Some of the different online advertising methods are displays of text ads, video ads, and sponsorships. Text and video ads are common ways of directing people to another website, increasing brand awareness, or both. Sponsorships are methods of advertising while helping out another company financially. In addition, there are pop-up ads that can display text, video, or still advertisements. Most ads can be geo-targeted to display ads to people in only specific countries or cities within a country.
Text ads are some of the most common online advertising methods. They are displayed on search engines and nearly any kind of website. Text ads are also usually the cheapest form of online advertising, depending on where they are displayed and for how long.
Video ads are an increasingly popular method of advertising online. These ads are often 60 seconds or less and shown before and during a movie or television episode. Sometimes video ads are located on the corner of websites and play while a visitor views the site.
Sponsorships are one of the most well-used online advertising methods. One company gives another money in return for mentioning the first company’s name or product. This kind of advertisement is also used offline; for example, a beverage company might sponsor a fundraising event by paying for its operational costs and giving out beverages to people who donate. In this case, the beverage company benefits by positively associating with fundraisers and spreading brand awareness. Online sponsorships work in much the same way, but the website displays their sponsor’s banner ad or plays their video ad.
Ads that appear in separate browser windows, typically on top of another window, are called pop-up ads. The fact that these ads appear on top of another browser window is both an advantage and a disadvantage to the advertiser. These ads may annoy consumers, but they can also be very visible. Pop-up blocking software is often employed to prevent unintended web pages from being opened. In response to pop-up blockers, advertisers sometimes use ads that appear on top of the contents of a web page and look like a separate window but are actually part of the original window.
Geo-targeting lets an online advertiser target people within a specific geographic region. This online advertising method is used when an advertiser believes that an ad will work more effectively within a particular region. Furthermore, geo-targeting online advertising methods are also used when an advertiser does not want to display ads to people in a particular region. For example, an advertiser may not want to advertise to a specific region because it believes that people living in that area will not have enough money to purchase their product.