Since the inception of banner ads, spending in the banner advertising segment has taken off. In 2022 ad spend in this category is projected to reach $158.2 billion. On top of this, the shift towards mobile-focused advertising has continued to rise with only 31% of spend going to desktop ads while the rest was invested into mobile.
Source: Statista
Mobile banner ads are an inexpensive and eye-catching way to attract your target audience and increase brand awareness. However, with the increasing popularity of these ads and the growing “banner blindness” (selective attention by consumers), it is integral for marketers to find ways to stand out from the competition.
What are Mobile Banner Ads?
A mobile banner ad is either a static or animated rectangular ad unit that is promoted at the top or bottom of the display screen. They typically remain in place during the duration of a user’s session on that page. Mobile banner ads are relatively easy to set up and can quickly drive awareness and app monetization. Banner ads can also be set up to refresh on auto-pilot after a certain amount of time.
Source: YouAppi
Despite the simplicity of these types of ads, there are certain best practices and tricks to follow in order to make your mobile banner ads succeed.
Mobile Banner Ad Tip 1: Mobile Mindset
Display advertising used to revolve around the “desktop first” mindset. However, the shift of advertising to mobile calls for campaign strategies to shift as well — from traditional display to mobile formats, which captures more eyes than desktop does these days.
Browsing a site on your computer versus scrolling on your smartphone are two very different actions. The user journey on mobile tends to be much shorter — tapping, scrolling and swiping rather than searching, reviewing results, then clicking with a trackpad or mouse. By building your banner advertisements on mobile first, you can create something that your target audience will want to engage with.
Since browsing on a phone is interactive, try feeding consumers media rich banners. These are banner ads that include videos, gifs or animations that work extremely well in driving user engagement.
Mobile Banner Ad Tip 2: Copy is Key
User attention span is shorter than ever. According to research done by Wyzowl, human attention span has markedly decreased in just 15 years. In 2000, it was 12 seconds and by 2015, the average attention span shrunk significantly to 8.25 seconds. This means that the copy used on your mobile banner ad needs to be concise and attention grabbing at the same time.
Make sure that you’re not writing more than one or two sentences of text on your banner. Since a user is scrolling on their smartphone, it is key to draw them in quickly without them having to pause to read multiple lines. Find captivating messaging such as discounts or new developments to highlight in your ad. Think about what would make you stop scrolling and pay attention, based on their point in the user journey along with their previous user behaviors or actions. It is also important to standardize your messaging across all banner ad campaigns in order to promote recognizability and engagement.
Lastly, in order to keep your mobile banner ad simple and attractive, it is imperative to have a straightforward and clear call to action (CTA). Your CTA needs to deliver the exact message that you want to relay to the target audience so that you can entice and engage those users.
Mobile Banner Ad Tip 3: Avoid “Banner Blindness”
As consumers, we are constantly surrounded by advertisements. At a certain point, users can become desensitized to these ads and lose interest. This is called “banner blindness”. Banner blindness is a form of selective attention, in which web visitors ignore information presented in banners. This can be either conscious or unconscious and is usually done to avoid interacting with ads that may disrupt the user experience.
So how do marketers win back the attention of these users?
Avoid boring, static ads that can be easily ignored. It is much easier to scroll past a dull, colorless advertisement than one with a captivating video or gif. Make sure videos and photos are of the highest quality so that your ad looks sharp and sophisticated. Additionally, steer clear of ads that look too “scammy” or that are trying too hard to gain the attention of users. Instead, focus on clear messaging and creativity. Find out what typically draws users to your app and create messages that will resonate with consumers. Utilize your creative team and find out what will deliver a strong return on investment.
Mobile Banner Ad Tip 4: Mobile Banner Size Matters
Size does matter when it comes to banner ads. When you spend a significant amount of budget on display advertising, you want to make sure you get the most out of your investment. Depending on where you are displaying your ad, there are different sizing options that come into play. Publishers have many options to choose from when it comes to the size of mobile banner ads.
One of the most popular mobile banner sizes is the 320×50, also called the mobile leaderboard. It accounts for 12% of all impressions globally and can be used in apps as well as in the browser. Its success is due to its low price for advertisers as well as providing a great user experience. While using this mobile banner sizing, it is key to make sure that your texts and CTAs are big enough to be readable. Mobile ad banner design requires a balance between eye-catching content and visuals and being too distracting to the viewer. The best mobile banner ads highlight key features with a compelling CTA.
Mobile Banner Ads: Retargeting win
Due to mobile banner ads’ popularity, it’s a “quick win” to incorporate in your retargeting campaigns. Banner ads have a high conversion rate and can be creative and personalized in order to gain the attention of a consumer. By utilizing deep linking, a user can be led right back into the app from a banner ad – a highly effective way to increase user conversions and engagement. Marketers can also utilize geo-targeting and incentives in their mobile banner ads as another way to create personalized and highly targeted marketing initiatives.
Mobile Banner Ads Takeaways
Spending in the banner advertising segment has taken off with the ad spend projected to reach $158.2 billion in 2022. With the increasing popularity of these ads and the growing “banner blindness” (selective attention by consumers), marketers need to stand out from the competition. Here is the recap of our tips to create engaging and creative mobile banner ads:
- Mobile mindset: With the shift of advertising going towards mobile, it doesn’t make sense to start by designing a campaign desktop first and then scaling down. Now is the time to design assets to be mobile-first!
- Copy is key: User attention span is shorter than ever. This means the copy used on your mobile banner ad needs to be concise and attention grabbing at the same time. Find captivating messaging such as discounts or new developments to highlight in your ad. Create a captivating CTA that grabs users’ attention before they scroll away.
- Avoid “banner blindness”: Banner blindness is a form of selective attention, in which web visitors ignore information presented in banners. It is crucial to avoid boring, static ads that can be easily ignored. It is much easier to scroll past a dull, colorless advertisement than one with a captivating video or gif. Utilize your creative team and find out what will deliver a strong return on investment!
- Size does matter: When you spend a significant amount of budget on display advertising, you want to make sure you get the most out of your investment. Depending on where you are displaying your ad, there are different mobile banner sizing options that come into play. One of the most popular banner sizes is called the mobile leaderboard – accounting for 12% of all impressions globally and can be used in apps as well as in the browser.
Want to increase your mobile engagement? Talk to one of our expert marketers to find out how you can make the most of your mobile advertising campaigns!
