Digital advertising has exploded over the last decade, and for good reason.
There is no doubt that this is the internet age, and if your company hasn’t embraced digital marketing, it may soon get left behind.
Advertising in the digital world is not just a trend, and some experts believe that it may soon all but replace traditional forms of reaching out to consumers.
Digital advertising is fast, effective and inexpensive. This makes it an ideal choice for both consumers and marketers.
Here are 5 things you need to know about the future of digital advertising:
Mobile Advertising Is Here To Stay
Marketers have been discussing the shift to mobile advertising for years. Mobile advertising revenue grew by over 66 percent between 2014 and 2015, in comparison to desktop advertising, which was up by just 5 percent.
Mobile advertising is growing faster than all of the other digital formats in the United States. Still, there has been a large gap between the amount of time consumers spend on their smartphones and tablets and the amount of advertising dollars and time devoted to the medium, which is as low as 12% of most advertising budgets.
Consumers are using their phones to search for products, watch videos and read reviews. Just like any other advertising format, diversity will allow you to reach larger groups.
As technology advances, and marketers are able to better target consumers via their mobile devices, mobile advertising has become even more attractive. Because mobile ads perform so well, it’s easier than ever to optimize advertising to look great on smartphones and tablets, and certainly worth every penny.
Consumers Have Short Attention Spans
In general, consumers are easily distracted. Time is at a premium and multitasking is so common that keeping the attention of potential customers can feel almost impossible. In fact, the average attention span is 8.25 seconds. Most people will leave a site within 10-20 seconds, so it’s important that your digital advertising techniques work fast.
This means that content that is short and easy to consume will perform better. Videos and infographics are another good bet. The more eye-catching advertising is, the more likely that it will grab the attention of your target audience. Advertisement needs to pack a punch, and it’s not unusual for a video, for example, to perform better when it is just a few seconds long.
Online Ads Easily Annoy Consumers
How and where you advertise online should be considered with care. As effective as digital advertising may be, it can’t work if consumers aren’t reached. Most internet users are blocking ads and muting, or skipping past videos. Ad blocking also happens more frequently on phones than it does the Web.
Because consumers now know how to reject and report ads, it’s vital to target them, so that your company is not bombarding people with information that is not relevant. Following the rules and deciding on digital campaign strategies with care can help to ease these frustrations and get the word out to those that you really want to reach.
Marketing with, Rather than to, Is becoming the new Digital Marketing norm
Ads placed on social media platforms like Facebook can work, and work well. Facebook and Google, on their own, are responsible for 76% of internet advertising growth. That being said, your digital advertising plan should include more than just placing ads.
Millennials, in particular, are still using Facebook on a daily basis, even if it not considered the trendiest of social media sites. Facebook is an easy-to-use advertising platform that allows users to easily share information, which is why it is so popular with digital marketers. Other sites, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter can still be great places to advertise, but it may take more sophisticated targeting.
Internet users are bombarded with over 5,000 marketing messages each day, so what doesn’t resonate with them is quickly tuned out.
When digital advertising is relevant, sharable and invites feedback, it’s easier to consume, especially by younger audiences. Engaging in content marketing, or sharing relevant content that may be associated with, but is not necessarily advertising, a product is one successful tactic. This must also be done with care, in order to avoid seeming to “advertorial.”
Internet users today are less likely to buy a product or service because they see an ad over and over again. If people are talking about, and sharing content from, a brand online, however, consumers feel like they are participating in a conversation, rather than being sold to. That’s how marketing with, and not to, works.
Chat-Based Marketing Is Growing
More brands are turning to chat-based marketing. This strategy engages Internet users to interest them in products or services and is highly targeted. This personal interaction seems to be working well, especially with consumers who might already be interested in what you have to offer.
These chats take place in chat rooms, on Internet forums, instant messenger services or on social network platforms. As personalized and effective as this form of advertising may be, it can be time-consuming, especially if you are attempting to attract a large number of new customers.
Creating a unique website that allows visitors to chat within it is one way to make chat marketing work for your company. This way, you have an opportunity to engage those that are already seeking out products or services like yours and appropriate attention can be paid to the right audience. Allowing consumers to come to you can also be less invasive, reducing the risk that you’ll offend or upset potential customers.
It’s no secret that digital advertising is effective, and it does not appear to be going away any time soon. In order to get results, however, it needs to be done well. By taking the time to develop a diversified digital marketing strategy, you can avoid placing too much emphasis on tactics that don’t work and connect with the customer base that you need to achieve success.
To find oumore about any of WSI’s digital solutions,
