When someone talks about ads, the first thing that may come to mind is an overarching billboard to be seen across the local highway. It may come in the image of something as small as a bus station with a local movie poster plastered atop it, or as large as Times Square, with countless images and videos of brands placed above and around the area. Whatever the image or form, one thing for certain: ads are as commonplace in society as cars and cell phones, maybe even more.
But what exactly are ads? What makes them so popular and easy to find no matter what you search on your phone or computer, or where you go on your commute to work or home? How and why are they found throughout our lives with so much as a simple glance in one direction? That is what this article aims to uncover.
What are Ads?
So, let us start with the basic question: what exactly are ads? Ads, or more formally known as advertisements, are pieces of communication used to help promote a product or business. They are made and produced with the purpose in mind of attracting its audience to the product and brand they belong to, which can help bring viewer attraction and in turn potential customers.
The Purpose and Function of Ads
As stated above, the purpose of advertisements is to be seen and heard, almost anywhere and everywhere you go. The more an advertisement is seen, the more retention it develops. With this retention comes the goal of attracting its audience’s interest, and doing so will in turn gain their attention, engagement, and eventual sale of a product. The purpose of any and all ads are to entice, engage, and sell their products to the viewers.
How Do Ads Work?
Unlike other marketing methods, advertising is paid, giving advertisers control of the message and content they want to convey to the viewer. After which they are displayed and sourced to the public, with as much retention as possible to attract and retain potential buyers. The more an ad is seen, the better its chances are to attract buyers.
Types of Advertisements
Ads can come in a variety of different formats, ones that are as varied as they are different from each other. Despite this, they usually come in two broad terms, those being physical and online.
- Physical Advertisements– also known as traditional advertising, physical ads are those that can be seen in the real world. These can come in the form of magazine advertisements, billboards, signs posted in front of one’s house or business, etc. If it can be found in the real world, then it is a physical ad. Examples of physical ads include:
- Billboards
- Posters
- Magazines and Comics
- Signs
- Online Advertisements– also known as digital advertising, these are advertisements that can be found from your computer or phone. These include online posters or billboards, links or images that lead to a product, and more. Unlike physical ads, online ads are much broader and have a variety of mediums to convey their messages through. Some examples of these include but are not limited to:
- Google Search Ads
- Bing Ads
- Adword Ads
- PPC (pay per click) Ads
- Email Ads
- Mobile Ads
- In-Game Ads
In addition to these online advertisements also have different models for their strategies. These include:
- Display Advertising- involves use of small digital billboards that are placed around blog posts, search result pages, apps, and websites. This is a common form of online advertisement.
- Video Advertising- one of the most common and popular types of online advertising. Video advertising enables one to convey a message, product, and other information that would not be able to be conveyed through something like a static image or ad. These also, like any video viewed online, allow one to fast forward or replay through it, which encourages user control and interest.
- Mobile Advertising- ads that are displayed over one’s cellular device. This is another format of advertising, and a more common one at that. It is also one of the more successful methods as well, since almost everyone uses a cell phone in some way or form, whether it is watching a video or surfing the web or even making a call.
- Native Advertising- one of the least disruptive types of advertising. It includes sponsored content, that which naturally blends into the message and advertisement without interrupting the viewer’s experience.
For more information on physical and digital advertising, click here
Benefits of Advertising
Advertising has no shortage of benefits, all of which come with the end result of increased profit margins and customer retention. Some of these benefits include:
- Increase in sales, revenue, and ROI (return on investment)
- Introducing and providing information on products
- Improving company and brand image
- Expanding consumer market and target audiences
These are just a few of the many benefits listed, and the most general ones at that. There are of course other benefits to be had, especially when it comes to choosing between online and physical advertising. For example, online advertising is more accessible to the general public and encourages more retention than physical advertising. In contrast, physical advertising is generally less enforcing and offers more in visual impact and actual tangibility.
Where To Learn More
Just as common as finding an ad, there are just as many ways to learn more about advertising and its different forms. There are even sites such as https://www.clickfunnels.com/blog/best-online-sales-training-courses/, which helps one learn about not only ads but also sales training. And all of this can be found with just a click on your phone or computer.
Conclusion
There are countless number of products to be found and consumed throughout the world. And with every product comes an advertisement in some form or other. Whether it is physical or digital, on your phone or at the local bus station, advertisements are those which can be found anywhere and everywhere, and all without much effort.
