What is the biggest advertising medium in the United States?

You weigh many factors when crafting an advertising budget. But have you accounted for everything? Projected annual gross, target market, time of year … every advertising budget differs. 

Regardless of the numbers, you may waste the entire ad spend if you overlook one essential part.

The trust factor. 

After years of being exposed to 10,000 ads per day, cynical buyers are afraid of getting ripped off. Rather than cease purchasing, they simply ignore all but the most relevant ads.

A recent survey shows that advertisements influence 90% of consumers to make a purchase. 

This confirms that buyers are still affected by advertisements, yet only respond to those they deem authentic.

You can overcome this healthy skepticism by leveraging the most trustworthy of ad mediums.

Your challenge lies in selecting the ad formats that provide excellent reach, engagement, and conversions, while fitting your budget.

These days, you’ll want to consider these 7 influential advertising mediums:

1. Mobile
2. TV
3. Video
4. Email
5. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
6. Retargeting
7. Podcasts

Let’s review the 7 influential ad mediums you can trust to drive revenue and secure ROI from your ad budget.

1. Mobile Advertising

Mobile dominates the internet economy, as consumers spend an average of 5 hours per day on mobile devices. 

Whether checking prices online before an in-store purchase or browsing on mobile prior to completing a transaction on a home device – consumers hold the buying process in their hand.

Mobile ads enable companies to target buyers in real-time, where and when it matters. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), mobile ads drove over 50% of internet ad revenues in 2016.

This trend indicates “a marketing shift from ‘mobile-first’ to ‘mobile-only’ in order to keep pace with today’s on-the-go consumers,” says Randall Rothenberg, President of IAB.

To reach the right audience with the right message, you can use a variety of mobile advertising types:

• Banners
• Native ads
• Video
• Interstitials

2. TV Advertisements

While people increasingly favor mobile and social, UI/UX consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group reports that the average American still watches five hours of TV per day. 

This classic advertising medium boasts outstanding reach and engagement.

TV is the most influential of any ad format and contributes to 60% of purchases, finds a recent consumer survey. This exceeds the influence of print (45%), online (43%), and social media (42%).

Simply, TV can better educate viewers about products while stimulating both the visual and auditory systems. Activating both senses helps boost ad impact and increases retention.

It’s also more credible, says Rob Albertson of Chicago-based creative consultancy Bandwidth Marketing.

“Consumers feel that a company with a TV advertisement takes its marketing serious enough to spend money on this fairly expensive vehicle.”

A combination of glitz and audience size makes TV advertising a dependable route to revenue. 

Pro Tip: Try fusing your TV and social media advertising.

3. Video Advertising

Video is advertising’s rising star, with over 70% of marketers planning to increase their use of video.

This rich media format is both highly informative and easy to consume, perfect for illustrating the benefits of your product in a genuine and memorable way.

Video also allows for targeted delivery. The best videos ads arrive with precision and impact, helping to:

• Net impressions
• Develop brand awareness
• Feature new products
• Secure conversions
• Encourage organic shares

And unlike TV, video virality activates audiences. 

Organic engagement creates buzz that translates into valuable social proof for your brand. According to E-Tailing, a cross-channel merchandising company based in Chicago, 57% of consumers say videos provide them the confidence to buy products online. 

4. Email

Email is old, but it’s certainly not obsolete. 

Nearly 60% of B2B marketers say that email is the most effective channel for generating revenue, according to PR Newswire. 

This ad medium lets you segment, target, and trigger ads. Personalized email also helps to distinguish your brand. 

Expect a robust email campaign to:

• Increase site traffic
• Elevate engagement
• Improve customer retention
• Drive upsells and cross-sells

Carrying an average sales conversion rate of 3%, email can easily outperform your other channels.

The critical first step is crafting seductive headlines: 205 billion emails are sent daily, so you should constantly test new headline tactics to uncover what gets opened. 

5. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search engine marketing (SEM) lets you advertise on the world’s largest billboards – search engine results pages (SERPs). 

For example, Google Adwords reaches a staggering 80% of global internet users. 

Also called keyword advertising or pay-per-click (PPC), SEM allows you to bid on advertising keywords through an auction. Your banner is then placed above the top-ranked search results for those keywords. 

You pay only when the viewer clicks your ad.

Also available on Bing, SEM drives results via ad prominence and consumer search habits. Nearly all (98%) searchers chose a business on the first search page. SEM can be a cost-effective way to reach eager eyes and drive immediate traffic. 

Some effective applications for SEM include:

• B2B awareness
• Niche keywords
• Product listings
• Campaign-related support
• Retargeting

6. Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads are a powerful tool for securing conversions. Effectively, they’re the opposite of banner blindness.

Once a site visitor accepts your website cookies, you can track them via a retargeting pixel. 

This lets you serve up personalized advertisements across numerous retargeting platforms such as Facebook, Google, or affiliate networks. When combined with triggered messaging, retargeting helps you find the right customer at the right moment.

Research by Wishpond found that the average click-through rate (CTR) for display ads is only 0.07%. However, the average CTR for retargeting ads is 0.7% –  10x the impact. 

Use retargeting ads’ precise click-through rates to:

• Generate impressions
• Stay top of mind with mid-funnel leads
• Clinch conversions with ‘window shoppers’
• Reduce cart abandonment

Learn how to set up retargeting ads for your business in 7 steps.

7. Podcasts

Providing a blend of influencer marketing and on-demand radio, podcasts are an underused yet highly effective ad medium.

Since 2013, the number of Americans listening to podcasts has nearly doubled. The market for digital audio was $1.1 billion in 2016 and is expected to climb, reports IAB. 

Podcast listeners are mostly educated, affluent, and urban. They’re also highly engaged and loyal. 

According to IAB:

• 65% said podcast ads increase their purchase intent
• 45% said they’re likely to visit the advertiser’s website after hearing an ad
• 42% would consider a new product or service after hearing a promo
• 37% use podcast ads to research brands

A recent consumer review confirms that podcasts are trusted by 45% of all listeners, more so than either social media or online advertising. 

Hosts and their loyal fanbase share a strong relationship that radiates to show sponsors in the form of revenue.

Trust Your Ad Campaign

Ultimately, trust begets revenue. Whether because of their personality, presence, or reach – these 7 ad mediums are the most influential in the market. 

Perhaps you think social media is missing from this list? Data shows that social media carries little trust with consumers (and lacks conversions as well).

Brands must use the mediums that earn instant credibility and achieve quality engagement.

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