Three Features Your Digital Newspaper Ads MUST Have To Ensure An ROI!

One of the biggest questions newspaper publishers have about publishing their issues online is how to show their advertisers a way to a positive ROI. It is an excellent question, considering how new most advertisers are to the digital publishing world and how quickly they can refrain from taking what feels like a larger risk than they are prepared for.

The good news is that there are three extremely effective ways that advertisers can begin to see an ROI with their digital ads once they understand how to position them for the most enhanced reader experience. Once you are able to educate them on this, you may have to prepare yourself for competition with your own content! We are using the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, one of our very own clients, to exemplify how to maximize your ad potential to its fullest.

1. Hyperlink Each Ad

Every ad placed within your content can be hyperlinked for your reader to click and see more. The beauty of this feature is that when an ad appeals to a reader, and especially when it has a special offer extended, the reader can easily click to open up the to brand’s website in a separate window (external link) or have a pop-up window appear (internal link), giving them the details of how to redeem the offer immediately. Having this link gives the reader the option to find out information quickly and efficiently, allowing the advertiser to gain their ROI in just a few clicks.

See this example from the Guardian for their Colfire ad at the bottom of the page:

http://digital.guardian.co.tt/?iid=79637#folio=1

2. Place Your Ad Next To An Article That Matches It

Similarly, an ad can be strategically placed within a section or near an article that supports its product. This intuitively allows your reader who is interested in this subject matter already the chance to learn more about your advertiser’s product. Ads that receive this type of placement receive a reported 60% click-through rate.

See this example form the Guardian of an ad for RBC Bank next to an article about a local bank celebrating a milestone:

http://digital.guardian.co.tt/?iid=79637#folio=14

3. Add Videos

A video that speaks to your reader about what your advertiser has to offer them while entertaining them at the same time proves a winner with readers every time. Analytics show that readers click on video ads that appeal to them more than any other video in a digital publication. This is because readers today are more responsive to visual messages than ever before. They are also looking for ease of experience and fun while reading your content, which a video gives them in spades.

Look at how the Guardian has integrated videos in their ad for Woodville to allow the reader to experience their product immediately:

http://digital.guardian.co.tt/?iid=79471#folio=12

Was this article helpful? Please let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments section below!