brand Ready?

Digital advertising is a beast that’s difficult to tame, and usually, right when you think you’ve figured out the best game plan for your brand there’s a sudden shift in digital advertising trends. Well, we’re sorry to tell you that many experts to see a few key changes in 2016.In recent years, paid search advertising was king. However, a recent report from eMarketer anticipates 2016 to be the first year that advertising spend on display will surpass search and account for the lion’s share of digital ad spend. At a projected 47.9% of all digital ad spend, display spending could eclipse as much as $32.17 billion by year’s end.What do we mean by display ads?Display ads come in all shapes and sizes, and you encounter them every day. Standard forms are display banners, pre-roll video, and Instagram carousel ads.Although these types of display ads all appear relatively similar, each one is created with different goals and objectives in mind. Organizing and planning a display ad campaign can be a serious headache, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. Luckily, the experts at PBJ Marketing are well versed in the subject and would be happy to fill you in.Are there any downsides?The digital advertising industry is constantly evolving, but so too are the ways in which users try to avoid them. Ad blocking is a growing concern among industry professionals. However, with a lot of work and a little luck, there are some ways to avoid ad blocking and ensure your ads are reaching your target audience.A study recently conducted by ComScore and Sourcepoint indicates that just 9% of desktop users and less than 1% of mobile web page views used ad blockers last year. Even though these numbers are still relatively small, expect to see then increase dramatically during the course of 2016 as ad blocking programs become more ubiquitous with everyday user activity – especially among desktop users.  PBJ has the solution to your digital ad problemSome digital marketing professionals view the rising share of mobile users with ad block programs as a problem, but we see this as an opportunity. The 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report from comScore indicates that mobile users spend seven-times more time in apps than on mobile browsers, which could be used to validate a shift of mobile add dollars to in-app advertising.