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ADTECH China Marketing Digital Marketing Growth Marketing

A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Advertising, and User Growth for International Tourism Companies in China

As China continues to grow as a leading global market, international tourism companies are increasingly looking to tap into the vast potential of Chinese consumers. However, to successfully penetrate this market, it is crucial to understand the unique dynamics of Chinese digital marketing, content marketing, advertising, and user growth strategies. This comprehensive guide explores how international tourism companies can effectively localize their marketing efforts in China, with a focus on industry-specific strategies, real-world examples, and data-driven insights.

1. The Digital Landscape in China

Before delving into strategies, it’s essential to grasp the distinctive digital ecosystem in China. Unlike in Western markets, where Google, Facebook, and Instagram dominate, China has developed its own robust digital infrastructure. The primary players in the Chinese digital landscape include:

  • WeChat: More than just a messaging app, WeChat is a super-app used for social networking, payments, booking services, and much more. With over 1.2 billion monthly active users, WeChat is indispensable for any digital marketing strategy in China.

  • Alipay: Similar to WeChat, Alipay started as a mobile payment platform but has since evolved into a comprehensive lifestyle app with over 1 billion users.

  • Baidu: The primary search engine in China, equivalent to Google in the West, Baidu is critical for SEO and SEM strategies.

  • Weibo: A microblogging platform akin to Twitter, Weibo is widely used for brand awareness, user engagement, and influencer marketing.

  • Douyin (TikTok): The leading platform for short-form videos, Douyin is essential for capturing the attention of younger demographics.

  • Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book): A social commerce platform, Xiaohongshu is especially popular among Chinese consumers for product recommendations and reviews.

Understanding and leveraging these platforms is key to creating a successful digital marketing strategy in China.

2. Digital Marketing Strategies for International Tourism Companies

2.1. Website Localization

For international tourism companies, a well-localized website is the cornerstone of any successful digital marketing campaign in China. This process goes beyond mere translation; it involves adapting the website to cater to the cultural and technical preferences of Chinese consumers.

  • Language and Cultural Adaptation: Simplified Chinese is the standard, but more than language, content must resonate with Chinese cultural values. This includes using culturally relevant images, symbols, and narratives that appeal to local sensibilities.

  • Mobile Optimization: Given that most Chinese consumers access the internet via mobile devices, ensuring that your website is mobile-optimized is crucial. Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is less relevant here, while the focus should be on WeChat’s built-in browser compatibility.

  • SEO and Baidu: Unlike Google, Baidu’s algorithms favor websites hosted within China, written in Simplified Chinese, and compliant with local regulations. Incorporating Baidu-specific SEO strategies, including proper keyword usage and meta tags in Chinese, is essential.

Case Study: Booking.com

Booking.com provides a solid example of website localization done right. When entering the Chinese market, they localized their website content, optimized it for mobile, and ensured it was hosted within China. They also created a dedicated WeChat mini-program, enabling seamless mobile booking and payments directly within the app. This localized approach significantly improved Booking.com’s visibility and user engagement in the Chinese market.

2.2. Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms in China are integral to digital marketing, offering unique opportunities for tourism companies to engage with potential travelers.

  • WeChat Official Accounts: Creating an official WeChat account allows tourism companies to post updates, share content, and directly engage with followers. Through WeChat’s mini-programs, companies can also facilitate bookings, provide customer service, and offer promotions.

  • Weibo Marketing: Weibo’s open network allows for broader brand exposure. Companies can leverage Weibo for content sharing, trend monitoring, and influencer collaborations to enhance brand visibility.

  • Douyin Campaigns: Douyin’s short-form video format is perfect for showcasing travel destinations in a visually appealing manner. Engaging users through challenges or hashtags can create viral content that significantly boosts brand awareness.

Case Study: AirAsia

AirAsia leveraged WeChat and Weibo to execute a comprehensive social media strategy in China. They used WeChat for personalized customer interactions and to offer exclusive promotions. On Weibo, they ran contests and collaborated with influencers to amplify their reach, successfully driving significant traffic to their booking platforms.

3. Content Marketing Strategies

Content marketing is an effective tool for educating and engaging potential travelers. However, the content must be carefully tailored to fit Chinese tastes and consumption habits.

3.1. Storytelling with Localized Content

Chinese consumers are particularly receptive to narratives that reflect their values and aspirations. For tourism companies, this means crafting stories that resonate with themes of family, luxury, tradition, and modernity.

  • Cultural Relevance: Content should highlight aspects of your destinations that appeal to Chinese tourists, such as unique cultural experiences, luxury offerings, or famous landmarks. Incorporate Chinese holidays and travel trends into your content calendar.

  • Visual Content: Chinese consumers favor visual content, so high-quality images and videos should be central to your strategy. Platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu thrive on visually appealing, short-form content that is easily shareable.

Case Study: Marriott International

Marriott International has excelled in content marketing by creating localized stories that cater to Chinese travelers. They launched campaigns featuring popular travel destinations like Bali and Tokyo, with content focusing on luxury experiences and family vacations, aligning with Chinese travelers’ preferences. They also utilized Xiaohongshu for influencer partnerships, where influencers shared their experiences at Marriott hotels, driving engagement and bookings.

3.2. User-Generated Content (UGC)

Chinese consumers place a high level of trust in peer recommendations, making user-generated content a powerful tool for tourism marketing.

  • Encouraging UGC: Promote campaigns that encourage users to share their travel experiences on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Weibo. Offering incentives such as discounts or features on official channels can motivate users to contribute.

  • UGC Curation: Curating and sharing UGC on your official platforms can enhance credibility and provide authentic insights into your offerings.

Case Study: Trip.com

Trip.com effectively harnesses UGC by encouraging travelers to share their experiences on Xiaohongshu. They run campaigns where users can post reviews and photos of their trips, with the chance to be featured on Trip.com’s official account. This strategy not only boosts engagement but also builds trust among potential travelers.

4. Advertising Strategies for Tourism in China

In China, digital advertising is essential for reaching a wider audience, but it requires a nuanced approach to be effective.

4.1. Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising allows for automated, real-time bidding on ad inventory across various platforms, ensuring targeted ad placements that reach the right audience.

  • Baidu Advertising: Baidu offers various programmatic advertising options, including display ads, native ads, and search ads. By leveraging Baidu’s data on user behavior, companies can target ads more effectively.

  • Tencent Ads: Through Tencent’s advertising platform, companies can place ads across WeChat, QQ, and other Tencent-owned properties. These ads can be highly targeted based on demographics, interests, and behavior.

Case Study: Expedia

Expedia has successfully used programmatic advertising in China by partnering with Baidu and Tencent. They ran targeted campaigns on Baidu using search and display ads, focusing on users searching for international travel. On WeChat, they used personalized ads to reach users based on their travel interests, driving significant traffic to their mobile booking platform.

4.2. Video Advertising

With the rise of video consumption, particularly on platforms like Douyin and Youku, video advertising has become a crucial component of digital marketing in China.

  • Short-Form Video Ads: Douyin’s short-form video ads are highly engaging and can quickly capture the attention of users. Tourism companies can create immersive videos showcasing destinations, itineraries, or travel experiences.

  • OTT Advertising: Over-the-top (OTT) advertising on platforms like iQIYI and Youku allows brands to reach consumers through smart TVs and mobile devices. These ads are particularly effective for reaching affluent, tech-savvy consumers.

Case Study: Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board used video advertising on Douyin to promote Singapore as a top travel destination. They created a series of short, engaging videos that highlighted Singapore’s unique attractions, culture, and culinary experiences. The campaign was highly successful, generating millions of views and significantly boosting interest in Singapore among Chinese travelers.

5. User Growth Strategies in the Chinese Market

Achieving sustainable user growth in China requires a deep understanding of local consumer behavior, preferences, and digital habits.

5.1. Mobile-First Approach

China is a mobile-first market, and ensuring that your marketing strategies are optimized for mobile devices is crucial for user growth.

  • WeChat Mini Programs: WeChat mini programs are lightweight apps within the WeChat ecosystem that offer various functionalities without the need for a separate app download. Tourism companies can use mini programs for booking, customer service, and promotional activities.

  • Mobile Payments Integration: Integrating mobile payment options like Alipay and WeChat Pay into your digital platforms is essential. These payment methods are widely used and trusted by Chinese consumers, and offering them can significantly enhance the user experience.

Case Study: TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor has effectively adopted a mobile-first approach in China by integrating with WeChat and Alipay. They developed a WeChat mini program that allows users to browse and book hotels, restaurants, and attractions directly within the app.

They also implemented Alipay as a payment option, making transactions seamless for Chinese users. This mobile-first strategy has helped TripAdvisor increase its user base and engagement in the Chinese market, proving the importance of adapting to local mobile preferences.

5.2. Data-Driven Personalization

Personalization is a critical factor in driving user growth in China. Chinese consumers expect personalized experiences tailored to their interests and preferences, making data-driven marketing essential.

  • Behavioral Targeting: By leveraging data from WeChat, Alipay, and other platforms, tourism companies can create highly targeted marketing campaigns. This involves analyzing user behavior, such as browsing history, purchase patterns, and social interactions, to deliver personalized recommendations and offers.

  • AI and Machine Learning: Implementing AI and machine learning algorithms can help tourism companies predict user behavior and automate the personalization process. This allows for real-time adjustments to marketing strategies, ensuring that users receive the most relevant content and offers.

Case Study: Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels has effectively used data-driven personalization to grow its user base in China. They employed AI-driven marketing automation tools to analyze user data and deliver personalized offers to their customers. For example, Hilton used behavioral data to recommend specific hotels and travel packages based on users’ past searches and bookings. This personalized approach significantly increased engagement and conversions, demonstrating the power of data-driven marketing in the Chinese market.

5.3. Community Building and Engagement

Building a loyal community of users is essential for sustained growth in China. Chinese consumers value community and social interaction, making it crucial for tourism companies to foster a sense of belonging among their users.

  • WeChat Groups and Communities: Creating and managing WeChat groups dedicated to specific interests or destinations can help tourism companies engage with their audience on a deeper level. These groups allow for direct communication, feedback collection, and the sharing of exclusive content and promotions.

  • Loyalty Programs: Implementing loyalty programs that reward repeat customers can enhance user retention and encourage word-of-mouth marketing. These programs can be integrated into WeChat or mobile apps, allowing users to easily track and redeem their rewards.

Case Study: Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific has successfully built a strong community in China through its WeChat platform. They created exclusive WeChat groups for frequent flyers, offering members access to personalized travel advice, special promotions, and early access to sales. Additionally, Cathay Pacific’s loyalty program, which is integrated into their WeChat mini program, allows members to earn and redeem points seamlessly. This community-centric approach has helped Cathay Pacific cultivate a loyal customer base in China.

6. Overcoming Challenges in the Chinese Market

Despite the immense opportunities, international tourism companies face several challenges when entering the Chinese market. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for success.

6.1. Regulatory Compliance

China’s regulatory environment is complex and constantly evolving. International companies must navigate a range of regulations, from data privacy laws to advertising standards.

  • Data Localization: China’s cybersecurity law requires that personal data collected from Chinese users be stored within the country. International companies need to ensure compliance with these regulations by hosting data on local servers.

  • Content Censorship: The Chinese government strictly controls online content, and companies must be cautious about the content they publish. Content that is politically sensitive, culturally inappropriate, or violates local norms can lead to fines, platform bans, or reputational damage.

Case Study: Airbnb

Airbnb faced significant challenges with regulatory compliance when entering the Chinese market. To comply with local laws, Airbnb agreed to store user data on local servers and share it with Chinese authorities upon request. They also implemented strict content moderation to ensure that listings and user reviews adhered to Chinese regulations. While these measures were necessary for market entry, they also required Airbnb to adapt its global practices to align with local standards.

6.2. Competition from Domestic Players

The Chinese market is highly competitive, with strong domestic players that have a deep understanding of local consumer behavior. International companies must find ways to differentiate themselves and compete effectively.

  • Local Partnerships: Partnering with local companies can provide international brands with valuable market insights and help them navigate the competitive landscape. These partnerships can also enhance credibility and trust among Chinese consumers.

  • Innovation and Differentiation: To stand out, international tourism companies must offer unique experiences or services that domestic competitors cannot easily replicate. This could involve leveraging global expertise, offering exclusive international travel packages, or introducing innovative technologies.

Case Study: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines successfully differentiated itself in the Chinese market by focusing on innovative customer service. They were one of the first international airlines to offer customer support via WeChat, providing real-time assistance and personalized services to Chinese travelers. KLM also partnered with local travel agencies to offer exclusive European travel packages tailored to Chinese preferences. This combination of innovation and local collaboration helped KLM establish a strong presence in the competitive Chinese market.

6.3. Cultural Differences

Cultural differences can pose significant challenges for international tourism companies, particularly in areas such as communication, customer service, and marketing.

  • Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respecting Chinese cultural norms is crucial for building trust and rapport with consumers. This includes being aware of cultural taboos, preferences, and expectations in both marketing and customer interactions.

  • Localized Customer Service: Providing customer service that meets the expectations of Chinese consumers is essential. This may involve offering support in Mandarin, understanding local payment methods, and accommodating cultural preferences in service delivery.

Case Study: Disney Resorts

Disney Resorts encountered cultural challenges when opening Shanghai Disneyland. Initially, some of the park’s offerings did not resonate well with local visitors, who found them too Westernized. Disney quickly adapted by introducing more culturally relevant experiences, such as incorporating Chinese holidays and traditions into the park’s programming. They also trained staff to provide service that aligns with Chinese hospitality standards. These adjustments helped Disney overcome initial cultural barriers and achieve success in the Chinese market.

7. Measuring Success and Optimizing Strategies

To ensure the effectiveness of digital marketing, content marketing, advertising, and user growth strategies in China, it is essential to continuously measure success and optimize efforts.

7.1. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Defining and tracking relevant KPIs is critical for evaluating the success of marketing campaigns in China. Common KPIs for tourism companies may include:

  • Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as booking a trip or signing up for a newsletter.

  • Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The cost of acquiring a new customer, which should be optimized to ensure a profitable return on investment.

  • Engagement Rate: The level of interaction with content, including likes, shares, comments, and video views, which indicates how well the content resonates with the audience.

  • Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS): The revenue generated from advertising campaigns relative to the amount spent, which helps assess the effectiveness of ad placements and targeting.

Case Study: Accor Hotels

Accor Hotels uses a data-driven approach to measure the success of its digital marketing efforts in China. They track KPIs such as conversion rates, CAC, and ROAS to optimize their campaigns continuously. By analyzing these metrics, Accor can identify underperforming areas and make data-backed adjustments to their marketing strategies, ensuring they achieve their business objectives in the Chinese market.

7.2. A/B Testing and Continuous Optimization

A/B testing is a valuable method for optimizing digital marketing campaigns in China. By comparing different versions of ads, landing pages, or content, companies can identify what works best for their audience and make informed decisions about future strategies.

  • A/B Testing on WeChat: Testing different versions of WeChat ads or mini-program features can help determine which approach drives the highest engagement and conversions.

  • Content Optimization on Douyin: Testing various video formats, lengths, and content styles on Douyin can reveal what resonates most with viewers, allowing for continuous improvement of video marketing efforts.

Case Study: China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern Airlines uses A/B testing to optimize its WeChat marketing campaigns. They test different ad creatives, targeting options, and promotional offers to see which combinations yield the best results. Through continuous A/B testing, China Eastern has been able to refine its marketing strategies, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.

8. Conclusion: Strategic Recommendations for Success

Entering the Chinese market requires a well-planned and localized approach, especially in the competitive tourism industry. By understanding the unique digital landscape, leveraging local platforms, and adopting culturally relevant strategies, international tourism companies can effectively connect with Chinese consumers and drive business growth.

Here are some strategic recommendations for international tourism companies looking to succeed in China:

  • Invest in Localization: Ensure that all digital assets, from websites to marketing materials, are fully localized to meet the preferences and expectations of Chinese consumers. This includes language, cultural relevance, and mobile optimization.

  • Leverage Local Platforms: Focus on Chinese platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu for social media marketing, content distribution, and advertising. These platforms offer the best opportunities for reaching and engaging with your target audience in China.

  • Adopt a Data-Driven Approach: Use data analytics to inform your marketing strategies and personalize user experiences. Continuously monitor KPIs and optimize campaigns based on data-driven insights.

  • Foster Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local companies, influencers, and agencies to enhance your market presence and credibility. Local partnerships can provide valuable insights and help navigate the complexities of the Chinese market.

  • Embrace Innovation: Stay ahead of the competition by adopting innovative marketing techniques, such as AI-driven personalization, programmatic advertising, and immersive video content. Experiment with new technologies and platforms to differentiate your brand.

  • Understand and Respect Cultural Differences: Pay close attention to cultural nuances in communication, customer service, and marketing. Tailoring your approach to align with local customs and expectations is essential for building trust and loyalty among Chinese consumers.

  • Commit to Compliance: Stay informed about the latest regulatory requirements in China, particularly around data privacy and content standards. Ensure that your business operations, data storage, and marketing practices are fully compliant with Chinese laws to avoid legal issues and maintain a good reputation.

9. Future Trends in Digital Marketing for the Chinese Tourism Industry

As the digital landscape in China continues to evolve, it’s important for international tourism companies to stay ahead of emerging trends. By anticipating and adapting to these trends, companies can maintain a competitive edge in the Chinese market.

9.1. The Rise of Metaverse and Virtual Tourism

The concept of the metaverse is gaining traction in China, with major tech companies like Tencent and Alibaba investing heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. This trend presents new opportunities for tourism companies to create immersive travel experiences.

  • Virtual Tours: With VR, potential travelers can explore destinations virtually before booking their trips. This not only enhances the user experience but also helps in converting leads into bookings by providing a tangible preview of the travel experience.

  • Metaverse Partnerships: Partnering with metaverse platforms can allow tourism companies to create branded virtual spaces where users can interact with their offerings. For example, a hotel chain could create a virtual hotel in the metaverse where users can “stay” and explore, offering a taste of the actual experience.

Case Study: Marriott International

Marriott International has begun exploring the possibilities of virtual tourism by launching VR experiences for potential guests. Users can take virtual tours of Marriott properties, experiencing the rooms, amenities, and surroundings in an immersive way. This not only serves as a powerful marketing tool but also aligns with the growing trend of digital interactivity in China.

9.2. AI-Powered Customer Interactions

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role in customer interactions in China. AI-powered chatbots, voice assistants, and recommendation engines are becoming commonplace, offering personalized and efficient service to customers.

  • Chatbots on WeChat: AI chatbots can handle customer inquiries 24/7, providing instant responses and assistance. They can also guide users through booking processes, recommend travel packages based on user preferences, and even upsell additional services.

  • Voice Assistants: With the rise of voice search in China, integrating voice assistants into customer service can enhance user experience. This is especially relevant for Chinese consumers who are becoming accustomed to interacting with digital services via voice commands.

Case Study: Ctrip

Ctrip, one of China’s leading online travel agencies, uses AI-powered chatbots to enhance customer service. These chatbots can answer questions, manage bookings, and offer personalized travel suggestions based on user data. The implementation of AI has significantly improved Ctrip’s customer service efficiency and user satisfaction.

9.3. Sustainable Tourism Marketing

As environmental concerns grow globally, sustainable tourism is becoming increasingly important to Chinese consumers, especially among younger generations. Tourism companies that emphasize sustainability in their marketing can attract environmentally conscious travelers.

  • Eco-Friendly Travel Packages: Promoting eco-friendly travel options, such as carbon-neutral flights or accommodations that use renewable energy, can resonate with Chinese consumers who are concerned about the environment.

  • Sustainability Content: Sharing content that highlights your brand’s commitment to sustainability, such as partnerships with conservation organizations or efforts to reduce the environmental impact of tourism, can enhance your brand image.

Case Study: TUI Group

TUI Group, a global leader in tourism, has embraced sustainable tourism as a key part of its strategy in China. They promote eco-friendly travel packages and have partnered with environmental organizations to offset carbon emissions from their tours. By emphasizing their commitment to sustainability, TUI has been able to attract a segment of Chinese consumers who prioritize responsible travel.

10. Conclusion: The Path Forward for International Tourism Companies in China

China’s tourism market offers immense potential for international companies, but it requires a deep understanding of the local digital landscape, consumer behavior, and cultural nuances. By adopting a localized approach to digital marketing, content marketing, advertising, and user growth, international tourism companies can successfully navigate the complexities of the Chinese market and achieve sustainable growth.

The key takeaways for success in China include:

  1. Embrace Localization: Tailor every aspect of your marketing strategy to align with Chinese preferences, from language and content to platform selection and payment methods.

  2. Leverage Data: Utilize the wealth of data available from Chinese platforms to drive personalization and optimize your marketing efforts in real time.

  3. Engage with Local Platforms: Focus on Chinese social media and e-commerce platforms to reach and engage with your target audience effectively.

  4. Build Trust Through Compliance: Ensure that your operations are fully compliant with Chinese regulations to avoid legal issues and build trust with consumers.

  5. Differentiate Through Innovation: Stay ahead of the competition by embracing new technologies and innovative marketing techniques that resonate with Chinese consumers.

  6. Respect Cultural Differences: Understand and respect the cultural differences that influence consumer behavior in China, and tailor your approach accordingly.

As the Chinese tourism market continues to evolve, international companies must remain agile and responsive to emerging trends and challenges. By continuously refining their strategies and staying informed about local developments, tourism companies can unlock the full potential of the Chinese market and establish a strong, enduring presence.

Keywords and SEO Considerations

To ensure that this article ranks well on both Google and Bing, it’s important to incorporate relevant keywords and follow SEO best practices. Here are some suggested keywords and phrases:

  • China digital marketing

  • Chinese tourism market

  • Content marketing in China

  • Advertising strategies in China

  • User growth in China

  • Localizing for Chinese consumers

  • WeChat marketing

  • Douyin advertising

  • Chinese social media platforms

  • Regulatory compliance in China

  • AI in Chinese tourism

  • Sustainable tourism in China

In addition to incorporating these keywords, it’s important to:

  • Use Headers and Subheaders: Organize the content with clear headers and subheaders to improve readability and SEO.

  • Optimize for Mobile: Ensure that the content is easily readable on mobile devices, as mobile usage is prevalent in China.

  • Include Internal and External Links: Link to relevant articles, case studies, and industry reports to provide additional value and context to readers while boosting SEO.

  • Use Alt Text for Images: If including images, use descriptive alt text to improve accessibility and SEO.

By following these guidelines, this article can effectively reach and engage decision-makers and marketing professionals in the international tourism industry who are looking to enter or expand in the Chinese market.

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ADTECH China Marketing Marketing

What are Advertisers’ Favorite Advertising Formats in China?

What are Advertisers’ Favorite Advertising Formats in China?

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发布时间:2024-07-15   作者:

Due to the distinct software usage habits of Chinese consumers, email advertising, which garners significant attention in overseas markets, simply doesn’t work in China. The reason is straightforward: unless for work or travel bookings like flights, trains, or hotels, Chinese consumers rarely check their emails. Therefore, to advertise in China, it’s wise to observe how local and international advertisers, who have been in the Chinese market for years, place their ads. This article will introduce the most favored advertising formats among advertisers in the Chinese market, along with the corresponding media resource.

According to CNNIC statistics, as of June 2023, the scale of mobile phone netizens in China reached 1.076 billion people, with 99.8% of netizens using mobile phones to access the internet. The extremely high coverage rate of mobile terminals among netizens determines that mobile advertising is an inescapable topic in the battle for online attention. Currently, 96.7% of enterprises place ads on mobile platforms, 46.7% on PC platforms, and 13.3% on OTT platforms. It can be said that mobile advertising has become a battleground for advertisers to attract traffic and capture user attention.

Drilling down to ad types, according to the “2023 China Online Advertising Market Research” released by the research consulting institution iResearch platform, 90% of enterprises consider information stream ads as one of the main types of advertising, making it the most mainstream form of advertising. Search ads come in second with an 83.3% share, followed by banner ads (56.7%) and splash ads (50%).

Believing that the above-mentioned large-scale advertising types in the Chinese market are not unfamiliar to foreign advertisers, YOYI will introduce to you the characteristics of these popular advertising types and which media have these resources.

Feed Ads

Introduced by Facebook, feed ads are also very popular in Chinese social media. Feed ads are widely present in the user friend dynamics of social media, information media, or audio-visual media, in the form of pictures, graphics and text, videos, etc., and can be targeted through tags, according to one’s own needs, choose to increase exposure, UV, or app downloads, etc. The following are common feed advertising platforms in China:

Information platforms include: Toutiao, Qutoutiao, Sohu, Phoenix, Yidianzixun, Zhihu, etc.

Short video platforms include: Douyin, Kuaishou, Momo, etc.

Social media platforms: Tencent QQ, WeChat Moments, etc.

Search Engine Advertising

Search engine advertising refers to advertisers determining relevant keywords based on the content and features of their products or services, writing advertising content, and independently pricing and placing ads. When users search for keywords placed by advertisers in search engines, the corresponding ads will be displayed (when there are multiple users purchasing the same keywords, they will be displayed according to the bidding ranking principle), and the advertiser will be charged according to the bid for that keyword when the user clicks, with no charge for no clicks.

Search engines commonly used by Chinese users include: Baidu, Sogou, 360, Google.

The famous Chinese social media platform WeChat has also launched a built-in search feature called “Search” and its corresponding ads can also be considered a form of search advertising.

Banner Ads

Banner ads are rectangular advertising spaces that span across web pages, apps, H5, and mini-programs at a fixed position, usually at the top or bottom, and are often in the form of pure images, pure text, or a combination of images and text. When users click on these banners, they are typically linked to the web pages, apps, or form pages that the advertiser wants them to visit.

In China, banner ad spaces are commonly found on popular media and information websites such as Toutiao and NetEase News. In addition, some commonly used video apps such as Youku, iQiyi, LeTV, and Mango TV also set up banner ad resources. During major promotional periods in China, such as the 618 promotion, some apps will also set up special banner ad spaces, such as Zhihu.

Splash Ads

Splash ads refer to static images, animated pictures, or video-style advertising materials displayed on the startup page of an app, with a fixed display time, generally 5-15 seconds. After the display is completed, it automatically closes and enters the main page of the app. Splash ads can incorporate interactive elements, such as touching the screen for interaction, rotating the phone to adjust the display form, and strategically guiding to further enhance the user’s advertising browsing experience and increase the desire to interact. The characteristics of splash ads include the quality of the position, full-screen display, strong targeting, mandatory exposure, and huge traffic.

Video apps such as Youku, iQiyi, LeTV, and Mango TV will set up splash ads. In addition, UGC social apps like Zhihu; learning apps such as Youdao and Youdao Cloud Notes; photo editing apps like Meitu Xiuxiu; travel-related apps such as Gaode Map, Ctrip, and Tongcheng, all have splash ads.

Video Ad Spots

Video ad spots, also known as video interstitial ads, are a popular form of advertising among fast-moving consumer goods advertisers and advertisers accustomed to traditional media. They often appear before, after, or at fixed time points during online video playback.

Video apps such as Youku, Tencent, iQiyi, Wasu, Sohu, LeTV, Fengxing, and Baidu Video all have video ad spot positions.

Incentive Ads

Incentive video ads refer to a form of advertising that integrates video ads into the APP application, combining video ads with the content of the APP application. Users can receive rewards for watching video ads.

Incentive ads are commonly seen in gaming apps, where players can earn rewards such as coins or points after clicking on and watching video ads.

Interstitial Ads

Interstitial ads refer to ads that pop up in specific interfaces and at specific times within an app, available in both full-screen and pop-up formats. They can be closed directly or after a certain period of display, and the ad revenue is considerable. This form of advertising has a strong visual impact and supports both image and video materials.

For example, in video apps, when users pause video playback, interstitial ads will pop up in full-screen or half-screen formats to convey advertising information to users. Some gaming apps may choose to pop up when users briefly stop gaming operations, cleverly avoiding affecting the normal user experience.

If you wish to efficiently and swiftly captivate Chinese consumers, you need to cautiously experiment with different advertising formats and find an effective and cost-moderate advertising combination. YOYI suggests that you could start with the most popular advertising formats, of course, based on the premise of selecting suitable creatives and content for your brand.

Measure

Measure

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ADTECH Digital Marketing Marketing

How Do We Monitor Advertising in China?

How Do We Monitor Advertising in China?

Blog

发布时间:2024-07-29   作者:

In China, the rapid development of the internet industry has become a thing of the past. Faced with increasingly precious traffic, brands and advertisers need to put in more effort to “explore” and manage. Advertising monitoring naturally becomes an indispensable part of the advertising placement industry chain. Through advertising monitoring, advertisers can understand the effectiveness of their placements and further optimize strategies to gradually improve the return on investment. This article will explore how advertising monitoring is implemented in the Chinese market and what the current state of advertising monitoring is like.

What to monitor?

In China, advertisers also focus on the exposure, clicks, and in-app interaction effects of advertisements.

Exposure Monitoring: Also known as “impression monitoring,” it is usually the channel vendors who pass the data back to the advertisers.

Click Monitoring: Monitoring the number of clicks, which can be collected by the advertisers themselves or passed back by the channel vendors through data transmission.

In-App Monitoring: Refers to the monitoring of behaviors/events within the APP, such as basic PV, UV, APP activation/registration/login, etc., and user retention on the next day, 7 days, 30 days, pay rate, ARPU value, etc. These data are generally collected through the integration of third-party monitoring companies’ SDKs within the app, and the interfaces provided by different apps will vary.

Advertising Monitoring Process

To monitor the effectiveness of advertisements, advertisers fill in the corresponding monitoring address when creating the smallest unit of an advertisement, which is the creative. The monitoring URL generally includes the following macros: creative ID or advertisement ID identifier, user device identifier, IP, UA, operating system, etc., and special ones may include CLICKID, CALLBACK.

The entire monitoring process can be roughly divided into three steps:

  1. Advertisers/ad agencies place advertisements with media outlets. When users browse and click on the advertisements, the media will report the data to the advertiser or a third-party advertising monitoring platform. Common third-party platforms include: Umeng, adMaster, and Miaozhen.

  2. After users click on the advertisement, they enter the landing page and participate in the advertising activities, such as downloading and launching the APP. After completing a series of operations, the APP uploads the user data to the advertising monitoring platform through the corresponding interface. Of course, other interactive media such as websites and H5 can also monitor the interaction data from the source of the advertisement through tracking codes and embedded points.

  3. After attribution through certain methods, the user’s relevant data will be associated with the channel merchant and ultimately fed back to the advertiser/ad agency.

Data Reporting Methods for Advertising Monitoring: SD& APIK 

Advertising data monitoring in China is mainly implemented through SDK and API methods. The technical principles of the two are the same, both collecting user information and transmitting it back to the monitoring platform’s server for comparison. For example, when a user clicks on an advertisement link with tracking parameters, the monitoring platform collects the user’s IP, operating system version, device model, and other information through the link and stores it.

If a user clicks on an advertisement and is redirected to the App Store to download and activate the APP online, the APP will also collect all the user information stored by the monitoring platform.

Then, by matching the information collected when clicking on the link with the information collected after downloading and activating, subsequent conversion and other indicators can be monitored.

The SDK method is simple, easy to use, and powerful. Media outlets integrate SDKs into their Apps, and after completing certain development work, they can meet the vast majority of the needs of third parties and advertisers, with high accuracy and real-time performance.

The API method is flexible, versatile, and applicable to both Apps and mobile web pages. However, it requires media outlets to undertake some development work in accordance with API monitoring standards. API monitoring is divided into two types: C2S (Client to Server) API and S2S (Server to Server) API.

C2S, or Client to Server, refers to the terminal issuing a request instruction to the order placement proxy server. After the terminal receives and completes the instruction, it sends the completed instruction to the third-party monitoring proxy server, which conducts accurate traffic monitoring through mutual counting. Under the C2S model, user actions are directly reported to the third-party monitoring platform’s server, ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of the data. Renowned brand advertisers such as AdMaster and Nielsen often prefer this method to ensure seamless traffic authenticity verification.

S2S, or Server to Server, refers to the terminal issuing a request instruction to the order placement proxy server and then sending the completed instruction back to the order placement proxy server, which in turn sends the data to the third-party monitoring proxy server. This design may affect the timeliness of monitoring data while protecting user privacy, as it requires additional steps. Media outlets sometimes opt for S2S as an alternative strategy due to concerns over data security and may not support C2S monitoring.

C2S is more accurate and can reduce media cheating, commonly used by brand advertisers, but C2S requires client releases for each monitoring, making the implementation more complex.

Click Monitoring Methods: Synchronous Monitoring & Asynchronous Monitoring

Synchronous monitoring integrates the monitoring code with the landing page link. When a user clicks on an advertisement, they first visit the monitoring link, jump to the monitoring company’s server, and then jump to the landing page. Synchronous monitoring ensures the immediacy of the monitoring but may affect the user experience. In addition, synchronous monitoring does not support the transmission of parameters such as IDFA.

Asynchronous monitoring, on the other hand, directly redirects users to the landing page after clicking on the advertisement, with the media server sending a monitoring request to the monitoring company’s server. The asynchronous mode ensures a good user experience, but data transmission may be delayed. Moreover, since the request is sent by the server, the visits collected by the monitoring company all come from the same IP segment. If the client is targeting a specific city, determining the region solely based on the IP can lead to significant geographical discrepancies.

Current State of Advertising Monitoring

The mainstream third-party advertising media monitoring tools in China are TrackMaster introduced by AdMaster and AdMonitor introduced by Miaozhen. However, some dominant media outlets refuse third-party monitoring:

  1. The first kind is top-tier vertical media, mainly out of concern for protecting their own data, fearing that clients obtaining the data will affect the media’s valuation and traffic value.

  2. The second kind is dominant internet platforms, which often provide their own developed monitoring tools to clients.

Brands and advertisers must monitor advertising to better understand the effects, prevent data fraud, and continuously optimize the media mix, timing, geography, and creativity using the data obtained. The choice of monitoring mode depends on factors such as the brand’s demand for traffic authenticity, user privacy protection, and system compatibility between both parties. As the market evolves, China’s advertising monitoring methods may continue to evolve to adapt to the ever-changing advertising environment.

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ADTECH China Marketing Marketing

Understanding the Unique Advertising Formats in China to Avoid Ineffective Advertising

Understanding the Unique Advertising Formats in China to Avoid Ineffective Advertising

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发布时间:2024-07-29   作者:

In the dynamic landscape of digital advertising, China’s advertising ecosystem has developed unique characteristics that set it apart from the global market. This article delves into specific advertising formats that are not commonly seen abroad but have gained significant attention in China. Furthermore, we analyze popular advertising strategies that have made a splash internationally but remain largely unknown in the Chinese market. By examining these differences, this article will help brands to better understand which advertising formats in the Chinese advertising market will be more conducive to business growth.

Elevator Advertising

China is one of the most populous countries in the world, with a high urban population density, especially in residential communities and commercial office buildings. Elevators, as a necessary facility in high-rise buildings, provide a high-frequency exposure opportunity for advertising as a large number of people pass through them every day.

The widespread application of digital advertising screens makes elevator advertising more dynamic and colorful, and even achieves precise push and interactivity, enhancing the attractiveness of advertising. Compared with traditional television, radio, or large outdoor advertising, elevator advertising has a relatively low cost and is more flexible in placement, which can be selectively placed based on specific attributes of the target audience. In addition, the space inside the elevator is relatively closed, and there are fewer interference factors in the display of advertisements. Passengers often have nothing to do when waiting for or riding in the elevator, which increases the attention and memory of the advertisement.

Advertisers can achieve precise placement after understanding the characteristics of the residents or office workers of the target building, including age, gender, occupation, and other information, and combine creative content with memorable points, using multimedia forms such as video and sound to improve the expressiveness and interactivity of elevator advertising. By using QR codes, NFC, and other technologies, online and offline connections are realized to guide the audience to further interact.

Splash Screen Advertising

Splash screen advertising is mainly used to display a previously cached advertising content (pictures, animations, videos) or re-requested advertising when an APP is opened. While displaying the advertising content, some preparatory operations of the application can also be done. The implementation process is not complicated and is more commonly used in mobile advertising in China.

Most foreign APPs are simple and direct. Users do not like to see an advertisement that is unrelated to the software after opening the APP, such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., which are all directly a logo screen. However, some domestic APPs are in a monopolistic position, and users have no choice. But too frequent advertisements will directly affect the user experience. If there is a splash screen advertisement that makes users wait for 3 to 5 seconds every time the application is launched, it will make people feel annoyed and may even uninstall the APP, so publishers need to reasonably set the number and interval of advertisements to balance revenue and user experience.

Some mobile apps in China with splash screen advertising include: CTV apps such as Mango and iQiyi; UGC social apps such as Zhihu; Knowledge apps such as Youdao and Youdao Cloud Notes; Photo editing apps such as Meitu Xiuxiu; Travel apps such as Gaode Map, Ctrip, and Tongcheng, etc.

Lock Screen Advertising

The implementation of lock screen advertising is relatively more complex, requiring a background service to listen to the system’s boot, unlock, lock screen, and other broadcasts to replace the system’s lock screen interface with advertising content. It also uses the notification bar, desktop widgets as advertising spaces, but all require the user to apply for authorization to disturb the user. With the update of the Android system, the management of background resident tasks will only be more stringent. Compared with other forms of advertising, such as TV and outdoor advertising, lock screen advertising has a lower cost and is easy to measure the effect, so it is favored by advertisers.

Chinese users spend a long time on the mobile Internet every day on average, and frequent lock and unlock operations increase the exposure opportunities of lock screen advertising. Chinese users have a relatively high acceptance of lock screen advertising, especially when it can provide some instant information or small rewards.

Foreign Google Play has strict policy constraints, in addition to applications specifically developed for the lock screen function, other applications are not allowed to provide advertising or features that profit through the device’s lock screen. Therefore, lock screen advertising is not common abroad.

When advertisers place lock screen advertising, they need to pay attention to designing simple and attractive advertising content to ensure that users can quickly grab attention before unlocking. At the same time, avoid designing advertisements that are too cumbersome or interfere with normal use, and control the frequency of advertising display to avoid causing user dissatisfaction.

Email Advertising

This article will also examine some advertising phenomena that have caused a sensation on the international stage but have not yet had a significant impact in China. Among them, email advertising, which is a favorite of foreign advertisers, finds it difficult to win the market in China for the following reasons:

Photo by Hack Capital on Unsplash

The popularity of social media

In China, social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, QQ, Xiaohongshu, and others are very popular. People are more inclined to use these platforms for communication and to receive information, rather than email.

E-commerce Ecology

China’s e-commerce ecosystem has developed rapidly, and consumers are more accustomed to receiving promotional information directly through online shopping platforms, which usually appear in the form of app push notifications or text messages.

Advertising Regulations

China’s internet advertising regulations have strict stipulations for email advertising, requiring senders to comply with relevant laws and regulations, which increases the operational cost and compliance requirements of email advertising.

User Habits

Chinese users generally rely less on email, and many may not check their mailboxes frequently, resulting in relatively lower open and conversion rates for email advertising.

Mobile First

Most of China’s internet users spend their time on mobile devices, and the email client experience on mobile devices is usually not as good as on PC, which also reduces the frequency of users receiving advertising through email.

Therefore, for advertisers, from the perspective of interactive effects, SMS advertising and mobile advertising in China can perfectly replace email advertising.

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ADTECH Digital Marketing Marketing

AI in Advertising: Everything You Need to Know

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Artificial intelligence, including generative AI, is used in advertising today to do everything from generate ad creative and copy to optimize ad budgets and predict advertising campaign performance. You can even use AI to scale up ad creative almost instantaneously or spy on your competition’s ad strategy.

In fact, modern advertising runs on AI…

Almost every ad you see online relies on AI to reach your eyes and ears in real-time. Today’s leading ad platforms, like Google Ads and Meta Ads, use AI to sell, target, and place ads micro-second by micro-second across vast ad network that span millions of digital destinations, apps, and experiences.

That means AI literally dictates who sees your ads and how much you spend to reach audiences on just about every popular ad platform out there.

(For example, Meta’s AI uses ad frequency and relevancy to determine the price and display rate of your ads on Facebook and Instagram.)

So, AI literally determines if your ads succeed or fail.

This creates a huge challenge—and a big opportunity—for advertisers.

First, the challenge…

Today’s AI-powered ad platforms give you the ability to run thousands of ad variations to micro-segmented audiences at scale. But human ad professionals aren’t equipped to take advantage of these superpowers. 

We can’t keep up with all the data generated by these platforms or process it fast and well enough to move the needle in our campaigns. And we simply don’t have the resources and bandwidth to create thousands of ad variations on the fly to test each and every moment.

And it shows…

Instead of unlocking our true potential in digital advertising, we launch a handful of simple campaigns with some basic optimization. These campaigns usually underperform.

Now, here’s where the opportunity comes in:

You don’t have to try (and fail) to keep up with AI-powered ad platforms on your own. You can actually use AI to help you…keep up with AI.

Today, advertisers have access to powerful, off-the-shelf AI tools that can do things like: generate nearly unlimited creative assets, micro-target audiences, scale up campaigns and budgets, conduct thousands of tests, and even run campaigns autonomously. 

So, let’s take a look at how to actually understand and adopt these tools in your own advertising.

What Is AI for Advertising?

You don’t need to know everything about AI to use it in your advertising—you just need to know these basics.

The best definition of AI comes from Demis Hassabis, founder of AI company DeepMind, which was acquired by Google. He says:

AI is the “science of making machines smart.”

That means making machines that can do intellectual tasks that humans can do. Tasks like: read, write, and understand text; see and identify objects; move around obstacles; hear and understand language; and sense the external environment.

Machines are able to do all of these things thanks to AI.

That’s because AI allows machines to learn. Unlike traditional technology, AI can actually detect patterns in data, then learn to make predictions from those patterns. It can then learn from its outcomes to make better and better predictions over time.

Once trained by humans, AI can go learn and improve on its own. The more data you give an AI system, the better it can learn and improve.

Whether you know it or not, you use AI dozens or hundreds of times each day.

Gmail and Google Docs use AI to understand what you’re typing, then predict what you want to type next. Every time you (and millions of others) use this feature, you train the AI to get better and better at predictive text.

Self-driving cars use AI to detect obstacles and drive safely. Every mile they drive gives them more data to improve their driving abilities.

Siri and Alexa use AI to understand voice commands and predict what responses make the most sense. Every time you talk to them, they learn to improve the quality of their responses.

In fact, AI isn’t just one technology. It’s an umbrella term that encompasses a range of smart technologies like these that can learn and improve on their own. Some AI technologies you might hear about are: machine learning, computer vision, natural language generation (NLG), natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, neural networks, and speech recognition. There are dozens of others, too.

You don’t need to know every term to be successful with AI. You just need to understand that AI-powered technology has the revolutionary ability to learn and improve on its own.

The ability to learn and improve on its own is why AI gives you a huge competitive advantage in advertising.

Why Do You Need AI for Advertising?

AI is an absolute must if you want to win in the new landscape of modern programmatic advertising.

Thanks to the internet and programmatic advertising, we now have the ability to reach consumers across hundreds of digital platforms. We also have the ability to target them based on hundreds and thousands of demographic and behavioral data points. We can even test hundreds or thousands of different ads to see what they respond to best.

Unfortunately, humans aren’t good at managing any of this.

Make no mistake, we’re great at being strategic and creative. This served us well in the Mad Men days of advertising, when a smart idea and clever slogan meant your ad campaign would succeed. Today, we are still integral to strategizing and creating unforgettable ads.

But we’re not good at the rest of it. We can’t analyze all the data we now have quickly enough to take action to improve campaigns. We can’t manage hundreds or thousands of ad, targeting, and budget variations to get the best results. And we certainly can’t find new customer opportunities in a sea of data.

AI can do all of these things and more. That’s why forward-thinking companies are using AI to:

  • Allocate advertising budgets, both across channels and audiences

  • Adjust advertising budgets automatically to hit KPIs

  • Find new advertising audiences and conversion opportunities

  • Build richer audience profiles

  • Determine and hit campaign goals

  • Gain insight into competitors’ ad spend, creatives, and strategies

  • Create ad copy

  • Create visual ad creative

  • Hyper-personalize ad messages and images to individual consumers

  • Hyper-personalize ad targeting

  • Predict ad performance before launching campaigns

  • And much more

Top Use Cases for AI in Advertising

There are dozens of use cases for AI in advertising—here are some of the most powerful ones.

There are literally hundreds of use cases for AI in advertising. Here are a handful of the most valuable ones that forward-thinking players in the advertising industry are using today.

Buy and Place Programmatic and Digital Ads

Today’s advertising relies on programmatic to target and deliver ads in real-time across the internet. AI is critical to the infrastructure that underlies advertising products on many platforms, though you may not always see it. Modern programmatic platforms often use AI to manage real-time ad buying, selling, and ad placement.

In fact, all digital advertising exchanges and platforms use artificial intelligence to regulate the purchase and sale of advertising in real-time. That includes programmatic exchanges, third-party networks, and advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

You won’t find these exchanges, services, and platforms revealing how their AI algorithms work anytime soon though. But that’s the point: Even behind the scenes, artificial intelligence dictates how your ad spend gets used, who sees your ads, and how effective your overall campaigns are. That means if you run paid advertising, you need to understand the terminology around artificial intelligence and ask the right questions about how the AI used by ad platforms may be affecting your spend.

A very basic example of this is:

Facebook advertising, specifically ad frequency and relevance score. These two numbers are key pieces of data that Facebook’s algorithms use-without human involvement-to dictate how much you pay and how your ads are displayed.

You might think showing your ad more frequently is good. But it’s not. As Social Media Examiner puts it:

Traditional advertising research has shown that optimal ad frequency is at least three exposures within a brand purchase cycle. Traditional advertising schools say that you need to “hit” your audience with the same ad as many times as possible. However, repeat exposure on Facebook might actually hurt your campaign.

That’s because Facebook’s algorithms take into account user feedback. If you show your ad too often, and it’s rated poorly by users, your relevance score may go down. “In most cases,” says Social Media Examiner, “the higher the frequency, the lower the relevance score.”

A high relevance score means your ad is more likely to be shown to a target audience than the other ads you’re competing with. That translates into better performance and lower costs.

In modern advertising, you need to try to understand the algorithm as much as you understand your audience.

Optimize Advertising Budget and Performance

Performance optimization is one of the key use cases for AI in advertising. Machine learning algorithms are used by commercially available solutions to analyze how your ads perform across specific platforms, then offer recommendations on how to improve performance.

In some cases, these platforms may use AI to intelligently automate actions that you know you should be taking based on best practices, saving you significant time. In other cases, they may highlight performance issues you didn’t even know you had.

In the most advanced cases, AI can automatically manage ad performance and spend optimization, making decisions entirely on its own about how best to reach your advertising KPIs and recommending a fully optimized budget.

In another case, there exists at least one platform that allocates ad dollars automatically across all channels and audiences, so human beings can focus on higher-value strategic tasks, rather than manual guesswork about what works and what doesn’t.

Your ad targeting matters just as much as, if not more than, your ad copy and creative.

Thanks to platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Google, you have a seriously robust set of consumer data with which to target audiences, both through desktop and mobile advertising. But manually doing so isn’t always efficient.

AI can help here. We know of at least a few AI systems that look at your past audiences and ad performance, weigh this against your KPIs and real-time performance data coming in, then identify new audiences likely to buy from you.

Create and Manage Ads for You

AI-powered systems exist that will actually partially or fully create ads for you, based on what works best for your goals. This functionality is already present in some of the social media ad platforms, which use some intelligent automation to suggest ads you should run based on the links you’re promoting.

AI tools today excel at generating all different types of marketing language, and that includes the short, punchy copywriting that often succeeds in digital advertising. These systems leverage natural language processing (NLP) and natural language generation (NLG), two AI-powered technologies, to write ad copy that performs as well or better than human-written copy—in a fraction of the time and at scale.

We often see brands have great success having their human copywriters work hand-in-hand with AI counterparts, with each refining the other’s copy and giving each other ideas. The result is something that’s better than human or machine ad copywriters can produce on their own.

Generate Ad Variations Automatically

Using AI, you can generate ad variations automatically. That means you can take a single ad, give it to an AI tool, and it will spin that ad off into a number of different variations. Those variations could include different ad sizes and formats to adhere to different platforms. Or, they may include different designs and creative based on all the various campaign ideas you and your team have come up with. 

No matter what variations you produce, one thing is constant:

You no longer need to do this type of work manually.

Generate Images and Videos for Ad Creative

AI is getting increasingly good at generating images and videos for your ads.

Popular image and video generation tools are wowing audiences online as people share stunningly creative, artistic, and photo-realistic results using off-the-shelf technology. In just a year or two, these tools have grown in sophistication by leaps and bounds. We’re quickly approaching a world where you no longer have to spend a huge amount of time, money, and energy creating breathtaking visuals that capture an audience’s attention.

Personalize Ads Based on What Motivates Consumers

With AI, you can actually highly personalize your advertisements based on what motivates consumers. AI solutions exist today that can understand the language and content that motivates different types of people, then automatically adjust your ad content to reflect those motivations.

For instance, User A may respond better to language that emphasizes discounts and value, while User B may respond better to language that gets them excited and joyful. AI can actually tell the difference, then tailor your generic advertising message in different ways to appeal to each of these users.

Predict the Effectiveness of Ads in Advance

AI’s predictive capabilities unlock a number of superpowers, including in advertising. Using AI trained on vast amounts of proprietary ad data, we can begin to predict how effective our ads will be before they even launch.

That’s because AI can extract signals from millions of successful campaigns, then apply these to new ones. In the past, we’d simply guess at what ad elements would appeal most to our target audience. Now, we have the ability to get far more predictive using AI.

Run Ad Creative and Messaging Tests at Scale

It’s likely you’ve run some type simple A/B test at some point in your advertising career. But with AI, we can do far more robust testing of ad creative and messaging—and we can do it at scale.

AI tools today allow us to test hundreds or thousands of ad copy and creative variations quickly and automatically. AI’s ability to handle data-intensive tasks at scale makes it a perfect complement to human advertisers who aren’t very good at this task.

The result?

AI can do testing at scale for us, then we can focus on using the insights from those tests to create better campaigns that resonate with more humans.

Spy on the Competition’s Ad Strategy

As an advertiser, you don’t operate in a vacuum. Even with a winning campaign, you still face stiff competition from the other advertisers trying to either reach your audience with unrelated offers or actively competing in your market. AI can give you a leg up when it comes to the competition.

AI tools exist today that allow you to essentially spy on your competitor’s ad strategy. These tools use AI to develop a full picture of which ads your competitors are running on which platforms, as well as how much they’re spending and what offers they’re promoting.

Analyzed in aggregate, this information can reveal exactly what your competitor is up to—and give you the insights you need to outmaneuver them.

Real-World Examples of AI in Advertising

AI advertising is reshaping how brands do business.

But AI’s potential in advertising isn’t just theoretical…

Forward-thinking brands are using the technology today to increase advertising productivity and performance.

Equipment Company Attracts Top Talent Using AI Advertising

HOLT CAT is a heavy equipment company that was interested in attracting talent across a specific line of business. Limited talent was delaying work for customers and slowing down new sales. HOLT CAT turned to AI to create an ad campaign that could attract talent quickly and effectively.

Using employee data and AI-powered ad platform AiAdvertising, HOLT CAT was able to personalize ad messages to appeal to top candidates for open positions. Using the tool, they were also able to get clarity on exact ROAS, and lower their cost per hire by 20%. Not to mention, the company hired 270 new people since the start of the campagin—and, on average, 40% of those hires report being influenced to join the company by the advertising.

One of World’s Largest Investment Firms Uses AI to Boost Ad Conversion Rates by 15%

Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment firms ($7 trillion in assets under management), turned to AI language platform Persado to conduct highly personalized advertising.

The company’s Vanguard Institutional business faces a heavily regulated advertising environment, and was only able to run ads on LinkedIn. Due to regulations of what companies could and couldn’t say in ads, the financial services ad landscape lacked easy ways to stand out.

Using AI from Persado, Vanguard was able to hyper-personalize its ads and test them at scale to see exactly what approaches resonated with consumers—a level of personalization and testing impossible without AI. As a result, the company saw conversion rates go up by 15%.

Ecommerce Company Gets 3,000% Return on Ad Spend Using AI

In one high profile example we covered, an AI advertising system helped an ecommerce company achieve a 3,000% return on ad spend—while reducing costs.

Entrepreneur Naomi Simson, a host on Shark Tank Australia, owns a company called RedBalloon, which sells gifts and experiences online (think: an experience-focused Groupon). She was spending $45,000 per month on ad agencies alone to run digital advertising for the brand. She was paying over $50 to acquire a single customer at the time.

Desperation drove her to investigate every possibility. She found an AI tool for advertising called Albert. The tool uses sophisticated AI to analyze ad campaigns, then manage targeting, testing, and budgets.

The tool was able to do things humans couldn’t. In one day alone, it tested 6,500 variations of a Google text ad and learned from the experiment. Over time, the tool was so effective at learning from data to improve performance that it skyrocketed RedBalloon’s return on ad spend. At one time, the company was getting a whopping 3,000% return on ad spend. They also cut marketing costs by 25% thanks to improved efficiency.

Top AI Advertising Tools

Here are some of the top AI advertising tools to look into for smarter, scalable ad campaigns.

So, which AI tools do you actually use to get real-world results?

There are literally thousands of them to explore. Here are just a few AI advertising tools and solutions you can start testing in your own ad campaigns.

Persado

Persado uses hyper-personalized AI generated content in ads to boost conversion rates across LinkedIn ads, Facebook ads, and other types of advertising and content creation.

Thanks to applying machine learning to their vast proprietary database, Persado understands what language resonates most with different types of consumers. Their solution then automatically personalizes your standard marketing and ad copy to tailor it to the language that motivates each user most.

The result?

Highly personalized ads that create significant uplift in performance (and revenue), because you’re speaking to consumers in the language they prefer—their own.

Emotiva

What if you could use artificial intelligence to measure someone’s attention and response to ads—just by analyzing their facial expression?

Emotiva uses proprietary machine learning to accurately measure emotions and attention levels. That means you can use AI to determine which ads are most effective based on how people actually feel about them and how they actually pay attention to them. It’s like cracking a secret code that tells you precisely what works and what doesn’t.

Pathmatics

Pathmatics uses AI to bring transparency and insight to advertising.

The tool shows you exactly how your ads perform across channels and gives you competitive intelligence about how your competitors’ ads perform, fueling ideas for effective creative and placement.

Using the Pathmatics’ AI technology, you can literally see exactly what ads your competitors are running in real time and get a complete picture of their ad strategy.

Omneky

Omneky is an AI ad platform that generates personalized ad content at scale.

Using this generative AI tool, you can generate thousands of optimized ads quickly, then precisely target each one to different audiences. Omneky can even determine which creative resonates most, so you can improve your ad content moving forward. The tool works with platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Celtra

Celtra automatically uses AI to generate variations of your ad creative at scale.

Celtra will take a single piece of creative you’ve produced, then spin off countless variations for different platforms, formats, and styles. This makes it easy to literally generate thousands of assets automatically.

(Seriously, if you’re creating variations of ads manually, you shouldn’t be.)

OneScreen

OneScreen uses AI for out-of-home ad delivery, targeting, and measurement. The company’s machine learning algorithm automatically optimizes which content and ads get shown to audiences, taking the guesswork out of out-of-home advertising.

GumGum

GumGum uses computer vision technology to learn from images and videos across the web, then help you place ads in the exact spots consumers will see them.

AiAdvertising

AiAdvertising is an AI-powered ad agency that takes the guesswork out of getting ROI from your ads. The company uses proven tools and strategies to help you maximize both budget and performance across your ad campaigns.

In turn, marketers and advertisers get more predictable, scalable, and effective campaigns, thanks to the power of human experts combined with intelligent machines.

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ADTECH Digital Marketing Marketing

Generative AI Advertising in Transforming the Ad Industry

The advertising industry has undergone significant change, with new technologies and strategies constantly emerging. One recent innovation that is causing a stir is generative AI advertising. This groundbreaking approach is revolutionizing the creation and delivery of ads, resulting in more personalized and captivating consumer experiences.

Generative AIis a groundbreaking tool that enables marketers and advertisers to create dynamic and interactive campaigns. These campaigns can adapt in real time according to user data and preferences. By leveraging artificial intelligence, brands can deliver highly targeted and relevant content. This content captures attention and generates meaningful results. 

This post will examine how generative AI advertising is revolutionizing the ad industry and explore the benefits it offers to advertisers and consumers alike.

What is Generative AI Advertising?

This tool uses AI technology to create and personalize ads. It employs machine learning algorithms to generate highly personalized ad content for individual users. This approach enables advertisers to create more engaging and relevant ads, increasing the likelihood of attracting and converting customers. Generative AI also helps optimize ad campaigns by automatically generating and testing variations of ads to find the most effective ones. With AI, advertisers can enhance their targeting capabilities and deliver impactful ads to their target audience.

Why Generative AI is Important in the Ad Industry

Generative AI presents a ground-breaking method for developing tailored advertisements based on unique tastes and interests. Using algorithms to evaluate data quality, advertisers can create advertising that appeals to specific target demographics. This technology increases the chances of converting consumers into customers by delivering more relevant and engaging content. Generative AI also helps companies save time and money while increasing the efficacy and efficiency of ad development. This innovative technology has the potential to transform the advertising sector by improving ad targeting and raising the overall effectiveness of marketing initiatives.

What is the Role of AI Targeted Advertising in Marketing?

AI-targeted advertising is crucial in modern marketing strategies. It uses artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze data and identify the most relevant audience for products or services. AI gathers information on consumer preferences, behavior, and demographics, allowing marketers to tailor advertisements to specific target groups. Generative AI advertising is essential but not meant to replace humans; it enhances their capabilities. AI provides reliable and accurate insights in real-time, improving return on advertising spend. This collaboration between humans and AI allows marketers to focus on strategic tasks requiring creativity and intuition while AI handles data analysis and marketing optimization.

What are the Benefits of Generative AI Advertising?

Here are some key benefits of this cutting-edge technology and how it can drive business success.

Improved Accuracy

Unlike humans, who can make mistakes when handling data, generative AI algorithms process and analyze vast amounts of information with precision and consistency. By relying on AI technology, advertisers can minimize errors and ensure that their data-driven marketing and advertising decisions are based on accurate and reliable insights. Additionally, humans have inherent biases that can unintentionally influence advertising strategies. Generative AI advertising eliminates this bias, allowing for a more objective and unbiased approach to targeting and engaging with the audience. 

Increased Efficiency

Artificial intelligence allows marketers and advertisers to automate and optimize advertising campaigns, saving time and resources. Generative AI algorithms analyze large amounts of data and create personalized and targeted ads that resonate with the target audience. It improves advertising effectiveness, leading to higher conversion rates and return on investment. With this amazing tool, marketers and advertisers can streamline processes, reach customers at the right time, and achieve better results.

Enhanced Creativity

Generative AI advertising offers enhanced creativity through machine learning and data analysis. This technology allows marketers to explore endless creative possibilities and stand out in a competitive market. By leveraging Generative AI, advertisers can create tailored ads that engage their target audience, leading to higher conversion rates and overall business success.

Personalization

Advertising can be tailored to each consumer’s tastes, interests, and behaviors with the help of generative AI. With this level of personalization, marketers may give their target audience more exciting experiences. Marketers and advertisers can improve their chances of grabbing the attention and interest of potential customers, which will result in improved conversion rates and sales, by presenting tailored adverts. Additionally, since customers value brands that recognize their particular wants and preferences, tailored advertising can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Real-Time Optimization

Unlike traditional advertising, generative AI continuously analyzes and adjusts based on insights from user behavior, allowing for the dynamic optimization of ad campaigns in real time. Advertisers can customize their messages and creatives based on their target audience’s preferences and interests at any moment. This level of customization increases the chances of engaging potential customers and maximizes the efficiency of advertising campaigns. With real-time optimization, generative AI ensures every impression counts and drives desired results, making it a powerful tool for advertisers looking to optimize their advertising efforts.

Cost-Effectiveness

This tool allows marketers and advertisers to create personalized and targeted ads at a lower cost. AI algorithms analyze consumer data and behavior to generate relevant advertisements, ensuring effective reach to the target audience. Furthermore, generative AI advertising enables real-time optimization, allowing marketers to refine and enhance ad campaigns based on performance data continuously. This increases the chances of success and minimizes the risk of wasting money on ineffective advertising strategies.

Improved Customer Experience

With Generative AI, it can change how advertisers and marketers connect with customers. One significant benefit is the improved customer experience. Generative AI analyzes customer data and preferences through AI algorithms and machine learning to create personalized ads. It improves client satisfaction, boosts conversion rates, and encourages repeat business. Advertisers can customize their adverts for specific consumers by offering pertinent and appealing material that speaks to their needs and interests. Long-term success and increased customer satisfaction result from this.

Public Perception

Generative AI positively impacts public perception. AI algorithms generate ads that resonate with the target audience, improving brand perception. Consumers feel connected to the brand when ads are tailored to their preferences. This fosters a favorable view of the brand and increases loyalty, engagement, sales, and revenue. This tool delivers highly relevant and engaging ads, enhancing the user experience and positively influencing public perception.

What are the Potential Risks in AI-Powered Advertising?

As AI-powered advertising continues to gain prominence in the digital marketing landscape, it is essential to be aware of the potential risks associated with this technology. Here are some of the potential risks in AI-powered advertising.

Ensuring Data Used for Model Training is Representative

Ensuring that the training data used for AI-powered advertising represents the real world. Results may be distorted, and prejudice may occur if the data is biased or unrepresentative. It may have detrimental effects on targeting particular demographics and the precision of the marketing and advertising strategy. To mitigate these risks, advertisers and AI developers must carefully curate and validate their training data to accurately reflect the diverse population and avoid perpetuating biases.

Legal and Ethical Concerns

AI algorithms can collect large amounts of personal data, raising concerns about its usage and consent. Discrimination and bias are also risks in AI-powered advertising. If algorithms are not adequately trained, they may perpetuate stereotypes or exclude certain groups. Transparency and accountability are also concerns. It is difficult to understand the decision-making processes of AI algorithms, raising questions about responsibility in case of legal or ethical problems. These risks emphasize the need for regulation and oversight to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI-powered advertising.

Lack of Control

With AI in charge of targeting and delivering ads, advertisers may need more control over ad placement and audience targeting. This lack of control can lead to ads appearing on irrelevant or inappropriate platforms, harming a brand’s reputation and wasting ad budget. Furthermore, AI algorithms continually evolve, posing risks of unintended consequences or biases in targeting. 

Brand Inconsistency

There is a risk of brand inconsistency in AI-powered advertising. AI algorithms analyze data and make decisions based on patterns and trends. However, they may need to accurately interpret the brand’s values, tone, and messaging. This can lead to advertisements that are consistently unclear or misleading for consumers. AI-powered advertising can also lack the human touch and creativity a brand needs to communicate its message effectively. Investing time in training the AI model to learn about appropriate branding and positioning is essential.

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