Are Bots Falsifying Your Advertising Metrics?

I've come across many businesses recently that funnel well over 50% of their marketing budgets into social media marketing. I've been asking the key decision makers the same question, "what really matters in a digital advertising campaign?" The responses are always interesting, ranging from impressions to click metrics. Which makes total sense if their goal is awareness or web traffic.

My next question is always, "shouldn't the focused goal be attaining high quality website visitors or impressions? With extended time and engagement on your website or better brand recall when asked if they know who you are and what you do?"

I'm astounded at how many businesses don't look this far into their analytics. Impressions and clicks mean NOTHING if they are just bouncing off your landing page or can't recall the brand the next day.

As I talk to these key decision makers the conversation almost always leads to the fact they use social media advertising because it is easier and cheaper than traditional media. This is always a misconception and a lack of education, so I thought I'd spill the beans.

NZME Digital Offering

NZME offers a wide range of digital marketing ad units. There are literally hundreds that are tailored to specific goals like awareness, consideration or conversion. With both standard display options and bespoke designs that are tailored to creative campaigns, we can create and deliver highly engaging campaigns with any advertising budget. I work with businesses who spend anywhere from $100 - $30,000/month, we can honestly help your business no matter what your spending level is.

Advertising Engagement

NZME's Digital Traditional Media

1. Targeted Audience: NZME has a clear and loyal readership/viewership. Advertisers can target specific demographics based on the publication’s first & third party data, this includes; audience profiles, interests, reading habits, age, demographics, socioeconomics and buying habits, leading to more relevant and effective ad placements.
2. Trust and Credibility: Ads on the NZME network benefit from the trust and credibility of the NZME brands. Readers/viewers are more likely to engage with ads they see on trusted platforms, enhancing the effectiveness of the advertising message.
3. Contextual Relevance: Ads can be strategically placed alongside relevant content, ensuring that they reach audiences already interested in related topics. This contextual relevance can significantly boost engagement rates.
4. Professionalism and Standards: Ads in digital traditional media are often created with high professional standards, reflecting the quality and credibility of the platform. This professional approach ensures that ads are polished and effective.
5. Less Intrusive: Digital traditional media ads are generally less intrusive than those on social media. They are often placed in designated spaces, such as banner ads or sponsored content sections, minimizing disruption to the user experience.
6. Comprehensive Metrics: Advertisers benefit from comprehensive metrics provided by digital traditional media platforms, including impressions, click-through rates, and engagement statistics. These metrics help assess the quality and effectiveness of ad campaigns.

Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have transformed advertising with their highly interactive and personalised approach, but the offering is completely different from traditional outlets.

1. Viral Potential: Social media offers a huge reach, with the potential for ads to go viral. In order to make viral content you essentially trade time instead of money. It takes a lot of resources to dedicate people to understanding what will go viral, and how to deliver a viral campaign organically.
2. Targeting Capabilities: Social Media relies on cookies for targeting, if you haven't heard yet, they are being phased out very soon. This means the targeting is about to become far less effective.
3. User-Generated Content: Social media ads often blend seamlessly with user-generated content, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. While this integration can make ads feel more natural, it also means that the quality of ads can vary widely.
4. Engagement Quality: The interactive nature of social media ads can lead to high engagement rates, but not all engagement is of high quality. Likes and shares do not always translate to meaningful interactions or conversions.
5. Real-Time Feedback: Social media provides real-time feedback on ad performance, allowing advertisers to quickly adjust their strategies. This agility can enhance the quality and effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
6. Bots & Fake Accounts: Social Media is full of fake accounts, Crest research predicts that over 103 million Facebook accounts are fake. There has been proof that bots are engaging with programmatic buying across Google too. This hinders the quality of your traffic and engagement and gives a false sense of success.

Here is the big news though....

Clicks from NZME digital platform nzherald.co.nz lead to 33% longer on websites than those from Google Display & 46% longer on websites than those from Facebook/Meta Display

Clicks = People who clicked on an ad.

nzherald.co.nz clicks also had a 56.6% engagement rate as opposed to Google at 43.24% & Meta at 28%.

Engagement = scrolling, clicking, navigating website/landing page (not bouncing)

Conclusion

Both digital traditional media and social media offer distinct advantages and challenges in advertising engagement and quality. Digital traditional media provides a trusted, less intrusive environment with professionally crafted ads, making it ideal for brands seeking to maintain a high-quality image and engage a loyal audience. In contrast, social media offers vast reach organically, making it perfect for brands looking to trade time instead of money.

For an effective advertising strategy, brands should consider leveraging the strengths of both mediums. Combining the trust and credibility of digital traditional media with the interactivity and reach of social media can create a comprehensive approach that maximizes engagement and maintains high advertising quality. This balanced strategy ensures that brands can effectively reach and engage their target audiences in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

If you would like to find out more about NZME's digital offering, let's chat!

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