SaaS Display Ads That Work: How To Capture Attention

What Are SaaS Display Ads?

Let’s start by saying that display ads allow your business or product to appear in front of the prospects you wish to attract. It can be a wide or niche audience. You can simply choose the parameters, including interests, online behavior, and demographics. But what is so unique about these ads, and how do they benefit SaaS lead generation? SaaS display ads rely heavily on engaging visuals and captivating text to get clients to click your link. You may use images, videos, animations, graphics, and even music to make your ad eye-catching. The best part is that you can place them not only on websites but also on emails and social media platforms. Therefore, you may choose the best types of banner ads or RoS banners depending on your needs and goals.

However, let’s be clear about one thing: most users are not happy when their browsing gets interrupted by digital display ads. To combat their frustration, you must make your ads creative and unique. Let’s dig deeper and show you the basics of creating such ads, along with some triumphant examples.

The Benefits Of SaaS Display Ads

1. Targeted Promotions

The reason SaaS display ads are cost-effective is that you can target specific audience groups based on the demographics you want to target. Your decisions should be based on your ideal buyer persona, which you craft after careful research. Therefore, you focus your efforts on attracting high-intent clients who may be easier to convert into buyers.

2. Captivating Visuals

Banner ad advertising relies heavily on engaging creatives, including images, videos, quizzes, and text. No one will click on your ad if it features boring text and irrelevant imagery. You need to understand what your audience wants and serve the perfect dish. You may feature a snippet of your product with text that creates FOMO, prompting people to click on your B2B display ad to discover more.

3. Low Cost

Some people wonder whether SaaS display and banner ads are a waste of money. Simply put, no. They have a low cost per impression, and you can adjust your budget and overall spending based on your needs and goals. You can even choose various pricing models that fit your projected spending. Therefore, display ad marketing is one of the most flexible and affordable solutions for SaaS businesses.

4. Real-Time Data

Sometimes, marketers have to wait at least a few days until they can have accurate marketing results. However, SaaS display adverts offer real-time analytics, including click-through rates, impressions, and conversion rates. This means that you can modify and adjust your strategy and tactics whenever your data is disappointing. You may also adjust your budget as you see fit.

6 Common Types Of Display Ads

1. Google Ads

Google display ads appear on websites that belong to the Google Display Network (GDN), meaning over 2 million domains. These websites and apps reach about 90% of online users. So, you understand why Google is the best display ad network. However, you’re not only targeting your ideal audience but irrelevant online users, too. Advertising to the wrong audience can cost SaaS startups serious money. That’s why you must do it the right way. You should decide on three main things: topic, keywords, and placement. Specify on which topics your SaaS display ad will appear and use particular keywords. You may then choose specific websites, videos, and apps that you know your target audience visits often.

2. Banner Ads

You’ve definitely seen banner ads while surfing online. Among the best SaaS ads are popup banners and run-of-site (RoS) ads. What’s the difference between the two? Popup banners do exactly what their name suggests; they pop up on your screen when you visit a webpage. They usually advertise some sort of offer, including discounts, coupons, signing up for a course or webinar, etc. People can interact with these web display ads as they feature clickable CTA buttons. On the other hand, RoS banners can appear anywhere on a website, including the top, bottom, side, and middle. They can be static or interactive images. They are very cost-effective since you can either pay a flat fee for a certain period or through a cost-per-1000-impressions model (CPM). A comprehensible SaaS marketing strategy should seriously consider using both of these display ads.

3. Native Ads

To improve banner ad click-through rates, display ad companies often utilize native ads. They are way more subtle than popup banners, and users may not even realize they are viewing an ad. However, they do mention the words “sponsored” or “promoted” as required. They can be divided into three categories: in-feed, content recommendation, and branded. In-feed ads blend seamlessly into your website’s design and don’t even look like typical ads. Content recommendation ads are often placed in separate sections or boxes, and while you can spot them, they are not intrusive. Lastly, branded online display ads refer to paid content presented in the same style and format as regular editorial articles on a publisher’s website.

4. Video Ads

SaaS marketers believe that video ads must capture the viewer’s attention from the first few seconds. At least 36% of them agree with this statement. Display online advertising is demanding, and videos have the ability to engage audiences more than static images. The visual experience they offer is more compelling. To grab people’s attention, though, you must convey your message from the very first sentence and visual. This is the only way you will get clicks. You must create a sense of urgency or FOMO so people are interested enough to click on your CTA and learn more by visiting your website. Keep in mind that people’s attention spans are diminishing, and few of them will watch a video until the end to discover the hidden message.

5. Social Media Ads

Social media display ads are pure magic. They appear on people’s feeds as posts or stories, and while they’re marked as sponsored, they don’t disrupt users’ experience like other ad forms. When you use engaging photos and videos, users interact with them and often click your CTA buttons. Posts receive a great deal of engagement with shares, likes, and comments. But SaaS B2B marketing is very specific, and you need to cater your ads to your niche audience. To achieve that, you can choose the demographics, locations, and interests of your target audience so your ad doesn’t appear to irrelevant people. The end goal of display ad marketing is to drive people to your landing page and increase visits.

6. Retargeting Ads

No SaaS sales strategy can survive with retargeting/remarketing efforts. This is where retargeting SaaS display ads come into play. Let’s say someone visits your website and browses through your products without making a purchase. The next day, they visit a different webpage, and your company or products appear in RoS banner ads. That customer is reminded of your services and may click on your ad to view your products again. These targeted display ads increase click-through rates and conversion rates since you appeal to already interested individuals with high purchase intent.

5 Tips To Create Engaging Ads

1. Choose A Traffic Source

We have already talked about Google Display Network as one of the top traffic sources. What other options do you have for your B2B marketing strategy? Bing Ads is the second most popular traffic source. While the platform doesn’t have nearly as many publishers as Google, it is a solid addition if you want to expand your reach. Then there are native ad networks, with Taboola and Outbrain being the best two. Have you ever visited a website and seen “recommended” or “around the web” sections? The Huffington Post, Forbes, and other publications use these SaaS display ads to drive traffic to their websites. Your last option for targeted display ads is to bypass traffic sources and talk directly to a publisher, negotiating pricing.

2. Identify Your Publisher

Once you’ve chosen your display network, it’s time to choose your publishers, meaning the websites your ad will run on. Displaying ads to the wrong audience will only increase impressions, but they are useless if people who see them have no interest in your software. So, start by researching publishers relevant to your niche. For example, eLearning Industry is a great place for businesses in the eLearning and HR field to promote their display ads and get their message across to targeted buyers. One thing you should keep in mind is demographics. You want your buyer personas to have similarities with your publisher’s. But how do you even find these websites? Competitive intelligence helps you find relevant sites and check which companies run SaaS display ads.

3. Choose Your Creatives

Regardless of which display ad platforms you use, your ad creatives should promote something your B2B SaaS audience wants. SaaS marketing agencies often incorporate free trials, early bird signups, and other tricks to captivate audiences. However, users may not be sure they want to even try a product they are hearing about for the first time. So, maybe you should motivate them with a whitepaper, case study, or educational eBook. Gated content is the perfect “trick” to get people’s emails while offering them high-quality information. Now let’s get to the design elements of your social display ads. Use eye-grabbing imagery or videos and include your company’s logo. Your copy should be unique, specific, and promising. The same goes for your CTA button. Users should understand exactly what you expect them to do when they view your display ad.

4. Optimize Your Landing Pages

Web display advertising has one goal: to grab people’s attention and send them to your landing page. No matter how amazing your SaaS display ads are, your conversions will still suffer if your landing page is poorly made. Each page should focus on one goal. If you have multiple goals, you should create different landing pages and corresponding display ads. For example, if you have a new webinar being released, your landing page should concentrate on gathering signups. Your copy and CTA buttons should make it clear. Landing page optimization may be necessary to improve your messaging and design problems, and iterative testing, especially A/B testing, is crucial for testing different CTA copies and other design elements.

5. Follow Up

Even if you’ve followed the best practices for display ads, you may still find it difficult to convert landing page visitors. Maybe they are not ready to purchase just yet, or they are in the consideration stage. It doesn’t mean that your SaaS growth strategy has failed. You must follow up with prospects who showed interest and may have added something to their shopping cart. This is called retargeting, as already mentioned above, and you owe it to the website cookies. Thanks to them, you can show targeted display ads to those prospects to recapture their interest. Remember that the SaaS sales cycle is long, and it may take a while until you convert B2B clients.

5 Inspiring Examples Of SaaS Display Ads

1. Slack

One main issue professionals face is email and message clutter. Slack focuses on taking this burden from people with ease of use and the ability to organize your communication channels. In their SaaS display ads, the company focuses on these easy-to-use features. For example, they show how colleagues can hop on a quick call, or huddle, to discuss a matter. You don’t need a special link. You just press the huddle button, and you’re on a call.

2. Apple TV

SaaS content marketing may be demanding, but Apple seems to always come up with the best solutions. Simplicity and targeted messaging are what they are known for. When they wanted to create social and display ads for their gift cards, they simply added colorful cards on a white background with a copy that read “Rewind, Rewatch.” An Apple TV box replaced the letter “e,” and a remote control replaced the letter “i.” Sounds dull? Well, their audience begged to differ.

3. MailChimp

To generate more leads and increase revenue, MailChimp focuses on conveying its messaging in the most simple and accurate way, featuring engaging visuals. The SaaS company showcases in its display ads how easy it is to create email campaigns, landing pages, and social media ads. They appeal to businesses of all sizes by promising up to 88% more revenue. Want to see someone with cinnamon rolls instead of hair rollers on their head? This is the type of captivating visual we’re talking about.

4. Semrush

Have you seen Semrush’s display ads online, which feature a chess piece inside an hourglass? The hourglass symbolizes how quickly you can extract competitor insights before your deadline. The ad’s copy promises users that they can get the information they need within 30 minutes. So, the imagery connects perfectly with the messaging, while the contrasting colors grab the viewer’s attention instantly.

5. eLearning Industry

Talking about simple, clear, and effective SaaS display ads, eLearning Industry can create exactly that. Our portfolio includes various successful RoS banner ads and popup banners created for our eLearning and HR clients. As you can see in the example below, these web display ads feature clear messaging and an equally specific CTA button. Static images and GIFs stay on point with each company’s brand image and usual design elements. Therefore, clients can recognize these brands upon seeing their ads.

Key Takeaway

SaaS display ads are one of the best lead generation techniques businesses can use, whether they are startups or already successful in their industry. Not only do they target your ideal buyer personas at a low cost and with engaging visuals, but they also offer real-time analytics. This way, you can readjust your methods and fix your ad’s performance before you waste your entire budget. But what types of display ads can you utilize? Banner, retargeting, social media, native, video, and Google ads are all great options depending on your promotional campaign’s goals.

To build successful display ads on websites, you must take carefully thought-out steps. For starters, you need to choose a display network. Google, Bing, and native ad networks are a few of your pathways. Think carefully about which one serves your objectives and identify the best publishers in your industry. Don’t try to sell your eLearning course on a celebrity news website. Sure, you may get a lot of impressions, but how many chances do you have at getting people to sign up? Once these areas are covered, choose your creative elements and fix your landing page. It’s important to craft a clear message so prospects click on your CTAs and understand exactly what your selling point is.

Starting from scratch is hard, and to accelerate business growth, you may need to look at other triumphant display ad examples to get inspiration. eLearning Industry can show you many more examples than the ones featured above. If you are interested in our services, you may take a peek at our Media Kit to get a sense of the solutions we offer and how we can help you advance your SaaS business.