Spongecell is my new best friend. No, it’s not a sea creature. It’s an online technology that turns a traditional banner ad into a mini website. It makes the banners come alive!
So let’s say you create a banner ad in flash. At the end of the ad, the viewer usually has the option to click on the banner to go to a designated url. With it, you have an additional three or four different buttons to click on at the bottom of the banner ad. Every time your mouse rolls over one of the buttons, a new visual is displayed in the banner ad.
For example, If I am marketing a travel destination, I may include three tabs at the bottom that offer people the opportunity to click on the tab to see a sample 3-day itinerary, watch a video or book a room. If the viewer clicks on the 3-day itinerary button, a new window pops up displaying the itinerary without leaving the current page. So you aren’t taking people off of the site they were on when they originally saw the ad. Another button might showcase a sizzle video so people have a chance to see how beautiful the destination is or they can click on the “book now” button to book a room.
Each click takes them to a different place. And with each click, it’s one more opportunity to connect with the audience. Sometimes viewers will click onto the video, decide they love what they see and then click on the “book now” link. Without these tabs, I am limited to one traditional link. If that link doesn’t appeal to my audience, I lose them.
As viewers navigate websites daily, they see thousands of banner ads that are vying for their attention. As Advertisers, we are continually searching for better ways to attract their attention-to give us an edge. We are constantly asking ourselves, how can we get the viewer to click on the banner ad? Using the latest technology gives us that differentiation because it gives them more choices. There are four buttons to click on with four different opportunities to interest them.
Spongecell dot com has significantly increased the click-throughs compared to traditional banner ads. When ROI is the name of the game for media buying and planning, going the extra mile through technology is important and can make all the difference in a implementing successful campaign.
Spongecell turns a traditional banner ad into a mini-website and helps grab the attention of the viewer. It gives them multiple opporutnities to interact with the banner and increases their likelihood of clicking through to the designated urls.