Content Marketing Today

Online Advertising Works Best by Targeting a Content Rich Environment

More proof that companies need to be thinking and acting like publishers online.

In the world of print advertising, it has always been true the ads placed within very well read publications will outperform ads placed in also-rans.  There is a reason for this.  Great magazines and newspapers engage their readers and engender a level of trust that carries over to the ads running within their pages. 

Now, according to an article in the Online Media Daily, the same applies to online advertising.  This reinforces the importance of content marketing in building trust that can transform Web visitors into buyers.

The research sponsored by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) seems pretty unequivocal about the importance of pairing advertising carefully with content.  According to the article,  “When compared with ad networks, ads that ran on branded content sites provided double the lift in both brand favorability and purchase intent.”

OPA President Pam Horan added to that “the environment that an ad is placed in is key, particularly when it comes to driving decisions that are further down in the purchase process.”

What does this mean for your organization?

• Content does make a positive measurable difference in the success of an advertising campaign.
• Just as great editorial drives readership in print publications, great content will drive readership for online publications.
• If you have a website or a blog, providing relevant and valuable content turns you into a publisher as well.
• Now that you are a publisher, you can engage your visitors, build their trust, and get them to buy from you.
• If you are advertising online, you will achieve the best results by tying your message to exactly the right branded content sites.  That is target those that will engage your customers and prospects with their own content.