Originally published: IAB Australia, 30 June 2022
Authored by: Tasneem Ali, General Manager – ANZ Media, Pure.amplify
Q. What areas of digital advertising do you see as the most effective for driving consumers to purchase? Have you seen any new trends coming through in the last 12-18 months?
The consumer purchasing journey is no longer a linear process. As multiple touchpoints for purchase engagement continues to become the norm for the digital age, advertisers should opt for an omnichannel approach with similar brand or product messaging spread across multiple channels. When consumers are familiar with a brand or product, advertising efforts are more likely to translate to an increased probability to purchase.
One of the most effective forms of digital marketing is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). As consumers search the digital space to fill a need/want, displaying your company in the correct domain and appearing at the top of their search will ensure consumers are accurately directed to make a purchase. For even better efficiency, advertisers can adopt SEM, which combines organic search results (SEO) with paid search and relies heavily on keywords to drive traffic to business websites and web pages like SEO does. Research shows that 90 percent of consumers who research online already know exactly what they’re looking for, so with SEM utilised at the right time and place, a brand’s content and ads are placed in front of a highly engaged target audience, who are actively looking for offers. What’s more is that SEM is relatively low cost and a relatively non-intrusive form of advertising.
Social media platforms, specifically video platforms, are also not to be missed in advertising. TikTok is a key platform, as its algorithmic prowess holds the key to driving brand success. The platform harnesses consumer behaviour on the platform and connects with third parties to deliver accurate and relevant content, helping users discover, learn and be entertained by brands. This presents brands at a place and time that induces buying behaviour. Research shows that 38% of TikTok users interacted with a video in the process of doing product research (boosting engagement, exposure and loyalty), and 39% cited “lifting spirits” as a key factor in their decision to purchase a product. Advertisers should continue looking to TikTok as they would any large social media platform.
As linear TV dwindles in engagement, YouTube will also further develop as an advertising powerhouse as the traffic is transferred over to the platform. The platform’s formal advertising placements will continue to grow with incentivised creator partnerships on the platform becoming an immensely powerful way to sell to a unique audience. The established creator’s persona and audience can transfer onto the sponsored brand’s image, driving more purchases. With that in mind, it’s important that brands carefully consider all attributes of a creator’s own ‘brand’ before engaging into a partnership.
By aligning with reputable platforms, brands will also be able to build credibility. As streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney+ consider introducing ad-supported subscriptions, advertisers must be aware of the potential this space holds. With their enormous audience engagement and the halo effect of engaging content, there is a real opportunity for brands to capitalise on the positive brand association that could be had by advertising with these streaming giants.
Lastly, for those that are hard-to-reach consumers who are constantly on the go with limited media consumption and online ad blockers, Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) advertising is emerging as an effective means to reach them. As foot traffic returns to the outdoors, DOOH works best for targeted, engaging, and data-driven campaigns that connect to audiences with contextual relevance and immediacy. Again, DOOH is less intrusive and can form a positive part of the landscape, reaching people when they are not trying to avoid any ads online.
