Mobile banner ads are a powerful way to capture user attention directly within mobile apps. This guide is here to help you design and execute campaigns that are not only visually appealing but also effective in driving real results.
Whether you’re an advertiser looking to boost engagement or a publisher wanting to monetize mobile apps, we’ve got the insights you need in this guide.
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For advertisers, mobile banner ads offer a unique opportunity to connect with a targeted audience in a format that’s both accessible and engaging. Discover the steps to create banners that stand out and lead to higher click-through rates and conversions. Our tips will help you optimize your ad campaigns for maximum impact.
Publishers can also benefit from mobile banner ads by integrating them in a way that enhances user experience while generating revenue. Find out the best practices for ad placement and design to ensure your app remains user-friendly while still driving income. You’ll learn how to balance monetization with maintaining a positive app environment.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to leverage mobile banner ads effectively, whether your goal is increasing brand awareness or boosting app revenue.
We’ll provide you with the tools and strategies needed to make the most of this ad format and achieve your advertising goals.
What are mobile banner ads?
Mobile banner ads are small, rectangular banners that cover sections of a device’s screen to display advertising images or text. By advertising products and services to mobile users, mobile ad banners invite clicks from users and redirect them to a site or a landing page.
Mobile ad banners are usually static or dynamic and can show up at the top or bottom of a device’s screen. And this makes them different from interstitial ads which cover the full screen. Classed as a form of display advertising, mobile ad banners are a form of in-app advertising. But they’re also an in-app monetization tool for publishers.
They’re the original internet ad format deployed via SDK or through programmatic where they often include an option to self-refresh if users don’t interact for a certain period.
Mobile ad banners can be classified in different ways, for instance, static image banners, video banners, and interactive banners. They remain one of the more foundational monetization tools for mobile app publishers. And mobile ad spending in this area shows consistent year-on-year growth, particularly over desktop spending which has generally plateaued.
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Why should you use mobile banner ads?
Due to their longevity, some have dismissed mobile ad banners as no longer effective. But this is not the case. Or at least, it’s likely that the proliferation of lower-quality banners has saturated mobile audiences’ attention spans and reduced the number of click-throughs over time.
When executed well, the majority of banner ads do have a great impact. And their continued popularity reflects this. They’re proven to increase visibility, but they also remain a solid and reliable form of advertising with a large cut of market share. So, here are some other reasons why they’re a good idea:
Boosts post-install engagement better than video
According to a report by Liftoff, banner ads outperform native ads for post-install engagement on Android. So for app owners, banner ads may offer specific, targeted benefits.
Tends to be less expensive than other forms
In the same report by Liftoff, mobile banner ads proved to be 20% less expensive than native ads. And as a reliable, long-standing format, a mobile ads banner could help with targeting more specific app metrics such as post-install engagement at a lower cost.
Relevant advertising method
According to a 2021 PWC report, banner advertising makes up over 30% of total global ad spend. So, despite the benefits of video advertising, mobile banners remain a popular and relied-on format.
Drives traffic to a website
Mobile ad banners can be effective at driving traffic to a site as part of a larger marketing ecosystem. And while some visits may come via clickthroughs, banner ads will go a long way toward increasing brand recognition. Special offers, discounts, or previews can all assist in boosting CTRs and awareness.
What do banner advertising networks do?
Mobile banner ad networks offer integrated platforms that help to connect mobile app advertisers with app developers, or publishers, who need to sell their mobile ad inventory.
By acting as a bridge between the two, mobile banner ad networks help app developers benefit from increasing app monetization and give advertisers access to new audiences.
Mobile banner ad networks offer a wide range of support to publishers and help them to monetize their content. Some of the key ways that mobile banner ad networks help advertisers and publishers include:
Split testing
A/B testing is the standard, well-worn route of ensuring your mobile banner ads are having the targeted impact. But there are many other forms such as A/B/n testing, multivariate testing, and multi-funnel page testing.
So whichever split test you engage in, make sure you understand what you’re testing. And that could be the wording, imagery, CTA, or banner size.
Safe ads
App developers and publishers who seek to target younger audiences may want to ensure their ads are appropriate. The last thing they’ll want is to compromise their brand by exposing younger audiences to unsuitable ads. And Safe Ads is one way that mobile banner ad networks can support this.
Banner ad production
Many platforms have the in-house creative talent to support with creating bespoke banner ads. But some may also enable users to create their own using pre-loaded templates.
What are the benefits of working with banner advertising networks?
When considering how to maximize the impact of mobile banner ads, leveraging banner advertising networks can be a game-changer. These networks provide access to a broad audience base, streamline the ad placement process, and offer advanced targeting options to ensure your ads reach the right users.
We will explore the key benefits of using banner ad networks and how they can help you optimize advertising efforts for better results.
Access
Mobile banner ad networks have access to vast pools of both advertisers and publishers. Acting as a gateway between the two, when advertisers or publishers work with mobile banner ad networks they can access huge scale and gain billions of impressions across many programmatic ecosystems.
Expertise
Partnering up with a mobile banner ad network enables both publishers and advertisers to benefit from a wide range of expertise. Many networks and platforms include a full-service team of managers, user acquisition specialists, customer success specialists, and cutting-edge technical support.
Analytics
Many ad networks offer DSP or SSP solutions, giving you a single dashboard to review and analyze your programmatic advertising campaigns. Other providers can provide a granular review of your mobile ad banner campaigns and give you a greater depth of strategic insight.
Flexibility
Most providers offer the flexibility to adapt their platforms to suit your needs. So if you need higher levels of customization, many networks can offer you better control over sources that drive traffic.
What are the best practices of mobile banner ads?
Mobile ad banners have been around for a long time. And most app users will see them show up often as part of their in-app experience.
The best mobile ad banners are eye-catching and stand out from the competition. But they also feature original content and attractive images.
The most popular use of mobile ad banners comes via Google Display Ads. And these can reach around 90% of users via apps such as Gmail and YouTube. So, if you want users to click on your mobile ad banner, you’ll need to make them creative, strategic, and relevant to the audience’s needs.
Plus, your ad will need to work within some standard mobile banner sizes, outlined below.
What size should a mobile ad banner be?
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) created a set of standard banner formats for advertisers to use. To help you decide which ones to try out, here’s a list of the most popular.
- Leaderboard banner (728×90): This is also known as the horizontal banner and is the second most used ad size. It also works well on the Google Display Network.
- MREC – Medium rectangle (300 x 250): Medium rectangle banners often appear in the middle of content. And because they’re bigger in size, they often include more information.
- Skyscraper (160 x 600): This vertical ad looks like a skyscraper and runs from the top of the screen to the bottom.
Some other mobile banner ads sizes include:
- Mobile Leaderboard (320 x 50): This is also a very popular type of mobile banner ad size but is very small. It usually runs across the bottom of a mobile screen.
- Large (320 x 90 or 100): This variant is larger than most standard banners and allows room for videos or animations that may better engage users.
How do I create a mobile banner ad?
What should you be doing to create your own mobile banner ad? Here’s a quick rundown of the key considerations:
- Determine your goals and objectives: Be clear on what you want to achieve. While CTRs are an obvious metric, many marketers use banner ads to focus on retargeting to raise brand awareness or increase social media activity.
- Identify your audience: Mobile banner ads work best when they target a specific audience. So be clear on the type of audience persona you want to attract.
- Develop the right CTA: What do you want your audience to do with the ad? Include a strong Call-To-Action to ensure they click through.
- Choose the right content: You’ll want to include images that grab attention. But stats show that close to 30% of marketers are turning to video banner ads for the first time since short-form videos on TikTok are so popular.
How much do mobile ad banners cost?
Alongside driving metrics for advertisers, mobile ad banners are a good choice for mid-market publishers. In-app mobile ad banners offer something more targeted than Google AdSense, where publishers can drive brand awareness in other markets.
To provide you with an example, average eCPM rates for mobile ads banners on iOS range from between $0.16 to $0.38.
So, while they may not offer the same rates as something like incentivized ads, they’re still a vital component of a mobile advertisers ecosystem.
What should you look out for when using mobile banner ads?
When using mobile banner ads, there are a few crucial factors to keep in mind to ensure your campaigns are effective and user-friendly. From choosing the right ad placement to avoiding intrusive designs, understanding what to watch out for can make a big difference in your success.
We will now dive into the key considerations you should be aware of when implementing mobile banner ads, so you can create ads that resonate with your audience while driving desired results.
Variations in CTRs
Clickthrough rates often vary based on the ad format, content, and placement. Often, traditional full-banner mobile ads tend not to perform as well as skyscrapers or the more common MREC formats.
Advertisers and publishers will most likely need to experiment with video formats and use A/B testing if they want to drive the highest possible CTRs.
Risk of ad blockers
Publishers usually want their users to have an enjoyable experience using their app. And if app users feel that the banner ads they see are intrusive, they can install ad blockers.
For this reason, advertisers must work hard to ensure any mobile ad banners they produce work to enhance the user experience and not disrupt it. And this is another key reason to consider working with a mobile banner ad network.
Work with top mobile banner advertising networks
Working with mobile banner ad networks offers several advantages that can enhance your advertising strategy. These networks provide access to the latest trends and statistics on effective ad formats, helping you stay ahead in a competitive market.
Mobile advertising networks bring creative expertise to the table, allowing you to design customized campaigns, whether video-based or not, that resonate with your target audience.
Beyond creativity, mobile banner ad networks also offer technical support, such as Real-Time Bidding (RTB) and in-depth analytics to refine your approach. With performance-based marketing tools that focus on key performance indicators like CPA and CPM, these networks ensure your campaigns are both efficient and effective.
To find the right mobile banner advertising network for your needs, explore our curated list of top providers for you below.
