Toolkit: Guides

Display and Search Ads

For paid online advertising, there are several options you can choose from. USU most frequently uses display and search ads (also referred to as: Programmatic, PPC (pay per click) or CPC (cost per click ads)). Although there are many differences between the two types, the main difference is that search ads only appear when someone is using a search engine to find a particular keyword. Display ads may appear across different sites through different targeting parameters. 

Mobile Display Ads

With a large portion of our prospective student audience on their phones, mobile banner ads are an important part of the marketing mix. Mobile advertising continues to grow with more saturation and competition in higher education. Therefore, creating compelling a mobile ad is important for attracting the right audience. When developing mobile ads, you should:

• Design for mobile and not desktop.
• Keep your logo visibly high.
• Keep text SHORT.
• Don't forget the Call to Action (CTA).

Display Ads

Display ads are the advertisements that show up at the top, sides, and bottom of many of your favorite websites. Because of the competition, you have to find ways to differentiate your brand. In order to maintain brand consistency and a strong visual identity, we recommend you upload your display ads to the display network. Many platforms also give you an option to have the platform design them, often known as "responsive." When developing display ads, you should:

• Keep struture in mind.
• Consider a CTA button.
• Ensure copy is readable and contrasts with your background, and your logo stands out.

Search Ads

Search advertising is a technique in which text ads are displayed in search engine results whenever someone searches using a keyword. Search engines are all similar in their set-up; USU most frequently uses Google. Google offers templates for building the ads, but keyword planning should be conducted and completed before the ads are developed.