How can you use sequential messaging to tell a story in your display ads?

Sequential messaging is like crafting a mini-series for your brand, where each display ad is an episode in your storytelling saga. Start by sparking curiosity with an intriguing opening ad introducing the central theme. Follow up with ads that build on the narrative, adding layers of details about your product or service. Use visuals and copy that evolve with the story, guiding your audience through a journey culminating in a compelling call to action.

Sequential Messaging, simplified: Ad 1, 9a: "Now that breakfast is over, what's for lunch?" Ad 2, 10a: "Wawa makes the BEST Hoagies, yo!" Ad 3, 11a: "Claim your 10% coupon on any Wawa deli item now!" Ad4, 12p: "Snap a photo of your Wawa Jawn using #wawajawn and get a FREE soft pretzel!"

Sequential messaging in display ads is a storytelling technique where a series of ads unfold a narrative. It begins with an attention-grabbing intro, progresses through conflict or challenge, and concludes with your product as the solution. Consistency in branding and messaging is key, along with clear CTAs at each stage to drive engagement and action. Regular optimization based on performance metrics ensures maximum effectiveness.

Sequential messaging intrigues me with its approach of unfolding a story through well-timed messages across various platforms like email and social media. Each message feels like a personalized chapter, guiding me from curiosity to purchase. The strategy excels in crafting a narrative that seems tailored just for me, based on my interactions and interests. This personal touch not only keeps me engaged but also strengthens the bond between me and the brand. The anticipation of what's next and how the story develops makes the entire experience engaging and meaningful, showcasing the power of relevant communication in forging lasting connections.

By using sequential messaging, you can transform your display ads from scattered messages into an engaging story that captures attention, fosters trust, and ultimately drives conversions.

it helps to avoid bombarding your audience with the same-same creative/message, making your storytelling more interesting and improving the overall campaign performance.

Sequential messaging is a highly effective marketing strategy for several reasons. First and foremost, it allows businesses to maintain consistent communication with their audience. By sending a series of messages in a specific order, companies can stay top-of-mind and build brand awareness. Moreover, sequential messaging helps businesses target the right message to the right customer at the right time. This personalized approach can significantly increase the chances of converting leads into customers.

Guided Customer Journey: Sequential messaging allows marketers to guide the audience through a predefined journey, leading them from initial awareness to eventual conversion. By delivering messages in a specific order, marketers can control the flow of information and engagement, ensuring that each message builds upon the previous one and moves the audience closer to the desired action. Improved Engagement: By delivering relevant and timely messages based on the recipient's behavior and preferences, sequential messaging can significantly increase engagement rates. Since each message is designed to be more personalized and targeted, recipients are more likely to pay attention and interact with the content.

Employing sequential messaging is like serving a multi-course meal where each dish adds to the overall dining experience. In today's world, where attention is scarce and content is often consumed in small 'snacks', sequential messaging allows for a more layered and nuanced brand storytelling. It's an artful way of sharing information over time, utilizing data and targeting to ensure each 'course' is served at the right moment, enhancing the journey through the marketing funnel and focusing on customer-centric narratives.

To build indomitable brand awareness and create stickiness with your product or service. In the final analysis, Sequential Advertising will help you build a comprehensive and gripping storyline thus helping break the clutter and build solid recall.

In my sequential messaging strategy, the journey isn't just a map, it's a narrative tailored to my audience's needs. Understanding their motivations and pain points shapes the touchpoints. Choosing ad formats becomes a canvas for storytelling. Setting frequency and duration isn't just a metric, it's a rhythm that harmonizes with constant optimization for impactful results.

Planning sequential messaging mirrors the process of writing a screenplay. First, identify your end goal, akin to determining the plot, and then understand your audience's mindset and habits, much like developing characters in a story. Consider the size and dynamics of your audience to tailor your budget and narrative. Just as a screenplay is brought to life scene by scene, segment your messaging to align with your audience's thought process, making each part of the story relatable and compelling. Select your media platforms wisely, considering their unique attributes, just as a director selects settings for each scene.

Several years ago, I collaborated with Coca-Cola on a unique marketing campaign that presented a sequential message series aligned with weekdays and meals. The campaign aimed to show how Coca-Cola could enhance every meal, from breakfast through dinner. Each day's message was customized to illustrate Coca-Cola's compatibility with different dining occasions, emphasizing its role in elevating the dining experience. For example, messages would range from Coca-Cola as a morning kick-starter to its place in celebrating the weekend's start with dinner. This approach was designed to embed Coca-Cola into consumers' daily routines, showcasing its versatility and reinforcing its position as a staple of enjoyment and refreshment in daily life.

Using targeted and personalized messages in a specific order, companies can build relationships with customers and guide them towards making a purchase. With careful planning and the use of automation software, sequential messaging can be an integral part of any successful marketing strategy. I would break this down with the following steps: - Define your target audience - Map out the buyer's journey - Determine the content for each message - Set a schedule and frequency - Utilize automation software - Monitor and analyze results

Define Your Goals: Start by clearly defining the objectives of your sequential messaging campaign. Determine what specific actions or outcomes you want to achieve, such as generating leads, increasing sales, or driving website traffic. Understand Your Audience: Gain insights into your target audience's demographics, interests

Start with an ad that introduces the story or concept. This ad should capture attention and called introduction. Follow up with ads that deepen engagement or provide more information about the story. This could involve highlighting different aspects of the product or service you’re promoting. And then introduce a problem or challenge that the user can relate to. This creates tension and draws them further into the story. Then offer a solution to the problem presented in the previous ad. This could involve showcasing how your product or service can address the user’s needs or pain points. Finally conclude the story with a clear call to action whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting your website.

Define clear goals to guide your strategy, then establish a story arc that highlights key product features while remaining flexible in your storytelling approach. While the sequence may provide a compelling story, think of ads more as commercials and therefore be open to customers converting at any point. Ensure each ad includes a clear call to action guiding them towards conversion, and track key metrics to continuously refine your approach.

Creating a successful sequential messaging campaign involves careful planning and execution. Here are some tips on how to create your own sequential messaging: - Choose the right platform - Craft compelling copy - Use a variety of media - Test and refine - Segment your audience - Utilize call-to-actions (CTAs) - Keep track of results Creating an effective sequential messaging campaign requires strategic planning, compelling content, and continuous refinement. By following these tips, businesses can use this powerful marketing tool to engage their audience and drive conversions.

Identify Your Objectives: Clearly define the goals you want to achieve with your sequential messaging campaign. Whether it's generating leads, nurturing prospects, or driving conversions, having clear objectives will guide your message creation process. Understand Your Audience: Gain insights into your target audience's demographics, interests, preferences, and pain points. Segment your audience based on relevant criteria to personalize your messages effectively. Map Out the Customer Journey: Identify the different stages of the customer journey, from initial awareness to conversion, and map out the touchpoints and interactions along the way.

Sequential messaging in display ads is akin to storytelling, where each ad serves as a chapter that builds upon the last. This approach not only fosters a deeper connection with the audience by gradually unfolding a narrative but also allows for the reinforcement of key messages. By strategically ordering these "chapters," advertisers can guide the audience through a curated journey that aligns with their stage in the conversion funnel, ultimately leading to a more personalized and effective campaign.

Testing and optimizing your sequential messaging campaign is crucial for its success. Here are some steps to follow: - Define your goals - Test one element at a time - Use A/B testing - Monitor and track results - Refine and optimize - Continuously test and improve By carefully analyzing the results of each test, businesses can continuously improve their messaging and achieve their goals. Remember to stay open-minded and keep experimenting with different elements for the best results.

Testing and optimizing your sequential messaging strategy is similar to tending a garden. Use A/B testing as your gardening tool to experiment with different elements – be it creative components, message sequences, or audience segments – just like a gardener tests various plant arrangements. Utilize tools like LinkedIn’s demographic reports to understand which 'plants' are thriving (which audiences are engaging). Each test should be driven by clear KPIs, akin to monitoring the health and growth of different plants, allowing you to cultivate the most effective and resonant messaging landscape.

In optimizing Sequential messaging, the primary metric is identifying the most popular message/ad in your series via Clicks and overall efficiency via CTR/CPM. However, don’t forget to also consider messages prior to the most popular ad that may have also built up the user’s interest to click in the first place. Third, look at where users mostly drop off - do they even complete the ad series, or do you need to make your campaign messaging/series shorter so more audiences get to your “punchline”?

You can also use quizzes, polls, or interactive videos in your sequential messaging to engage and learn more about your audience's preferences and behaviours along the way and then adapt the customer journey as you go.

Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Start by identifying the key metrics you'll use to measure the success of your sequential messaging campaign. These may include open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, engagement metrics, and ROI. Split Testing (A/B Testing): Conduct split tests to compare different variations of your messages, such as subject lines, message content, calls to action, and sending times. Divide your audience into groups and send each group a different version of the message. Analyze the results to determine which version performs better and use that insight to optimize future messages.

Use the retargeting capabilities of digital advertising to ensure your sequential messages are delivered in order to your audience (For example launch you campaign with video A, then retarget viewers of the video A with video B etc...)

Sequential messaging is about crafting a narrative journey that captivates and leads your audience towards a desired outcome. By thoughtfully designing each step of this journey and leveraging the right technologies, you can use display ads to tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience and drives meaningful engagement.

Consider retargeting activities with sequential messaging, for example, targeting users who visited your website/ecommerce but didn't complete a purchase, registration, or any other actions. The main objective here would be to re-engage them by continuing the storytelling

Be sure to use a cross-channel approach so that the narrative is not just sequential but also omnipresent as it will surround an audience with a cohesive story no matter where they are. e.g if Nike were launching a sustainable sneaker line, the campaign could start with an Instagram teaser, followed up with an informative email about the sneakers' sustainable journey. You could then do YouTube documentaries to deepen the narrative, showcasing athlete endorsements. Ensure the website features interactive content on sustainability, culminating in an in-store event for hands-on experience.