Is Online Advertising Effective?
Yes, digital advertising is certainly effective. This is true as long as you are keeping up with marketing trends. What worked 30 years ago will not be quite so effective today. (Do you remember the last time you intentionally clicked on a banner ad?)
However, advertising via social media, SERPs, and native ads have all become increasingly popular due to their effectiveness. You may believe that your current advertising methods are working just fine. However, it would be naive to believe that the mediums you currently use will be equally effective in the near future.
Look at print advertising. The print newspaper industry has suffered catastrophic blows due to the emergence and free nature of online news sources. Even network television has started and will continue to decline in viewers as more and more people pull the plug.
Currently, the sole medium that is seeing an increase in users is the internet. Radio, television, magazines, and newspapers are all seeing a decline in subscription rates. Those ads are also static and often lack a color palette. Phone calls are highly regulated, and consumers often view them as scams. When compared to the internet, there is no doubt where people spend their time.
Studies demonstrate that the type of person who is least likely to have an online presence is an undereducated, rural, senior citizen who makes less than $35,000 per year. The opposite is also true. Those most likely to be online are college-educated, urban, younger people who make over $75,000.
Why is digital advertising so successful? There was a great article that came out last year from Forbes magazine that discussed digital ads. Forbes stated that “Ad spending is affordable, very specific, and easy to use.”