We've all done it. We've all looked at buying a Facebook ad for our product or service, marveled at how affordable it can be ($5 for a week? Pay per click? Sign me up!), and convinced ourselves that spending the money is worth it for brand awareness.
But is it?
The research team at TechnologyAdvice have partnered with Unbounce to survey 456 Internet users about banner and display ads, social ads and sponsored search engine results. The results are sobering to say the least.
Some bad news:
* No one is clicking: nearly 80% of users surveyed said they almost never click on ads.
* Don't follow my search history: 71% of users find behavior-based and personalized ads intrusive or annoying.
* My mind is an ad-blocker: 38% of users don't pay attention to online ads.
* No follow-through: a whopping 90% have never made a purchase or submitted personal information after clicking on an ad.
Some good news?
* 55% of users say a relevant message would make them click an ad (if it wasn't intrusive or annoying, I suppose.)
Earned and organic media have gained a significant boost from social efforts and a devoted content marketing strategy. Brands provide serious value through their content, and their profile organically rises among consumers; they become a brand people trust and eventually a brand people turn to for purchasing needs.
If you're investing in paid media, however, the struggle towards that goal sentiment is tougher, as consumers remain inherently skeptical of content that explicitly wants their money.
The lessons:
- Your paid media content must not appear to be creepily informed by personal data, but it must be relevant. Use data to inform your ad content, but also use social listening. What do your potential customers really want or need in their lives? How can your ad make clear that you can fill that need?
- Brand content-whether paid or organic-must make building trust and not selling product the core effort. In a world where there is so much sales noise online, brands will only break through by providing value and engendering trust.
- Don't stop the creative efforts at the ad. Make sure landing pages and directed traffic go to content that is equally persuasive and fresh.