Ad Networks
Article | September 1, 2023
A KPMG study found that 86% of consumers are concerned about data privacy and 78% about the amount of personal data collected. Industry players are re-envisioning their future strategies and how they will need to adapt to the impending demise of third-party cookies.
Contextual targeting has resurged to ensure campaign reach and effectiveness, Let us examine how contextual targeting can help advertisers adapt to a cookie-less future:
Targeting Has Advanced
AI and machine learning are trending. Theymimichuman behavior to understand the context of any given environment to serve relevant ads. This type of targeting is called semantic contextual targeting. AI advances with Natural Language Processing (NLP) enable deeper, more nuanced page analysis that can understand tone and sentiment. Advertisers can place campaigns more reliably and brand-safely without cookies or other identifiers. Recently, TikTok launched its new contextual tool, TikTok Pulse. Brands can advertise alongside top-performing content in the “For You” feed. This symbolizes a privacy-conscious future for the digital advertising industry.
Contextual Targeting Can Outperform Third-Party Cookies
Contextual targeting can outperform cookies in clickthrough rate (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and viewability. Contextual targeting does not require user information, first-party data, or consent to work.
Advertisers like you can target the audience using brand-relevant content to boost brand recall and engagement, even in niche categories. You can fine-tune your inventory selection and create custom segments. This reduces the risk of the ad appearing alongside inappropriate content. Contextual targeting is also good for publishers because it lets them show ads that are accurate and relevant at the right time.
CTV is a New Contextual Ads Frontier
Targeting the right audience without cookies is difficult in CTV, but contextual targeting and the rise of more industry players offer scalable and customizable solutions. AI and audio recognition can target viewers based on what they're about to watch. Such individualized, non-disruptive ads ensure performance and brand safety in premium broadcast environments.
Final Thoughts
Changes in the advertising industry, combined with advancements in contextual targeting, make it more relevant than ever for advertisers and publishers. The industry must collaborate to create more privacy-compliant and brand-safe environments in the future.
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Display Advertising
Article | July 8, 2022
Nate Burke, CEO of Diginius, a London-based technology company, who specialise in digital marketing and ecommerce solutions, discusses the growth and exciting future prospects for video advertising, particularly for those seeking unique ways to promote products in a saturated online marketplace.
Over recent years, there has been increasing focus on the use of video in just about every marketing context. And as it would seem, all the events and shifts in the market that have occurred ever since have only played into the success of the audio visual format.
Take the coronavirus pandemic as a prime example. Lockdown restrictions and stay at home orders across the globe have catalysed our consumption of video content. For anyone sceptical of this statement, just take the sweeping influx of TikTok users, and consequently, development of Reels, Livestream services IGTV and Stories features across social media platforms.
These video-based formats often provide a more entertaining and engaging way to consume content. And at a time when we have been looking for just about any way to fill gaps while stuck at home, videos have offered moments of escapism and connectivity, despite people never being so physically far apart.
The video content we have consumed has varied from DIY tutorials for making face masks or home renovation projects, through to product reviews and demonstrations for items we would typically like to see in person and in store.
And although restrictions are beginning to ease and these in store experiences can resume, many consumers will have adjusted to the new way of doing things, particularly with regards to online shopping and decision making.
Therefore, no longer is it enough to simply enable the purchasing of your products through an online channel. Rather, brands need to be supporting every step of the customer journey through their digital offerings, including the awareness, research and post-purchase service stages.
And thanks to the continued development of online advertising tools, this is now more viable than ever. For example, the social media features mentioned previously can all be used for advertising purposes too. Whether it’s enticing brand videos posted to your own feed, or promoted via each platform’s advertising network, or even an influencer partnership, whereby a famous face shows your product in action, there are countless ways to get word of your product out there with video.
Similarly, YouTube ads have long been praised for being a cost-effective way to earn greater digital reach through better engagement and creativity. As the second largest search engine in the world in terms of number of searches, it’s easy to understand why video advertising on the platform is so beneficial.
But while it might be one of the largest, YouTube certainly isn’t the only worthwhile search engine to be advertising on. In more recent times, the sophistication of other search engines, including Google and Bing, have created a strong case for businesses to include video consideration in their SEM strategies too. For example, we’re probably all familiar with the increasing favourability and better integration of YouTube videos displaying on results pages. And although this is separate to PPC advertising, it does require considerable effort in terms of SEO in order for videos to rank.
However, more recently, and we suspect moving forward, there is room for the use of video in these traditional PPC search advertising platforms too. In fact, Bing is currently rolling out a video extension feature to its ad accounts, allowing advertisers to include a 6 - 120 second clip in their search ads. On desktop, a thumbnail for the video will be shown to the right of the copy, which when clicked, the video plays in an overlaying window. On mobile, the video simply plays in the frame with ad copy still visible below.
As well as helping to secure greater real estate space on the results page, these videos make ads more engaging and can even enable businesses to provide more information about the brand, product or service beyond what is permitted in the copy.
Therefore, for businesses looking to implement a strong video strategy, Bing can help you maximise the return on investment required to produce such pieces of content. As well as making use of video to improve PPC efforts, the search engine definitely appears to prioritise the format more than other platforms do. Just a quick search for big name brands, such as ASOS and Sainsbury’s, will show you just how easily the search engine integrates branded and user generated video content, when compared to the likes of Google.
Again, with videos that are appropriately optimised, there is great potential to increase the space taken up on the all important first page of results. As well as this, you can provide searchers in the awareness and research stages with greater information and a better brand experience through content in a more engaging format to increase the chances of a conversion.
In terms of PPC advertising, the use of video is at no greater expense to the business. Video clicks are charged at the same rate as call to actions or website click throughs, and like in the traditional form, only the initial click incurs a cost. Therefore, users can click to watch the video, and then press the button to call, enquire or visit your website, and despite having spent more time immersing themselves in your brand, there will be no additional price to pay.
Undeniably, video advertising is becoming increasingly intelligent, providing businesses with much more opportunity to showcase their products in an engaging way, which can help break through the white noise of the saturated online marketplace. But interestingly, I believe this is only the beginning of what is possible with the format, particularly when it comes to PPC in search.
As the retail world recovers from the disruption of the pandemic, and businesses really begin to home in their strategies to accommodate users’ new found preferences in the age of post-lockdown, the creative use of video will become an ever-growing key tactic in advertising.
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Social Media Advertising
Article | July 14, 2022
Colling Media, a top-ranked national digital advertising and marketing agency, continues its recent, impressive growth by adding five new businesses to its prestigious roster of clients. ScriptSave WellRx an innovative prescription medication discount program that closes the gaps in prescription benefit coverage. Diamond Kitchen & Bath the leading retailer of kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and countertops in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Radix Law a business law firm based in Scottsdale. Soul Surgery a renowned integrative medicine addiction and rehab center in Scottsdale, featuring a holistic approach to drug and alcohol treatment. Premier Criminal Defense based in San Diego and serving all of Southern California, the firm offers skilled counsel to help clients accused of Misdemeanors, Felony and Federal Offenses.
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Social Media Advertising
Article | July 6, 2022
Everyone can be a creator, critic, performer and an audience member— all at the same time — thanks to the internet. However, when it comes to advertising and the internet, the biggest opportunity that you have is customer experience (CX). And yet, new technologies and the desire to decrease ad spend put customer experience on the back-burner.
Why CX Should be a Priority While Making Ads?
Customer experience takes a nosedive when you automate marketing decisions, drive down advertising costs, extract data, and increase intrusiveness to reach more customers. These factors negatively impact your brand’s reputation and cause customers to leave your side. As a result, your revenue might take a hit by implementing modern technology.
Customer experience should always be at the top of your priority list if you want to retain your customers and give them exactly what they want. Here are some things you should remember while creating ads:
Context is Key
Your messaging and creatives should align with the context of your ad placement. Native ads and contextual targeting can help you safely place your ads without disrupting your UX.
Value Addition Works
Your consumers want to see something that is unique and adds value to their lives. Use creative, relatable, and authentic messaging to appeal to your audience.
Use Technology Wisely
If you don’t leverage ad tech as a part of a sound strategy and intelligent design, you might lose out on effectively representing your brand in front of your target audience.
Rules to Remember While Making Ad Creatives
Do not treat your audience as a set of data points
Platforms are dynamic so you need to adapt to the changes in time
Use technology to meet the expectations of your audience but don’t abuse it
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