The Diverse Categories of Display Advertising – by Ted Dhanik

Online display advertising has become one of the most popular forms of advertising today.  These ads have been very effective for many different types of businesses.  However, not all display ads function in the same way.  This blog will cover a few of the different types of display ads available today.

Category display ads are used frequently.  An example might include a woman’s moisturizer cream being advertised on websites related to that product.  For example, the business advertising the cream might advertise on a beauty tips website, or something similar.  Category display ads are very focused on a target demographic.  Category display ads help to create brand awareness.

Contextual display ads are akin to category ads.  These ads aim to match the content of a certain type of website.  An example might include a car advertisement on a car forum.  Contextual ads are meant to engage a particular audience.  By placing these specific ads on aligned websites, advertisers can rely on greater results and a higher ROI.  Some advertisers combine contextual and category display ads in order to achieve the best possible results.

Retargeting and behavioral display ads function slightly differently.  These ads have to do with tracking a user’s past activity.  Retargeting often uses specific websites that a user has already used.  Advertisers use retargeting because they’re already sure of the user’s interest.  The ROI is often high with these ads.  Behavioral display ads target a specific demographic based on their web history.  Behavioral display ads rely on cookies in order to function properly.

Author bio: Guest post is submitted by Ted Dhanik, the president and co-founder of engage:BDR.  engage: BDR is a leading media company that offers marketing solutions for direct response marketers and advertisers.  Ted Dhanik has his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from California State University, Hayward.  Ted Dhanik was previously the VP of Strategic Marketing for Myspace for over five years.