Rich media ads to improve your cost per click

A solid online marketing strategy is the best ally for attracting customers, improving margins and staying in people's minds. Cost-per-click campaigns lead online advertising, bringing hundreds of visitors daily to a business or online shop. But when it comes to increasing the return on that spend, rich media ads are the alternative worth considering.

What they are

These are ads that either invite the user to interact with the banner, through a game or an activity, or show an explanatory video in the style of television advertising, rather than a static image with text.

Rich media ads noticeably increase the number of clicks an ad receives, which improves advertising returns directly. They work both for desktop and for mobile.

Making them work

A few things decide whether the extra production cost pays off:

• Keep it light. An ad that slows the host page down annoys the visitor before it sells anything.
• Lead with the message. If the point only becomes clear at second twelve of the video, most people never get there.
• Make the interaction relevant. A game that has nothing to do with the product generates plays, not customers.
• Measure past the click. Rich media reliably raises click-through rates. Whether it raises sales is a separate question, and the only one that matters.

When not to bother

With a small budget, the production cost of rich media eats the media budget it was meant to improve. Below a certain spend, a well-written static ad and a good landing page beat an elaborate one every time.