The internet has over the years grown to become one of the most powerful media of communication. Becoming the new playground, the internet has opened itself up as a platform for advertisers and marketers alike. With this, however, it is important to create online campaigns that are well thought out and strategic in their approach in order to give the greatest impact.
André Britz, Digital Media Specialist at digiVOX
“Advertisers and marketers often insist on a certain design because they like it and this can lead to a less effective campaign online,” highlights Andrea Mitchell, Managing Director at digiVOX, Digital Media Solutions.
André Britz, Digital Media Specialist at digiVOX, suggests that in order to create high impact digital advertisements there are a few guidelines that should be followed.
The design of an online advertisement
All too often companies underestimate the power of a digital advert and in doing so settle for designs that fail to peak interest in an already overcrowded market. It is important to leave the design to the experts who know and understand how to design adverts that will stand out from the rest by utilising rich media and/or flash components.
According to digiVOX, by simply using words, such as “free offer”, you immediately peak the interest of a reader. Simple and catchy phrases more than often draw the attention that is needed to make an advert provide impact an entice response.
It is important to emphasise the benefits of the product or service and not necessarily its features. Today the average online reader is brand savvy, often being totally aware of what products are on the market. Therefore, it is important to give the reader direction and motivation to click on or engage with an advert. Ensure that there is a strong call-to-action on the advert - tell readers what to do with messages like “click here for more information” or “click here to get this offer”.
Britz stresses that you shouldn't be afraid to invest in a good copywriter to keep the content and wording clear and concise ensuring that the message is easily received. Too much content is often ineffective and confuses readers, which detracts from the ultimate goal of raising the interest of the reader and getting them to complete an action, like buying a product or booking a test drive all in a matter of a few seconds.
Don't let an advert become stale. Rotate adverts regularly otherwise the response and ultimately conversion to the desired goal, will drop significantly after a while.
Through utilisation of ad serving software, such as that used by digiVOX, it is very easy for advertisers to assess (in real time) which ads are achieving the best response allowing ongoing optimisation of the advert e.g. editing copy or imagery as required. With the right software, adverts can be weighted (e.g. 20% of one advert and 80% of another advert shown on a particular website), and/or frequency capped (restricting one particular reader from seeing the ad any number of times - e.g. an advert will be shown only three times to a unique reader) or geo targeted (e.g. advert can be shown to South Africans only), ensuring optimal reach and frequency. Adverts, with modern ad-serving technology, can even be shown in a particular order. This works especially well with teaser campaigns (e.g. showing the first advert three times to a unique user. After this the unique user will then receive a second advert revealing more information). With this, the target towards each of these unique users becomes more strategic in its approach. In addition to this, the technology allows for ongoing optimisation of the particular adverts and media environments achieving the best Cost per Acquisition (CPA), based on the initial objectives of the campaign.
In a recent study, conducted by the Marketing Experiments Journal, it was found that adverts that blended in with the websites colours and text performed much better and achieved better rates than adverts that stood out. This is due to “banner blindness” as we subconsciously assume ads that do not blend in with the rest of the site as being irrelevant to what we are searching for.
Don't be afraid to test ads and environments. Different ads will perform better in different areas. With a combination of common sense and some testing, you will definitely find the secret recipe for every client's ad campaign.
digiVOX further impresses the importance of linking the banner to an appropriate page. Sending them to your home page will force them to search and most won't bother to find the page you want them to, placed in the appropriate environment that will reach the target market.
What it boils down to
Different sizes, shapes and styles of online advertisements suit different websites and target audiences. It is important to bear this in mind when wanting to run a campaign that leaves an impressionable mark on the average online user.
When advertising a product keep in mind the season, public and school holidays, festivities and other trends. Advertising flu shots in spring is not a very sound move, and by getting the season right for your specific product it will aid in the success of the campaign.
All in all to make the most of advertising online it is about being creative, understanding the market and understanding how to make the most of an online advertisement.
Visit our PRESS OFFICE: digiVOX is a specialist digital marketing agency providing marketers with a unique combination of digital marketing through a strategic, analytical, Return On Investment driven approach whilst employing world-class ad serving technology that measures and quantifies digital marketing performance.- more....
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André Britz, Digital Media Specialist at digiVOX
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