Research has shown that even post-lockdown people will continue to use digital services at a rate higher than before, so placing your ads on online platforms, no matter how small or big they are, is a great way to earn some extra income. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your ads will be seen (or clicked on) by more people. As Internet users become more tech savvy, they find more ways to hide or avoid advertisements. AdBlock, selective blindness, you name it… Most publishers and advertisers have suffered losses because of this. Are your revenues falling? Are you afraid that soon you won’t be getting any ad clicks?
We’ve asked our friends and partners at Adsterra, a global ad network that has monthly traffic of over 30 billion, for a few tips on how to retain – and increase – your CTR and profit.
1. Accessibility is key
This is nothing new, but make sure your ads are optimized for every device. To reach the maximum number of users, ads have to be available on every platform and operating system. Recently, the number of people who exclusively use their smartphones to surf the net has surged, so don’t only focus on desktop – optimizing ads for mobile is important, too. It is notoriously hard to reach iOS users, so make sure your chosen network knows how to work with this operating system.
2. Make your ads interesting
While normal banner ads have their purpose and their audience, they’ve been around for a while and most people either use 3rd party software to hide them or have learnt to ignore them. Your ads should be interesting enough that users want to pay attention to them. For example, you could increase CTR and grow ROI by transforming your campaigns with up-to-date ad formats (animations, carousels, countdowns, videos, etc). At the same time, you have to make it non-intrusive – users can get annoyed if the ad is too distracting and tampers with their ability to interact with the content they visited the website for. Another way this could be achieved is by making the ads appear as a native part of a website, for instance as a live chat icon or surveys.
For example, this could be achieved by transforming your ads with animations, carousels, countdowns, etc. At the same time, you have to make it non-intrusive – users can get annoyed if the ad is too distracting and tampers with their ability to interact with the content they visited the website for. Another way this could be achieved is by making the ads appear as a native part of a website, for instance as a live chat icon or surveys.
3. Personalize your ads
As we’ve mentioned previously, users don’t like to be distracted when they’re interacting with content. Therefore, advertisements that don’t look like they are a native part of the webpage can garner a negative reaction. One way to avoid this is to tailor ads to a specific platform and audience, both visually and content-wise. Carry out research or use the latest tech to find out more about your target audience. Then, customize the ads as much as you can, adjusting creatives, formats, messages displayed, even colors! If you feel lost reading this, contact one of Adsterra’s managers to learn what settings will be the best fit for you.
4. Take advantage of the latest tech
At Adsterra, we value innovation and are always on top of the latest technology trends – and you should do the same. Users use the latest tech to hide advertisements, so in turn, you should be using the latest tech to make sure your ads are seen. Most importantly, prioritize services that counteract AdBlock. Additionally, AI-based technology can help you finetune your ad settings as well as filter out bot traffic.
5. Test extensively
Do not finalize any decisions until you carry out extensive testing. Don’t be afraid to mix and match different ad formats, creatives, targeting options as well as settings but try to always test each new configuration to make sure you will be getting maximum CR and profit.
➤➤ Don’t forget about yourself. As important as it is to finetune your ads to maximize profit, your experience as a user also matters. Setting up your ad campaigns shouldn’t be a struggle or take multiple hours. Additionally, do not hesitate to look for help if you need it – it is always useful to head an outside perspective, and a piece of advice from a professional manager at the right time can multiply your earnings.
With Adsterra, you get access to all the above and more. Their newly launched ad format called Social Bar offers all the features we’ve talked about in this article. You can read more about it on their website: link.
Here are some additional benefits you will get when working with them
Bonus section
To help you try all the tips out, we’ve prepared a gift: join Adsterra and deposit $150 to get an extra $50! Use the code H4W9FAUW to get the bonus. The offer is valid until 31.08.2020. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Adsterra via Skype: adv.adsterra. The offer is valid until 31.08.2020.
