What Is an Online Advertising Agency?

An online advertising agency is a business that focuses on designing online marketing strategies for businesses. This may mean the company is based entirely online and does not have a brick and mortar building from which it operates, or it may be an online advertising agency that is part of a larger advertising company that does have a home office. Businesses or individuals may hire this company to design an advertising plan for reaching a larger segment of the business's target population; the agency may develop digital ads, create promotions, engage potential clients through social media, and much more.

Traditional advertising outlets include print magazines and newspapers, television, radio, and billboards. An online advertising agency may deal with these traditional outlets, but they are often more geared toward new media advertising on the Internet. Online ads can be interactive, thereby allowing a person surfing the Internet to click on the ad and be taken to that company's website; advertising campaigns may include special online-only discounts and promotions as well. The business's website is also likely to be enhanced or altered by the online advertising agency in an effort to get more Internet users to land on the business's page from search engines.

The online advertising agency may employ the use of cost per click ads (CPC) ads, as well as search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to draw more visitors to a business's website. CPC ads can show up on search engines, private websites, and social networking sites; the user is only charged when an Internet user clicks on the ad and is taken to the business's website. This is a cost-effective way to advertise, though the ads need to be designed carefully to draw customers in. SEO is a technique that uses specific keywords to figure out which search terms will bring up the business's website. This is an important marketing tool that any online advertising agency is likely to utilize.

Social networks are websites that allow friends, family, and acquaintances to connect in an online environment. Some online advertising agency strategies involve getting businesses engaged on social networks regularly. Some ways to do this include offering network-only specials and discounts, as well as engaging in a meaningful way with potential clients. Interaction is important, and eventually the business owner or managers will need to take on the duties of social networking to ensure the business's presence on such sites pays off.