In the fast changing world of PPC advertising, it can be difficult to determine which ad strategy will be best for your business. Here’s what you need to know about the advantages of video ads versus display ads, and which may be best for you.
What to Know About Video Ads
Video ads are perhaps the most engaging type of ad available and the benefits of using video in your marketing are numerous. The dynamic quality of a video ad allows you to tell a story, more easily creating a compelling advertisement for your business than you would be able to with a static display ad.
Demand for video ads is high, which means they have prices to match. With the increased dynamism of a video ad comes increased cost. There is also not much stock video available, meaning that the video for your ad will likely need to be shot specifically for your company. This creates a higher production cost, as well as necessitating more time between commissioning the ad and when you can expect to have it complete.
The popularity of video ads is high, and likely to keep growing at a much higher rate than the growth of display ads.
What to Know About Display Ads
A display ad is certainly going to be cheaper to create than a video ad. This is especially true if you hire a freelance designer, but holds true even if you hire a London PPC agency, where prices tend to be higher.
There is also a quicker turnaround time with display ads. Thanks in part to the high amount of stock images available these days, it’s comparatively simple to get a good quality display ad relatively soon. There is also unlikely to be much production cost, beyond paying the designer or agency. If you do take the photos or hire a photographer, this is still cheaper and simpler than setting up for a video.
The flip side of this is that display ads are less popular than video ads, and not without reason. The static quality of a display ad is less likely to draw attention and to suck potential customers in to the world of your ad.
Which One is Right for your Business?
Which type of ad is right for your business depends on several factors. There is no one size fits all answer, as both display and video ads have their pros and cons.
If you have a larger business and a high advertising budget, it is likely to be a good idea to go with a video ad.
Do you have in-house ability to produce video content? What about photography? This can save money, but keep in mind that while your photographer or videographer is working on the ad they will not be available for other projects. How do you wish to spend their time?
Also consider the full costs of developing each type of ad. There are more people that are involved in producing a video ad than a display ad.
However, if you have the budget, a video is probably going to get more clicks than a display ad. It can also be used to get across more information than a display ad.
If your business is smaller, newer, or simply has a lower advertising budget, a display ad may be the way to go. Display ads are also preferable in industries that are highly regulated, as they can be approved and go out much more quickly than videos. In all cases, display ads have the advantage of speed.
Display ads get fewer clicks, but they’re cheaper. Is the cost savings up front worth the lack of clicks? We advise calculating what your ROI will be on each type. In the end, it’s up to you to decide.
Community manager at Visual Contenting. Jacqueline loves to talk about social media trends, new technology and how they help businesses accelerate their marketing efforts.
