Within the marketing arena, there is a surge of information that is read, deciphered, and put into action.
Marketing is always in a state of flux to be ahead of the curve on the next big thing. However, in the rush to beat the competition, sometimes we forget that the next best thing is just the former thing revamped. Viewability is a perfect example of a current topic that could be explained in a traditional manner.
Marketers are constantly looking for ways to enhance viewability and have the consumers act on their “call-to-action” (CTA). Viewability is very topical since emerging on marketers’ radar a few years ago. The Media Ratings Council states that desktop display ads are to be considered viewable if “50% of their pixels are in view for a minimum of one second.”
Digital marketing sometimes has the mystic of being misunderstood or appearing to be too complicated. However, given the format, one can easily refer some common practices associated with a known traditional medium such as print magazine and newspapers. It was standard best practices to expect success with print marketing campaigns when:
- Ads are placed above the fold
- Ads placed in a minimum 3+ issues or editions
- Ads placed within relevant editorial placements and/or adjacencies
- Larger ads reap more attention
- Recognizable brands and/or businesses that the consumer has purchased prior commanded the higher attention
Viewability can become de-mystified by applying this traditional understanding. The above print media best practices can easily translate to digital marketing campaigns as a means to understand viewability.
In order to gain higher viewability rates, consumers look at display ads when they are in a researching, cost comparing, discerning product differentiation mode. By the time they are in the buying mode, the consumer’s click-thru rates are amplified. Be sure that message strategies match the environment, like with print that it is served to assist in driving positive business goals.
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant with 20+ years experience, freelance writer and author of “Elements of Buying” (a self-help advertising guide), available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed as Black Enterprise’s 2011 Top Execs in Marketing & Advertising and Black Enterprise’s 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
