18 benefits of programmatic advertising & media buying (2025)
If you’re looking for ideas or content to inform your programmatic ad strategy, or to justify moving to a new Demand Side Platform (DSP) for improved results, this post is a solid resource.
9 winning programmatic advertising examples (+ why they work)
So you’re trying to get a better understanding of programmatic advertising and you’d like to see some examples? As a marketer, it’s important to know how other brands are succeeding online with automated ads. That’s why we’ve put together a master list of examples that will inspire your next big idea. Go ahead and skip to the programmatic advertising examples that leap out at you as you browse. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to running an extraordinary programmatic ad campaign. Think of this post as the spark that will set your idea generation machine on fire! It’s great if you’re prepping for a meeting on your programmatic creative, or you’re searching for interesting ways to better convert your customers and optimize your ad spend. From new innovations with social media advertising, to getting the most out of your in-stream ads – this post walks you through the programmatic ad concepts that are getting the most traction online. Here are some of the most genius ad campaigns that have been run over the last few years. Grab a pen or take mental notes, you’ll want to remember these big ideas. Editor’s Note: You may find these following articles useful: What is Programmatic Advertising? How Does Programmatic Advertising Work? Pros & Cons of Programmatic Ad Buying What is Programmatic Video Advertising? What is Programmatic Display Advertising? In this blog, you’ll learn: How Auto Trader Achieved a 90% Reduction in CPA How John Lewis Achieved a 346% Higher ROI on Black Friday How Lacoste Generated 19,749,380 Impressions and 2,290 Sales with Programmatic Display Ads How IHG Hotels Used Programmatic Ads to Disrupt the Metasearch Industry How Unilever’s Axe Romeo Reboot Tells a Story 100,000 Different Ways How O2 Created a 128% Better CTR with Creative Programmatic How Amanda Foundation Finds People for Shelter Animals How Missing People Found 20% More Kids Using Programmatic How The Economist Got 3.6 Million People to Take Action Conclusion TL;DR – What Have We Learned Photo by Saumya Rastogi on Unsplash How Auto Trader Achieved a 90% Reduction in CPA At the top of our list of great programmatic advertising examples is Auto Trader – the giant digital automotive marketplace that has over 450,000 listings every single day. They were a big winner in the Programmatic and Performance Marketing Category at the Marketing Week Masters Awards in 2018. Buying and selling cars online is an incredibly competitive niche. Even though Auto Trader attracted 55 million cross-platform visits every month, their click results weren’t what they should be. The company had its own in-house programmatic trading team, but targeted digital campaigns were still intensive to run – and optimizing ad spend was an increasing concern. So, they pivoted and partnered with a new Demand Side Platform (DSP) which allowed them to precisely select the high-value audiences they wanted to reach. Campaign goals in hand, the new machine learning algorithms worked to make their limited ad investment smarter. Automating their campaign meant only having to pay for customers who were most likely to click on their ads! Plus, the in-house team had more time to manually test and tweak the strategy. Finding the right DSP led Auto Trader to an incredible 90% reduction in their cost-per-acquisition (CPA), over a 6 month period. With an additional 3 hours saved each day, Auto Trader can now focus on their programmatic creative to extend their brand reach. Key Takeaways: In-house teams can quickly be overwhelmed with work Partner with the right Demand Side Platform (DSP) Highly competitive markets require agency assistance Finding the right audience is an effective way to reduce Cost-per-Acquisition (CPA) It’s really neat to see peers in the car industry, like an automotive software company develop cutting-edge technology innovations to enhance vehicle performance, safety, and connectivity! How John Lewis Achieved a 346% Higher ROI on Black Friday John Lewis is a UK-based department store known for its high-end merchandise. Like many retailers impacted by the Millennial market, John Lewis has reported that their profits had dropped over the last few years. In an attempt to turn things around, the brand partnered with a DSP and set out to buy programmatic ad inventory over the notorious Black Friday weekend, and in the lead up to key days. Using historical data, the team theorized that people did a lot of research leading up to Black Friday. To reduce inventory and higher bidding costs, John Lewis set up private marketplace deals with premium sites leading up to the bigger days. Their DSP created an innovative strategy called ‘programmatic guaranteed’ which made it possible for the company to secure significant cut-through for millions of ads during Black Friday. They partnered with The Telegraph during Black Friday weekend itself. This programmatic direct deal was highly targeted and efficiently optimized. The strategy helped John Lewis avoid the oversubscribed and significantly increased costs of digital ad inventory available on the programmatic marketplace over this time period. There is always a huge demand for prime ad space over Black Friday. By partnering with a reliable DSP, the struggling company managed to reach high-value customers at the right time, without the inflated marketplace costs. This resulted in a Return On Investment (ROI) that was 346% higher than their proposed target! The strategies created a record-breaking Black Friday income for the brand. Key Takeaways: On big event days, innovative programmatic strategies can amplify ad ROI Reduce inflated marketplace costs with programmatic direct and private deals Optimize private deals using programmatic for highly optimized ad outcomes How Lacoste Generated 19,749,380 Impressions and 2,290 Sales with Programmatic Display Ads One of our favorite programmatic advertising examples is from Lacoste – a well-known French designer brand, with a green crocodile logo. The fashion industry is particularly competitive online. But it’s not always the most creative or innovative who wins. Sometimes, it’s about getting the basics right. During the summer sale period, Lacoste planned to amplify sales in three key markets – France, the UK, and Germany. It would be an omni-channel marketing campaign that used programmatic display advertising to personalize
Programmatic direct vs RTB (real-time bidding) ads explained
Programmatic Direct is nowhere near the same as Real-Time Bidding. A lot of marketing jargon can be confusing. What you need is a point by point breakdown of how each of these programmatic elements is different. Something you could clearly explain at a meeting. Let’s comb through what makes each of these terms special in the programmatic advertising space. Here’s the outline of what we’ll cover: Programmatic Direct vs Real-Time Bidding (RTB) Definition The Biggest Difference Between Programmatic Direct & Real-Time Bidding Rules of Programmatic Direct Types of Programmatic Direct Elements of Real-Time Bidding 2 Types of Real-Time Bidding 4 Types of Programmatic Ad Deals TL;DR – What Have We Learned Programmatic Direct vs Real-Time Bidding (RTB) Definition What is Programmatic Direct? Programmatic Direct is a term used to describe the process of automating a direct sale of guaranteed advertising between an advertiser and a publisher. What is Real-Time Bidding (RTB)? Real-Time Bidding is a term used to describe the buying and selling of online ad inventory that happens through automated auctions in real-time. The Biggest Difference Between Programmatic Direct & Real-Time Bidding Both of these functions operate in the programmatic advertising space, using modern technology to buy and sell ad inventory. However, the major difference is that RTB advertising uses an auction model, while Programmatic Direct uses a non-auction model. That’s why you should always ask – is advertising inventory being auctioned? Let’s break down the differences even more! Rules of Programmatic Direct For advertising to fall into this category, it needs to follow three basic rules. #1: The Process Must Be Automated A direct sale using programmatic technology is automated and uses transactional and delivery automation to be highly effective. Direct sales were made using old school telephone conversations, spreadsheets, and mails to negotiate the deal in the past. Programmatic Direct completely automates this process. Find out how programmatic advertising works here. #2: The Sale Must Be Direct The direct sale involves a transaction between the buyer and the seller that has been previously negotiated and put in place. Business is conducted directly and things like insertion orders and paperwork are thrown into the sea where they belong. In some cases, additional measures like credit card age verification are used to ensure compliance and security during direct transactions. #3: The Advertising Must Be Guaranteed When handling Programmatic Direct deals, ask yourself if the inventory is guaranteed or not. This will help you determine which type of deal it is. Types of Programmatic Direct Type 1: Programmatic Guaranteed The advertising inventory can be guaranteed (reserved), which is called programmatic guaranteed – a type of direct deal. It means positions, quantities, dates, impressions, and prices are set in stone according to the deal made. Type 2: Preferred Deal The advertising inventory can also be non-guaranteed, which is called a preferred deal. This is also a type of direct deal, but the ad inventory is unreserved. It means the inventory price is set, but the amount is not guaranteed. This is quite similar to how a private marketplace works, and advertisers get access to first looks before an agreement is struck. Elements of Real-Time Bidding Real-Time Bidding is made up of three simple parts. #1: The Advertisers Ad buyers use a Demand Side Platform (DSP) to automate their ad placement and buy ad space. In other words, they use software to find the best places for their adverts online. These advertisers create buying parameters for each ad campaign. #2: The Publishers Ad publishers have a lot of ad space, or inventory, which they make available to the advertisers through the Real-Time Bidding process. A Supply Side Platform (SSP) is used to manage and sell their inventory to the buyers, and parameters are also set here. #3: The Ad Exchange An ad exchange connects the DSPs (advertisers) and SSPs (publishers) with each other. Real-time auctions are run as people visit websites all over the net. Auctions take place in milliseconds, matching the right ad with the right ad space, based on preset parameters. The advertiser gets the best possible space within their ad budget. The publisher gets the highest possible bid on offer from the range of advertisers in that moment. Everyone wins! 2 Types of Real-Time Bidding There are two types of Real-Time Bidding – open exchange and private marketplace. #1: Open Exchange An open exchange RTB is a public marketplace where publishers auction ad impressions to eligible advertising buyers. This is an equal opportunity exchange. #2: Private Marketplace A private marketplace or PMP as it’s called, is an exclusive marketplace where publishers offer premium ad inventory to select advertisers. 4 Types of Programmatic Ad Deals So you see, both RTB advertising and Programmatic Direct make up the four different deals you can strike when launching a programmatic advertising campaign. #1: Programmatic Guaranteed A Programmatic Direct deal that is pre-negotiated with a specific publisher, and is therefore exclusive. Fixed parameters are struck, and long term relationships are possible. #2: Preferred Deal A Programmatic Direct deal that offers private access but an unreserved fixed-rate, promises some priority over ad inventory before it’s offered to everyone else. #3: Open Exchange Real-Time Bidding happens in a public exchange and is considered the least premium of all programmatic deal types because everyone is eligible. #4: Private Marketplace Real-Time Bidding that happens in a closed, private marketplace where publishers invite specific buyers to bid on their available inventory. When looking at Programmatic Direct vs RTB, you need to see them as different sides of the same coin. Now that you understand the real differences between them, making deals will be easier. Each type of deal has pros and cons, but brands have found success across the board. It’s a good idea to discuss which of these deals will best suit your upcoming campaign’s needs with your advertising partner. What Have We Learned? Programmatic Direct: The direct sale of guaranteed advertising between a publisher and advertiser. It must be an automated process. It is a direct sell. The
7 key programmatic advertising metrics to measure (and why)
Your programmatic ads are performing well – or are they? The only way to really know is to look at your analytics, and the key ad metrics that help you make better strategic campaign decisions. There may be a lot of metrics to measure, but some are more valuable than others. Too often advertisers focus on the wrong metrics that lead them astray! That’s why today’s post is about 7 extremely important and relevant metrics that will help you make clearer, stronger and better decisions for your next big programmatic campaign. Here is the list of ad metrics we will cover today: Impressions Clicks Conversions Cost Revenue Reach Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) At the end of our blog, we also have a TL;DR version summary if you’re short on time! Impressions Impressions are an important baseline metric, because they help you understand how many times your ad media was displayed in your inventory. They answer the question: How many times has my programmatic creative been displayed? Impressions are not about who has seen your ad. Instead, they‘re about the potential that your ad has to be seen. So you can’t really assign a reliable, quantitative weight to these metrics. This metric isn’t based on an action, but instead acts as a valuable part of calculating other critical metrics that will lead to better campaign performance. The two types of ad impression are: #1: Served – when served content is transmitted it counts as an impression#2: Viewable – when more data is used to understand if a user saw the ad content or not Served impressions are unreliable, while viewable impressions are more accurate. The most vital of the two are viewable impressions because they provide data analysts with actionable performance data for campaign improvement. Clicks Clicks are a performance metric. They answer the question: How many times has my programmatic ad creative been clicked? With programmatic ads, clicks are among the most telling metrics you can measure. It’s not accurate to assume all clicks are intentional, and they certainly don’t all lead to a conversion. But when you combine click and impression metrics, you can calculate actionable percentages that help you make better campaign budget decisions and improve your ad ROI. In Display Advertising, calculating your Click-Through Rate means determining the percentage of people who saw and clicked on your ad. Here is how you can calculate Click-Through Rate: If 3 people saw your ad every 100 impressions, you have a 3% CTR for example. Clicks help you understand ad success when combined with other metric data! Conversions Conversions are a performance metric. They answer the question: How many times have my programmatic display ads converted? Every ad campaign has goals, or actions that advertisers want the consumer to complete because of the ad that has targeted them. Conversions are the ultimate ad metric. You get all sorts of conversions – buy, sign-up, download, comment – these are all measurable actions. The achievement of conversions means the customer is either buying, or has a much higher chance of buying, from your brand in the future. Cost Cost is a financial metric. It answers the question: What did my ad campaign cost? Programmatic ads cost money to run, and the point is to set a budget that secures you the right inventory and target audience. That means measuring cost in relation to many other ad metrics. As you delve into the world of digital advertising, it’s essential to incorporate financial planning and budget tracking tools into your strategy, ensuring that every advertising dollar is spent wisely and aligns with your business’s financial goals. You can measure cost-per-mille, cost-per-click, cost-per-engagement, cost-per-view, cost-per-conversion and a host of other financial metrics you’ll need to understand campaign success. Cost metrics directly influence how you will invest in your next ad campaign. Sometimes you’ll want to target better quality inventory, because your budget parameters didn’t allow you the right inventory in your previous campaign. Your goal is to keep testing to find the right cost levels. These will help you determine your overall Return On Investment. As you delve into the world of digital advertising, it’s essential to incorporate financial planning for SMBs into your strategy, ensuring that every advertising dollar is spent wisely and aligns with your business’s financial goals. Revenue Revenue is a financial metric. It answers the question: What revenue did my programmatic ads generate? With this ad metric, you need to know everything from gross revenue to net revenue. Coupled with your cost metrics you can calculate and refine media, data, agency, tech and other fees – and even streamline your profit margins over time. The most important of these are the overall revenue generated from your campaign, revenue created per visit and revenue created per page (RPM). Reach Reach is a brand metric. It answers the question: How many unique users did my ad campaign reach? Reach is a critical ad metric for understanding how many people your campaign actually reached. Unlike impressions, reach is calculated per person, not per potential view. Reach can be compared with other vital metrics, like CTR, frequency and impressions to better understand ad success. Paid reach often increases viral and organic reach of your unpaid content. Estimating reach can also help control the parameters of a new ad campaign. Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) ROAS is a performance metric. It answers the question: What was the profit created from my current advertising campaign? ROAS, or Return On Ad Spend is a campaign-specific metric that is often used in the same way Return On Investment (ROI) (return-on-investment) is used. Only ROAS measures gross revenue from ad spend and speaks to the current effectiveness of your campaign. ROI tends to focus more on the bigger picture. Read in-depth on the difference between ROI and ROAS on our other blog article, “Return On Ad Spend (ROAS): Explained”. A good ROAS ratio is based on your niche, investment and target audience. Conclusion Programmatic ad placement and benchmarking is part of the campaign process. You’ll have to run several campaigns before you are fully orientated on best practices for your niche and audience. Programmatic ads perform better
2024 Holiday Advertising Tips to Drive Better Results
It’s November 2024, which means Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” is back on loop in every supermarket and mall. If it feels like the holiday shopping season is starting earlier every year… that’s because it is! According to Google’s recent Think Retail event, 34% of US shoppers had already started their holiday shopping as early as July 2024—up from 27% last year. But this year’s timeline comes with a twist: there’s five fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s! Brands will need to pack in more impact in a shorter time period. It’s more important than ever to engage your target audience more efficiently! In this blog, we’ll introduce Google’s four holiday “shopper mindsets” and some additional holiday ad tips so you can drive more sales for the 2024 holidays! 4 Types of Holiday Shoppers At the Think Retail conference, Google identified four distinct mindsets that drive consumer behavior during the holiday season. Each one has unique needs and expectations, which would in turn impact their shopping decisions. The Deliberate Shopper These shoppers are all about planning, researching, and taking their time. They typically do their shopping in October and November. They want to feel confident in their purchase decisions and appreciate ads that guide them to the best choices. Tips: Utilize Performance Max ads to target them. Personalized ads and landing page content that resonate with their needs, such as “What’s the best gift for an outdoor enthusiast”, or “Best holiday gifts for elderly grandparent” etc. Include keywords like “holiday bests”, “top pick”, or “reviews” in your Search ads! The Deal-Seekers Deal-seekers live for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, this year (2024), the short holiday season means these shoppers will also be hunting for deals beyond the peak days. Tips: Optimize your website and/or landing page for speed and create a streamlined shopping experience. In your ads, try to emphasize on the sense of urgency, utilize words like “last chance”, “biggest blowout”, “limited time” to give them an extra budget to convert. If you want to drive more in-store traffic, consider even geo-targeting closer vicinity and utilize Klick & Mortar to attribute in-shop purchases to your digital ads! The Determined Shopper December is crunch time for shoppers who held off on buying or need last-minute gifts. Now they’re laser-focused. With fewer days to shop, they’re looking for convenience, ease, and speed. Eyes on the prize. Tips: Optimize your eCommerce website so users can enjoy a fast loading speed for browsing and checkout! Use Google’s “near me” optimization for in-store availability ads The Devoted Shopper: Loyal Fans Ahh, your repeat customers, aka your loyal fans— those who love your brand and return year after year—are the hidden holiday heroes. Their loyalty can help drive sales well beyond December if you give them reasons to come back. Tips: Segment audience lists of your members and create personalized ads for them to highlight loyalty perks, member discounts, exclusive access etc to make them feel valued! As the holidays roll in, tuning into these shopper mindsets can make all the difference in building connections that convert. Each group has its quirks, and by shaping your campaigns to speak to what matters to them—from deal seekers to loyal fans—you’ll capture their attention and drive results. This season, establish your presence where your audiences are, keep your message sharp, and make every click count! Bonus Tips to Maximize Every Moment of This Holiday Season Plan Around Key Dates With the shortened shopping window, having a flexible, target-focused budget in place can help maximize returns during high-traffic days. Get your ad creatives, offers, and landing pages etc planned and have on hand weeks ahead of time to stay on top of your game! Boost Product Visibility Make sure your Google Merchant Center feed is in top shape by including keywords, high-quality images, and clear product attributes. For example, using descriptors like “color,” “size,” and “style” can help your products appear in more specific searches. Stay Agile with AI Google’s AI-driven ad strategies, like Performance Max and Demand Gen that utilize Dynamic Creative Optimization are designed to adjust to real-time trends. These tools are especially useful when trying to keep up with the rapid pace of holiday shopping behavior. Partner with an Ad Agency The holiday season is packed with potential—make the most of it by teaming up with an ad agency that knows how to maximize your ad dollars. War Room’s programmatic approach ensures your campaigns reach the right audiences across channels, whether they’re browsing on social, watching videos, or searching for holiday deals. Our custom strategies are designed to adapt in real-time, so your ads stay relevant and effective as trends shift throughout the season. Let us handle the complexities of cross-channel advertising and data insights, so you can focus on delivering a seamless holiday experience for your customers. Are You Ready? The holiday season may be shorter this year, but with the right strategies, your brand can still thrive. Focus on connecting with each shopper mindset, use AI-driven insights, and tailor your ads to stand out in a busy market.Ready to elevate your holiday ad game? Reach out to our team at War Room to make every holiday connection count! Want more digital marketing tips? Sign-up for War Room’s newsletter to get digital marketing articles and resources delivered to your inbox! Subscribe Now You might like these:
Big Hearts, Furry Friends: How War Room & Kedet Kares are Supporting the BC SPCA
At War Room, we believe that caring goes beyond our clients and campaigns—it extends to the furry friends who bring so much joy to our lives! PS. Did you know that we are one of the most pet-friendly offices in Canada?! That’s why we’re so grateful for the opportunity to give back through our Kedet Kares initiative. Recently, the BC SPCA shared a heartfelt update with us, letting us know how donations like ours are making a real difference: “Thank you for your kindness and generosity in supporting the animals and the BC SPCA! In the past 12 months you have made a big impact be donating over $4,000 supporting animals just like Josiah who came to the BC SPCA with his 7 siblings and is currently looking for his forever home. Thanks to donors and like you we are here to help animals just like Josiah and his siblings do just that!War Room is passionate about making a pawsitive (see what we did there) difference and by making a donation that comes from the heart to the BC SPCA you are doing just that. Thank you for being there for us and the 135.000+ animals we help every year.” Just knowing we’ve played even a small part in that is incredibly rewarding.Kedet Kares is our way of giving back and showing that success isn’t just about ad performance—it’s about making a meaningful difference in the community. We’re proud to support causes like the BC SPCA, and we’ll continue to lend a helping paw to make sure animals like Josiah get the love and care they deserve. If you love animals as much as we do and want to get involved, don’t hesitate to check out the amazing work the BC SPCA is doing. Together, we can help make the world a little brighter for our furry friends—one tail wag at a time! PS. Did you know we did donation matching with our in-house charity program, Kedet Kares? Want more digital marketing tips? Sign-up for War Room’s newsletter to get digital marketing articles and resources delivered to your inbox! Subscribe Now You might like these:
Examples of Successful PPC Ad Campaigns
There’s a big misunderstanding about Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising.Many marketers use it as a “fast track” to SEO success since you can pay for keyword rankings instead of earning them organically. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. PPC isn’t a “get rich quick” marketing scheme, and it’s definitely not easy.And going in with that misconception will lead to results as dry as the Sahara Desert—or if we’re being extreme, becoming broke. It’s extremely popular. Search advertising spending has reached $185.35 billion and is expected to increase to $261 billion by 2028, a 6% annual growth rate. And in 2023, Google Ads generated $237.86 billion.But very few get it right. So today, we’ll learn from the ones who do so you can take home a piece of that $261 billion pie. These examples are actual PPC campaigns that delivered noteworthy results—so you can draw inspiration from them for your next campaign, or cite them in your next marketing report for clients or in-house stakeholders. Elements of a Highly Successful PPC Advertising Campaign There are a few things all successful PPC campaigns have in common.How are they approaching their audience? Which platforms are they using? What does their ad copy look like?So, let’s get specific. For your campaign to be worth your time (and your dollar), it has to: Deliver results Be memorable Reach the target audience Stand out from the competition And that’s exactly what the campaigns below do. PPC Advertising Campaign Examples That Actually Worked Converse “Domaination” World-renowned shoe brand Converse tapped into Google’s PPC potential before most brands did. With the “Domaination” campaign, the company’s plan was to disrupt.First, they had to identify what their target audience was searching for. Since Converse’s audience was teenagers and young adults, the common searches were terms like: How to kiss How to talk to girls Spelling bee How to tell your parents Converse used these terms to begin “converse-actions.” These were how-to guides on various topics based on what they found their target audience was needing answers to. Converse’s microsites for the Domaination campaign They made multiple microsites addressing each question, hence the name “Domainnation.” They then ran advertising campaigns for each site. But the secret to Domainnation’s success wasn’t just the audience appeal. They didn’t create a site for every keyword they researched—only the low-cost, low-competition ones. This allowed them to save money and made it insanely easier to get traffic since they weren’t being drowned out by other big names. Now, ranking well for a high-traffic keyword is one thing. However, keeping the reader’s attention is where most companies miss the mark. In our opinion, this is really where Converse hit the nail on the head.The “ad” was not actually an ad for Converse products. When teenagers (the target audience) clicked on the web page Converse paid to have in the search results, the page was Converse’s unique take on the topic. They offered advice, gave hot takes, posted how-to tutorials… whatever it was that the teenager wanted to read. For example, it was spelling bee season for high school students. So Converse bought the domain conversespellingbee.com. When high schoolers typed in “spelling bee,” the first result was this website. When they opened it, they watched a video Converse made—a video that told visitors in one sentence what a spelling bee was, then told them to play a “search engine” spelling bee. The rules of the game were that the visitors go to Google and type the word that was said into the search box, and they knew they spelled it right when another Converse domain ad for the word popped up. They proceed to Round 2 by clicking the ad. But the spelling bee wasn’t the only site. Converse made new websites each week, and each site was somehow intertwined with another one (like the spelling bee site that sent users to another one) so that they could keep exploring for endless content. The end result? Converse got 600,000 unique visitors to its website. And with a budget of just $100,000, the campaign yielded massive positive results, beating the traditional cost-to-visitor ratio by 2600%. This led to the “Domination” campaign becoming a case study that marketers still talk about today, despite hundreds of thousands of campaigns having been carried out since then. Kleenex Catches Colds We’ve all been in a situation where we Google our symptoms before considering seeing a doctor. And just like that, we end up convinced we have cancer five minutes later. Kleenex found a way to capitalize on this all-too-familiar experience and turn it into a successful marketing campaign. The flu-related searches could be traced geographically—thanks to Google Trends—and for 18 months, the company’s digital marketing partner, Mindshare, tracked them. Kleenex then harnessed this data to find regions where its PPC campaigns would do best. Kleenex cold and flu trend search on Google The agency compared this information with other data sources, such as doctor visits and calls to the government-set hotlines. Together, they identified the cities with higher flu and cold rates in real-time and launched targeted ads in those areas. When the cold and flu season arrived in 2012, Kleenex expended 96% of its media budget on these targeted regions. Kleenex made a video explaining how they did this, and it’s quite funny. They start by saying that they first launched an ad campaign during the hottest month of the year, and admitted to it being a giant flop. So what did they do? They did some self-diagnosis by going to Google and finding out where they went wrong. This led to them starting their Google AdWords auction to find out where and when people were getting sick. Kleenex media spending on PPC The results were astounding—a 40% sales increase year over year in just two months. Kleenex’s approach to PPC advertising is a great example of how Google data is more than mere search engine results. It can be the foundation for your paid ad strategy. Vancouver Whitecaps Award-winning programmatic ad agency, War Room collaborated with the Vancouver
The Rise of Micro-Content: How to Keep Audiences Engaged in Seconds
Content is an integral part of digital strategy, as it is often the first touchpoint of a potential customer with a brand. Think about it—whether someone reads a blog post, sees a social media update, or watches a video, that’s usually the starting point of their journey. Modern consumers are more likely to buy from a brand after engaging with its content. On top of that, businesses that create regular content get 97% more backlinks and strengthen their online presence. Good content builds trust, shows expertise, and encourages users to return for more. In addition to driving traffic, it builds meaningful connections that turn random visitors into loyal customers. However, not all content is that powerful. The pace of modern life is steadily increasing, and so does the speed of content consumption. People want to get information in well-digestible portions. This tendency has gradually led to the emergence of micro-content. Read on to learn what it is and how it works. What is Micro-Content, and Why is it in Trend? Today, people are literally attacked by information from social media, ads, and other digital platforms. The average human attention span has dropped to just 8 seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000. Users quickly lose interest in content that doesn’t grab them right away. For brands, this means their information needs to be laconic and engaging. Long articles or slow websites often make people leave. Shorter, more visual content—like quick videos or catchy headlines—works better. Thus, brands must adapt communication with their audiences and offer them content that can be consumed in seconds or micro-content. The key features of micro-content are clarity and simplicity. This is why platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Twitter have become so popular, where content is often limited to just a few seconds or characters. These short info bits use emotional triggers to evoke strong, lasting emotions. The fear of missing out (FOMO) adds urgency and prompts users to act quickly. Types of Micro-Content You can create easily perceptible content in different formats. Here are the most popular forms of it: Short posts: These are brief text updates that can be shared on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. They can be used to share quotes, tips, or behind-the-scenes glimpses. Videos: A few-second videos have become a staple of micro-content. These are used to showcase products, share tutorials, or simply entertain. You can find plenty on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. GIFs: Animated images can add a touch of humor or visual interest to your content. They perfectly express emotions or reactions. Memes: Humorous images or videos added to the text ideally connect with your audience and often go viral. Soundbites: Short audio clips that can be used to share quotes, sound effects, or music snippets. They’re often used in social media posts or videos. How to Create Micro-Content That Attracts At first glance, there is nothing simpler than creating a short post or video. However, it is a true art to make a bit of info that catches. Here are some practical tips: 1. Keep it concise and to the point Small is the new big. Skip details and focus on one main idea. Your message should be understood within seconds. The more concise the content, the higher the chances it will be shared. 2. Use eye-catching visuals. Visuals are the best tools to capture attention. Experiment with colors, images, or animations to be noticed and persuade users to stop, view and share your content with others. 3. Play with emotions. Your little message should evoke emotions through humor, inspiration, or nostalgia. This approach creates memories and deepens engagement, resulting in more shares, likes, and comments. 4. Make it short-term. Phrases like “limited time” or “offer ends soon” encourage immediate action. They create the fear of missing out (FOMO) and make users interact with your content without delay. 5. Include a clear Call-to-Action. A strong call-to-action (CTA) is the best instruction on the next step a user takes. Keep it simple but clear – ask them to like, share, or buy. A CTA adds more value to your content. Great Examples of Micro-Content To better understand the power and impact of micro-content, let’s see how others do it. YouTube Shorts Graham Stephan, a popular personal finance YouTuber, makes Shorts with quick and useful financial tips. His short videos about money saving and investment tips are short but packed with helpful advice. They quickly helped him attract a nearly 5 million audience. LinkedIn posts Hiveage, a cloud-based invoice automation tool provider for small businesses and freelancers, uses micro-content to explain how to use its software. The company shares easy-to-scan infographics to show the benefits of their product and attract more users. TikTok videos Zach King has become extremely popular thanks to his stunning illusions that keep the audience speechless. These quick videos brought him a stunning number of followers – 80 million! @zachking How to get the perfect Olympic shot! 🏐 🥇 @AlibabaCloud #alibabacloudmemento #AlibabaPartner ♬ original sound – Zach King How Do You Measure the Effect of Your Micro-Content?It is not enough to create short posts and videos; you must also know their impact. Analyze engagement metrics – these are likes, comments, and shares. It will help you understand how much people interact with your content. Check the views and watch time to see if people watch your videos to the very end. Track the click-through rate (CTR). It will tell you whether people click your call to action. Watch your audience growth to see if you are actually gaining new followers. The above findings will show what works and what improvements are needed. Conclusion Micro-content adds value to any marketing strategy. Its ability to grab attention, build connections, and drive results turns it into a powerful tool for modern marketers. Micro-content helps brands stand out and reach new customers much faster. It exists in many forms and formats and is suitable for any business. Use the above insights and experiment with micro-content in your company to boost its growth! Want more digital