Zero-click ads will continue to gain traction in 2023.

Zero-click ads are any type of ad that optimises for consumption in-channel or in-feed.

This means a buyer could scroll LinkedIn or Facebook, read what is contained in the ad, and still get some value, vs. being required to click the ad to get any value.

So why in the world would you want to do this?

The simple reason is that it's getting harder to get people to click on ads.

The average CTR on LinkedIn is around.4-.5%, and on Facebook a little higher.

That means 99% aren't clicking on your ads.

In addition, Google is getting better at answering more questions without a click on an organic or paid link.

This may seem shocking, but remember that many people passively consume content and messaging in ads.

In fact, on LinkedIn, the vast majority are just passive lurkers/watchers. They don't like your post, they don't engage, but they are READING...

So what are some examples of optimising for in-channel consumption:

1.) Take a recent e-book, guide, blog that you created, and create a 1-2min video highlighting the key takeaways. Then put that same video on your blog page, so people have two ways to consume it.

2.) Take a recent webinar, clip a few sections up, and use it as a short video to drive people to watch the webinar in-feed or if they want on-demand on your website.

3.) Break up your strategic narrative in a carousel ad that shows buyers the before and after when working with you.

4.) Take a graph, chart, or statistic, and put it directly in the ad so they can see the unique insights you discovered.

In some cases, we are seeing higher CTRs after creating ads that optimise for more in-channel consumption.

If that hasn't convinced you yet, even LinkedIn has come out with a new ad format called Document Ads.

They allow users to consume your e-book/guide in-channel and provide some data back on content consumption.

The downside with optimising for in-channel consumption is that you have less control, you don't know who is consuming the content, and attribution becomes near impossible without click-based attribution.

Now I'm not saying you should change everything you are doing, like many contrasting posts on LI, but I think B2B SaaS companies that start to optimise for more in-channel consumption will win out in 2023, as it aligns with the way buyers want to consume information.

P.S. As always, targeting, messaging, quality of content, etc. all have a huge influence on performance...just putting more value in the ad itself isn't some magical key, but it still helps.