What Is Advertising?
Definition And Examples
When you hear the term “advertising” what is the first thing you think of? For most people, it’s probably commercials. Another common answer would be ads you see on Youtube before your video plays. However, the full answer is much more thorough and in-depth than that. If you’re wondering what the full definition of advertising is, this blog will walk you through every step.
Define An Advertisement
So what is advertising? At it’s core, advertising is a means of communicating with an audience to get them to take a specific action. This can look like many different things. For some businesses, it can look like trying to get their audience to sign up for their services. For others, it means getting their targets to buy goods and products.
However, advertising is not limited to e-commerce or trying to get someone to spend their money. For example, a non-profit organization might place an ad looking for volunteers. In each of these scenarios, they are all communicating with their intended audiences to get them to take the action they desire.
This only scratches the surface of the answer for “What is advertising?”, because ads cover a multitude of areas. Getting your target audience to take an action doesn’t just look like ads on Youtube. Emails, blogs, websites, and social media posts are all examples of advertising as well. Essentially, the answer to what is advertising covers a lot of ground
What Is The Difference Between Marketing & Advertising?
To further understand the answer to “What is advertising?”, we will also clarify its differences from marketing. Many people would assume these terms are interchangeable. However, advertising and marketing actually refer to two different ideas.
“Marketing” refers to the big picture, so to speak. The entire process of coming up with a business plan, doing the research, analyzing data, and implementing strategies are all a part of marketing. Moreover, this includes crucial areas such as customer service, your brand management, and networking valuable relationships.
Essentially, marketing is the combined process and implementation of all of your business activities. Because of this, you can think of advertising as just one piece of the puzzle for marketing. This means that when you hire a marketing agency, you don’t just get a handful of people to make a commercial. You get a team that does the research, makes a plan, and handles the entire process.
What Is Advertising Used For?
As we stated earlier, advertising is a way of attempting to persuade people to take a certain action. The most common example of advertising is trying to convince an audience to purchase goods or services. However, this just scratches the surface of what advertising is used for. Not every ad has to be about making a sale.
The goals of your advertising can differ from ad to ad. For example, if you run an email campaign to try and get your audience to sign up for your newsletters, that still falls under advertising. The specific action you want them to take is signing up for your business’ newsletters so they can keep up with your information. The same can be said for trying to get your audience to read your educational blogs, follow you on social media, or visit your website.
Ultimately, these things are done in the hopes that they will funnel leads towards your sales team. With that said, it’s important to remember that not every single ad needs to hammer your audience over the head with asking them to buy something. The answer for “What is advertising used for?” definitions also must include brand awareness, engagement, and informing your audience.
What Is An Advertising Agency?
An advertising agency is a team of professions that create, produce, and manage advertising for a business, corporation, non-profit, or government entity. They work to make your advertisements as effective and engaging as possible.
The services of an advertising agency are numerous. Their team will consist of copywriters, graphic designers, Google and other data analysts, and more. Depending on the services you hire, they may help build and manage your website, create content such as photography and videography, and manage your social media.
If your business is stuck in a rut, an advertising agency might be exactly what you need. They work to help you connect with your audience and get more eyes on you. Ultimately, the goal is to attain valuable leads so you can boost your Return On Ad Spend. Hiring an advertising agency is your path forward.
What Is Native Advertising?
In this day and age, the answer to “What is advertising?” becomes larger and larger in scope. One of the more recent developments in the world of advertising is Native Advertising.
The term Native Advertising refers to paid advertisements that are meant to match the style, formatting, and function of the platform they appear on. Essentially, they are meant to look and feel as if they are a standard part of the page. In this sense, they are non-disruptive and may even look like they aren’t ads at all. That means they flow nicely with the platform and don’t stick out in a tacky, jarring way with the rest of the page.
Native Advertising is common on social media and Google. In fact, you’ve definitely seen Native Ads before. Native Advertising tends to do really well, too. Consumers tend to feel more inclined towards ads that feel authentic, natural, and inline with the page they’re viewing. Plus, Native Advertising helps with ad burnout. When an audience gets exposed to tons and tons of ads on a regular basis, they tend to filter them out and stop paying attention. However, a Native Advertisement can avoid this. Basically, when an ad feels organic it performs better.
What Is Search Engine Advertising?
To fully answer the question “What is advertising?”, we must also dive into search engine advertising. This form of advertising utilizes what is known as SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. SEO is a way of maximizing how searchable your business is. For example, if someone is searching for “dentists near me,” your SEO score determines how far up on the list your business will appear in a search engine like Google or Bing. SEO is achieved through having searchable keywords and phrases on your pages so it is more likely to come up.
With that said, Search Engine Advertising is just what it sounds like. A search engine ad lets you pay to have your ads show up with search engine results. This is also associated with PPC, or “pay per click” ads, referring to how the ads are paid for and displayed. The idea behind Search Engine Advertising is that potential leads are already out there searching for related keywords and topics that your business may offer. When your ads are displayed for their searches, they’re more likely to engage with them. Essentially, you can really target the audience you’re trying to reach.
The cost for Search Engine Advertising greatly depends on what types of keyword searches you’re paying for. If it’s a highly sought after keyword or phrase, you might have to pay more. However, a more specific keyword or phrase might have less competition and your pay-per-click will be lower. Ultimately, SEA is another valuable and effective form of advertising.
What Is Display Advertising?
Display advertisements are another common type of ads. You encounter these types of ads all the time, even if you didn’t know they had a specific name. Basically, a display advertisement is an ad displayed on a website or social media platform that uses visuals and text to communicate a message and get an audience to take an action. If you’ve ever been on a website and saw an ad on the side or a banner at the top, whether it was related or unrelated to the website’s topic, you’ve seen display ads.
We all scroll right past ads that don’t interest us on a regular basis. However, display ads are another effective tool in the toolkit when they’re used properly. The most important aspect of display ads is correct targeting. Basically, you need to make sure that your display ads are actually appearing to relevant audiences. For example, a website that features DIY home projects would be a good place for a roofing and siding business to place a display ad. However, if that same roofing business has display ads appearing on a website for fitness, they’re targeting the wrong audience. Those users will scroll right past without a second thought.
There are a number of other factors that go towards making display ads useful. Retargeting interested leads, utilizing well-designed landing pages, and making your display ads catchy and clutter-free all go a long way in effectiveness. In the end, display ads are another piece of the puzzle to answer the question “What is advertising?”
Trends Of Advertising
The world of advertising is constantly evolving, and with that comes new trends to be on the lookout for. Staying up to date on what’s working and what isn’t makes all the difference in advertising.
Mobile Advertising
First off, mobile advertising is the new norm. People are spending more time than ever on their phones, and ecommerce has to adapt to fit this change. What does this mean for businesses? For starters, your ads and videos need to be formatted to fit a vertical mobile view. If your ads don’t look visually pleasing, clean, and engaging on mobile, they won’t be effective. Moreover, this means your ads have to capture your audience’s attention very quickly. If they don’t hit the mark within a few seconds, they will keep scrolling past.
Video Advertising
Next, videos are becoming the go-to style of ads. Consumers are looking for content that catches their eye and, most importantly, conveys important information in very fast, concise ways. Videography opens up opportunities to create unique, innovative content. Plus, you can create videos specifically for different platforms. Much like display ads, when videos look like they belong on a specific platform, they perform better.
Personalized Advertising
One final advertising trend that is noteworthy is personalized advertising. When a potential customer feels like they are more than just a number, or a potential lead, they are more likely to trust your business. Personalized advertising can look like any number of things. Even something small like formatting your newsletters to include their first name in the greeting does better than a generic, impersonal one. Further methods can include personalized suggestions based on their online carts or personalized videos.
Ultimately, advertising trends are always changing. It’s important to figure out what works best for you and your unique audience. What works for one business might not work for another, and vice versa. However, staying up to date with them will help keep you at the forefront.
Why Google Advertising?
Has your business delved into Google advertising yet? If not, you’re missing out on one of the best advertising tools at your disposal. Simply put, Google advertising will offer your business a multitude of benefits that you shouldn’t pass up.
First off, Google has an incredibly wide reach. Each day, there are billions of Google searches being completed around the world. Chances are, there are plenty of potential high-quality leads already out there that are searching for the goods or services your business offers.
As previously mentioned, SEO goes hand-in-hand with Google advertising. By bidding on specific keywords and phrases relevant to your business, you can appear right beside the search results that your potential leads are looking for. Because of this, you aren’t interrupting their browsing with an ad they don’t want. Instead, you’re helping them out! Using retargeting campaigns also allows you to focus your attention towards interested audiences, achieving higher conversion rates.
Another great feature of Google ads is being able to analyze data in real time. You can see exactly how well your ads are doing, who they are connecting with, and more valuable information. That way, you can fine-tune your Google ads, keep what works, and get rid of what is holding you back.
In the end, Google advertising is one of the best ways to find leads and boost your brand awareness. When you ignore Google ads, you’re leaving money on the table.
Advertising On TikTok
TikTok has become one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. Due to this, many businesses have found great success with their advertising on TikTok. With that said, TikTok is a tricky platform to flourish on. Should your business advertise on TikTok? Potentially! However, there are a number of things to keep in mind before you go charging ahead and wonder what went wrong.
First off, it’s absolutely crucial to understand TikTok’s demographic. Their user base is young, with the majority of users landing somewhere between ten and thirty years old. If your business is aiming for that demographic, you’re in luck. If not, you may find better success on other social media platforms.
Creating New Content on Tik Tok
Next, the type of content you create makes all the difference. There are a few options at your disposal. You can create ads that run for a few seconds as soon as a user opens the app. You also have what are called “Brand Takeover Ads,” which are similar to a YouTube commercial or TV spot. It’s important to note that matching the TikTok style and aesthetic is crucial for advertising on this platform. If it looks too out of place, it feels jarring and users will more than likely skip right by your ad. In a nutshell, your content has to be quick and informational, communicating your message in just a few crucial seconds.
There is also potential to network with influencers or popular TikTok accounts. If they share or promote your business, you can get a lot of attention fast. Hashtag campaigns can also gain traction for your business, and users searching for words relative to your business can find you organically. In the end, TikTok can be hugely beneficial in the right circumstances.
The Future Of Advertising
What is the future of advertising going to look like? Right now, we are seeing the first signs of big changes already starting to sprout.
We’ve already discussed some of the more common advertising trends on the rise. Personalized ads, mobile shopping, and more of a focus on video content will continue to grow in the world of advertising. In this day and age, we are busier than ever. That means advertising has to accommodate these challenges. Ads have to be genuinely engaging and watchable. Moreover, information has to be communicated very, very quickly. If the basic premise of your business isn’t communicated in a matter of seconds, or, in a matter of words, you will be fighting an uphill battle for consumers’ attention. Technological advances in AI and VR will also create new paths for advertising. Customer experiences in these areas will pave the way for immersive, unique advertisements.
On the other hand, these challenges also offer up opportunities to create new and unique content. Compelling content will become more and more targeted towards relevant parties using thorough, data-driven strategies. In a nutshell, the future of advertising opens up doors to make businesses connect with customers on a higher level, boosting their image, branding, and voice.
Advertising With KARMA jack
When you work with KARMA jack, you get a Detroit advertising agency that hustles harder for you. As an internet marketing agency, we approach all sides of the industry including social media, website design, and Google advertising. Bottom line, we follow the data and only do what works best for you. Are you ready to learn more? Contact us today to get a free consultation just for reaching out!
