Understanding the different mindsets of your online visitor is important. For example, somebody searching on Google for a specific product, service or information is different than a user inside Facebook. Google provides information based from user queries (where they are actively looking for something), and Facebook is about pictures, gossip, relationships and building new friends online.
Therefore, an Ad (Adwords) on Google can be very specific and useful to drive a targeted audience to you with a very specific need. Facebook, on the the other hand, is more interruption-driven. If you are catching up on the latest pictures and communication within your group, family or events – you may not be as likely to click on any advertisements for “how to create a webinar”. (Ed. Note: But, Facebook has the best market targeting on the planet right now, so don’t ignore it). This is also true for Adsense (Google) and banner advertising in general. Of course, a click is only part of the equation, you must get people to complete the conversion. However, attention is the first step in the AIDA formula (attention, interest, desire, action).
Here’s an example that changes interruption marketing. You’ll get clicks on this.
I was cruising for some information on HTML versus plaintext in emails, and ended up on About.com. I was reading (scanning), and my eye immediately caught the image above. The shaking (movement) is fun, interesting, and the headline is simple: “1 tip for a tiny belly”. It uses “casual” text, intended for “mass audience”. It uses words like belly, tiny, weird, tip. Plus it has a simple blue arrow. Cool.
However, this is where it ends for me. The next page is just a cover for an affiliate, a (clever) money making scheme.
The “ad” takes you to a domain, consumeronlinetips.com and the page is a ID-driven affiliate for multiple products. The root domain doesn’t even have content, that’s a give-away. However, the average consumer will not know to look there.
Figure 1 – Consumeronlinetips “spammy looking” page
If you haven’t seen these before, then you are not clicking. ;-). It looks like an official page – full with “content”, videos, pictures, advertisements and more. It’s what you would “expect” from a destination site of sorts. However, all the links are not educational is nature, the main goal is to try to get you to click on the links, ads, etc – and go to the core objective – a sign up in this area:
Figure 2 – Are You Ready to Lose Weight – 30 lbs?
Now, the question posed is – does interruption marketing work? Sure, but it will vary based on many factors. It will certainly be based on visibility (where you are found/clicked, how often). Then, the content, the positioning of the message will be key in driving an ’emotional trigger’ to have you actually do something.
Takeaway:
If you can get the attention (hey you, look here!), build interest (case studies, 3rd party references, testimonials), create more desire (what it has done for others, what it can do for you, rub more “salt” in the wound), and a strong call to action (click here, download this, sign up now) – then you have a campaign that should perform, if you have solid traffic (inbound clicks).
The above campaign is one of several for this advertiser, and is making them a great income stream in the competitive weight loss arena. Something to learn from.
How will you get attention of your next prospect?
Related articles to affiliate interruption marketing
- Facebook Delivers Three Times As Many Display Ads As Its Nearest Competitor (businessinsider.com)
- One Third of U.S. Online Ads Now Served By Facebook (hubspot.com)
- Adsense Information For The Curious Marketer (marketersdaily.com)