How to create effective digital ads for your B2B campaigns

You only have a split second to grab the user’s attention, so think very carefully about your goal and how you intend to achieve it. Treat your banner as a billboard at the side of a road; a driver would also have very little time to process your message.

B2B marketing is a long-term process. Days, weeks or even months may pass before a purchase decision is made, and multiple people are often involved. Consistency in your banners helps users to easily identify your ads, which not only makes it easier to ‘stand out from the crowd’, but also increases the focus on the actual message. However, make sure that you also include sufficient variation so users don’t start to ignore you. In short: ensure recognisability through consistent use of your logo and use of colour, but vary things sufficiently to keep attracting attention.

Keep it Simple, Stupid! Even the largest banners are still relatively small in size, so there is limited space available for your message. Keep it simple, clear and to the point!

If you want users to click on your banner, you should give them a good reason to. The average click-through ratio in B2B is around 0.1%, so a simple call to action like ‘click here for more information’ probably won’t be enough. Are you offering a discount or other kind of incentive? Show it in your banner and focus your call to action on it!

Not sure what content to include in your banner? Try using the three Bs: brand, buzz and badger. Include your logo to highlight your brand, the buzz is the message you want to get across and you ‘badger’ people with your call to action. Make sure you create a clear hierarchy between these three. Your logo is important and must be clearly visible, of course, but your message and call to action are even more important, don’t you agree? Ensure that your message is always the first thing people see, with the call to action as a logical continuation of it.

Images can definitely help to clarify your message, but you should always take a critical view of the images you plan to use. Are they relevant enough? Are they not too distracting? Do they actually add value to the banner?

Animated banners usually perform better than static banners (when used properly, of course). Make sure that the animation does not distract from the message or does not loop too often. Animations that move too fast are often not so effective either. Last but not least, make sure the animation ends with a solid call to action, so that it is clear what you want the user to do next.

The digital market has produced many banner formats over the years. When creating your banner, make sure you choose a format that enables you to convey your message clearly. For example, we use the leaderboard, medium rectangle and full banner formats on our websites.

After going to all the effort of encouraging users to click on your banner, you obviously do not want to lose their attention just a few seconds later. A good landing page ensures a solid follow-up and helps you to achieve your goals. When developing your landing page, try to put yourself in the user’s shoes to ensure you offer them a logical next step and a recognisable design.

Just like B2B marketing in general, creating a good banner is also a long-term process. It is unlikely that you will get everything right first time, so always keep testing, evaluating, optimising and re-testing. Never stop being critical, even if your banner is performing well.

Are you keen to know more, or do you need help with creating banners? Contact our marketing advisors or have a look at the artwork & creative design services from our subsidiary Factrics.