Welcome back to the second half of our two-part article on how to make mobile adds that will be appreciated and clicked. Last time we covered the importance of creating an integrated app experience with the app, keeping the user demographics and interests in mind. We also talked about making sure that your ads look like they are part of an app instead of a garis distraction. Let's pick up where we left off at adding value to the experience.
Value Added Advertising
So you've figured out how to get app users' attention without insulting their intelligence or using flashing lights. Now it's time to start thinking of your advertisement not as something that is forcibly inserted into a user's experience but rather something that can enhance it. Just as a blog can be a clear advertisement or a subtle promotion for something useful, your ads can be carefully designed, chosen, and placed to only add value to your lead's current experience. Examples may be the best way to explain this concept.
Let's say that you sell baby formula and other supplies for infant care and you'd like to run a mobile marketing campaign. First, consider the apps you'd like to market on. Grocery list apps, baby care apps, and baby monitor apps are all great for targeting your ads.
Now think about how you can add value to the users' experiences. Your baby formula ad might, for instance, offer a coupon when parents type 'baby' 'formula' or 'milk' in the grocery list app. Perhaps you offer a special discount code to users of a baby care scheduling app or suggest new diapers when the baby monitor detects crying. "Does your baby need a change? Try Our Softest Diapers!"
It's All About Choice
Modern consumers are all about choice. When you present a mobile app to a potential lead, you are asking them to make a choice to read or watch the ad, then potentially follow it to your content or a special discount code or whatever else you have to offer. However, the more choice you give them in how to interact with the ad, the more likely they are to make a choice you like.
First and foremost, never 'trap' the audience with a full page timed ad. Whether it's static, interactive, or a video, if users can't escape they are likely to close and uninstall the app instead. Full-page ads are often very effective when they work but they're also dangerous. With a slow-loading full-page ad, you can accidentally trap a user and trigger the uninstall reaction so be careful.
With the warning dispensed, try to design each ad to let your leads make some kind of minor enjoyable choice. Let them choose between two different discounts or a selection of interesting content. Mini-games are another great introduction because they're fun in and of themselves.
A slot machine, a memory match, or even a simple touch-drawing game can engage users and catch their interest in the midst of whatever else they were doing in the app. If your ad is both app-integrated and fun, you may well have just made a sale.
A Call to Action
The call to action is an important part of almost any advertisement but it only matters if you make it to the end of the user experience. First, you must get the user's attention without offending them, keep them interested for the two or three seconds it takes to read and understand the content, offer them a choice, and finally, you can encourage them to fulfill the purpose of the ad.
A clear call to action will help your leads understand how to gain a benefit from your ad like "Redeem Your Discount Code Here!" or "Visit us at [URL] to learn more!" Always end with a bold call to action that is easy for your leads to follow or remember later on.
Putting together a successful in-app marketing campaign is a lot more complex than it seems on the surface. Every app you advertise in needs to have specialized ads made to integrate with the existing UI, add value to the experience, and preferably respond to the users' actions inside the app itself. You might even consider making a helpful app that is specifically designed to convey your line of integrated ads. For more tips and tricks on mobile marketing, contact us today!
