Let’s start with a quick definition: Display advertising is a type of online advertising that involves running visual ads that appear on websites and typically include a call to action.Display ads can appear on any type of site that a consumer visits.
‍
Display advertising is different from search advertising or pay per click (PPC) ads, which appear on search engine results pages. PPC ads show when a consumer is searching on a search engine like Google or Bing, and display ads show on the site the consumer clicks on from search engines (or any site they visit when they’re online). There are a few different types of display ads, like geofencing ads, which allow you to target consumers based on their location and (hopefully) drive them to your storefront or website.

So, now that we know what display advertising is, let’s talk about why it’s such a powerful marketing strategy for small businesses.

One of the first benefits of display advertising is that display ads can (and should!) be designed and styled. Regular PPC ads are text only and have to adhere to character counts, limiting how effectively and quickly you can capture attention and convey your message.With digital display advertising, you can use graphics, video, audio, and your company’s branding to stand out to users and attract their attention.

In order to get a new customer, that customer needs to be aware that your business exists. And according to Localogy, consumers must encounter a brand 10 times before they think about doing business with them.
Display advertising allows you to go on the offensive and get in front of consumers before they need a specific good or service from you. By the time they need what your business offers, you have a better chance of being who they consider since they’ve encountered your name time and again online.

When running digital marketing campaigns, it’s important to target the people most relevant to your business. Just as with PPC and Facebook advertising targeting, you can create specific parameters for your digital display advertising: which sites your display ads appear on, which geographic area they appear in, and which demographic or niche market they appear to.
‍
For example, a car dealership can target people of driving age who live in their zip code and are visiting auto-related websites.
‍
Display advertising is a powerful marketing strategy, and when you use it in conjunction with other efforts as a part of a broader strategy, it can boost your marketing’s effectiveness.From raising general awareness early in the customer journey to tempting repeat customers back yet again with targeted deals and offers, display advertising is a smart tactic everywhere along the customer journey.