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BREAK
THROUGH THE CLUTTER WITH AUDIO BANNERS |
by:
Ronni
Rhodes |
"A horse
is a horse, of course, of course, his name
is
Mister Ed!" Do any of you remember that
silly jingle
from the television show?
That's not really important anyway. What
IS important
is that Ed, the talking horse, was quite
a phenomenon
back in the 60's. Ed talked, reasoned and
displayed
traits unlike any of his animal brethren.
There is a lesson here, of course. Millions
of people
watched Mr. Ed every week just because he
WAS
different. And that leads us right smack-dab
into a
discussion about your banner advertising
campaigns.
Those poor maligned banners. Once the darlings
of
Internet advertisers, they've really been
getting
bad-rapped lately due to their failure to
lure web
surfers into clicking-thru and creating
sales. But is
it the fault of the banners or have they
become so
ubiquitous that the surfer hardly notices
them? Why
don't we make those banners so inviting
and
entertaining that users won't be able to
click fast
enough?
I think that content providers are too focused
on
consumers as "sets of eyeballs." We need
to look at
these people first as users and, secondly,
as members
of our online audience. And audiences have
come to
expect advertising wrapped in a very entertaining
package. An essential part of that package
is
streaming audio.
Streaming audio has become a whole new industry
for
the Web. As more and more people listen
to music
online and web-based radio, advertisers
are taking
notice. These listeners, fondly called "streamies,"
are devoted Internet users and active online
shoppers. They are a valuable audience as
they're 70
percent more likely to have made an online
purchase
than a non-streamie. Arbitron Internet Information
Services says that streamies are quite ready
to accept
web advertising in exchange for free programming,
and
they're more receptive and influential targets.
How can we begin to use these statistics
to leverage
the effectiveness of banner ads?
Java based audio presentations can be fully
integrated
into your banner advertising. Why Java based,
you
ask? Most important is the fact that no
plug-in or
complicated player installation is required
on the
part of the viewer. (The "impulse to click"
is not
thwarted by the user having to take additional
actions.) The size of Java files are relatively
small
as well thereby minimizing the page load
issue. And,
because Java is cross platform, you can
be comfortable
knowing that the majority of visitors will
be able to
enjoy the presentation. Java is versatile
and works
well with almost any application.
What can be done with these banners? Audio
can be
synchronized with your banner images and
text to
deliver eye and ear pleasing messages. Slide
shows
can be placed within the banner. Relevant
product
information can be imparted quickly and
effectively
before the visitor is ever asked to click
through to
the website. Special offers and promotions
can be
referenced to entice the shopper. No longer
are
viewers merely spectators; they are active
participants.
Interactive audio banners provide the consumer
with
the ability to listen to more detailed information
and
even to initiate the buying function directly
from the
banner itself. This really helps to capture
that
"impulse" buyer right at the time he's most
anxious to
buy. Because it's interactive, a web visitor
can
directly respond to it.
The power of audio should not be underestimated.
People would still rather hear about something
than
spend time reading or sorting out passing
images.
Keep in mind that museums and other institutions
have
offered tours for years that are accompanied
by audio
scripts designed to educate the visitor
yet allowing
the eye to roam freely and absorb the creative
on an
individual basis.
Audio banners can also add a personal appeal
to the
visitor. Use the banner to tell a story
about the
product or service that invokes an emotional
response. Talk about the product's benefits
to the
consumer and how the product will improve
his
life/work/relationships. Use the banner
to whet
people's appetites for additional information.
Never
lose sight of the fact that people make
buying
decisions based on emotional reasons and
design your
banner presentation accordingly.
It is far too early for any of us to dismiss
the
banner ad as an idea whose time has past.
We have to
step back, take an objective view, and start
thinking
about how we can make them more than just
billboards.
As the Internet leaves its infancy and enters
the
"toddler" stage, we need to remind ourselves
that
we're still dealing with a new medium. And
that this
new medium is still largely unexplored.
About the Author
Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging,
an Internet
company that specializes in web site enhancement
utilizing streaming media technology.
With her
husband, Don, a broadcast engineer, they
work with
companies to incorporate streaming as
part of
successful and meaningful sales and marketing
programs.
Please direct all questions and comments
to:
Ronni@wbcimaging.com
520-742-5780
http://www.wbcimaging.com |
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