What is Rich Media? Rich Media Banner Ads explained
Verica Rosic, August 26, 2022· Interactive Content
Rich media is a form of digital advertising that is characterised by its interactivity. Video, audio or other elements are used to attract the attention of users and motivate them to interact. In this article, we will go into more detail on the topic and explain what rich media is and how you can place rich media banner ads.
Content
What are Rich Media Ads?
Rich media ads are a special form of online advertising that are particularly eye-catching due to their extended functionality and interactivity. In contrast to conventional display ads, rich media banner ads do not only consist of a static image, but use interactive elements such as video, audio or other animations to attract the attention of users and motivate them to interact. For example, the option to follow a company on a social network can be integrated directly into a banner. This is achieved by means of HTML5.
Why Rich Media Ads?
Competition among advertisers is fierce. Simple text and image ads are not particularly eye-catching and therefore do not get too much attention from users. Especially because users see ads all the time and no longer notice them. This is what we call “banner blindness”.
Rich media ads can score points here. They are much more eye-catching because they contain dynamic elements. These dynamic elements can be games, videos or forms, for example.
Which rich media ad formats are available?
The technology of rich media banner ads is constantly being developed and improved. The ads can appear in different formats – here are some examples.
Banner
Banner is the simplest rich media ad format. The ads are placed on a website or app with a fixed size and position. They can contain videos as well as polite download technology. This ensures that the loading of the ad is delayed until the website is fully loaded.
Expandable ad
Expandable ads overlay other page or app content. Maximisation occurs after a user interaction such as click, tap or mouseover, or automatically when the page loads. Ads can be maximised in any direction and in any shape. After a user interaction, either automatically on a mouseout or timer-based, they are minimised again.
Interstitial-Creatives
With the interstitial format, for example, a whole page of advertising is displayed when the user changes pages, starts an app or loads a game level. Interstitial ads can be closed by the user by clicking on the corresponding button. The ads appear in an iFrame that floats above the web page or app. When scrolling, an interstitial remains fixed in its position.
Multidirectional Expandable-Creatives
The format maximises in different directions depending on its position on the page. For example, if the display is on the left of the page, its position is automatically detected and the display maximises to the right – and vice versa.
Push Down
The Push Down format is similar to the Expandable display. However, here the content of a web page is pushed down when the display is maximised in order to deliver the maximised display.
Where can rich media ads be placed?
Rich media ads can be used on different platforms. The most common are websites, mobile apps and social media platforms. Websites are particularly suitable due to their high reach and large audience. Mobile apps and social media platforms are especially effective due to the high interaction rate.
The pros and cons of rich media ads
Rich media ads offer a number of advantages over traditional display ads. We have already mentioned many of them. Here is a summary of the most important ones:
Pros
Through the interactive elements, they can attract the attention of the users more strongly and thus achieve a higher interaction rate.
More information can be conveyed to users than in a simple display ad. This can create a better understanding of the advertised product or brand.
Rich media ads can be personalised to better engage users.
Cons
They are usually more expensive than traditional display ads.
It takes more time and effort to create rich media ads than traditional display ads.
How can I place Rich Media Ads?
Rich media ads can be placed in various ways, but most often via so-called ad networks or ad exchanges. Ad networks are online platforms that enable advertisers to place their rich media ads on numerous websites and apps simultaneously. This includes Google Ads, for example. Ad Exchanges, on the other hand, function similarly to an exchange where advertisers can offer their rich media ads for auction. Major ad exchange operators include Google, Magnite, OpenX, Xandr and Yahoo.
Important: Make sure that your ad complies with the guidelines of the advertising platform you want to use. If you are unsure, it is best to contact someone who knows the ins and outs of the matter – we at Cleverclip are happy to help.
The following process is usually recommended:
Define the goals of the campaign: What are the goals of your campaign? With the goals in mind, you can determine, among other things, what type of rich media ad you want to use to best engage your target audience.
Creative planning: What should your rich media ad look like? What elements and what content should it contain? Prepare images, texts and call-to-actions. Of course, it’s best to get help from professionals – Cleverclip is happy to support you in designing and creating your campaign.
Create ads: If you prefer to do everything yourself: Create your rich media ads with the help of a specialised tool such as Google Web Designer. Google Web Designer is free and offers numerous templates that you can use and customise.
Run ads: Place your rich media ads through an ad network or ad exchange.
Optimise your campaign: Analyse your campaign data to find out what is working and what is not. Optimise your campaign accordingly to achieve the best possible results in the medium to long term.
Yes to Rich Media
Are you ready to jump on the rich media ads bandwagon and fight banner blindness? We at Cleverclip are definitely convinced. The competition on the market is not sleeping and one thing is clear: interactivity pays off!