Every ad network offers potential benefits for brands. However, they can fall short if tasked with something they’re not designed for or expected to act like other ad networks. Understanding how each network operates helps you assign the right tasks and, importantly, maximize ROI.

Let’s examine the four primary ad channels:

1. Paid Search: The Closer
2. Display: The Audience Builder
3. Video: The Need Generator
4. Paid Social: The Impulse Driver While there’s overlap in their capabilities, each excels in its core function. Let’s break down each channel’s strengths and tips for maximizing their impact.

Paid Search: The Closer

Paid search, often synonymous with Google Ads, is a go-to for many brands. These ads appear on the SERP (search engine results page). With Google Search handling 5.6 billion daily searches, brands naturally seek that visibility. Here’s how to leverage paid search effectively.

Target with Precision

Search implies the user knows their need. They might be comparing providers, but the product or service is already on their radar.

Therefore, paid search thrives with a defined target market. Knowing your product’s value allows setting realistic CPC, CPA, and ROAS goals.

Strategic Keyword Selection

Paid search hinges on bidding on keywords, requiring you to think like your ideal customer. Bidding on both “attorney” and “lawyer” creates internal competition, each with its own auction price. Choosing the right keyword, aligned with your target market’s language, ensures effective communication.

Craft Compelling Headlines with Hooks and Calls to Action

Ads must resonate with user needs while avoiding generic templates. Think of headline one as your “hook” and headline two as your call to action (CTA). Descriptions provide extra information but shouldn’t be the primary attention-grabber. Most users focus on headlines.

Download our responsive search ad template here. By combining the right keywords with precise audience targeting, search ads become powerful closing tools. Utilize native audiences (in-market, affinity, etc.) or build your own through first-party data or custom intent.

Display: The Audience Builder

Display campaigns offer more than just remarketing. They allow communication through impactful visuals and build curated audiences for other campaigns. Display ads are charged via CPM, CPC, or CPA. Here’s how to optimize your display strategy:

Audit Your Placements

Unlocking display’s potential lies in placement audits. Some placements are more valuable than others (reflected in higher auction prices). Determine if the premium aligns with your goals. While most mobile app placements are ineffective (accidental clicks within a game are costly), some hold value. Base your placement decisions on KPIs and strategic alignment.

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Elevate Lead Quality

If your lead quality is lacking, display ads can reach prospects during their research phase. Help them understand value propositions and whether your product/service aligns with their needs.

Unleash Creative Impact

Compelling display ad creative is crucial. Users expect visually appealing content, even in advertising. Google and Microsoft simplify this with Shutterstock integration. Whether using stock or original creative, responsive display ads enhance reach and engagement.

Both display ad examples here include buttons to prompt clicks. However, the World of Warcraft ad aligns better with the page’s content. While the Shopify Plus ad is relevant to me (as a target demographic), disrupting my leisure activity requires more creative finesse.

Video: The Need Generator

Video ads have become ubiquitous, and for good reason. They inspire need through storytelling, highlight product relevance, and build brand affinity. Here are some video ad best practices:

Capture Attention Instantly

The best video ads recognize the importance of the first five seconds. Some embrace the six-second bumper ad format, while others aim to hold attention longer. Prioritize conveying these elements within the first five seconds:

• Business Name
• Call to Action
• Contact Information

Align with Your Personas

Video ads demand strategic persona alignment. If using real people, ensure they match your target audience. Graphics offer an alternative, but maintain brand consistency—a sudden shift to a “cheeky” cartoon ad might feel off.

Set Frequency Caps

Remember, video ads interrupt user-chosen content. Excessive exposure to the same ad leads to ad fatigue and negative sentiment. Set frequency caps for daily/weekly views, starting with five per week and adjusting based on performance.

Paid Social: The Impulse Driver

Paid social encompasses ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.

Maintain Creative Freshness

Social ads require a distinct approach from search. Relying on real-time trends instead of historical data, they need frequent campaign, ad set, and ad refreshes for optimal algorithmic delivery. Tools like Canva facilitate Facebook ad design.

Navigate Privacy Considerations

Effective social campaigns require in-depth persona understanding. Knowing your audience and their motivations is crucial, especially with evolving privacy regulations impacting targeting and reporting. Explore our resources for guidance:

• Facebook Ad Targeting in a Privacy-First World
• 7 Facebook Ad Strategies Working for Us, Post-iOS Update
• 3 Lesser-Used Facebook Ad Strategies Making a Comeback

Leverage Lookalike Audiences

Using customer lists to create lookalike audiences remains a powerful social advertising technique.

While 1% lookalike is often considered optimal, 8% can be more effective in niche markets. Test both to identify what works best for you. This emphasizes the importance of compelling visuals and demographic relevance in your creative, as segmentation relies heavily on those factors.

View the ad example here. This Facebook video ad effectively showcases diverse individuals using the product while tapping into the common concern of acne. It includes a clear “Shop Now” CTA and a relatable headline. Its strength lies in its broad appeal and its ability to address a relatable problem, making it a prime example of impulse enablement.

Key Takeaways

Each paid media channel plays a unique role in your marketing mix, governed by its own set of rules. Here are two final points to consider:

• Each channel has budget requirements for optimal performance. If one doesn’t fit your budget, explore alternatives that offer comparable value.
• Use analytics as your guiding light and maintain cross-channel messaging consistency for a unified approach. We can empower your success across these ad channels. Discover our comprehensive digital marketing solutions to learn more.