Interactive ads are the new black. Taking shape in display units that let website visitors participate in polls and enter contests, they produce value for local media companies on several levels. Advantages include higher performance than static display ads, and bundle-boosting ‘icing on the cake’ in local ad sales efforts.
According to Megaphone TV Manager of Marketing & Revenue Enablement Josh Good, interactive ads also have broad applicability across verticals – everything from restaurants to roofers. Megaphone TV specializes in these interactive ads and works with local media companies to help their sales reps close deals. They also white-label the entire thing with campaign execution and support.
Altogether, this makes it an attractive offer for local sales teams, says Good. This includes the appeal of the interactive ads themselves, as well as their ability to sell larger cross-media bundles. In other words, the media bundle is the steak, while interactive ad capabilities are the sizzle.
Why are they attractive? Interactivity makes them tech-forward, while boosting performance versus traditional banner benchmarks, as noted. Beyond sheer performance, interactive ads offer something greater: data. For example, with interactive polls, marketers can learn information about customers and potential customers.
Good offers the example of an HVAC campaign, letting users answer a poll about the age of their home’s AC system. This produced valuable data for the company’s CRM system, letting them gain customer context to segment targeted marketing campaigns. In other words, interactive ads support and elevate other marketing mechanisms.
But what else does it entail and what are best practices in achieving all the above on executional levels? We dive into these questions and others with Good on the latest episode of BIA’s Leading Local Insights Podcast. See the full episode below (or listen here) and stay tuned for more on this topic.
