Banner ads can be losers, mediocre … or be winners.

There are 7 little know secrets I use to see amazing banner ad success.

These tactics work for business to business and business to consumer models.

And they apply to lead generation, sales, and fundraising.

Step #1: Create a powerful headline

70% of the success or failure of your ad campaign depends on your headline. You need powerful headlines for a winning campaign.

Here are some recently headlines I did for clients:

 

 

Which one did you think did best?
Answer: Ad #3 generated three times the click-through rate of #1, and twice that of #2!
Step #2: Test your copy
Consider this campaign success story. Arthur Blessit is a world record holder for walking the longest distance and his unique form of Evangelism: carrying a large cross. However, few had ever heard of him.
My team created an integrated campaign which included email, a landing page, and a banner ad campaign. The banner ad’s primary goal was to:

1. Generate interest in Arthur Blessit’s world travels utilizing direct response copy
2. Send the reader directly to the landing page to watch the online sale video for his DVD
3. Market the DVD
4. Intrigue was created by telling the “story” of a man who set a world record walk around the globe—a distance of 38,102 miles—to share his faith. CDMG created 4 versions of the banner ad each with a strong call-to-action to watch Arthur’s video.
5. Arthur Blessit’s name and exploits received extensive exposure to the target audience. Hundreds were directed to the landing page leading to DVD sales.

Step #3: Direct Response Copy and Art. Editorial and journalistic copy works.
If your ad is using too much design, it will destroy your copy. Notice how we avoided using pictures and logos in the above examples.
Step #4: The right technology makes all the difference.
You want to target your intended audience as precisely and effectively as possible.
Step #5: The editorial look of an ad almost always outpolls art or image advertising.
Make your banner ads look like a serious article in a newspaper.
Step #6: The landing page.
The biggest mistake would be to send prospects to a landing page which looks nothing like the ad, like the corporate website. On the landing page, make sure to have your retargeting code and the floater for data collection.
Step #7: Add video
Banner ads increase their click-through rate when there’s a video that prospects can click.
Need help with your copy, or advice on what to do for banner ads in a new direct marketing campaign? Call me at (310) 212-5727 or email me at [email protected].