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4 Tips for Better Mobile Video Ads

Video has become king in mobile advertising. This year, marketers will spend 49% more on mobile video. So, advertising your game or app is best done with a video. However, video ads have one drawback: they’re more expensive to produce, and thus less forgiving of mistakes. Video ads are one of the best ways to introduce the product to a consumer. Our client's results using video ads are truly impressive. Click here to register with us and try it out! Whether you’ve been running video ads since day one or you’re just getting started, following these tips for structuring your ad will protect you from poor performance.

Keep it short

  A typical video ad lasts 30 seconds or less. Staying within the typical length is a good rule to ensure users don’t tap away before your call to action. Despite the short length, you shouldn’t always cram your best material into the first half of the ad. Instead, use those previous first seconds to create tension or anticipation that will be resolved later on. Former Storm8 video producer Dillon Becker found that most quality conversions fall between the 20-26 second mark. A progress bar that indicates the ad’s length helps stave off viewer impatience.

Show exciting gameplay

  Ads that show the game in action often perform better than a video that uses non-gaming elements. Users may be impressed by concept art and storytelling, but if they don’t know what the actual game looks like by the end of the ad, your conversions will be less than optimal. The gameplay should be chosen strategically too. Sylvain Gauchet, co-founder of video studio Apptamin, recommends choosing elements that appear in advanced stages of your game, to impress and inspire potential players. Finally, text is key to mobile marketing, since most users watch ads on mute — but text is a double-edged sword. Developers can use thought bubbles or text banners to explain what’s going on, but they have to be snappy. “You can’t show someone a long sentence with seven or eight words. It might be safer to just skip over a feature that’s tough to explain and let people just get the gist of your game,” says Gauchet.

  Have a strong end card

  For landscape videos watched in portrait mode, it’s better to move the video to the top of the screen, clearing the bottom space for relevant app information. The CTA button should be larger for vertical ads to make it easier to click when playing with one hand. While you can find CTA buttons in shades of orange and green, a good color for new advertisers is red. Red elicits urgency and is more eye-catching than calmer colors like blue or green. But developers should consider if the color matches and complements their game’s color pallette. Lastly, include some sort of social proof on your end card, such as your star rating or a snippet of your most glowing review. Nearly all users factor in app store ratings when deciding to download an app, and even big publishers like Supercell rely heavily on Twitch streamers to advocate their game.

Experiment as you go

  Mobile is defying stereotypes. Advertisers who assumed the small screen was inferior to a PC or monitor are finding that mobile users are a good audience. For instance, Google discovered that users on mobile have a higher view rate for longer videos. Mobile viewers also don’t need an obvious plot. In fact, an ad that goes against traditional storytelling structure can perform better. So don’t be afraid to experiment if your budget allows for it. Red may work well in general, but maybe another color works better. Even a length of 23-29 seconds isn’t a hard and fast rule. source     Read the full article

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Programmatic revenues hit €16.7bn in Europe last year – up 33%

Programmatic revenues in Europe grew by a healthy 33% in 2018 to reach €16.7bn.

  Despite concerns from advertisers about the effectiveness of the current digital supply chain and worries that GDPR would impact digital spend. Although brands in the region have been questioning the value of their programmatic media spend and putting pressure on platforms and adtech vendors to increase transparency and tackle ad fraud, the figures from IAB Europe have painted a positive financial picture for the industry. Well, good it hear it! Perfect time to join our platform. Click here to register and start your first programmatic campaign. The trade body's annual Attitudes to Programmatic Advertising report found that 70% of display and 50% of all video inventory is now traded via programmatic. Social media buying dominates programmatic, but even when this medium was removed from the equation the market still saw impressive growth of 26.6% to a total of €5.5bn.   While the industry is experiencing a boom, the report also revealed how the awareness and adoption of the ads.txt transparency standards from the buy-side had been "low", even though some 56% of publishers had adopted the practice. Townesend Fehan, chief executive of IAB Europe said: “The programmatic industry is experiencing a period of rapid transformation, to ensure it continues to provide a safe environment for advertisers, a positive experience for consumers and addresses the demands made by new regulation throughout the world.   "In the context of this evolution, it is encouraging to see the majority of stakeholders expecting an increase in programmatic investments of up to 80 per cent over the next 12 months. In particular, we expect digital out-of-home, audio and connected TV to be areas of growth.   “It is clear however that talent, the low buy-side adoption of ads.txt, and supply chain transparency remain impediments to this growth and these are areas we will be addressing with our members.” The detailed report also charted a stagnation of in-house operating models among advertisers which remained flat at 38% this year. However, the IAB noted that this disguised a new ascendancy of hybrid models which had seen their share jump from just 16% in 2018 to 21% in 2019. Another notable trend was the tendency for advertisers to align with consultancies, with the proportion of advertisers using consultancies for programmatic buying rising from essentially 0% to 7% year-on-year. In May the IAB reported that global digital ad spend had surpassed $100bn for the first time. source Subscribe to our newsletter to receive programmatic news every week!   Read the full article

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Programmatic Buying and Its Influence on Mobile Marketing

Research predicts almost 90% of digital display ads in the U.S. will go programmatic by 2020.

  One trend that has been making waves in the mobile marketing industry is programmatic advertising. Its growth over the past years has skyrocketed so much that research predicts almost 90% of digital display ads in the U.S. will go programmatic by 2020. There are different types of programmatic advertising. One of the most effective and popular called Push Ads. To better understand how this is shaping the mobile marketing space, below are some fast facts on programmatic buying and its benefits. If you are familiar with programmatic buying but want to try it out - click here to register with adtarget.io dsp.  What is Programmatic Buying?   Programmatic buying uses automated technology for media buying in real-time. It relies on algorithms and software to purchase, sell, determine placement, and optimize digital ads. Traditionally, marketers have had to request proposals, prepare insertion orders or ad tags, among others, which, over time, could pile and take up the time marketers need to focus on other essential tasks. Simply put, programmatic advertising has allowed the buying and selling of ad space online without the need for human intervention. Ideally, mobile marketers will be able to better devise, target, and optimize ad campaign strategies because of this. The Benefits of Programmatic Buying   Real-time tracking Every marketer out there wants to see how effective their current ad campaigns are doing after its launch. Real-time reports and data measurements are made possible with programmatic advertising. There’s no need to wait until the end of your campaign before finding out if it worked or not. Faster workflow Since the automated workflow clips a few steps in the media buying process, marketers now have the time and headspace to execute more useful and creative material. In turn, this increases your chances in grabbing your prospects’ attention and harvesting results in your ads. More transparency and control Programmatic buying allows marketers to see which sites their ad campaigns are being displayed on, the demographics of the user it’s being shown to, and the cost per click associated with it in real-time. This allows for better optimizations and quick adjustments based on data, so you can make sure you’re maximizing your budget correctly. Accurate targeting (and re-targeting) Included in the list of benefits you can get from the automated nature of programmatic buying is the ability to target your custom audience intelligently. The flexibility of the platform makes it possible for marketers to get their message across to people that matter for their business. Some tactics include IP targeting, contextual keyword targeting, and even retargeting techniques for higher conversion rates. Wider audience reach With 5.11 billion unique mobile users in the world today, the potential of reaching a broader audience has never been more possible. With smart optimization settings in a few clicks, the combined exposure of your ads can total to millions of people. Since it’s trackable, you can dive deep into data such as the location with most impressions, the demographics of the viewer, and more. How Does it Influence Mobile Marketing?   Programmatic advertising is the new standard when it comes to web-based advertising. Mobile marketing spend is also steadily rising, and more digital marketers are focusing on this channel to grow their business. In 2018, mobile marketing ad spend reached 160 million U.S. dollars, and this figure is expected to reach 250 million by 2021. Quick results. Real-time Bidding (RTB) is the most popular form of mobile programmatic advertising, wherein the buying and selling of online ad placements are done auction-style before a webpage or app loads. This allows mobile marketers to manage several live campaigns right away. Optimized mobile ad production. Mobile is a powerful channel for audiences since it’s more personal. Programmatic buying considers and selects placements that are optimized for this channel, versus you having to create several ones for each. More room for creativity. Mobile programmatic advertising allows marketers to reach their peak creativity, creating content that will appeal to the specific group of people you’re looking to connect with. Programmatic advertising for mobile allows these customized ads to reach the desired audience, helping improve your ad campaign’s bottom line.   Programmatic is the Way Forward   Programmatic buying is showing no signs of slowing down, especially in the coming years. It’s essential to embrace the trend and integrate it into your workflow to boost and optimize your mobile marketing efforts. With customer experience, personalization, and automation all trending in digital marketing, it’s vital for your business to keep up with the rapidly evolving market. source Read the full article

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4 Award Winning Native Advertising Campaigns to Learn From

Check out 4 Award Winning Native Advertising Campaigns

  The internet and social media have broken down the barriers that once existed between companies and consumers, who are now increasingly demanding of brands. For consumers who watch Netflix while also scrolling their social feeds, simple advertising isn’t enough. They expect engagement and interactivity. Most of our clients choose native ads for their campaigns due to it effectiveness. Try it out - register with adtarget.io here. The need for advertising hasn’t disappeared, it’s just evolving. Native advertising, which isn’t a new concept, but timely in its re-emergence, is now providing advertisers with a much more direct and “meaningful” way to connect with consumers. It’s estimated that native ads will be responsible for 74% of all ad revenue by 2021, and it’s already poised to reach $21 billion this year. It’s a growing concept backed by thousands of marketers and publishers, and a trajectory of exponential growth. There are arguments that people don’t want to read native content, but I would argue that people don’t want to read boring advertorials that feel forced and provide no value. Similarly, they don’t want to read an article only to reach the bottom and find they were being sold to all along. In fact, according to many publishers, engagement levels for native advertising are comparable with editorial content. Felix Krueger from Brand Discover, the native advertising product arm for Fairfax Media in Australia, says the average recall from native advertising is 35%. “… People know what native advertising is and people still enjoy content that offers value to them, as long as the content is informative and entertaining,” Krueger says. 1. NETFLIX AND SPOTIFY  

  Netflix worked with Spotify to create this interactive listening experience. Which Stranger Things character do you have the most in common with? That’s the premise of an interactive experience Spotify created for fans of the hit show in partnership with Netflix. This clever example of native advertising matches the listening habits of fans with the imagined musical profiles of 13 of the lead characters from the show. When you log in to your Spotify account, you’re matched with a Stranger Things character and can start listening to their playlist. The screen even flashes and moves like you’re in The Upside Down. Takeaway: Native advertising can be interactive, immersive and fun — it doesn’t have to be articles and text. 2. AIRBNB AND THE NEW YORK TIMES  

  Airbnb’s collaboration with The New York Times. Airbnb partnered with The New York Times’ T Brand Studio to tell the story of Ellis Island, immigration in New York, and American multiculturalism. The interactive story is told in four chapters and shares the heart-warming and personal stories of Airbnb hosts through archival photos, historical facts, and audio interviews. Takeaway: The underlying theme of this piece of native advertising is hospitality, which is on-brand for Airbnb, whose company mission is “Belong Anywhere.” While this might not be an obvious and direct piece of advertising for Airbnb, it’s a brand-building exercise that promotes the company’s standing as the world’s largest community-driven hospitality company. 3. HBO AND TWITTER  

  Silicon Valley fans were amused and delighted when promoted tweets began showing up in their feeds that matched Pied Piper’s marketing efforts in season 3 of the popular show. HBO collaborated with Twitter to take advantage of the beta advertising product, which was new at the time. The Twitter ads were created for five in-story websites central to the third season’s plot, using copy and imagery straight from the show. This simple yet creative piece of advertising kept promotion entirely within the world of Silicon Valley. Takeaway: HBO was the first entertainment brand to work with Twitter on promoted ads, surprising and impressing fans in the process. Native advertising is constantly changing — how it’s defined today won’t necessarily be how it’s defined next year. 4. TACO BELL AND SNAPCHAT  

Who would’ve thought turning people’s faces into giants taco would break records? Taco Bell sponsored Snapchat’s lens for Cinco De Mayo in 2016, resulting in 224 million views in just one day. Snapchat’s sponsored lens turns selfies into branded content. According to Ryan Rimsnider, Senior Manager of Social Strategy for Taco Bell, his team spent six weeks working with Snapchat to create the lens. It wouldn’t have been a cheap exercise — Adweek reported that the ad format costs $750,000 for holidays and big events like the Super Bowl, and $450,000 on regular days. Takeaway: Taco Bell was also one of the very first marketers to buy into Snapchat’s on-demand geo-filter program. By experimenting with new and fun advertising formats, you can get ahead of the competition. source Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of digital marketing!   Read the full article

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Google’s Newest Ad Policy Restricts Debt Services Ads & Bans Credit Repair Ads

Google announced an update to these restrictions. Starting in November, that it will no longer serve ads for credit repair services. At the same time, advertisers who wish to serve ads for debt settlement or debt management services will need to be certified by Google, as well as the governing bodies of where they look to serve ads. Advertising for financial services is tough. The industry has some of the most expensive keywords on Google Ads (hitting nearly $50 per click). Even more, it has higher CPCs and CPAs than almost any other industry on Google. But you can advertise your services more profitably using adtarget.io. Want to know how? Click here to contact us. Although these policies are for all advertisers globally, only certain countries will be able to seek certification through Google. These policies affect anyone looking to serve ads for these terms, regardless of whether they provide debt services directly, are lead generators, or those who connect consumers with third-party services.

Why is Google making this change?

  As rising debts soar to new heights, so do myriad debt relief and credit repair scams. Unfortunately, these scams too often target those most vulnerable or need help most.

When searchers turn to Google, it’s vital that they’re protected from scams or services that will only make their problems worse. In introducing new restrictions and certifications for these advertisers, Google hopes to fight back against bad actors in the space. How do I get certified to run Google Ads for debt services?   In advance of these policies going into effect in November, Google announced that advertisers could apply for certification in the coming weeks. However, Google will only allow advertisers in select countries to seek certification. At launch, Google will allow certified debt management servicers to serve ads in the following countries: United States United Kingdom Australia South Africa South Korea Japan Spain In addition to these regional restrictions, advertisers must satisfy other eligibility criteria in their country. For instance, in the United States, Google will only allow ads promoting debt services if the advertiser and provider of these services is an approved non-profit budget and credit counseling agency, as defined by 11 U.S. Code § 111.

  What’s next?   Qualified debt services providers can apply to advertise on Google Ads here. Advertisers will need to fulfill the regional requirements of the country they target as well as provide their registration details and numbers. WordStream customers who might be affected can, as always, reach out to their rep with any questions about this transition. This post will also be updated once Google’s certification for debt services ads is publicly available. source Liked this post? Share it with your friends on social media and subscribe to our newsletter!   Read the full article

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Beginner’s Guide to Optimize Your Display Ad Tests

How to Test Ad Creatives?

  There are so many creative elements that digital marketers can test in their banner ads – from value propositions to taglines to images and styling – that it can be hard to know where to start. A/B testing your creatives take a couple weeks to conduct to get proper statistical significant, so it’s often difficult to test every possible creative variation. So, how should a digital marketer get started with A/B testing their banner ads? You can start testing banner ads right after you register with adtarget.io. Create an account here and you are good to go! What is Test Significance?   Before we begin, we should address a commonly misunderstood concept: test significance. Marketers with no background in statistics often miss a critical fact: your tests may tell you less than you think. The reason is simple: our testing approach basically surveys the opinions of a smaller group of people within our target population, and sometimes, these small groups don’t completely represent the true opinion of our target population. This can expose marketers to faulty decisions that are based on false positives, that is, tests in which the apparent winner is not the actual over-performer in the target population. Statisticians have overcome these sampling errors with “statistical significance” to correct for this type of error, and you should always ask your A/B test vendor how they control for sampling errors including false positives. If our goal is to learn from our creative testing, then we must ensure that our outcomes are statistically significant! #1 Test Hypotheses, Not Ads   The first question to ask when designing a creative A/B test is this: What hypothesis do we want to test? Common hypotheses to test include: Value Proposition (ex: 10% off vs. $25 off) Image (ex. red car vs. blue car) Tagline (ex. “Just do it” vs. “Do it”) Call to Action Text (ex. “Subscribe now!” vs. “Learn more”) Single Frame vs Multi-Frame Each test should allow you to answer a question, for example: “do my customers like 10% off, or do they like $25 off?” Many creative tests make the mistake of testing creatives that were created independently of each other, and thus vary in more than one way. The reason why these tests are ineffective is that the marketer can’t distill the test into a lesson to be applied to future creative design. The only learning from such a test is that the brand should shift traffic to the winning ad. But no lessons for the next new ad result from such a test. For example, the A/B test below is comparing different layouts, images, value propositions and CTA text all at the same time. Let’s say Creative B wins. What have we learned? Not much, other than in this particular set of ads, Creative B outperforms Creative A. But we don’t know why, and thus have learned nothing that we can apply to future ads.

A/B Test with No Hypothesis By comparison, the following two A/B tests have specific hypotheses – “do red cars work better than blue cars?” At the end of this test, we will learn that either red SUV’s or blue sports cars outperform the other, and can apply this learning to future creatives.

Hypothesis-Driven A/B Test: Car Type Drives Performance In this next A/B test, the hypothesis is that the value proposition in the tagline drives performance. A common first A/B test for a brand is to compare feature-based vs value-based taglines.

Hypothesis-Driven A/B Test: Value Proposition Drives Performance #2 Test Large Changes before Small Changes   Large changes should be tested first because they generate larger differences in performance, so you want these learnings to be uncovered and applied first. Larger changes – such as value proposition and image – are also more likely to perform differently for different audience segments that small changes – like the background of the CTA button. As such, by breaking out your A/B test results by audience segment, you can learn what tagline or image pop with particular segments, which can guide the design of a creative decision tree. Large changes: Value Proposition, Brand Tagline, Image, Product Category, Price/Value vs Feature, Competitive Claims Smaller changes: CTA text, CTA background, Styling and formatting, Multiframe vs Single Frame #3 Test multiple creative changes with Multivariate Test Design   Multivariate test designs (MVT) sound more complex than they are. Multivariate tests simply allow you to run 2 or 3 A/B tests at the same time, using the same target population. They are a statistically rigorous way to break Rule #1 above that says you should test a single change at a time. In the case of MVT test design, you can more than one change by creating a separate creative for every combination of changes, and then learning from these tests. For example, if, as below, you are testing 2 changes – message and image – each of which have 2 variations, you have a 2×2 MVT test and need to create 4 ads.

Multivariate test that tests Image and Message at the same time When the test is done, aggregate test results along each dimension to evaluate the results of each A/B test independently. If you have enough sample, you can even evaluate all the individual creatives against each other to look for particular interactions of message and image that drive performance. To Summarize:   To drive more optimizations more quickly and generate demand and budget for more testing, following these simple tips: Test hypotheses that generate learnings for subsequent creative design Test large changes first and setting up multiple variate tests Test one change at a time, or set up a multivariate test framework source Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more programmatic updates every week!    Read the full article

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Affiliate World Europe 2018

We are so pleased our team has attended Affiliate World Europe in Barcelona this year!

  The conference was splendid and extremely productive.The market was packed with 300 advertisers, traffic sources, and affiliate networks. It was an amazing experience for our team, full of networking and new opportunities. We were happy to be a part of the biggest affiliate show ever!

    Read the full article

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Google Ads Editor Gets New Features & Support For New Campaign Types

Google released Google Ads Editor version 1.2. This release has a lot of new features including support for new campaign types and updates to multi-account management. Version 1.1 was released in July, so it has been a while since Google came out with a new version of Google Ads Editor. Here is a complete list of what is new:

Hide empty repeated fields in editing pane

  Some entities have large numbers of similar fields, but only a few are filled out. Editor used to show all the fields at all times, which caused a very tall editing pane and a lot of scrolling to get from field to field. Now, Editor automatically hides empty fields or sets of related fields whenever the selection changes. Click the arrow at the bottom to expose additional fields.

Add/remove labels syntax in CSV import

  In order to update labels on an item via CSV import or “Make Multiple Changes,” the complete set of labels had to be specified. You can now add or remove labels while keeping all your existing labels: Add the “+" in front of your label names to preserve any existing labels. Add the “-” in front of your label to remove it, while preserving the other labels.

Image names

  In Google Ads, images may optionally have names associated with them. Editor now shows names for images downloaded from the Google Ads account. In Editor, when you add a new image from a file on your computer, the file name is used as the image name for that image. That name is uploaded to your Google Ads account, along with the image data.

Maximize Conversion Value for search campaigns

  The Maximize conversion value bidding strategy is now supported for Search campaigns. Keep in mind, the “target ROAS” field of that strategy is not allowed and should be left blank.

Discovery campaigns

  Full support for Discovery campaigns is now available. This release includes support for single image (multiple asset) Discovery ads. The image carousel is NOT yet supported.  

Shared negative keyword lists

  You can now apply your existing negative keyword lists in the Shared Library within Editor. This new feature makes it easier for you to share your negative keyword lists across accounts. Here is a list of what was updated:

Frequency caps for Video

  Two changes to frequency caps for video campaigns: Only per-campaign caps are supported. Per-ad and per-ad group caps have been deprecated and are blocked by the API. Up to 6 caps are allowed, one for each combination of {impressions, views} x {per day, per week, per month}. Previously, only two caps were supported, one for impressions and one for views.

More detailed counts in Post Changes dialog

  When you click Post or Check Changes, the dialog shows up with the counts of changes you’re about to upload/check. Before, that dialog only showed the total number of items with changes. Now, that total is broken down by the number of items to be created, updated, and deleted. This lets you see what changes you’re going to make, so you know if you’re going to remove several campaigns that you didn’t plan to. source Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of digital marketing!   Read the full article

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How To Build Your Native Advertising Strategy? 3 Ways that Work

Internet users have expressed their annoyance at the distraction and inconvenience of display ads for years -- from the introduction of banner ads in the 90’s to the countless moving and flashing iterations we’ve seen since. So, it’s really no surprise that ad-blocking programs have been barreling into mainstream use. A new report shows that the usage of ad-blocking extensions is up a full 41% globally from 2014.

Ad-blocking & The Rise of Native Ads

Today readers are faced with fewer flashing distractions, but at a price. Ads actually pay for the content that they do want to see. And, since publishers still need revenue from advertising to create the content their readers are seeking, this dilemma has paved the way for the recent rise of native advertising. Native advertising is is a powerful communication tool. Try it out using adtarget.io platform. Sponsored content, a type of native advertising displayed as editorial content, is one way that publishers are sidestepping ad-blockers; and, readers are responding to it. The benefit of sponsored content is that it allows advertisers to get facetime with their audience within the context of a reader's on-site experience. According to a recent study, readers prefer tailored content that tells a story over ads designed to simply sell a product. However, because of the “wall” that has long separated editorial content and advertising, readers are understandably suspicious of sponsored content. Is it inherently deceptive of publishers to blur the lines between editorial content and ads? A recent segment on native advertising from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” tries to convince viewers that it is. But, the truth is not as black-and-white as Oliver would have us believe.

Sponsored content is working for marketers and publishers, and readers are engaging with it. As a matter of fact, spending on native advertising is expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up nearly 34% since last year. It’s safe to say that it’s here to stay; it’s gaining momentum; and it really can work for everyone.

In Defense of Native Ads

  Native ads are relevant to readers. Good content is good content, and readers will be drawn to it. When native advertising is tailored to a target audience and has been created with that audience in mind, readers won’t want to block it. Good native advertising engages readers just like editorial content -- not because it’s sneaky, but because it offers genuinely relevant information. Native ads improve reader interaction with ad partners. Compared to more traditional banner and pop-up ads, native advertising presents a much milder inconvenience to the reader. Or, ideally, it actually enhances the user experience by supporting high quality content and journalism. Many times, it allows pages and apps to load at a faster pace without interference from other types of ads. Native advertising is a way for publishers to generate ad revenue while actually improving user interaction with ad partners.

Tips for Native Advertising

A survey from OneSpot, a content marketing platform, recently found that 69% of marketers believe that native advertising is valuable, and that advertising is generally headed in that direction. Learning how to create effective sponsored content can be tricky, but marketers are making more and more room in their budgets for it. Here are a few tips for how to start thinking about your own native advertising strategy. Get creative. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) defines six core types of native ad formats in its Native Advertising Playbook. Knowing these formats and understanding how your audience engages with your content will help you make informed decisions about where and how to distribute native ads. The IAB describes the six types this way: In-feed units, which appear on news outlets and social networks in the form of labeled "sponsor content" or what's been liked or picked as a favorite by a connection Paid search units, in which an advertiser pays to be listed at the top of search engine results for certain keywords Recommendation widgets, which pull related content from "around the Web" based on topics and keywords, then list them on the side or bottom of a media outlet's website Promoted listings, which function similarly to paid search units but appear on e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon In-ad with native element units, which are placed alongside editorial content based on contextually relevant topics and keywords, but link to an offsite page Custom units, which are extremely platform-specific, such as customized playlists on Spotify and Pandora Encouraging advertisers to get creative about where, and in what format, they are publishing native ads can further improve reader experience on your site. Use data. Understanding your site data is crucial for publishers looking to cultivate an effective native advertising strategy. Which editorial posts are the most successful? What time of day gets the most clicks? Where are readers sharing your content, and how are they getting to your site? What posting frequency drives the most interactions? Gathering and monitoring your performance data will help you to develop a clearer picture of the impact of your content, and it will provide an excellent starting point for advertisers looking to craft native ads on your site that are tailored to your goals. You’ll have a better sense of what, exactly, your readers are looking for and how to reach them. Be honest. You know your audience and you have the tools to craft the content they’re looking for -- content that enhances their experience rather than detracting from it. Native advertising gets a bad rap for being sneaky and tricking readers into engaging with misleading content, but it doesn’t have to work that way. Recent findings from Contently show that two-thirds of readers have felt deceived by ads, and frankly, no one likes to be tricked. Metrics show audiences click on and share great content, no matter who pays for or publishes it says Stephanie Losee, managing editor at Dell . Losee asserts that transparency in native advertising can be an asset to a brand, and that it will be crucial as the field evolves. Well-executed content that’s ethically constructed will draw in readers without inconveniencing them and without duping them, while making their experience better. As native advertising finds its way -- and hits its share of road bumps -- advertisers, publishers, and readers alike are at a turning point. Poorly crafted content doesn’t work for anyone, but with the right tools and creative integrity, it is possible to craft tailored content that engages readers and sees success for ad partners. This post was helpful for you? Don't hesitate to share it on social media and subscribe to our newsletter! source Read the full article

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How To Build Your Native Advertising Strategy? 3 Ways that Work

Ad-blocking & The Rise of Native Ads

Internet users have expressed their annoyance at the distraction and inconvenience of display ads for years -- from the introduction of banner ads in the 90’s to the countless moving and flashing iterations we’ve seen since. So, it’s really no surprise that ad-blocking programs have been barreling into mainstream use. A new report shows that the usage of ad-blocking extensions is up a full 41% globally from 2014. Today readers are faced with fewer flashing distractions, but at a price. Ads actually pay for the content that they do want to see. And, since publishers still need revenue from advertising to create the content their readers are seeking, this dilemma has paved the way for the recent rise of native advertising. Native advertising is is a powerful communication tool. Try it out using adtarget.io platform. Sponsored content, a type of native advertising displayed as editorial content, is one way that publishers are sidestepping ad-blockers; and, readers are responding to it. The benefit of sponsored content is that it allows advertisers to get facetime with their audience within the context of a reader's on-site experience. According to a recent study, readers prefer tailored content that tells a story over ads designed to simply sell a product. However, because of the “wall” that has long separated editorial content and advertising, readers are understandably suspicious of sponsored content. Is it inherently deceptive of publishers to blur the lines between editorial content and ads? A recent segment on native advertising from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” tries to convince viewers that it is. But, the truth is not as black-and-white as Oliver would have us believe.

Sponsored content is working for marketers and publishers, and readers are engaging with it. As a matter of fact, spending on native advertising is expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up nearly 34% since last year. It’s safe to say that it’s here to stay; it’s gaining momentum; and it really can work for everyone.

In Defense of Native Ads

  Native ads are relevant to readers. Good content is good content, and readers will be drawn to it. When native advertising is tailored to a target audience and has been created with that audience in mind, readers won’t want to block it. Good native advertising engages readers just like editorial content -- not because it’s sneaky, but because it offers genuinely relevant information. Native ads improve reader interaction with ad partners. Compared to more traditional banner and pop-up ads, native advertising presents a much milder inconvenience to the reader. Or, ideally, it actually enhances the user experience by supporting high quality content and journalism. Many times, it allows pages and apps to load at a faster pace without interference from other types of ads. Native advertising is a way for publishers to generate ad revenue while actually improving user interaction with ad partners.

Tips for Native Advertising

A survey from OneSpot, a content marketing platform, recently found that 69% of marketers believe that native advertising is valuable, and that advertising is generally headed in that direction. Learning how to create effective sponsored content can be tricky, but marketers are making more and more room in their budgets for it. Here are a few tips for how to start thinking about your own native advertising strategy. Get creative. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) defines six core types of native ad formats in its Native Advertising Playbook. Knowing these formats and understanding how your audience engages with your content will help you make informed decisions about where and how to distribute native ads. The IAB describes the six types this way: In-feed units, which appear on news outlets and social networks in the form of labeled "sponsor content" or what's been liked or picked as a favorite by a connection Paid search units, in which an advertiser pays to be listed at the top of search engine results for certain keywords Recommendation widgets, which pull related content from "around the Web" based on topics and keywords, then list them on the side or bottom of a media outlet's website Promoted listings, which function similarly to paid search units but appear on e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon In-ad with native element units, which are placed alongside editorial content based on contextually relevant topics and keywords, but link to an offsite page Custom units, which are extremely platform-specific, such as customized playlists on Spotify and Pandora Encouraging advertisers to get creative about where, and in what format, they are publishing native ads can further improve reader experience on your site. Use data. Understanding your site data is crucial for publishers looking to cultivate an effective native advertising strategy. Which editorial posts are the most successful? What time of day gets the most clicks? Where are readers sharing your content, and how are they getting to your site? What posting frequency drives the most interactions? Gathering and monitoring your performance data will help you to develop a clearer picture of the impact of your content, and it will provide an excellent starting point for advertisers looking to craft native ads on your site that are tailored to your goals. You’ll have a better sense of what, exactly, your readers are looking for and how to reach them. Be honest. You know your audience and you have the tools to craft the content they’re looking for -- content that enhances their experience rather than detracting from it. Native advertising gets a bad rap for being sneaky and tricking readers into engaging with misleading content, but it doesn’t have to work that way. Recent findings from Contently show that two-thirds of readers have felt deceived by ads, and frankly, no one likes to be tricked. Metrics show audiences click on and share great content, no matter who pays for or publishes it says Stephanie Losee, managing editor at Dell . Losee asserts that transparency in native advertising can be an asset to a brand, and that it will be crucial as the field evolves. Well-executed content that’s ethically constructed will draw in readers without inconveniencing them and without duping them, while making their experience better. As native advertising finds its way -- and hits its share of road bumps -- advertisers, publishers, and readers alike are at a turning point. Poorly crafted content doesn’t work for anyone, but with the right tools and creative integrity, it is possible to craft tailored content that engages readers and sees success for ad partners. This post was helpful for you? Don't hesitate to share it on social media and subscribe to our newsletter! source Read the full article

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Two Innovative Display Advertising Case Studies

In order to add some depth to our coverage of how display is changing and what you need to do to use it more effectively, it’s helpful to look at some recent case studies.

Case 1: ZUJI

  The problem ZUJI, a large Asia-Pacific online travel agency with nearly 2m visitors per month, faced an issue with its site visitors. The problem was that people would click on its ads and search for flights but not complete the bookings. So essentially ZUJI was paying for people to come to its site and use it for price comparison, not buying. And display ads, in particular, were not delivering paying customers as much as other channels, such as search engine marketing. This can be a problem with display. Display creative is often too general to attract people who are ready to buy, so they are only used for generating awareness. And because awareness is so hard to measure, advertising spend on display is often written off as an unmeasurable expense.

The new approach Well, it seems ZUJI wanted to challenge that approach. In order to get better value from display, ZUJI used Dynamic Content Optimization (DCO) for its ads and clever remarketing to get searchers back to the site to buy. Specifically, ZUJI looked at users who had been to the site, examined their behaviour, and then bid higher to show ads to someone who was likely to be a customer. That is, ZUJI segmented its display target audience by behaviour, not just by demographics. Then, ZUJI used dynamic creative which showed personalized flight recommendations based on what the user had searched on. So let’s say as an example, someone came to the site and looked for flight from Hong Kong to Singapore and searched for multiple dates in April. ZUJI would then use both the destination data points and the fact that the person wanted to travel in April to customize an ad which gave prices for that flight during April.

The results ZUJI published results which said that it enjoyed a 14% increase in digital bookings and achieved a 100x return on ad spend. The inspiration But the inspiration that other brands can take from this case study is that if all you are achieving from display is a difficult-to-measure level of ‘awareness’, then perhaps you need to try a new approach. Segmenting your audiences by site behaviour, dynamic content optimization, and retargeting can all help to get high-value customers back to your site to buy.  

Case 2: AirAsia

  The problem Following a devastating, high-profile crash in December of 2014, AirAsia wanted to rebuild customer loyalty as a people-driven brand while achieving a return on ad spend through conversions.  

The new approach The airline used Facebook to distribute short video content to instil confidence in the brand. But, again, instead of using demographics for targeting, AirAsia segmented its audiences using data from its customer relationship management (CRM) system. It extracted details from its CRM for three different types of customers: Those who bought an AirAsia ticket previously, but not since the incident. Those who bought a ticket after the incident. And those who travel AirAsia frequently and advocate the brand. Once AirAsia had created these segments, it delivered tailored video display content to them and retargeted those who visited the site but did not purchase.

AirAsia also used Facebook Lookalike Audience generator to find more people who ‘look like’ its high-value frequent flyers. The results According to the published case study, adopting this bespoke targeting strategy helped AirAsia share relevant content to the audience and drive high-value traffic to its site. As a result, AirAsia achieved a 58x return on ad spend using lookalike audiences and a 30x return on the retargeting. It achieved increased awareness from brand advocates and those who had not bought a ticket, but did not publish conversion figures. The inspiration As with the ZUJI case study, segmenting for display advertising can now go far beyond choosing the site on which ads are shown and demographic targeting. We now can use our customer database, or CRM, to come up with segments which match our specific business requirements. Using Facebook Custom Audience (and now Google has a similar service for GDN), AirAsia was able to deliver highly specific content based on its customers’ interaction with the airline, both online and offline. And by then using lookalike audiences, AirAsia was able to reach an audience who were more likely than most to be interested in its services. So… As we’ve pointed out previously, display advertising is still one of the most popular ways to reach an audience in spite of the issues it will face in 2016. But in order to get the most out of your display campaigns, it’s good to know which new techniques and technologies can help with your ads. Then if you’re stuck using display for generating awareness, you can try out things like: Dynamic content optimization, behavioural targeting, or custom and lookalike audiences. And try and achieve other business objectives. source Read the full article

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How are Rich Media Ads Different from Other Ad Formats?

If you have clicked here, you’re probably wondering how rich media ads are different from other ad formats. You’ve probably heard the term “rich media ads” at least once in your foray across the advertising realm. But do you know how these interactive ads are different from other ad layouts? If you’re new to advertising, there’s a good chance you might not know what they are. Or maybe you think the old, classic static banner ads are better. If you really think that, you might want to reconsider because rich media ads could be incredibly useful to your business. You could be missing out on a whole lot of ROI and profit if you don’t start looking into them right now. Lucky for you, that’s precisely what this article is for. To find out more about how rich media ads are different from other ad formats and how their utilization can affect your business, keep reading!

Rich Media Advertisements: What Are They?

  Online advertising has become an exciting and innovative space for advertisers, ripe for experimenting with new opportunities. Rich media ads are proof of that. Simply put, rich media ads are the kinds of ads which provide a lot of flexibility and interactivity with the advertisement itself through the use of multimedia elements like videos, images, and audio files. The bottom line is that it becomes easier for audiences to engage with the ad. This makes your company seem a lot more appealing and gives it a unique “personality,” which is interactive and fun. Rich media ads give the average advertisement, usually a one-way banner screaming at a disinterested user, an extra boost. This is one of the ways interactive ads are different from other ad layouts. Some of the best online advertisements in recent years have been interactive rich media ads. They aren’t just used by brands anymore. Advertisers have been using them to promote new TV shows and movies. There are no limits to advertising anymore. You can reach anyone anywhere at any time – provided you have the right strategy and enough resources. Having said all that, it should be no mystery to you about why you should be using rich media ads. If you’re still not sure about how exactly they can help you promote your services, keep reading to find out. We’ll get to how rich media ads are different from other ad formats in a second.

How can Rich Media Ads Help You?

  They provide advertisers with a lot of creative freedom, allowing them to think outside the box and explore fun and unique new avenues of advertising.

Another great benefit is that they work great with mobile ads, making their scope broader and their reach wider. Mobile rich media ads also beat static banner ads and desktop ads in both ad performance and viewability rates. Clearly, rich media ads have a longer-lasting impact on potential consumers than static banner ads or even desktop ads. Mobile rich media ads provide people with greater accessibility, and they can easily interact with these ads on the go. The sort of constant targeting provided by mobile rich advertising can help you in increasing your brand awareness dramatically, as well as giving people a fantastic user experience. What happens then? People associate that excellent user experience with your brand, making them all the more likely to seek out your products and services! Not only will your product have a high chance of standing out from the competition, but it will also allow you to put your creativity on display through a dynamic advertisement. Rich media ads are an accessible tool and can be an invaluable resource in your advertising arsenal. There are several websites you can use to build your own rich media advertisements, one of the most popular being Google Web Designer. You can find several guidelines about how exactly you can work on creating such interactive rich media ads.

The Types of Rich Media Ads

  Chances are you’ve probably encountered all three types at one point or another during your time on the internet.

In-page Ad:

  You’ve probably seen such ads several times scattered throughout a web page. In-page ads are the standard advertisements that appear on the web page, either in the middle of the page or one of the corners.

Out of Page Ad:

  These are the kinds of ads that pop up or open in an entirely different window in front of your web page. They’re supposed to stand out and divert the user’s attention to the ad, but they can easily come off as invasive, spammy and annoying, so it’s best to be careful with these.

In-stream Ad:

  Have you ever seen a YouTube video which featured some ad for a product that you’ve never heard of before? That’s what in-stream ads are. These ads play either before, after, or in the middle of a video. Yes, they can be annoying and invasive but are also a great way to get your point across. In many instances, you can stuff your main points within the first five seconds and grab the viewer’s attention before they have the chance to skip your ad.

The Difference Between Rich Media Ads and Other Ad Formats

  I have a question for you. With such a wide variety of innovative digital technologies that advertisers can take advantage of, would you rather have your ad be interactive and creative, or would you rather it be a dull, unmoving, static ad that displays just one piece of information? That’s what I thought. Static ads are just boring now. Rich media ads are a lot more appealing than regular ads. They’re a lot easier to manipulate and make attention-grabby without looking tacky or garish. The most apparent difference between rich media ads and other ad formats is this; people want to click on rich media ads. What are some of the other reasons interactive ads are different (and better) from other ad layouts? Here’s why.

Simplicity:

  Regular static ads are produced in a simple format and incorporate GIFS, flash images, 2D visuals, and JPEGs. Rich media ads are a lot more versatile, and you can incorporate audio/video aspects, making for a richer and more creative mode of advertising.

Size Difference:

  Static banner ads are usually much smaller in size than rich media ads (less than 200 KB), which means that they’re easier to handle and upload but at the cost of interactivity. Rich media ads are generally a lot bigger than 200 KB but provide a whole host of features that the alternative does not.

Technological Differences:

  Static banner ads use pretty standard technology and visuals. Rich media ads are a lot more compatible with different types of technologies, i.e., Java, JavaScript, and HTML5.

Quality:

  Static banner ads simply do not have the same quality of storytelling and the advanced features of rich media ads which make them so compelling and appealing to click on.

Interactivity:

  While static banner ads usually need to be clicked to be interacted with (after which the user is transferred to a landing page) rich media ads are interactive on their own and can convey a lot of information about your brand even before someone clicks on it.

Versatility:

  One of the more versatile features of rich media ads (unlike static ads) is that users can use the ads to play small, mini flash games, providing a great little boost to the interest levels of the user.

Ad Performance:

  Ad performance is one of the core elements advertisers need to consider. A static banner ad is only measurable using the Click Through Rate (CTR) metric. On the other hand, you can track user experience and engagement with rich media ads using multiple complex metrics.

Information:

  Rich media ads can provide a lot more information than the static ad. Where a static ad would display limited information, interactive ads host a lot more information and can provide more material related to your company to the users, another one of the big ways interactive ads are different from other ad layouts. By now, you should be able to see how much more advanced rich media ads are. It might be hard to admit. But the truth is that these ads are the stepping stones to gaining an interested consumer base that appreciates your creativity. These ads can provide a drastic amount of ROI and a great deal of engagement with potential consumers.

Rich Media Ad Formats

  Still not sold? You might change your mind when you hear about the versatility provided by the different formats of rich media ads.

Rich Media Banner Ads

  One of the most common formats, these ads usually appear above the fold (top front on web and mobile) and are a favorite of advertisers. With these ads, you get the chance of converting a boring old static banner into an engaging, eye-catching, interactive poster. The big benefit of this is that it decreases load time significantly and has high viewability.

Rich Media Interstitial Ads

  These ads are extremely hard to miss and grab a person’s attention dramatically; think full screen. They take up so much space that it makes them extremely hard to ignore. They’re functional on both web and mobile. Their significant benefit is that they are incredibly high on the viewability scale and have great recall value. The downside is its high load time.

Rich Media Slider Ads

  These ads are, as the name suggests, sliding ads, i.e., the ad moves (or slides) as the user interacts with it. These are usually placed at the bottom of the screen. Their significant benefit is that they are high on the CTR scale and less invasive than regular ads.

Rich Media Expandable Ads

  These ads expand to a fuller, bigger size when a user interacts or begins to interact with the ad. You might have seen it. You hover your cursor over an ad, and it opens up and expands. These ads are extremely compelling to look at, and interactive before the interaction even begins. They’re high in viewability and recall value, as well as being very eye-catching with a higher CPM. Their downside, however, is that they have a longer load time due to being so filled with multimedia.

Rich Media Push-down Ads

  Think of these ads as a drop-down menu. They appear as standard ads, and then once a user tries to interact with it by hovering their cursor or some other trigger, they push the rest of the ad downward. These ads are similar to expandable ads but are not the same thing. One of the benefits of these ads is high engagement and recall value. The downside is that, just like expandable ads, they have a high load time because of the high multimedia concentration. Now we know some of the ways interactive ads are different from other ad layouts, as well as some of the properties of rich media ads themselves. So what can we take away from this? Well, we know for a fact that the days of advertisers speaking at a person instead of to them are long gone. Today, digital advertisers need to be creative, flexible, and resourceful if their products are going to catch any steam in the rapidly growing competitive market. Rich media ads can provide you a versatile platform to do just that and so much more. source Read the full article

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How To Build Your Native Advertising Strategy? 3 Ways that Work

Ad-blocking & The Rise of Native Ads

Internet users have expressed their annoyance at the distraction and inconvenience of display ads for years -- from the introduction of banner ads in the 90’s to the countless moving and flashing iterations we’ve seen since. So, it’s really no surprise that ad-blocking programs have been barreling into mainstream use. A new report shows that the usage of ad-blocking extensions is up a full 41% globally from 2014. Today readers are faced with fewer flashing distractions, but at a price. Ads actually pay for the content that they do want to see. And, since publishers still need revenue from advertising to create the content their readers are seeking, this dilemma has paved the way for the recent rise of native advertising. Native advertising is is a powerful communication tool. Try it out using adtarget.io platform. Sponsored content, a type of native advertising displayed as editorial content, is one way that publishers are sidestepping ad-blockers; and, readers are responding to it. The benefit of sponsored content is that it allows advertisers to get facetime with their audience within the context of a reader's on-site experience. According to a recent study, readers prefer tailored content that tells a story over ads designed to simply sell a product. However, because of the “wall” that has long separated editorial content and advertising, readers are understandably suspicious of sponsored content. Is it inherently deceptive of publishers to blur the lines between editorial content and ads? A recent segment on native advertising from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” tries to convince viewers that it is. But, the truth is not as black-and-white as Oliver would have us believe.

Sponsored content is working for marketers and publishers, and readers are engaging with it. As a matter of fact, spending on native advertising is expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up nearly 34% since last year. It’s safe to say that it’s here to stay; it’s gaining momentum; and it really can work for everyone.

In Defense of Native Ads

  Native ads are relevant to readers. Good content is good content, and readers will be drawn to it. When native advertising is tailored to a target audience and has been created with that audience in mind, readers won’t want to block it. Good native advertising engages readers just like editorial content -- not because it’s sneaky, but because it offers genuinely relevant information. Native ads improve reader interaction with ad partners. Compared to more traditional banner and pop-up ads, native advertising presents a much milder inconvenience to the reader. Or, ideally, it actually enhances the user experience by supporting high quality content and journalism. Many times, it allows pages and apps to load at a faster pace without interference from other types of ads. Native advertising is a way for publishers to generate ad revenue while actually improving user interaction with ad partners.

Tips for Native Advertising

A survey from OneSpot, a content marketing platform, recently found that 69% of marketers believe that native advertising is valuable, and that advertising is generally headed in that direction. Learning how to create effective sponsored content can be tricky, but marketers are making more and more room in their budgets for it. Here are a few tips for how to start thinking about your own native advertising strategy. Get creative. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) defines six core types of native ad formats in its Native Advertising Playbook. Knowing these formats and understanding how your audience engages with your content will help you make informed decisions about where and how to distribute native ads. The IAB describes the six types this way: In-feed units, which appear on news outlets and social networks in the form of labeled "sponsor content" or what's been liked or picked as a favorite by a connection Paid search units, in which an advertiser pays to be listed at the top of search engine results for certain keywords Recommendation widgets, which pull related content from "around the Web" based on topics and keywords, then list them on the side or bottom of a media outlet's website Promoted listings, which function similarly to paid search units but appear on e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon In-ad with native element units, which are placed alongside editorial content based on contextually relevant topics and keywords, but link to an offsite page Custom units, which are extremely platform-specific, such as customized playlists on Spotify and Pandora Encouraging advertisers to get creative about where, and in what format, they are publishing native ads can further improve reader experience on your site. Use data. Understanding your site data is crucial for publishers looking to cultivate an effective native advertising strategy. Which editorial posts are the most successful? What time of day gets the most clicks? Where are readers sharing your content, and how are they getting to your site? What posting frequency drives the most interactions? Gathering and monitoring your performance data will help you to develop a clearer picture of the impact of your content, and it will provide an excellent starting point for advertisers looking to craft native ads on your site that are tailored to your goals. You’ll have a better sense of what, exactly, your readers are looking for and how to reach them. Be honest. You know your audience and you have the tools to craft the content they’re looking for -- content that enhances their experience rather than detracting from it. Native advertising gets a bad rap for being sneaky and tricking readers into engaging with misleading content, but it doesn’t have to work that way. Recent findings from Contently show that two-thirds of readers have felt deceived by ads, and frankly, no one likes to be tricked. Metrics show audiences click on and share great content, no matter who pays for or publishes it says Stephanie Losee, managing editor at Dell . Losee asserts that transparency in native advertising can be an asset to a brand, and that it will be crucial as the field evolves. Well-executed content that’s ethically constructed will draw in readers without inconveniencing them and without duping them, while making their experience better. As native advertising finds its way -- and hits its share of road bumps -- advertisers, publishers, and readers alike are at a turning point. Poorly crafted content doesn’t work for anyone, but with the right tools and creative integrity, it is possible to craft tailored content that engages readers and sees success for ad partners.                      This post was helpful for you? Don't hesitate to share it on social media and subscribe to our newsletter!                                                           source Read the full article

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How To Build Your Native Advertising Strategy? 3 Ways that Work

Ad-blocking & The Rise of Native Ads

Internet users have expressed their annoyance at the distraction and inconvenience of display ads for years -- from the introduction of banner ads in the 90’s to the countless moving and flashing iterations we’ve seen since. So, it’s really no surprise that ad-blocking programs have been barreling into mainstream use. A new report shows that the usage of ad-blocking extensions is up a full 41% globally from 2014. Today readers are faced with fewer flashing distractions, but at a price. Ads actually pay for the content that they do want to see. And, since publishers still need revenue from advertising to create the content their readers are seeking, this dilemma has paved the way for the recent rise of native advertising. Native advertising is is a powerful communication tool. Try it out using adtarget.io platform. Sponsored content, a type of native advertising displayed as editorial content, is one way that publishers are sidestepping ad-blockers; and, readers are responding to it. The benefit of sponsored content is that it allows advertisers to get facetime with their audience within the context of a reader's on-site experience. According to a recent study, readers prefer tailored content that tells a story over ads designed to simply sell a product. However, because of the “wall” that has long separated editorial content and advertising, readers are understandably suspicious of sponsored content. Is it inherently deceptive of publishers to blur the lines between editorial content and ads? A recent segment on native advertising from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” tries to convince viewers that it is. But, the truth is not as black-and-white as Oliver would have us believe.

Sponsored content is working for marketers and publishers, and readers are engaging with it. As a matter of fact, spending on native advertising is expected to reach $4.3 billion this year, up nearly 34% since last year. It’s safe to say that it’s here to stay; it’s gaining momentum; and it really can work for everyone.

In Defense of Native Ads

  Native ads are relevant to readers. Good content is good content, and readers will be drawn to it. When native advertising is tailored to a target audience and has been created with that audience in mind, readers won’t want to block it. Good native advertising engages readers just like editorial content -- not because it’s sneaky, but because it offers genuinely relevant information. Native ads improve reader interaction with ad partners. Compared to more traditional banner and pop-up ads, native advertising presents a much milder inconvenience to the reader. Or, ideally, it actually enhances the user experience by supporting high quality content and journalism. Many times, it allows pages and apps to load at a faster pace without interference from other types of ads. Native advertising is a way for publishers to generate ad revenue while actually improving user interaction with ad partners.

Tips for Native Advertising

A survey from OneSpot, a content marketing platform, recently found that 69% of marketers believe that native advertising is valuable, and that advertising is generally headed in that direction. Learning how to create effective sponsored content can be tricky, but marketers are making more and more room in their budgets for it. Here are a few tips for how to start thinking about your own native advertising strategy. Get creative. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) defines six core types of native ad formats in its Native Advertising Playbook. Knowing these formats and understanding how your audience engages with your content will help you make informed decisions about where and how to distribute native ads. The IAB describes the six types this way: In-feed units, which appear on news outlets and social networks in the form of labeled "sponsor content" or what's been liked or picked as a favorite by a connection Paid search units, in which an advertiser pays to be listed at the top of search engine results for certain keywords Recommendation widgets, which pull related content from "around the Web" based on topics and keywords, then list them on the side or bottom of a media outlet's website Promoted listings, which function similarly to paid search units but appear on e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon In-ad with native element units, which are placed alongside editorial content based on contextually relevant topics and keywords, but link to an offsite page Custom units, which are extremely platform-specific, such as customized playlists on Spotify and Pandora Encouraging advertisers to get creative about where, and in what format, they are publishing native ads can further improve reader experience on your site. Use data. Understanding your site data is crucial for publishers looking to cultivate an effective native advertising strategy. Which editorial posts are the most successful? What time of day gets the most clicks? Where are readers sharing your content, and how are they getting to your site? What posting frequency drives the most interactions? Gathering and monitoring your performance data will help you to develop a clearer picture of the impact of your content, and it will provide an excellent starting point for advertisers looking to craft native ads on your site that are tailored to your goals. You’ll have a better sense of what, exactly, your readers are looking for and how to reach them. Be honest. You know your audience and you have the tools to craft the content they’re looking for -- content that enhances their experience rather than detracting from it. Native advertising gets a bad rap for being sneaky and tricking readers into engaging with misleading content, but it doesn’t have to work that way. Recent findings from Contently show that two-thirds of readers have felt deceived by ads, and frankly, no one likes to be tricked. Metrics show audiences click on and share great content, no matter who pays for or publishes it says Stephanie Losee, managing editor at Dell . Losee asserts that transparency in native advertising can be an asset to a brand, and that it will be crucial as the field evolves. Well-executed content that’s ethically constructed will draw in readers without inconveniencing them and without duping them, while making their experience better. As native advertising finds its way -- and hits its share of road bumps -- advertisers, publishers, and readers alike are at a turning point. Poorly crafted content doesn’t work for anyone, but with the right tools and creative integrity, it is possible to craft tailored content that engages readers and sees success for ad partners.                      This post was helpful for you? Don't hesitate to share it on social media and subscribe to our newsletter!                                                           source Read the full article

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Google update it policies to allow states advertise gambling

Google has updated it policies to allow five states to advertise gambling after sports betting was legalised in each of them. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Montana, Iowa and Indiana are the states in question as they followed New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia in legalising sports betting. The gambling and games policy updates by Google sees the company launch a “limited beta” program which includes all the aforementioned states with the aim of keeping up with sports betting in the US. As well as the announcement from Google regarding its policy update, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has released its financial report from September 2019 which shows a rise in sports betting. The figures released by the PGCB show that between August and September, revenue from sports betting in Pennsylvania increased by 144% to a total of $14.9m, while overall gaming rose by 5% from 2018. Moreover, the gambling regulator also revealed that the handle through retail and online totalled $194 million in September – A figure which is also 78.4% higher than the handle from August which totalled $109 million in wagers. Lastly, the financial report released by the PGCB also revealed that Valley Forge Casino was the leading operator in September, with a total of $5.1m in combined revenue and US$88 million in handle, with SugarHouse Casino’s total handle amounting to $37m while registering a total revenue of $2.9m. source Read the full article

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Digital advertising turns 25 - Happy Birthday

Fax machines, saving files on SyQuest disks, video cassette recorders, My Little Pony and G.I. Joe. This is what 25 years ago looked like. Fast forward to 2019 to a different world, and spend on digital advertising is expected to exceed traditional ad spend by the end of 2019 in the US alone, according to eMarketer. To celebrate the quarter-century mark of digital advertising, Adobe Advertising Cloud has launched a new report that envisions digital advertising up to its next big anniversary and beyond. The report is a a compilation of interviews and research.

A trip down memory lane

  As reported by The Atlantic, it all started with the very first banner ad—a rectangular image on a new website called HotWired.com that simply challenged visitors to click “right HERE.” And it led us to this point—an industry entering a new age of maturity after years of innovation and challenge. The first digital banner ad, sold by Wired’s advertising team and placed on HotWired, broke the fourth wall and asked the audience, “Have you ever clicked right HERE?” It formed part of AT&T’s “You Will” campaign, which focused on what the company thought the future would bring to telecommunications. “In the early years of banner advertising, it was like being part of a club,” says Sharon Otterman, a digital media veteran and current U.S. chief marketing officer of William Hill, interviewed in the Adobe report. “We were just a small group of people creating stuff, trying stuff out, trying to figure out how to pay for it, how to contract it—it was such a blur, and yet completely exciting. We were building new ground that never existed before.” The report then charts the launch of DoubleClick in 1996, and how marketing automation, targeting, and accountability can all be traced back to that launch; to 2005 and how it brought two game-changing companies to the digital advertising arena: Facebook and YouTube; the launch of iPhone in 2007; the acquisition of Omniture by Adobe in 2009; to how Amazon emerged as another sleeping giant of the ad industry; and the introduction of EU law on data protection and privacy, GDPR in 2018. The study goes on to explore the impact of all the above.

Time is now

  So what does that mean for today and beyond? The Adobe Advertising Cloud report looks at the challenges facing the digital advertising sector today, and why these are some of the most exciting times to be in. Some of the key takeaways include: Movements to improve the use of creative in targeting and personalization have taken a leap forward. Viewability—a measure of whether an ad has the opportunity to be seen by a real human - was dominating conversations, but how most marketers weren’t asking the right questions about viewability. Ad fraud and its ugly head, and the industry’s fight against it. Privacy controls and data security. An inventory checklist, as premium publishers position themselves to meet the growing need for quality inventory. However, the walled gardens of the ecosystem restrict access to certain inventory from third-party players. The report recommends that independent, third-party verification is recommended (whether working with a walled garden or not), as the inventory available at the beginning of the month when you ink a deal may not necessarily be the same as what’s floating around at the end.

The importance of audience targeting

  Audiences can be targeted in many different ways, today. They can be purchased on contextual elements. They can be targeted based on age, gender, location, purchase intent, or past purchase behavior. Depending on the different partners used, targeting can be based on whether a consumer is in the market for a product like a new car or if they’re ready to renew their insurance. However, hyper-personalization isn’t a panacea for marketers. Ian Monaghan, product marketing manager for data and Adobe Experience Cloud integrations at Adobe, interviewed for the study says: “The pendulum...began swinging the other way with advertisers asking for hyper- personalization that ignored the benefits of mass advertising”—a benefit that has been trumpeted and proven largely successful by the television industry for years. It is time the industry recognised what is relevant and what is ‘creepy’.

Better measurement

  Also learn how it is not just about what you measure, but how long you measure it for. Simple measures like impressions, clicks, and conversions are still incredibly important, but capabilities are now in place to go deeper. But how much is too much? And when does measurement start getting performed just for the sake of it—and for the benefit of the measurement provider?

In-housing: fad or for real

  According to Adobe Advertising Cloud, on the surface, bringing everything in-house might sound appealing, but you’ll either have to throw a lot of worms into the water or paddle furiously if you want to land and retain your talent catches. The report takes a deep dive into the challenges for advertisers when it comes to in-housing, client-agency relationships in today’s age and also the issue of talent in our industry.

The next 25 years

  Adobe Advertising Cloud calls the future an “evolution spurt” in a digital advertising market worth more than half a trillion dollars. Of course there are huge challenges when it comes to privacy, how data is being used, walled gardens, measurement of digital advertising. But as Keith Eadie, VP and GM of Adobe Advertising Cloud, concludes: “To become experience-led and meet evolving expectations around privacy, we must move from a singular focus on data-driven targeting at scale to total consumer-centricity for consistent, relevant, and creative experiences across every channel.” Here’s to 25 more incredible years of digital evolution. The report also includes insights from Coca Cola, Dollar Shave Club, William Hill, T-Mobile, Wired, and more. source Read the full article

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Up To 80% Fraud? Business As Usual For Ad Tech

Doing this column can seem surreal sometimes. I have a 30-year history of covering media, with a focus on advertising, but can recall dealing with the issue of fraud only a handful of times. Once, when a con-man publisher printed only enough issues of a magazine to send out to the agencies that placed ads. And with radio, not all ads that were paid for actually ran. Shocking? Maybe. But what do we make of the latest report from data intelligence platform Pixalate? This survey asserts that more than half of connected TV and over the top (OTT) ad impressions served programmatically were fraudulent in the first quarter of this year and that Android mobile ad fraud rates are 3x higher than iOS. “Marketers need to be especially careful when buying mobile video advertisements on smartphones — particularly Web inventory, given that over half (56%) of such inventory was fraudulent in Q1 2017,” the report states. And, incredibly, Japanese desktop ad fraud reached 80%, closely followed by the sorry rates of Brazil. U.S. desktop ad fraud is about 38%, Pixalate says. Pixalate is a Los Angeles-based data platform focused on bringing “transparency to programmatic advertising.” Its Web site says it monitors “hundreds of billions of ad events in real time by tapping into the global RTB data stream, providing insights to optimize performance, benchmark supply quality, and eliminate fraud.” So let’s assume these numbers are accurate. What do we conclude? That the ludicrous rush to domination by Google and Facebook makes sense. Ad tech companies can form all the coalitions they want, but marketers are still going to flock to Google and Facebook because they are assured of some basic honesty and reliable results. What drives Japanese programmatic advertisers to place their ads into an ad tech cesspool where only 20% deliver what is claimed? We can’t imagine. WPP reported this year that $16.4 billion could be lost from fraudulent traffic, clicks that are automatically generated by bots. This after the ANA estimated $7.2 billion was lost the previous year in the same manner. So ad-tech fraud more than doubles in a year? I have often mused that the business has a very rocky future. Seeing results like this makes me wonder if it has any future at all. Put it in perspective. Suppose half of the ads paid for in Time Inc. magazines didn’t actually run? Time Inc. would be out of business in a week. What’s the difference? Magazine ads are, shall we say, fairly easy to monitor. Either the ad is there or it isn’t. But, as Jalal Nasir, CEO of Pixalate, told Philip Rosenstein of Real Time Daily, “What is happening in the connected TV/OTT space is similar to what has happened in mobile. As in mobile, measurement in connected TV/OTT is very difficult to do, which has made it a breeding ground for fraudsters. They have moved from desktop display to mobile and connected devices.” Sounds like an epitaph for an industry to me. source Read the full article