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A few years ago, “Artificial Intelligence”, “Automated Real-Time Bidding” and “Voice Search” still sounded like futuristic concepts.
Tools such as voice assistants or video-on-demand apps were not yet common. Marketers used technologies like classic three to four pattern SEO optimization and manual ad pod creation to run their online video campaigns, which helped get the right audience but wasn’t enough to laser target.
The unrestrained growth of social networks, global online services, wearables, affordable and functional connected devices and the development of ad tech technologies have now led to the fact that new technologies are widespread among users and subsequently also in marketing activities.
Read on to learn what the most promising solutions are among the advertising trends, how to use them, and how to apply them.
OTT and CTV ad format
OTT stands for the over-the-top technology that people use to access video content on their device using an Internet connection. The generic term includes CTV (Connected TV), car streaming, game consoles and other networked devices with video players.
With over 40 million viewers cutting the wire in the US alone, CTV platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Sling are becoming the primary source of video advertising for advertisers.
Advertisers are looking for technology-enabled ways to capitalize on the surge in CTV and attract audiences with unobtrusive and engaging formats:
- Videos with bonus that allow viewers to receive rewards (prizes, discounts, etc.) for watching a short non-skippable video ad
- Buyable ads with embedded tags inside. So when viewers click the link, they are taken straight to the webpage of a product from the ad
- Splash ads, B. a full screen interstitial ad that fills the screen before the content is loaded
Dynamic ad delivery
Dynamic ad insertion (DAI), often referred to as server-side ad insertion (SSAI), is a technology that makes it possible to insert ads into live, linear programming, and video-on-demand (VOD) content before a user even knows it starts with looking. Commercial blocks are added to the playlist at selected times and pushed to the display device via the network during commercial breaks.
Key benefits of pre-stitching ads in content include …
- Better alignment. Advertising specialists can target them with more personalized characteristics: per device, per content, per user.
- Seamless viewing experience. Ads and video content are merged into a single stream, resulting in a better, smoother TV-like experience.
- Dynamic takeover. Customizing or changing ads is easy: the DAI solution caters to users based on what they see and offers hyper-relevant content tailored to the interests of viewers.
Programmatic advertising
When programmatic advertising is implemented, AI-based technology will automatically buy ads in real time, replacing search-based manual advertising campaigns.
Unlike a human, digital tools take into account thousands of parameters in addition to the traditional keywords of location and time of day. This enables more individual and targeted campaigns, higher conversion rates and a coveted ROI as well as lower costs for customer acquisition (CAC).
AI uses data from previous transactions, behavioral data, educational background, etc. to …
- Map the customer journey and use it for more relevant and timely ad choices
- Provide a holistic 360 degree picture of the customer’s preferences and needs
- Create an ideal buyer personality
As a result of these cumulative efforts, advertising campaigns are based on personalized and precise advertising messages.
Header bidding
Header bidding, or pre-bid, is an ad tech tool that enables publishers to offer inventory to multiple ad exchanges at the same time before hitting their ad servers. This helps advertisers get the maximum return on a publisher’s inventory and serves as an alternative to the waterfall method.
The main problem with the waterfall is that publishers cascade their advertising space to the highest bidder. Even if a “lower” network is willing to pay more, it has no chance of doing so; the inventory is only sent to them if no one from a “higher” network bids above the publisher’s lower price limit. As a result, advertisers will not receive premium inventory and publishers will not receive their maximum revenue.
With header bidding all bid at the same timewithout prioritizing a demand-side platform (DSP). The publisher’s header tag requests multiple ad networks. They submit their bids; The successful bid is then forwarded to the publisher’s ad server. The publisher’s ad server connects the user who clicked the website to the advertiser’s server who offered the best price for the ad inventory.
Speech technology
Siri, Alexa, and other voice assistants are a goldmine that is still largely unlocked for marketers. They can “send” an ad or branding message simply by responding to a user’s request.
Voice search is becoming increasingly popular. In 2019 and 2020, nearly 40% of US internet users – a third of the total population – used the tool, and that number is expected to keep growing.
As a result, voice search and conversational AI are having a serious impact on SEO and drawing more attention to VSEO.
“Implementing a voice search strategy isn’t just about staying relevant – it’s also about creating a unique and streamlined customer experience that fosters relationships and strengthens brand loyalty,” said the Digital Marketing Institute.
Voice search isn’t just about branding, however. It is primarily about efficiency and better optimization.
Voice queries have their peculiarities: They are longer than text searches, use longer keywords and are usually similar to a complete question (“How to buy a ticket NY to LA” vs. “NY-LA ticket”). In addition, as a result of a search, a user only receives the top result. The rising popularity of VSEO means marketers are more motivated to be # 1 in a search rather than content with customers finding a link to their website elsewhere on page one of search results.
Given all of these factors, the competition in SEO and online advertising is getting tougher.
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The wider use of technology, the transition of every type of business to the online market, and the automation of routine processes are the goals of advertising.
Advertising trends are driven by cutting edge technology, ad tech tools, the increase in online videos and AI algorithms. If advertisers are to become competitive in the next decade, they must employ the right mix of technologies and carefully plan their investments in new ad formats.
Additional resources on ad technology trends
CTV scale is there, so where are B2B advertisers?
The hopes and expectations of eight ad tech innovators for 2021
How to Reach Families With On Demand Videos: Charles Gabriel on Marketing Smarts [Podcast]
