Ban The Banners? Not Yet!

by Kathryn Beach

I'm not much of a fan of banner advertising, I prefer to use text links on my website, but sometimes I have to use banners, as for instance in a link exchange where the other party insists on a banner. Other times, I use them because they are graphical, and therefore somewhat eye-catching.

I prefer to use them therefore more as pictures than as ads, and I add one or two lines of text under or over them that contains a text link. The text will be a personal recommendation; the banner catches the eye and the text targets the click more than banner text usually does.

I don't like or use flashing banners, but animation also catches the eye. A banner should also contain a call to action, so a flashing "Click Here" is the furthest I will go towards allowing anything to flash. Especially on a page with a lot of text that a reader might spend some time reading, flashing banner advertising can be extremely annoying. I usually click away from a page for that reason.

I try to match the color of a banner and the relevance of it to my page. The other issue is size. I know that normal full size banners of 468 x 60 pixels get clicked on more than smaller pixel banners, but sometimes I use smaller ones to create a body of banners that create a shape, such as a pyramid with the smallest banner at the top. This adds another artistic element to the page and detracts from what might otherwise be an ugly part of the page.

When you are creating a banner to use in your own advertising, there are other considerations. There are key words you can use to get clicks for your banner. "Free" is of course the most effective single word in advertising. All the rules for writing a good headline also work in a banner: creating a sense of urgency, asking a question, solving your readers' problem, etc.

Perhaps one of the best reasons to use banner advertising in your promotions is to brand your product, company name, website name, your name, your picture, and/or your url. If you are launching an ad campaign, branding is an important part. You will have sales letters, splash pages, sales pages and perhaps a website, all presenting information in depth. You will associate your unique selling proposition with all the above items that brand you.

A banner with your picture or name, etc. will make you a household word. If you sell coffee mugs, people will think of you, your jingle, your website, etc. whenever they think of buying a coffee mug if you brand your product properly.

Even if your banner advertising doesn't get the clicks, it can be used to make you visible, remarkable, and memorable.

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Kathryn Beach writes a biweekly update of cutting edge tips and trends; to subscribe for free, visit Affiliate Marketing Tips Updates