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How Adding Interactivity to Ads Can Get You More Conversions

 In Interactive Content
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Good storytellers show instead of tell, and marketers are essentially storytellers. While some storytellers have the eloquence to paint all the imagery with words, marketers, even the most prolific writers, must use images to get their messages into the minds of their customers more effectively. Specifically, with ads, copy can’t carry the burden of the entire message; either the words won’t do it justice, or there are strict stipulations on space. Images can make ads complete, but there is something else that will take them to another level – animation.

Us marketers already know the benefits of using visuals in our marketing– they are processed 60,000 times faster than text, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, etc.  Anyone would agree that these are great benefits, but what happens when we set these graphics to motion and add some interactivity? Bottom line: our interactive ads get more clicks.

Strategy level 1:

By far the easiest way to get those extra clicks is turning your static ad into a gif. Your customers get the sense of a visual scene in less than 1/10 of a second, so visually stimulating motion graphics are more effective when it comes to getting someone’s attention.

I know this works because this is exactly what we did with our ads. Where we once had static imagery, we now have GIFs. Our CTR has doubled and is still steadily increasing since the switch. With that increase, we also saw conversions in the form of demos rise.

 statid ad Gif ad

With our campaigns we found that an animated gif allowed us to tell a better story. We could say more with less, and educate our prospects better, leading to higher quality leads. And it barely took any extra effort! Gifs are easy to make. Your design team probably is already familiar with the process.  

(Extra special tip: when we retargeted our email lists, we saw a 5% increase in open rates. The exposure helped remind our audience of our brand and they recognized our name in their inbox. Voila! Retargeting = better email campaigns)

Strategy level 2:

Another way to add interactivity to your ads is by using computer programming languages like HTML5 and CreateJS or, formerly, software like Adobe Flash (RIP) or, Adobe Animate CC. This is by far the more difficult option as it takes expertise in coding and development. It also seems to be disrupted every couple years with new technology and browser capabilities. Many brands that have the best ads created with these tools use agencies to carry this out.

These types of ads can be very entertaining, and if executed correctly, can go “viral” and get mentioned on blogs and in social spheres. Check out this ad by Pringles, and tell me you can resist clicking on it.

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These types of ads come in all types of variations. Including, but not limited to, countdown timers, unboxing experiences, mad libs, and click to play/activate. As you can see, they take more thought and are more expensive to create. So if you are going to spend the time and money on it, you had better make sure it is executed well. If you can’t put a lot of time and effort into your ad campaign, this might not be the best option for you.

Strategy level 3:

The final interactive ad idea I have for you is putting a layer of interactivity behind your ad. It works like this – A viewer sees your ad, preferably in gif format. They click on said ad and are taken to an interactive landing page or experience.

You already know that the added layer of interactivity will give you more engagement and increase memory recall so this type of campaign works best with educational or sticky content. Our company utilizes this method to educate our prospects about our product. For example, we have an ad campaign with a gif similar to the one shown in strategy 1. Once someone clicks on the ad, they are taken to a Zembula experience page, where they can interact with a Peel-it, Slide-it, or Scratch-it. (Check out the experience below from one of our ads.) Once they interact, the call-to-action appears and they are taken to an educational landing page.

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By rewarding our audience with a delightful experience when they click on our ads, we are conditioning them to interact with us in the future. They will see our ad and know that it leads them to a fun and engaging experience, not just a boring old product page.

The way your audience perceives you is in your hands, and your ads can help you shape that experience. Will you appear spammy and static? Or will you stand out with a fun and refreshing message?

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