Month: May 2023

Over the past few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown to be a key asset for businesses. We have seen several unique use cases, ranging from Lowe’s “Lowbot” which provides tailored information to shoppers in-store, to Netflix’s AI-driven machine learning technology to give personalized recommendations on new content for viewing. Consumers use this technology daily, whether voice recognition, chatbots, virtual assistants, digital maps/navigation, or even on social media. 

As consumers continue to explore the world of AI, so are advertisers. AI is no longer perceived as a novelty tool, but rather an up-and-coming technology that will be necessary for marketers to maintain efficiency in their processes. According to a Salesforce report, 62% of marketing organizations say they already use AI. And by 2028, the market for AI in marketing is expected to reach $107.5 billion. This goes to show – artificial intelligence growth has no intention of slowing down. 

What are the benefits of using AI in Marketing?

Automation

Automate repetitive tasks, such as data entry and analysis, allowing marketers to focus on more complex and creative tasks.

Improved decision-making

AI can help identify patterns and insights in data that humans might miss, leading to better decision-making in areas such as finance, healthcare, and marketing.

Efficiency

AI can process large amounts of data quickly and accurately, making it useful for tasks such as image and speech recognition, natural language processing, and decision-making. With higher lead generation and productivity, advertisers may see greater cost savings.

Personalization

Advertisers can create personalized experiences, such as recommending products or content, based on an individual’s preferences and behavior. Advertisers can then better meet consumers at all stages of their buying journey. 

What are the different types of AI used in Marketing?

There are several types of AI; here are the two typically used across advertising:

Predictive AI

This type refers to artificial intelligence systems that use statistical models, machine learning algorithms, and data-driven approaches to make predictions about future outcomes based on historical data. Predictive AI predicts future events or outcomes based on historical data.

Generative AI

The second type refers to artificial intelligence systems that generate new content or outputs based on a given set of input data. Generative AI uses machine learning algorithms and deep learning techniques to create new outputs, such as text, images, music, or videos, that are similar to a given training data set. Generative AI models can be used for tasks such as image generation, text generation, and anomaly detection.

Recently, the buzz around AI has been focused on a particular platform: ChatGPT. 

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence application, created by Open AI. According to USAToday, ChatGPT is an AI computer program that uses its intelligence to intake, comprehend and produce a response that mimics the natural diction of human language. In recent months, people have used the chatbot to help fill out job applications, write resumes, respond to emails, and more (most people use it to generate ideas – so do marketers!)

Since its release in November of 2022, ChatGPT has quickly become one of the fastest-growing applications, gaining over 100 million users within its first two months of release. While AI is no stranger to the advertising world, ChatGPT has definitely made a splash in how this technology will be used in businesses. 

How is ChatGPT impacting the field of advertising/marketing?

• Marketers have the option to quickly generate ideas and help streamline content creation. 
• Data can be analyzed at a rapid pace, giving advertisers more insights into their consumers to better serve them.
• Marketers can easily stay on top of trends in their target audience and modify campaigns accordingly. 
• ChatGPT can help automate customer service, helping to increase engagements by providing personalized answers to inquiries.

There is no denying that ChatGPT and other forms of AI provide benefits to advertisers. However, when AI is paired with the human element of creativity, decision-making, and strategy, that is where campaigns will see the most success. 

How you can use AI in digital advertising

Whether you are a marketer working on your next newsletter or an advertiser seeking to run your next campaign, below are a few creative ways to use artificial intelligence in digital advertising and marketing.

1. Content Ideation

We’ve all experienced so-called “Writer’s Block.” When the ideas aren’t flowing, it can be difficult to start. This is where generative platforms like ChatGPT shine, allowing the user to provide a prompt and generate a well-written response based on millions of sources from the web. Whether you are looking to brainstorm ideas for a new campaign or write a catchy email subject line, generative AI can help streamline the process. 

2. Enhanced Chatbot

Let’s think about when a Chatbot doesn’t work, and how frustrating that can be on the consumer end. With an advanced Chatbot, consumers can easily get answers to their questions on a brand’s website and receive an elevated brand experience – all while the brand simultaneously gathers this data to glean consumer insights. Quick, personalized answers may also increase customer engagement and satisfaction.

3. Optimizing Ad Campaigns 

Harnessing data is essential before, during, and after a campaign runs. With the use of predictive AI, advertisers can identify new targeting segments, deliver ads at optimal rates while also focusing on the campaign goal, and generate insights for future campaigns such as audience behaviors. 

 

How Digilant uses machine learning and AI

At Digilant, we leverage machine learning AI through our data and DSP partnerships to optimize campaign performance. 

Here are a few examples:

1. Search 

If a consumer makes a search on Google for a new pair of sunglasses, Google can use its machine learning algorithms to target ads based on these searches, and the consumer is then served an ad. Additionally, the consumer can also receive sunglasses ads on other websites.

2. Social Media

Social media networks use machine learning to target ads to specific people based on interest, engagements, and who they follow.

3. Amazon

Amazon uses machine learning to target ads based on what people have recently bought or searched. This insight then allows them to target that user with similar or complementary products. 

At Digilant, we understand the complexities that correspond with digital advertising. While artificial intelligence and machine learning have boosted advertising efforts, there are still advancements to be made, and we are constantly learning and testing new ways to use these tools? Contact us today to learn more. 

 

As a marketer, you likely already know that consumer habits are rapidly changing. Regarding how people consume media in 2023, consumers are:

• shifting from cable to CTV.
• streaming digital audio and podcasts rather than listening to the radio.
• spending more time on mobile than ever before.

All of these trends mean you have to make a choice — rely on traditional forms of media knowing there may be a smaller, less engaged audience or shift your media budget and test the waters of these new emerging channels.

Advertising During Economic Uncertainty

Around eight in 10 U.S. adults expect to struggle financially during 2023, which means it’s more important than ever to pay attention to these shifts in behaviors and platforms. However, your advertising not only needs to reach them, but speak to them directly. Every media dollar spent needs to be purposeful in where it is run and showcase the value of your product or service.

Now is the time to keep a close eye on your strategy to ensure you have the best tactics in place to effectively reach your audience. To help ensure your media dollars are being spent wisely, consider the following questions:

• What is your current impact on the market?
• What is your value proposition as consumers face a more difficult decision regarding where they spend their money?
• What is your value add in comparison to your competitors?
• Where are you losing consumers in the sales funnel?
• What stories or ad types successfully move the needle with consumers?
• Where can you shift ad spending to hone in on these successes?
• What will be most important to ensure success through the end of the year?

Economic uncertainty doesn’t mean that you can’t take risks. It simply means you need to know what you do well and then make data-driven, strategic decisions to invest in new opportunities where your audience spends time and will most likely interact with your brand.

Why Is Video Necessary for Strategic Advertising?

In these uncertain times, you must capitalize on your advertising efforts by targeting channels that are popular and resonate with your consumers. Fortunately, video is an attractive option. As the video landscape continues to grow and evolve, there are a few reasons why you should consider this engaging channel:

Video provides in-depth analysis

To maximize a tight budget, you must invest in strong analytics and performance-measurement tools. For TV video advertising, tools like Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) can change the game regarding your ad strategy. With ACR, you know exactly what type of content your audience is viewing, on which devices, and at what time they’re viewing it. This allows you to better target consumers and re-target them across devices, ultimately driving viewers down the funnel and increasing conversions.

Video includes numerous ad formats

As an advertiser, you now have more options than ever for where to run video ads. Rather than paying a premium for linear ad space, you can take advantage of the many different ways video can be used. There are numerous areas in this fragmented space where you can invest your resources and reach your target audience more effectively, including:

• In-Stream Pre-Roll
• Out-Stream Video
• Mobile In-App
• CTV connected to the internet, such as through Roku or Apple TV
• OTT content streamed to a laptop, phone, tablet, or CTV
• Social Video

Video is where consumers are

Appealing to price-conscious consumers is an integral part of strategic advertising. This is especially true in 2023, as 65% of consumers have turned to ad-supported streaming services to help offset subscription costs. Additionally, more than 50% of U.S. digital video viewers watch advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) content on platforms like YouTube, Facebook Watch, Peacock, and more.

Fortunately, 91% of consumers want to see more online video content from brands, so the popularitly of this channel doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

How to Navigate Consumer Spending Habits With Video Advertising

With the many benefits of video advertising in mind, there are several tactics to establish an effective video advertising strategy to ultimately increase the effectiveness of your digital advertising. The following are some of the best ways to get started:

1. Understand the content your audience consumes.

Consumers now have multiple streaming subscriptions and watch content on various devices such as CTVs, tablets, and mobile devices. Powerful data sets will give you access to the shows your audience is consuming, which apps they’re using, and what genres they prefer. All of which can help tailor your ads to meet their preferences. By gathering a more complete picture of your target audience, you can create more effective advertisements and ensure your efforts align with what consumers want.

2. Ensure you have an effective messaging strategy.

As consumers watch their spending more closely, they need to feel that their purchases provide real value. This is where your ad creative and messaging come in. In uncertain times, it’s even more difficult to cut through the noise, but fine-tuning your messaging to resonate with your audience is the key to getting your message across. For example, you might discover that a five-second bumper ad with a clear call-to-action or incentive to click is more effective for driving conversions than a 30-second non-skippable ad.

4. Use analytics to update campaigns in real time.

In addition to testing different ad formats, analyzing your campaign’s performance in real time is crucial for strategic advertising. With tools like ACR, you can track who viewed your ad and when, allowing you to make necessary adjustments. Did your ad reach your target audience with the right frequency? Were they retargeted across multiple devices? By attributing actions taken by your audience, you can gain a big-picture view of your campaign’s impact and effectiveness.

Now Is the Time to Adjust for Strategic Advertising

With consumers becoming more cautious with their spending in today’s unpredictable economic climate, utilizing video to convey messages effectively is crucial for your brand to stay ahead of the competition and capture the attention of your target audience. After all, video can help connect with your audience and drive revenue even during uncertain times.

For more help with improving your video advertising strategy, get in touch with our team at Digilant. Our knowledge and experience in helping advertisers improve their reach and conversion can enhance your advertising strategies and help you meet your specific goals.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) recently held its highly anticipated 2023 NewFronts event in New York City, where advertisers got an exclusive look at expanded offerings, new measurement capabilities, innovative partnerships, and more.

Our sales engineers, Kyle Malone and Otniel Calderon, were in attendance and have shared their five key takeaways from the event. Here’s what they had to say:

1. TV is gaining traction among consumers due to its versatility

As technology within the CTV space expands, so do its capabilities in reaching a broader range of users at greater scale, and with more versatility and accuracy than ever before. Competition in the market has driven brands to increase development in FAST Channels, SVOD, Gaming Hubs (where you don’t need to own a console), shoppable CTV ad space, and original content. For instance, Samsung touched upon its gaming abilities in the Samsung Gaming Hub, in which users can instantly play top games from Xbox and other streaming partners without needing a console, a separate streaming stick, or downloads. 

Overall, TV is becoming a central hub for even more entertainment sources. Therefore, advertisers must adopt a video-first mindset when crafting their media plans, allocating a substantial portion of their video budget toward streaming content across CTV/OTT. By doing so, they can effectively leverage the growing presence of these platforms and maximize their reach and impact on the target audience.

2. Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is growing exponentially

FAST services offer consumers a seamless and convenient way to access content with linear-like viewing experiences via free and ad-supported offerings. FAST is a linear alternative and can be linear adjacent to provide incremental reach. With TV operating systems becoming more sophisticated, more of these programs are accessible to consumers. According to Statista, FAST will reach $6.1 billion in ad revenue in the US by 2025. 

During NewFronts, several platforms showcased their FAST offerings. For instance, Samsung TV+ revealed its expanded programming, featuring a new partnership with Conan O’Brien, the inclusion of A&E content, and an expanded news offering encompassing local programming in over 100 DMAs. Vizio’s Watch TV+ also stood out, offering an impressive array of 260+ live channels and more. Vizio also reported that 60% of adults aged 18-34 consider FAST a must-have medium, fulfilling their linear viewing requirements without the cable subscription costs.

Multicultural audiences have been found to have a higher affinity for FAST channels. During NewFronts, Estrella Media highlighted that Hispanic audiences are over-indexing on programs such as Tubi, Youtube, and Samsung TV+, and are considered early adopters of the FAST television distribution model. This presents an excellent opportunity for advertisers to reach these audiences, especially as minority-owned media platforms continue to grow their offerings.

3. Shoppable Ads Within the CTV Environment

CTV has revolutionized the TV advertising landscape by introducing a new era of precise targeting and comprehensive analytics, aiming to boost conversions. The IAB predicts 21% growth in CTV throughout 2023, as an increasing number of consumers gain accessibility through connected devices. Moreover, the IAB reports that 65% of buyers view CTV as an essential channel for advertising. Shoppable ads have emerged as the latest advancement in CTV, offering convenient interactions between consumers and brands on their mobile devices or directly on the TV screen, seamlessly integrated with their preferred content.

In the Samsung presentation, the platform announced its recent partnership with KERV, allowing it to create dynamic CTV ads with little disruption to the content on screen. Similarly, Vizio and LG shared insights on their home screen advertising pages with carousel ad formats, QR codes, and more. Peacock introduced “must shop TV,” a feature that showcases product suggestions tailored to the displayed content, facilitating a seamless shopping experience. Crackle Connex also touted a shoppable ad unit that would be available in their FAST offering.

4. Video’s definition of “premium inventory” is changing

When one thinks of premium inventory, one might immediately think of Netflix and Hulu. However, the landscape is changing, and what has long been considered “premium,” has evolved to include new and different channels.

According to the IAB’s 2022 Video Ad Spend and 2023 Outlook Report, creator-driven video is perceived as premium by nearly two-thirds of buyers. To drive that point further, 65% of buyers move ad-spend dollars fluidly across creator and Hollywood-produced video content. So what really constitutes premium inventory? Content that is scalable and addressable. 

But this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Take TikTok for instance: The platform has seen tremendous growth in the last year, becoming one of the most popular platforms for video consumption. TikTok users in the US spend an average of one hour per day watching videos. In other words, TikTok users could watch hundreds of short videos in the time it takes them to watch a movie. And with TikTok’s announcement of Pulse Premiere (their new publisher and advertising program), brands and advertisers have even more ways to reach consumers through creator content.

Minority-owned and operated media stands as a prime example of the ever-changing realm of premium inventory. The IAB Newfronts served as a platform to feature many of these remarkable media companies, such as Revry, Canela Media, LATV, Americano Media, and Estrella Media. These companies showcased their influential reach, establishing connections with distinct audiences that make up a large portion of the consumer demographic. This inherent ability to forge robust connections with unique audiences renders this inventory truly premium for advertisers seeking to engage with these consumers effectively.

5. Enhanced data and measurement capabilities

At NewFronts, there was a consensus that TV currency and measurement need to change. Nearly 81% of buyers agreed there should be a minimum of two currencies available to measure TV. Across the board, platforms announced their current and future measurement efforts.

While Samsung representatives made it clear they are “getting into the currency game,” they did announce new measurement capabilities. Advertisers can obtain deeper measurements and insights via Samsung’s panel data, which can run within a household without a Samsung device. Samsung’s enhanced measurement will allow advertisers to better understand the dynamic between their linear and streaming TV mix, providing “person-level” reporting across devices. Additionally, Samsung confirmed it will be able to capture ACR data via streaming apps, further adding to its measurement capabilities outside of just linear TV. 

Vizio announced that it’s expanding its partnership with Inscape to provide currency-grade TV measurement (in addition to working with ComScore, iSpot.TV, Videoamp, and 605) to expand on the new growing need for multiple digital + linear currencies. 

SambaTV echoed the need to move beyond GRPs and meet the current/future needs of the evolving TV ecosystem. New currencies would help to account for a more diverse population and diverse consumption patterns. No new currency will be viable without some sort of ACR technology. 

Regarding content distribution: measurement currency has evolved with this new consumption format of video. With the convergence of data, hardware, operating systems, and software, advertisers can now measure a user’s relationships with a brand/advertiser through the entire funnel across devices. Advertisers can validate viewerships, extend unique reach, and measure success accurately.

 

Take Your Advertising Strategies to the Next Level With Digilant

At Digilant, we are constantly learning and evolving with the ever-changing digital advertising landscape. By staying up-to-date on current industry announcements and advancements, we are able to help navigate our clients through these changes and provide comprehensive strategies emphasizing data measurement, attribution, and scale to reach your target audience. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you achieve your advertising goals. 

With spring in full swing, the excitement for travel is in the air. As consumers gear up for their long-awaited summer vacations and beyond, it’s clear that travel is top of mind. According to recent data, US travel spending has surged to $93 billion as of February 2023, which is a 5% increase from 2019 and a significant 9% increase from 2022 levels. Moreover, 49% of Americans plan to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022. 

Despite economic uncertainty, the travel industry is poised for growth throughout 2023. After putting many dream vacations on hold for the past few years, consumers still consider travel a priority in their spending. So, let’s dive into the current trends that are shaping the travel landscape. And make sure to download our 2023 Leisure Travel Infographic for more information.

2023 Travel Trends

Sustainable travel

Consumers are becoming more conscious of their carbon footprint when it comes to places they explore. Between choosing their destination, activities to participate in, transportation options, and accommodations, 69% of consumers are actively seeking sustainable travel options.  

Booking in advance

Without travel restriction policies constantly changing, consumers now feel more comfortable booking trips in advance, as much as 6 months before a trip. However, travelers still appreciate a flexible booking experience, as 38% of consumers consider free cancellation and re-booking options as the most important factors when booking a trip (the highest of all factors).

Elevated Experiences

With dream travel destinations in mind, experiences are a top priority. 49% of consumers said they will likely spend more on their next trip to compensate for lost time. Additionally, 80% of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 are willing to pay to upgrade their experience. And for these trips, shorter stays of 2-3 nights  are gaining popularity, resembling pre-pandemic levels.

10 Tactics for Travel Marketers

The digital landscape not only opened doors for travelers to book and research their trips but for advertisers to reach audiences at the right moment. Understanding these crucial travel trends and then knowing how to apply them in today’s customer journey ensures you reach your audience as they browse, research, and ultimately book their getaways. Below, we’ve outlined ten digital strategies that travel marketers should consider implementing before the busy summer ahead.

1. Paid Social

Consumers are spending more time on social media than ever before – 4.5 hours and 3.8 hours per day for Gen Z and Millennials, respectively. This screen time is having a direct impact on their decision-making as 60% of Gen Z says social media influences their decision about where to travel. 

While having a social media presence is great to encourage engagement with active social media users, a paid social strategy helps amplify your reach. Proprietary audiences within social platforms combined with custom audiences, lookalike audiences, first-party data, and more, provide travel brands a great opportunity to reach new prospects while they browse their feeds and drive them to their website or profiles.

2. Paid Search and Broad Match

Although consumers are willing to spend more on travel in 2023, they’ll still spend time searching for the best deals and experiences. Implementing broad match technology to your paid search tactics ensures you to reach the widest audience as your ads are eligible to appear whenever a user searches any word in your key phrase, in any order. 

• Broad Match is the default setting that uses any word within your keyword phrase in any order. For example, “goat yoga in Oakland” will match “goat yoga” or “yoga Oakland.”
• Phrase Match will match with queries that include your keyword phrase in the exact order but may include additional words before or after it. For example, “goat yoga” can yield “spotted goat yoga” or “goat yoga with puppies.”

3. Location-Based Targeting

Create custom location-based audiences by setting a specific radius that can be targeted on display or mobile devices. This gives marketers the ability to target consumers based on a variety of factors including: 

• people currently traveling in a destination
• people who have previously traveled to a destination
• people within driving distance to a destination
• people living in a region that regularly travel to a particular destination

4. Behavioral Targeting

When looking at your target audience, which stage in the travel planning process are they currently in? Are they making broad searches about beach vacations or have they already visited your site, clicked your ad, and narrowed down their options? With behavioral targeting, you can leverage web search, purchase history, mobile app ownership, and web visit data to create and deliver brand messaging to consumers who have shown the most interest in your travel brand.

5. CRM Targeting

Travel brands can onboard first-party CRM data to target and personalize ads to lapse or loyal customers. This data can be used for campaigns like email marketing to deliver data-driven targeting promotions, booking updates, and tailored industry information.

6. Dynamic Segmentation

Develop custom segments based on observed behaviors to reach the most qualified travelers. For example, if a consumer visits a travel booking site but does not complete their booking, a particular ad is served to that segment to drive traffic back to the site to complete booking.  

7. Transactional Data

More than half of travelers (51% to be exact) prefer using credit cards when booking leisure trips or vacations. By leveraging custom 3rd party data segments based on transaction history and credit card purchases, you can target potential customers with relevant travel offerings. These segments can be tailored to include travel-related purchases, such as flight bookings, hotel stays, rental car reservations, and more, to ensure that your advertising efforts reach those most likely to be interested in your travel products and services.

8. Automatic Content Recognition

80% of consumers planning to travel domestically or abroad within the next 12 months watch ad-supported OTT. As consumers stream TV across different devices and platforms, ACR technology ensures you capture audiences that have been exposed to your or your competitors’ TV ads, regardless of the device they’re using. 

9. Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)

DCO technology creates personalized ads based on data about the viewer at the moment when ads are served. This gives brands the ability to quickly iterate which ad creative they are displaying based on the user’s intent – showcasing the different ways you are meeting their expectations.

10. Site Retargeting

Use pixel-based retargeting to reach consumers who have previously visited or engaged with your website, researched booking, and/or requested information as they continue their travel planning. This allows you to deliver personalized ads based on previous actions made by the consumers to guide them further down the funnel.

Digilant’s Expertise in the Travel Marketing Industry

Our partnerships with Adara, Expedia, Trip Advisor, and more give our clients access to exclusive traveler data. Pair this with our team of media experts and premier reporting and data analytics; we ensure every client thrives in this ultra-competitive market. Ready to hone in on your travel advertising strategy? Contact us today to learn more.

While scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, today’s consumers expect to be able to click on a product they like and easily make a purchase, all without leaving the social platform.

Social commerce trends are transforming the way people shop and, as such, create a golden opportunity for advertisers. Consumers are overwhelmingly turning to social media for product recommendations from sources they trust, whether that be friends, family, or influencers. With 302.35 million social media users in the U.S. (90% of the population), this means there is ample opportunity for advertisers to engage with these shopping-centric mindsets.

While it may seem like shoppable ads within social media are a trendy, creative format for marketers to use, it’s actually more important and requires a much more thoughtful strategy to embrace tools like this. Shoppers expect a seamless brand experience across all channels, and 80% rate their shopping experience as equally important as the products they buy. That said, consistency does not equate to frequency. In fact, customers get turned off if they keep seeing the same ad over and over. According to Deloitte, eight out of 10 customers already believe they receive too many repetitive ads.

The lesson for advertisers? Take a thoughtful, omnichannel approach to ensure consumers aren’t associating your brand with a negative or intrusive experience. For example, if your ad features a product (e.g. a pair of shoes the consumer previously viewed), the product should be in stock and available to purchase should the user click through the ad.

Shoppable Ads Are the Key to Successful Social Media E-Commerce

Social media advertising is an extremely valuable tool for brands to engage further with their audience while also exploring new areas for growth. While the majority of consumers are on tried-and-true platforms like Facebook and Instagram, new platforms or ad opportunities continue to enter the market, creating unique opportunities to engage with new consumers in different ways.

Shoppable ads within social platforms are the perfect example of a relatively new feature that brands can implement into their marketing strategies to drive conversions, thus increasing their ROI. Instagram and Facebook provide the most opportunities to run shoppable ads. However, platforms like Tiktok, Pinterest, and Snapchat are adopting more of these innovative features as well.

Understanding the intricacies of each platform and ad unit is essential to ensure you’re properly implementing targeted, worthwhile ads that drive action among consumers. Below we’ve outlined four of the most common e-commerce social media marketing ad types and when they might be appropriate for your brand.

1. Image Ad

Static image shoppable ads feature an image of your product and provide a link that will take the consumer to your website, ideally directly to a landing page to purchase the respective product featured. This type of in-feed format has the look and feel of a regular post but includes additional information about your product.

On Instagram, the shoppable image will live within your profile but will also be featured on the explore page, creating more opportunities for consumers to come across your ad when they use the search feature.

2. Carousel Ad

As an extension to an image ad, the carousel format allows you to choose up to 10 images to include in one post, exposing your audience to multiple products. This type of ad provides an excellent opportunity for advertisers to tell a deeper story, showcase multiple offerings, or provide insights for your audience.

A quick tip: Keep images cohesive and engaging to ensure relevancy among consumers.

3. Collections Ad

The in-feed ad often includes a header image or video, followed by additional products for consumers to view. Once the consumer clicks on your ad, they’re taken to your digital storefront and can explore new products. While this ad format causes little disruption to the consumer scrolling through social media, it still provides opportunities to reach your audiences at all stages of the buying journey with different messaging and product highlights.

These types of ads are available on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

4. Shoppable Video Ad

An increasing percentage of consumers cite a connection between watching a video on social media and their purchasing decision. As such, video ads are extremely valuable in your e-commerce social media marketing posts while also helping increase overall brand engagement.

Make your video ads as interactive as possible by including a shoppable link directing consumers to browse the relevant products. Shoppable video ads are available on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Now Is the Time to Get Started With Shoppable Ads

With shoppable ads, the customer journey becomes simplified; consumers see something that interests them, they click it, and they buy it. This streamlined experience helps increase sales, brand awareness, and overall ROI. As more consumers flock to social platforms to discover and ultimately purchase products, take the chance to engage with them and point them to your digital storefront.

Need help launching your e-commerce social media marketing strategy? Contact us today to see how we can help your brand develop a social media marketing strategy that meets your specific goals.

For better or worse, we live in a society that is comfortable with multitasking and more than competent enough to research products and services on mobile devices. With this in mind, effective digital advertising can no longer be left up to desktop ads. It is essential to implement strategic channels and tactics to connect with your consumers during the most critical moments of their shopping journey. Beyond mobile tactics, digital-out-of-home (DOOH) ads are also a highly effective channel to reach consumers on the go.

A recent study found that 98% of consumers pass by at least one DOOH venue each month, and 84% actively recall the advertisements, making DOOH advertising the perfect medium to increase brand awareness and visibility. DOOH certainly isn’t a magic solution for your advertising campaigns, but rather a trusted component that amplifies the impact of every other touchpoint in your omnichannel approach, including:

• Increasing reach by as much as 303% when added to a mobile or web campaign.
• Driving 4x more online activity per ad dollar spent than TV, radio, and print.

Today’s consumers are not single-channel shoppers, so it is more critical than ever to deliver your brand message across multiple environments to connect with customers as they move between channels.

Improvements in Audience Targeting for DOOH Ads

While DOOH isn’t new to the advertising world, many brands aren’t aware of all the advanced targeting solutions available, including:

1. DOOH Time-of-Day Targeting

By moving with your audience throughout the day, you can have multiple touchpoints to keep consumers engaged and your brand top-of-mind. Well-timed DOOH ads in contextually relevant locations will naturally capture consumer attention throughout their daily routine.

For example, if your target audience is commuting home at 5:30 p.m., a subway may be the most effective location for your dynamic ad.

2. Geotargeting Advertising

With DOOH, you can incorporate geotargeting to reach your intended audience in specific geographic locations. This approach involves using mobile location data to guide the placement of ads, which can then drive foot traffic to nearby stores. For example, a restaurant chain can display DOOH ads in a mall to reach hungry shoppers browsing for products, driving foot traffic to a store location.

DOOH ads can help increase brand visibility and awareness in specific locations where your target audience is most likely to be found. By collecting device IDs and tracking user movements, you can retarget consumers who have seen your DOOH ad across mobile and desktop to further increase the chances of conversion.

3. Behavioral-Pattern Targeting

Digital screens offer advanced tracking and reporting to tap into. Through this reporting, you can analyze consumer movement patterns and better understand your target audience’s behaviors. Consumers can be reached in multiple locations including gyms, morning commutes, doctor’s offices, grocery stores, etc. With this capability, brands can create more segmented audiences based on places visited and track foot traffic to specific locations, impressions, and brand lift more accurately.

4. First-Party Data Targeting

When combined with first-party data, DOOH advertising can amplify campaigns for an even broader reach. You can create custom audiences based on consumers’ previous interactions with your brand by linking location data to your brand’s first-party data.

Improvements in Reporting and Measurement

These solutions allow you to better target your audience, and improvements in tracking and reporting — a historically challenging aspect of out-of-home campaigns — empower you to take your DOOH dollars even further.

Precise audience-targeting data available with DOOH ad buys allow you to reach consumers at multiple touchpoints. Unlike a static billboard, digital-out-of-home ads can move with your audience throughout their daily journey, increasing brand recall and engagement, and keeping your brand present in consumers’ lives.

The digital aspect of DOOH allows you to easily tie the data and measurement into omnichannel campaigns, with scale. Your advertising efforts will be amplified when paired with social messaging or a mobile/desktop campaign, resulting in increasing consumer engagement. By collecting device IDs, you can retarget your consumers with precision and boost the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.

At Digilant, we provide mid-campaign reporting* and optimize your campaign toward the best-performing venue types within DOOH, ensuring that your marketing dollars work harder and go farther. Our partnerships allow us to measure upper and lower funnel KPIs such as foot traffic, brand lift, and sales lift metrics (when feasible).

*depending on the flight length

Ready to Get Started With Advanced DOOH Solutions?

Digital out-of-home advertising continues to evolve and become more dynamic, interactive, and easier to buy than ever before. The advent of programmatic digital out-of-home advertising allows advertisers to buy ad space through real-time bidding to target and deliver personalized ads more efficiently and effectively.

These advanced solutions in DOOH create more opportunities to deliver timely, personalized, and relevant ads; increase foot traffic to physical locations; and gain valuable insights into your target audience’s behaviors.

At Digilant, we specialize in helping advertisers maximize the effectiveness of their digital advertising campaigns. Connect with our team today and start implementing the power of DOOH advertising in your campaigns.