Display ads
diss-PLAY adz
Visual banner ads shown on websites, apps, and social platforms. Used primarily for brand awareness and retargeting.
Display ads are visual advertisements (banners, images, videos) shown on websites, apps, and social media platforms through ad networks like the Google Display Network. They are typically CPM-priced and used for brand awareness and retargeting rather than direct response.
Display ads have low CTRs (0.1-0.3% is normal) because they interrupt the user's experience. People do not visit websites to see your ad. But display ads are useful for two things: building awareness through repeated exposure and retargeting people who already know you.
For B2B, display ads work best as part of an ABM campaign (targeting specific accounts) or retargeting campaign (reaching people who visited your site). Broad display advertising to untargeted audiences is usually waste. The audience quality is too low.
Examples
Display ads for ABM targeting.
Display ads shown only to employees at 100 target accounts. Monthly spend: $5k. Impressions: 150k. CTR: 0.15% (225 clicks). Direct pipeline attribution: minimal. But 12 of the 100 target accounts show engagement with the website in the weeks following the campaign. The ads created awareness that other channels convert.
Display retargeting with sequential creative.
Visitors who viewed the product page see display ad A (customer testimonial) for 7 days. Then ad B (ROI statistic) for 7 days. Then ad C (free trial offer) for 7 days. The progressive messaging moves the visitor from trust to action. Return visit rate: 8% (vs 3% for static retargeting).
Display ads waste budget without targeting.
The company runs untargeted display ads across the Google Display Network. Monthly spend: $10k. Impressions: 2M. Clicks: 3,000 (0.15% CTR). Demo requests: 2. CPA per demo: $5,000. The audience was too broad. They shift the entire budget to retargeting and ABM display. CPA drops to $800.
In practice
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
Are display ads effective for B2B?
For targeted purposes (ABM and retargeting), yes. For broad awareness with untargeted audiences, usually not. The ROI of B2B display ads depends entirely on targeting quality. Narrow targeting to specific accounts or previous visitors produces measurable results. Broad targeting produces impressions but rarely pipeline.
What is a good CTR for display ads?
0.1-0.3% is normal for B2B display. Do not compare display CTR to search CTR (which is 3-5%). Display ads serve a different purpose: awareness and reinforcement. Measure display ads on assisted conversions and view-through conversions, not just clicks.
Related terms
Showing ads to people who previously visited your website or engaged with your content. Following up with warm audiences.
The cost per 1,000 ad impressions. The standard pricing unit for display advertising and brand awareness campaigns.
Any marketing channel where you pay for visibility: search ads, social ads, display ads, sponsorships, and paid content placements.
Marketing aimed at specific target accounts rather than broad audiences. Sales and marketing collaborate to win named companies.
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