Banner campaigns - advice needed please.......

[Russ]

Hi all

As with many sites ours operates in a very competitive field. I see a lot of competitor’s banners on a number of different sites around the web.

If anyone can help with answers to the following questions I would be very grateful

Banner Adverts

Q1. Has anyone used them?
Q2. Are they expensive?
Q3. Are they effective?
Q4. Do we have to find sites ourselves happy to display our banner?
Q5. Can anyone recommend a good firm?

A quick Google search throws back 178,000 results for “banner campaigns” in the UK “banner advertising” returns 250k. A lot of sites to sift through!

Probably sounds like a real novice set of questions but none the less any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Russ :?

P.S How would we go about renting space on our site for a banner?

[MinuWeb]

I use them alot

expense depends on the site you put them on and the deal you can make with them

Effectiveness also depends on the site you put them on

You should look for sites to display your banner on that you think your banner (services / products) would be of interest to the users. (no point advertising round the world cruises on a forum that is for people that get seasick.....)

Just amil the sites and ask for thier banner advertising rates, then negotiate a bit ;)

Some sites you can get a banner for one month for $25 others you will pay $25 for 2-3000 impressions

[www.sitepal.co.uk]

How would we go about renting space on our site for a banner?

i would like to know how much is the average to pay for a banner on a site

i would to run a sitepal ad banner like this

http://www.staging.oddcast.com/clientsite/carat/banner/index.html

this ad campaign work well in the US

Best

Tony

[Jon eyeconomy.co.uk]

Ah banners...

They said they would be dead by now, but still they survive.

Banners are the staple, almost universal, ad format of the web.

One can buy them on a cost per thousand (serves/impressions), cost per click, cost per acquisition, tenancy etc

Prices depend on type of site or deal you require. Could be pounds, could be pence.

Banners receive low response, newer expandable types are better, but cost of these and ability to serve is sometimes a problem.

There are many ad formats - and many are now becoming dynamic - term 'Rich Media' - whch allows an advertiser to enliven the copy with video, audio, datacapture etc.

Before you by them to promote something ask why you need them, what format would best to use to display what you want to show, can the sites you want to advertise on take the format and realistically without thinking about the creative (which is very important) am I going to pay more than I get back. Hence what tracking of the response is there in place, not just of those users who click on an advert but those who do not but may come later, made aware of your site by the signage.

Happy to help anytime.

Cheers,

[BrightSparke]

Dear Russ:

Among the questions I would ask myself are i) is this "hard sales" or softer marketing/promotion of your company, and ii) What's my overall budget.

Taking the second first: Banners (whether CPM or otherwise) are no longer cheap (add in creative, management time, etc.). Looking at your site, you operate in a broad and very competitive sector - a general campaign will generate virtually nothing of value (consider a CTR of 0.05% in the current climate). More and more, people are becoming imune to this form of advertising - they literally fail to notice banner ads.

If it's hard sales (leads) you're after, I would invest in a deeper relationship with selected niche players where you spend will go further and/or forget online and consider job fairs, chambers of commerce, milk runs, etc. where you'll have a much smaller audience but MUCH MORE exposure and time to sell the USPs of your business/service.

Peter