Ad Optimization History 101
It won’t be an overstatement to say that ad optimization have existed since the beginning of time, or at least alongside the emergence of the very first ancient civilizations. They’ve been a part of our lives ever since. We’re bombarded with thousands of ads on daily basis. In the streets, on the bus, in the train, on our screens and even in our homes!
Ads only became what they are today because of one man, and one man only: Henry Ford. He not only gave the world the first car and the first assembly line but he also started the flashy ads trend, which later evolved into a “science” that found its way into every aspect our daily existence. Watch and learn here:
Did you watch or hear of this small indie show called: Mad Men? Then you probably have a inkling to what we’re talking about when we say that ads have evolved tremendously. Otherwise, Youtube and Facebook ads would probably still look at lot more like this today!
Fact is: they don’t and that’s because of ad optimization. The optimization process is constantly evolving and so is (was) the industry, pushing the boundaries with new and creative campaigns on the daily. You just can’t use what worked in the 60s to promote your product today. Following that same logic, it makes you wonder why online advertisers are still using the same banner ads that were first spotted in 90s to assault increasingly weary consumers today? What happened to the optimization and evolution process?
New Era of Online Advertising – Bidding Wars
At some point, you have to stop and admit defeat. Existing social network campaigns pit one ad against another in the ever bloodier and costlier bidding terrain. It’s called a bidding wars by advertisers for a reason! Only viral content can win but after having cannibalised everything else. The only way to win is to differentiate, generating creative content that stands out from the grey sea of classical static ads. As we see it the only way off that drowning ship is to gamify, especially with mobile devices.
Gamification as Differentiation
As one of the fastest growing fields, mobile games have a 70% penetration rate and a daily average use of 2 hours. This means that if you’re packaging your ad as a game then users are more likely to take the bait! Read more about the insatiable mobile gaming addiction.
Gamewheel’s findings indicate that mobile and desktop games increase engagement and virality (by 400%) and decrease Facebook bids (by 200%). Mobile games work especially well because 79% of people aged between 18-44 have their smartphones with them 22 hours a day, seven days a week and >62% of adults and >85% of teens play games according to Nielsen as presented at SXSW2016. Marketers “need to look at gamers not as a separate species, but people,” said Peter Jonas, head of gaming for Facebook North America.
By increasing engagement and virality as well as conversion rates, games can not only lift up your brand, but also significantly lower cost-per-click bids as well. An additional bonus, using gamified ads can better capture your audience’s attention, as engaging and interactive content is hard to ignore and can even set you apart from the crowds!
Statistics indicate that with games, customers are more likely to sign up. And the cherry on top? Games can be played multiple times and have extremely high potential of going viral if combined with a consistent and creative campaign design. You’re creating content that not only captivates but repeatedly engages your audience.
Gamification can be a powerful tool to end the bidding wars and usher in a new era of interactive advertising.
Find out more about how you can implement games in your next ad campaign with Gamewheel.
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