As a resource to the industry, my firm has agreed to share aggregate data on the best-selling display ad formats based on data from the volume of campaigns running through our systems every month. On aggregate, this data represents a statistically significant sample of trends in locally based sites and shows what’s hot and what’s not with advertisers.
#1 Seller: Pencil Expander – Top and Bottom Expander
There is no shortage of hype out there about the new formats, but the pencil expander continues to please both advertisers and publishers. The reasons for its popularity continue to be:
• Lives well alongside news content
• Provides significant branding for the advertiser
• Can be set to only open a set number of times per site visit
While not every advertiser has video, we have seen national brands and regional advertisers using video and input forms inside the pencil expander ad. Retailers, auto dealers, real estate brokers, and promoters/venues frequently buy this type of ad in conjunction with a home page or section sponsorship.
#2 Seller: Video
Aggregate data suggest that three out of 10 of your ad prospects are in a position to readily advertise using video, and one or two out of 10 of your advertisers will purchase a video ad as their preferred option. What is true in the past about video is still true:
• 300 x 250 video ads perform well
• Minimal bells and whistles are needed for the video to perform
• Video is easily integrated into social media
• Campaign data provide different value than other ads and are easy to understand
Due to the combined value of expander and video ads, we are seeing an increased consumption of ads that use the best of the 300 x 250 video and expander such as:
• 1,000 x 1,000 expander with video
• 300 x 250 video with expander
• 1,000 x 1,000 bottom up expander with video
#3 Seller: Sticky Note
Media clients tell us that what makes the sticky note so sticky with advertisers is its ability to take over content in a more surprising way than an expander, but with similar benefits to the top-selling counterpart.
Unlike the expander, however, the sticky note lives in a curious top left or top right ad position in its unexpanded state, which stimulates the site visitor’s eye and expands when the mouse is moved over the ad. Sticky notes, however, should be used carefully to provide high impact for special events and ads that have a defined timeframe. Formats such as the expander and video, and ad positions such as 300 x 250 and 160 x 600, should be used for a longer-term campaign.
Get sticky for:
• Concerts or special events
• Defined-duration campaigns
• When high impact is needed
While there are many other formats in use, the top three should give any publisher looking to grow its online revenue the ability to offer variety to its highest-value prospects. As with any other campaign, make sure to call on advertisers with verified budgets for premium local ads. Operationally, incorporate cost of ad deployment into pricing, and be wary of suggestions to fulfill premium ad orders using manual, “one-off” operational processes.
Neil Greer has been in the media industry since 1994. His column, Go Digital, focuses on sharing experiences that aid in solving key strategic and operational issues facing publishers as they invest in the growth of their digital operations.
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