Display Advertising: B2B Marketing Insights (2023)

Display advertising continues to be one of the most popular forms of online marketing. Going into 2023, Insider Intelligence forecasts 10.5% YoY growth, for an estimated $626.86 Billion in global ad spend. 

While it takes time for B2B display advertising to yield results due to a longer sales cycle, a well-crafted display ad campaign will ultimately speed up the sales cycle and improve conversion rates. 

 In this article we will talk about:

• How display ads can benefit B2B marketing
• 5 Types of display ads 
• Best practices for B2B display advertising
• How to measure impact of display ads

How display ads can benefit B2B marketing  

Display advertising can be a powerful B2B marketing tool. With more companies offering permanent remote or hybrid work and people spending anywhere from 3 to 6 hours on mobile per day, investing in an omni-channel display marketing strategy can help maximize results.

Benefits of B2B display advertising include:  

• Increased brand awareness: Display ads help increase brand awareness when placed on channels frequented by your target audience. Brand awareness leads to consumer trust, so the more market recognition your brand has, the more successful your business will ultimately be. 
• Improved lead generation: Display ads are highly effective in driving traffic to conversion focused pages for products, services, lead magnets, etc.
• Better retargeting: Retargeting is the lifeblood of B2B marketers as it assists in reducing customer acquisition costs. By serving ads only to those users and companies who have interacted with your brand in some way, it improves the chances of achieving positive business objectives.
• Tracking & optimizing campaigns: Display advertising platforms provide detailed tracking and analytics tools. This can help to more easily and quickly optimize campaigns and improve ROI. 
• Measurable results: Display ad campaigns provide measurable results through impressions, clicks, etc. We will talk more about these parameters later.

5 Types of display ads

As a digital B2B marketer, you have the option to use  multiple varieties and combinations of display ads. Here we discuss the most important types of display ads.

#1. Standard Display 

These are the oldest and most common type of display ad you see online. They  typically feature a static or animated graphic and a call-to-action (CTA) that directs users to a landing page. That landing page could be for a product you are selling, service you are providing, a lead magnet, tickets to an online conference, etc.

#2. Video ads

Videos are more engaging than other types of content. Easily digestible and engaging, B2B video marketing can help ‘sell’ by drawing consumer attention and raising awareness. HighIQ found that about 75% of managers watch videos related to their work on a weekly basis. Because management-level professionals are often very busy doing their job, videos let them more easily absorb information. 

#3. Native ads

Native ads are designed to organically fit the look, style and layout of the page they are embedded in. They appear to be ‘native’ to the web page and are usually editorial in nature, though they do not have to be.  As reported by Outbrain, consumers look at native ads 53% more than display ads and they can create an 18% increase in purchase intent.

#4. Social media ads

These ads are displayed on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. They can be targeted to specific audiences based on interests, demographics, and behaviors. For B2B marketers in particular, LinkedIn, where 4 out of 5 members drive business decisions, helps ensure your ads are showcased with relevant content which has a huge impact on how your target audience perceives your advertisement. 

#5. Retargeting ads

As discussed, these ads are shown to users and companies who have previously interacted with your brand in some way - via website, social media channels, etc. They are designed to keep the brand top-of-mind and encourage users to take the desired action.

Best practices for running B2B display ads

Here are some best practices to follow when running B2B display ads. These are not exhaustive by any means, but a good place to start.

#1. Choose the right target audience

Identify who your ideal customer is and what their interests, demographics, and behaviors are. Use this information to create audience segments that you can target with your display ads.

#2. Utilize Account Based Marketing (ABM)

Prioritize B2B display advertising to the accounts most likely to engage and buy from you. With ABM, you can personalize marketing touchpoints and nurture customers through the purchase process. 

#3. Choose the right ad format

There are a variety of ad formats and sizes available for display advertising. Choose the combination of formats and sizes that best align with your campaign goals and the interests of your target audience.

#4. Create ads that speak to your audience

Visually, ad content should be eye-catching. Contentwise, aim to create clear, concise, engaging and relevant ads.  Never forget to include a strong call-to-action to encourage your audience to take desired action.

#5. Optimize for mobile

67.1% of the global population uses smartphones so it's important to optimize display ads for mobile screens. Use responsive design and mobile-specific ad formats for improved engagement and user experience.

#6. Monitor and optimize campaigns continually

Most display ad networks provide detailed analytics into ad performance. Monitor ads continually and adjust messaging as well as targeting for better reach and engagement.

#7. Be open to experimenting

Despite all your experience, you will never get the ads right the first time around. Be open to experimenting with messaging, CTA, ad sizes, formats, and anything else that can be adjusted. Use A/B testing and other techniques to optimize your campaigns over time.

#8. Don’t forget the landing pages

The aim of display ads is to drive traffic to a landing page that sells or promotes your product, service, lead magnet, or simply your message. So build optimized landing pages where the ads are sending traffic.

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By following these best practices, B2B digital marketers can create effective and impactful display ad campaigns that drive traffic, leads, and sales.

How to measure impact of display ads

A variety of metrics are available for measuring the impact of display advertising. It’s an in-depth topic in itself, but here is a quick intro on the top five metrics critical to measuring display ad impact.

1. Impressions: Measures how many times an ad has been viewed by users. It is a good indicator of how effective an ad is at increasing brand awareness and exposure.
2. Clicks: Measures how many times an ad has been clicked on by users. It is a good indicator of how well an ad is resonating with its target audience and driving traffic.
3. Cost-per-click (CPC): Measures the average cost of each click on an ad. It is a good indicator of how cost-effective an ad campaign is, and can be used to compare the performance of different campaigns.
4. Cost-per-acquisition (CPA): Measures the average cost of each conversion driven by an ad.  Similar to CPC, CPA can be used to compare performance of different campaigns.
5. Return on investment (ROI): Measures the profitability of an ad campaign, by taking into account the cost of the campaign and the revenue generated. It is a good indicator of how effective an ad campaign is at driving sales and generating a positive return on investment.

How Think ABM can help

Think ABM is a turnkey, one-stop shop offering omni-channel marketing solutions tailored to your unique business needs. We take a consultative approach towards all our clients, focusing on driving results that positively impact your business growth. 

Think ABM offers a suite of display advertising products. Our offerings include targeted display, native, video including OTT/CTV, and LinkedIn. We truly Think ABM, offering ABM targeting capabilities across all products. 

Get in touch with Think ABM display ad experts now.