The advertising landscape is ever-changing. What was true a year back for the ad industry, may not be true this year. Hence, we have an ultimate guide for you to keep you updated about all the basics of advertising that you need to know as you start the new year!
What are advertisements?
As defined by the Advertising Association of the UK, advertisements are messages paid for by those who send them and are intended to inform or influence people who receive them. In short, they are a way of communicating messages with the target market.
What are the goals of advertising?
1. To Inform
Advertisements are used to inform the audience about the brand or anything related to it, such as products, new launches, offers and more.
2. To Persuade
Advertisements are also used to make the audience act. For instance, to make them try something or buy a particular product or service.
3. To Remind
The third important objective of advertisements is to reinforce the brand message for maintaining top-of-mind awareness.
Who are advertisers?
Advertisers are people who are responsible for the advertisements of a particular brand. They promote messages by paying for creation and execution of the ads.
What are ad agencies?
Advertising agencies are firms or companies that make ads for the advertisers, as per their requirements. Advertisers themselves may not have the skills and resources to make the kind of ads that they wish to have. For that reason, they hire ad agencies, who have both expertise and experience to create and execute good ads.
How is marketing different from advertising?
Marketing is a broader term. Advertising is a small part of it. Marketing involves making decisions and setting goals about all aspects of brand, including the product, price, place and promotion. Advertising involves communicating messages around these decisions and goals.
How did advertising start?
The oldest confirmed piece of advertising was a print ad from ancient Egypt that dates back to 3,000 B.C. The ad was a papyrus created by a slave owner trying to find a runaway slave. It also mentioned the slave owner’s rug shop. The ad may not have managed to get the slave back but it did manage to get a lot for customers to the rug shop.
Traditional vs. Digital ads
Traditional ads are the ads that are made and released using the old methods, which were used before the advent on digital age. Digital ads are the ads that are released digitally and can be viewed on digital devices.
What are the different types of traditional ads?
1. Print Advertising
Print ads are any ads that are printed on paper including posters, bulletins, flyers, newspaper ads and magazine ads.
It is one of the oldest forms of advertising and is still used today despite digital ads taking the industry by storm. Some brands incorporate print ads into larger digital campaigns too.
2. Billboards
Billboards are huge outdoor advertising boards. These are often placed in high-traffic areas where people passing by can notice, view and read them.
Since people passing by in cars or trains have very few seconds to read and process the information on the billboards, the ads on them are often minimalistic with a few to no words and bigger easy-to-understand images.
3. TV Commercials
Short ads that run on TV, targeting the TV audiences, are TV commercials.
Compared to all the other forms of ads, TV commercials are the most trusted by the audience and can influence millions of people to another level altogether.
4. Radio
Ads on radio are audio ads that air on radio channels between the radio programs.
Since radio targets the local audiences, radio ads are one of the best forms of ads to inform and influence regional audiences.
5. Event Advertising
Organising brand events, be it in-person or online, such as seminars or webinars, can be a great way of advertising. If the budget does not permit organising an event, then sponsoring one or having a brand booth at one, is a great way to inform and influence the audience.
6. Direct Mail
Direct mail is one of the most personal forms of advertising. Traditionally, brands would mail postcards, pamphlets and catalogues to their target audiences. But today, advertisers are sending a whole lot of other creative objects as direct mailers to communicate the message effectively. Many brands also send newsletters or promotions via emails.
What are the different types of digital ads?
Paid Search Ads
Ads that advertisers pay for to be shown on the top or side of search results on search engines are pay-per-click or PPC ads. All search engines, such as Google, Yahoo or Bing have their own paid search advertising.
PPC ads are effective because they get displayed in front of users who are already searching for related topics.
Social Media Ads
Ads on social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more are social media ads.
Considering the fact that, these days, every other person uses social media, these ads can reach a large set of audiences if done right. They can get you engagement and a follower base like nothing else.
Banner and Display Ads
These ads are just like PPC ads but have visuals. Banner ads are horizontal and appear on top of the page, and display ads are often vertical and appear on the sides.
Native ads
Native ads are the ads which are cohesive with look, feel and function of the media format. For instance, an article that talks about air pollution mentions a particular electric car many times, is probably sponsored by the electric car brand to mention its name.
Video ads
Traditionally, TV was the only way to air videos. But, not anymore. Today, video ads can be released digitally on various platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and more.
Advertising trends to thrive in 2023
Short-Form Videos
Short-form videos which started with TikTok and later grew on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, will continue to see the most growth in 2023. Invest in them and see the difference.
Personal Experiences
From receiving personalised ads to receiving personalised services, customers have started expecting personalised experience at every stage of their consumer journey. With that, 2023 is going to be a year more brands would deliver personalised experiences than ever.
Employee Activation
Happy employees talking well about the company’s products or services on their social media accounts is a great way of promoting your brand. Authentic and involving zero cost, it is a trend you must take advantage of in 2023.
Influencer Marketing
As per Forbes, the global influencer market was valued at $16.4 million in 2022. This shows how partnering with creators to advertise and promote your brand is something you can’t miss out on in 2023.
Native advertising
Native advertising has seen a significant growth in 2022 and is expected to grow even more in 2023, making it a trend that every marketer and advertiser must use.
Artificial Intelligence
There is a rise in the number of brands and advertisers using chatbots, programmatic ad buying and AI driven analytics. It’s important to at least start considering the possibility of using the same in the near future, if not using it immediately, to stay ahead in the game.
Conclusion
From print ads to digital ads, advertising has changed drastically. But, even though digital ads have taken the industry by storm, traditional ads still serve the purpose and, in some cases, work better than the digital ads.
The right balance of both, coupled with the use of latest trends is sure to give your brand the results you wish for. But, to get it all right, it is always better to have a reputed ad agency on board which can guide you at every step.
Looking for one? Then get in touch with us.
Brand Bazooka is a ROI-focused award-winning ad agency in Gurgaon. Having helped 200+ brands grow over 12+ years, with its disruptive advertising campaigns, it has made a name for itself as one of the top advertising agencies in Gurgaon.
If you are looking for a digital marketing agency or a creative agency in Gurgaon, then call us today!
