"Banner ads are tried-and-true forms of advertising that can deliver great results while driving a return on investment," says Kim Stearns in an article at MarketingProfs. "So why are advertisers so hesitant to use them?"

It might be, she conjectures, that serious businesses look askance at the sheer volume of silly ads promising free iPods or asking readers to participate in inane surveys. "It's a shame that such an important online-advertising avenue has been tainted for so long with such content," she notes. Especially since banner ads can be an effective part of your marketing mix.

The key to success, Stearns argues, is to treat banner ads like billboards:

• Say it in eight words or less. Assume your online audience is speeding past at the equivalent of 75 mph. "If you want to have any chance of communicating with viewers," she says, "you'll have to make it snappy."
• Stick to a single visual element. Ideally, this works in concert with your copy to tell a complete story.

The Po!nt: Just as you wouldn't load a billboard with marketing copy or a complicated layout, don't burden your banner ad with more information than a viewer can process in two or three seconds. Says Stearns, "This is exposure. This is an impression. That's it."

Source: MarketingProfs. Click here for the full article.

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