Display Advertising
Display advertising is a form of digital advertising that uses visual advertisements, such as images, banners, videos, animations, and interactive media, to promote brands, products, services, or messages across websites, mobile applications, and digital platforms. Unlike search advertising, which targets users based on active search queries, display advertising focuses on reaching audiences through online environments where they browse, consume content, and interact.
Businesses use display advertising to increase brand awareness, attract website visitors, promote products, support remarketing campaigns, and guide customers through the buying journey. Common formats include banner ads, rich media ads, responsive display ads, video display ads, native-style visual placements, and retargeting advertisements. Campaigns can be targeted using factors such as demographics, interests, browsing behavior, location, contextual relevance, and previous interactions with a brand. Performance is measured using metrics such as impressions, reach, click-through rate (CTR), engagement rate, conversions, cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS).
By combining visual creativity with audience targeting and data-driven optimization, display advertising helps organizations build brand recognition, reach new audiences, maintain visibility throughout the customer journey, and encourage future actions. It is commonly used alongside search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and social media advertising as part of a broader digital marketing strategy.
For example, an online retailer may use display advertising to show visually appealing product ads to consumers who previously visited its website, reminding them of products they viewed and encouraging them to return and complete a purchase.
Related Terms: Digital Advertising, Online Advertising, Paid Media, Programmatic Advertising, Retargeting, Banner Advertising, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Advertising, Brand Awareness, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).