Advertising has been around for centuries in one form or another – from city criers to newspapers, billboards, radio and television commercials, to the digital era where we now live in. In more recent years, the evolution of technology and the Digital Age have revolutionized the advertising industry.
The digital era has been marked by significant changes in the way we create, deliver, and consume advertising content. As such, businesses and marketers have needed to adapt to new advertising channels to keep up with the changing times. Let’s explore some of the key ways advertising has evolved since the advent of the digital age.
Targeting
In the past, advertising was more general or broadly appealing. It didn’t matter who saw the ad, so long as they saw it. However, with the rise of digital advertising, businesses can use sophisticated targeting techniques to reach their desired audience. Companies can now create and deliver personalized ads to specific individuals based on their age, gender, location, interests and purchase behavior.
Social Media Advertising
One of the biggest changes in the advertising industry has been the rise of social media advertising. With more people spending longer hours online, social media platforms have become a hub for advertising. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn among others, have evolved into the most popular advertising channels. These social media sites offer paid advertising services that reach millions of potential customers.
Video Advertising
Another significant change in the digital era is the popularity of video advertising. With improvements in video recording and editing tools, advertisers can now create high quality commercial videos that can be distributed across dozens of online channels, including company websites, social media sites, and YouTube. These videos not only capture attention, but also convey more information in a shorter time than static advertising images.
Data Tracking & Analytics
Digital advertising provides a great opportunity for businesses to track who’s interacting with ads, how they’re engaging with them, and the outcomes from these engagements. With this data, advertisers can optimize advertising campaigns by making data-driven business decisions that ultimately improve ROI.
Mobile Advertising
Mobile advertising is another development in the evolution of advertising in the digital era. With an increasing number of people using their mobile devices to browse the internet, advertisers have adapted to the trend by creating mobile-optimized ads that are easier to read and interact with on smaller screens. Mobile ad formats include SMS and MMS, in-app advertising, mobile display ads and push notifications.
As advertising continues to evolve, marketers must keep up with changing digital technologies to stay relevant and competitive. It is evident that the digital revolution has brought advancements in ad targeting, tracking, and optimization that were impossible to achieve in pre-digital days. At the same time, it has given advertisers unprecedented access to new audiences, channels and data. As such, the most successful advertising strategies going forward will be those that leverage digital technology to deliver targeted and streamlined ads.
