Online display ads have been fighting a tough battle lately. Most research companies are projecting online display to either lose share of ad dollars in 2009 or at best, stay pretty flat. However, at the local level, we are continuing to add new online advertisers every month. The combination of local online display and video has proved to be a very powerful way to generate results, and the study that came out this month is helping to reinforce that. The key when looking at display or video campaign results is to look at all the ways a viewer can take action on an ad. This does not just include clicks. The chart below shows the percentage of viewers who saw an ad they were interested in, but rather then clicking, decided to research the product using a different method:
Where Minnesota companies have a big advantage in online display is when they can promote the fact that they are local and part of this community. The second part of the iProspect study shows that online display ads perform much better if the viewer has prior knowledge of the company that is offering the product. When we create banner and video campaigns for clients, we focus a lot on reminding viewers of who is talking to them; with messages like: “We’re Local”, “You Already Know Us”, or even “Minnesota’s #1 xxxx Company”. This is also where television can play a large role in the effectiveness of an online campaign. Worried that not enough people know about your company? There is no faster way to get your business known to thousands of Minnesota women than with a TV schedule in Oprah!
