Commentary

Online Ad Value -- Measurement Beyond the Click


The worst-kept secret in online advertising is that click-through metrics only measure a fraction of the "transactional" value of an ad campaign. The assumption in measuring clicks is that a click equals interest, but we know that ads generate long lasting awareness and interest even if an ad never gets a single click. In the history of online advertising, there has never been so many technology resources to track these metrics and make us smarter marketers. Frankly, the volatile economy has created more pressure on every marketing dollar, and tracking every ounce of value generated (not just click volume) by a campaign should be our battle cry. Not only has the advertising landscape changed, we're now more sophisticated. We want to understand the broad, long-term value of an ad; we just need to know what to look for.

 

Thankfully, where there is a will, there is a way and new modes of measurement provide several incredibly valuable paths to demonstrate value, and some combination of the ones listed below -- based on surveys, social media activity, time, and yes, clicks -- will likely be right for you.

Time-Based Metrics

Exposure to content is the basis for most broadcast budget decisions, and it is now possible to make it a core component for digital campaigns as well. By measuring how long a user views an advertisement before scrolling away, advertisers can more accurately measure ad exposure and make better ad buying decisions.

 

Survey-Based Metrics

 Some valuable insights are simply impossible to gather without getting inside the minds of your audience, and the most direct path to that data is to ask. Basic metrics that can be established with surveys include intent to view, brand or message awareness, favorability, ad recall and intent to buy. 

  

Social Media Activity Based Metrics

 In today's social Web, what people say about you is just as important, or even more important that what they think of you. By listening and evaluating with new social media tools, you can get a sense of "buzz" created by your campaign as well as how valuable that buzz is. For example, the value of buzz to the upcoming movie "Watchmen" was huge -- people everywhere were talking about it with anticipation long before the movie premiered.

 

Brand Interaction Metrics

 

In many cases, an ad may contain consumable content like a video. A user may watch the video, but this is not a click by definition. Rather, it is a sign of brand interaction, which can offer long-term value. Another example might be a consumer that installs a widget, sends a greeting, or plays a game, all without ever clicking on an ad.

 

Post-Click Based Metrics

 Even in the world of clicks, all clicks are not created equal. After a click occurs, how many users who click on an advertisement go on to perform some high value actions such as purchasing a product, requesting more information or downloading a coupon? Arguably, these post-click measurement are more valuable than a click for advertisers.

 

In the end, it is important to understand the intent of every campaign as well as the varied tactics available to capture all of the value generated by the campaigns. The current advertising environment requires tailor-made measurement and a complete understanding of value.  Anything less is a disservice to the campaign and the brand.

 

 

4 comments about "Online Ad Value -- Measurement Beyond the Click ".
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  1. Chris Murdough from The Allant Group, April 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.

    Thanks for itemizing common non-click value measures that can be utilized for evaluating and optimizing OLA campaigns, but I wouldn't say that click-based response is the "worst-kept secret" for OLA. Granted there are still some stragglers, but most marketers moved beyond clicks many years ago

  2. Randy Pickard from Exceptional Shopping Sites, April 24, 2009 at 4:47 p.m.

    Eye tracking is a useful tool for measuring time based metrics and engagement with online ads.

  3. John Grono from GAP Research, April 24, 2009 at 7:37 p.m.

    Randy, while I agree that eye tracking is very useful, this is more so at the design-stage of a website. I think what Scott was angling at was the 'value' of all the page impressions served during a campaign. Admittedly, you could build a probablistic model with some in-field eye-tracking tests to maximise the likelihood that an online ad will be seen.

  4. Gian Fulgoni from 4490 Ventures, April 25, 2009 at 8:58 a.m.

    Nice article, Scott. At comScore, we've done a lot of work looking at the behavioral impact of non-clicked ads.
    http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2587
    The results are very encouraging and will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Advertising Research.

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