For internet marketers, the hardest challenge can often be to get users to notice advertisements in the first place. While targeted internet marketing campaigns are a great way to ensure that the probability of a consumer clicking on an advertisement is more than a standard banner, issues such as "ad fatigue" have made it harder for companies to get a response from their audience.
Indifference is usually the bane of most marketers as any reaction is a good way to create brand awareness and a positive one is the most preferred. But a new form of advertising is beginning to penetrate the market known as incentive advertising.
This form, essentially, offers a quick and tangible repayment for a consumer's time – an incentive for paying attention or reacting to a call to action. For example, many incentivized ads feature games that internet users can play to win some form of a prize, or to make a donation to a charity.
By drawing the consumer in with a reward for their time, they are more willing to click on an advertisement, or wait for a marketing video to play through, than if there was none.
"People go online with a purpose, and most forms of advertising, such as display and pre-roll, are disruptive and not additive to that experience," Jay Samit, CEO of SocialVibe, said in a press release on the topic. "The way to capture a consumer's real attention is to respect their time commitment through the value-exchange approach."
The source also found in a study that 91 percent of those that interact with incentivized advertising actively look for or pay attention to the message of the brand behind it.
Much like most of internet marketing, this technique is relatively new, meaning that many professionals are still experimenting with how to most effectively use it. But, by partnering with an experienced digital advertising agency, a company can effectively implement this technique in its small business internet marketing campaign.