If you run search advertising on Google, Yahoo, or other websites, you know how limiting it can be to say what you want to in just 100 letters or less. Plus, you're only reaching people who specifically are searching for what you offer. But what if you want to tell them about something new? How would they ever hear about it?

In that case, consider the advantages of banner advertising, which gives you the freedom to say what you want while driving clicks and sales to your website. To give you some new ideas, here are five things you can try today with a banner ad:

Announce a sale or special offer - Give your customer a reason to click that ad now: announce a limited-time promotion in big, bold letters on a colorful banner and have them arrive on a page with just the items on sale. 
Build your brand - Get your name out there in front of the people who matter: your customers. It often takes customer multiple exposures to a brand name or message before they start to recognize it. Building a well-known, trusted name can be one of your best investments in the long run. 
Offer something free - Do you have a white paper, trial offer, or free download to offer? In your banner, write something specific such as "download now" or "try it now" to drive people to act.
Launch a new product or service - Banner ads, especially larger ones, are perfect for announcing your brand new product. Make sure the word "new" stands out in your ad because it will catch people's eyes.
Offer a coupon - If you're a local business with a real (rather than online) store, you could entice shoppers with "buy one, get one free", "30% off", or similar coupons. List the special offer in your banner and, when someone clicks, bring them directly to a page with a printable coupon (plus directions to your nearest store). 


Using these new messages gives you five additional tools to market your site and drive new visitors and increased sales. Plus, they help you stand out from the competition. Try out these new ideas in your next advertising campaign, and put banner ads to work for you.
source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Banner-Advertising---5-Powerful-New-Uses-to-Drive-Clicks-and-Sales&id=2188456