What Would Your Advertisers Give for 7 Seconds
June 3, 2014
Digital media spend is on the rise with advertisers, but the truth of the matter is banner ads still only see 0.02% click-through. Yet even with that staggering statistic, media sellers are still able to convince advertisers to invest in a website banner ad. How much more compelling would it be to offer advertisers 40 times the click through, or 0.79%?
What if that number were also tied to a greater period of engagement, averaging about 7 seconds in time spent with the ad? In an industry plagued by CTRs and promises of catching attention, 0.79% and 7 seconds are big numbers. And they come from a study of responses to tablet ads.
Newsworks, a company in the UK providing research, information and education for national newspapers, conducted a study called Newsworks’ Tablet Project. This study tracked 20 campaigns across key sectors such as auto, retail & travel, finance, technology and entertainment. The study lasted from October through December 2013. During this time they monitored how readers interacted with tablet publications from these industries to determine what kinds of advertising worked to get the coveted “tap” interaction.
At the conclusion of the study, they were able to provide some industry-specific statistics in an attempt to work towards a baseline of expectations for people viewing an ad on the tablet in that industry. The results are captured in this inPublsihing article.
They were also able to parse out three core advertising types for getting a tap: text link, video and interactive. Based on the study, they found the following:
“- Text links drive strong tap rates when the link is clearly signposted and copy is action-orientated
– Video delivers a powerful combination of both tap rate and dwell time but it is key that video content is clearly signposted with a play button and the content is relevant and fresh
– Interactive ads engage readers, with considerably longer than average dwell times, but keep content informative, engaging and easy to navigate”
One of the goals of the study are to help the industry not only gather data, but also start applying it to how advertisers and publishers approach tablet publication ads. For instance they’re looking for understanding what makes for a successful tablet ad, what language compels action, and what metrics should advertisers and publishers expect to see. ”
It is clear that tablet advertisements, especially those using text links, video and/or interactivity, are already proving effective investments for advertisers. Help get your advertisers on board by breaking it down for them, such as how Newsworks does it on their website, seen here.