Your Ad Formats are Fine, It’s Your Post Click Journey that needs Fixing!

It’s an oft-cited statistic- 97% of ad clicks go down the drain. That’s a huge chunk slipping through the cracks, even while accounting for erroneous clicks. What gives?

With all the focus on getting the targeting, the visual, the text, the tracking, testing, reporting …everything just right for all the variations across all the platforms, publishers often forget to ask the most critical question- Do I have the right ad format for my clients?

Often publisher platforms rush into developing ever more attractive, ever more interactive ad formats to woo advertisers. However, from a performance point of view- the maximum wastage happens after the click. An ad is only the first touch point. Between that and final conversion, there is a lot that needs to happen. The click signifies the intent, but an optimized post-click journey decides how likely clickers are to flow down the conversion funnel and become customers.

An Ad Format is only as Good as the Post-click journey it enables!

The post click journey is an ad format's raison d’etre and something most publisher businesses struggle with. Platforms where ads are introduced as an after-thought to monetize pre-existing platforms and data (eg. telcos offering advertising, messaging platforms, payments apps etc.) need to think about this even more carefully. You may have reams of data that gives you audience insights, and sizeable cohorts of in-demand audience segments. But if your post-click journey fails, even the most precise targeting will deliver nothing.

So, what goes into designing a powerful post-click ad journey?

I. Focus on User Experience. It is non-negotiable!

Do your ad formats blend seamlessly with the user experience on the platform, without being overly intrusive or disruptive? Or do they stick out like sore thumbs that require users to jump through hoops to engage with them- kind of like the inexplicable ‘Channels’ property on the ‘Updates’ tab of WhatsApp? Whether your post click journey takes the user outside of your platform ecosystem or leads them onto a clunky, cobbled-together journey inside of it- both are surefire ways to kill your user experience and engagement levels.

II. No matter what you do, be relevant!

The more you keep things relevant to the natural user behaviors and interests on your platform, the better it is for business. If your audience comes to your platform for streaming music, don’t expect them to suddenly start buying their insurance from you. They maybe potential insurance buyers, they are just not primed to think about it while listening to music. For every new journey you enable, invest the time to cultivate the relevant experience for your users to guide their behaviors in desired directions.

III. Objective-based formats, Clear CTAs.

Different advertisers will have different objectives, and your ad-formats need to be flexible enough to cater to those- from awareness to consideration to conversion and more. Beyond the objective, allow for irregularities in targeting, creative preferences, and even end-goal switches. And finally, ensure you have mapped out clear and optimized conversion paths, guiding users step-by-step towards the desired action without distractions or obstacles.

Instagram, the favorite social media platform for marketers with its massive reach and highest interaction rates has got this down to an art form. Advertisers can set their campaigns based on six (earlier eleven) different objectives across the conversion funnel. And, based on the conversion location, they can choose from over twenty different CTAs, in other words, over 20 different post click journeys optimized for the objective! Coupled with innovations such as Instagram Direct, Shopping or product catalog ads- these formats enable users to engage with the advertiser's campaign in a myriad of way- without ever leaving the platform ecosystem!

IV. Either productize it or exorcize it

There’s such a thing as too much customization. Standardization of post-click journeys is essential for driving performance at scale. That’s what makes Instagram (Meta) practically the king of effective ad formats. Don’t get lazy, build them right!

V. Play to your strengths, proudly and boldly.?

I will explain this with examples. Let’s say you are in the Telco business. ‘Call Now’, ‘Send Message’, or pre-filled lead-gen forms are just the beginning. Telcos are well-placed to offer innovative ad formats that integrate real time location, customer service chat bots, ‘online to offline to online’ or O2O2O conversion paths (if they have a retail footprint), multi-platform placements (apps, connected TVs, wearables, connected homes and other devices), customer ID pre-verification, and even recurring payments such as premiums or subscriptions built into carrier billing to solve for renewals!

Or, look at Meta's ‘Click to WhatsApp Ads’ that leverage all the strengths of the messaging app to launch post click journeys that range from lead gen, to browsing, to purchase and payments. Images, videos, audio, documents, and stickers- all can be utilized for engagement. And further, coupon codes, countdown timers, and reminders can be used to keep them primed for conversion. The fact that businesses can optimize delivery, expand awareness, and measure results using Meta’s own proprietary tracking tools makes it one of the most comprehensive propositions for advertisers (especially small businesses) looking to maximize the bang for their buck.

To conclude, You could be a seasoned player struggling with shrinking advertiser spends due to low conversions or a business just looking to enter the advertising industry as a Publisher. Once you understand the core principles and learn to leverage your strengths, you will be able to offer cutting-edge and comprehensive solutions. Solutions that stand out from among the plethora of pitches marketing managers encounter on a daily basis! Combine that with close collaboration and continuous feedback loops with your customers, advertisers, agencies, and partners- and you are set for success!!!

I would love to know your insights on post-click journey optimizations and which platforms are doing it right. Drop me a message if you have more ideas!