Campaigns in any medium, from paid search to social media advertising to other digital ad types, typically fall into two groups. Those are promotional or brand awareness. Each has its pros, and it’s essential to understand when to use each one. Let’s look at promotional vs. brand awareness campaigns.

What Are Brand Awareness Ads?

A brand awareness ad is about who your brand is and its core messaging. You’d use this type of ad to increase visibility and recall. This ad type will be top-of-the-funnel, meaning users are becoming aware of a problem they need and are considering options.

Here are some brand awareness examples:

• Simple information: This ad conveys what you do, where you are, when you’re open, and other basics.
• Ads to celebrate things like new openings, an anniversary, or “brand” news.
• Ads to expand reach, such as beginning to service a new area or demographic.
• Educational ads that provide content that helps a consumer be more aware of their problems and the solutions available.

What CTAs Should You Use for Brand Awareness Ads?

Since these aren’t offer- or product-specific, your CTA (call to action) could be:

• Learn More
• Find a Location
• Now Available or Now Serving
• Visit Website

What Are Promotional Ads?

Promotional ads do just that: promote. These ads are usually specific to a product or service, and there’s an offer within the ad. These ads have one purpose—conversion. You use them to persuade a consumer to buy or hire your company to fill a need they have.

These ads can be time-limited or ongoing. For example, you may have a sale around a holiday. Or you may have a special discount for first-time customers. You can use them for a product or service launch, too.

CTAs for promotion ads include:

• Buy
• Order
• Get the Promo Code
• Schedule an Appointment
• Receive a Free Estimate

These CTAs are more action-focused and drive the person to take an action that converts them into either a hot lead or a customer.

Brand Awareness vs. Promotional Ads: When to Use Each

Brand awareness and promotion ads have different messaging and objectives. As such, you’ll apply them to different things. Sometimes you may use both. Here are examples for a plumbing company.

Brand Awareness

A plumbing company may run brand awareness campaigns to inform the area of their solutions with a number and website. They could also use this category to remind their audience about when they should contact a plumber.

Promotional

Plumbing businesses can run many promotional ads for specific services like maintenance or emergency help. They can also create promo ads for discounts on services on certain days or for new customers.

Brand Awareness and Promotional

A person may click on an ad that offers educational content on keeping drains clean. At the end of the content, there could be a CTA to schedule an appointment. If the user doesn’t do this, you could use retargeting ads to offer discounts for previously viewed services.

Brand Awareness vs. Promotional Ads: Use Both to Meet Lead Generation Goals

Brand awareness and promotional ads can get you exposure and traffic. By using them thoughtfully, you can connect with audiences, build trust, and gain customers. Need help with digital ads? Contact our experts today to get started.