The Beginner’s Guide to Rich Media Ads
Recently, I was scrolling online and I came across an ad for Narcos. While I can easily ignore most banner ads online, this one stood out. It included interesting videos and animation.
This was a prime example of rich media ads. A rich media ad is an excellent, modern ad format for marketers to consider.
In fact, rich media ads outperform standard banner ads by 267%.
With statistics like that, it’s time to consider bringing your ads into the 21st century.
Below, let’s discuss what rich media ads are and how they’re different from other ad formats. Then, we’ll review how to create one for your company and look at some examples to inspire your own ad campaigns.
Rich media ads usually take much more time, effort, and capital to create. So, why do people use rich media ads?
Well, rich media ads are engaging and dynamic in a way that other ad types aren’t. They usually lead to more interaction, increased conversions, and a higher clickthrough rate.
Since many people have banner blindness like me, creating an ad that your audience wants to interact with isn’t easy. Rich media ads are a great way to create a better user experience.
So, how are these different from other ad formats?
Now, you might be wondering, “How do I go about creating a rich media ad?” Below, let’s discuss how you can get started with rich media ads.
1. Decide on the strategy.
Before you can create a rich media ad, it’s important to strategize. Decide what you’re advertising, how you want to reach audiences and the best way to engage them.
During this first step, you’ll determine what type of creative assets you want. For example, will you use video? If so, what will the video include?
Additionally, you might think about how to make the ad interactive. Will users be able to click through to another slide on your ad? What happens if they click on the ad? It’s important to discuss and plan these elements out before you create your ad.
2. Plan the creative assets.
Once you know more about your strategy, it’s time to list the creative assets you’ll need to get it done.
Then, you’ll want to either film or look through stock footage if you aren’t using your own imagery. This step will include either hiring actors, filming videos, taking photos, and writing text.
3. Use online tools.
At this point, you’ll have your strategy and assets all done. So, how do you actually build the ad?
If you don’t have a graphic designer on your team, you can use online tools to help you create a rich media ad.
For example, there’s Google’s Rich Media Gallery. On this site, you can create sophisticated rich media ads for free. While there are ready-to-use templates, you can also customize them by using your own creative assets.
However, if you have a graphic designer, you’ll want to meet with them at the beginning of your process so they know what you have in mind and can tell you if it’s doable.
4. Track and measure success.
When your ad is created, it’s time to start running it. You can use rich media ads on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can include them on search engines, as well.
Once you’ve started to run your ads, don’t forget to track and measure your success. Hopefully, you’ll see better results than your static display ads.
Now, you might be wondering, “What will this look like?” Let’s review some examples of rich media ads in action below.
Examples of Rich Media Ads
1. Lincoln Aviator
When Lincoln decided to create an ad for the new Aviator car, they wanted it to be interactive. When you click on this ad, you’ll be brought to a separate slide. This image is an interactive guide to the features of the car. You can click on different areas of the car to learn more about it.
This is a great example of how rich media ads are engaging and interactive. The audience can click on the ad and learn more about the car without being brought to a new webpage.
2. Jessica London
This Jessica London ad is another rich media ad that takes advantage of moving images. Moving images are a great way to make a static ad more dynamic and engaging.
Additionally, moving ads are eye-catching in a way that static images aren’t. This is a great example of a simple way to take your ads to the next level.
3. Netflix’s Narcos
This is the rich media ad by Netflix that I was talking about before. This ad includes a unique video from the actors and is presented almost like a trailer.
Then, if you hover over the image, the audience will see moving images that rotate. Additionally, if you click the ad, you can watch the actual trailer for the Netflix show. This is a great rich media ad that includes several media formats to engage the viewer.
Rich media ads are an amazing way to engage and interact with your audience. In an age where audiences have banner blindness, rich media ads are a great way to get your audience’s attention.
Recently, I was scrolling online and I came across an ad for Narcos. While I can easily ignore most banner ads online, this one stood out. It included interesting videos and animation.
This was a prime example of rich media ads. A rich media ad is an excellent, modern ad format for marketers to consider.
