The Beginner’s Guide to Rich Media Ads

I was recently scrolling online and came across an ad for Narcos. While I can easily ignore most of the online banner ads, this one stood out. It contained interesting videos and animations.

This was a prime example of rich media ads. A rich media ad is a great, modern ad format that marketers should consider.

In fact, rich media ads outperform standard banner ads by 267%.

With statistics like this, it’s time to take your ads into the 21st century.

The following explains what rich media ads are and how they differ from other ad formats. Then we’ll review how to create one for your business and look at a few examples to inspire your own ad campaigns.

Rich media ads typically take a lot more time, effort, and capital to create. Why Do People Use Rich Media Ads?

Rich media ads are engaging and dynamic in a way that other types of ads are not. They usually lead to more engagement, higher conversions, and a higher click-through rate.

Since a lot of people like me have banner blindness, it’s not easy to create an ad that your audience will want to interact with. Rich media ads are a great way to get a better user experience.

How do these differ from other ad formats?

Now you may be wondering “How do I create a rich media ad?” Here’s how to get started with rich media ads.

1. Decide on the strategy.

Before you can create a rich media ad, it is important to develop a strategy. Decide what you are promoting, how you want to reach the audience, and how best to get them involved.

In this first step, you determine what kind of creative assets you want. For example, do you use video? If so, what will the video contain?

In addition, you could think about how to make the ad interactive. Can people click another slide in your ad? What happens when they click on the ad? It is important to discuss and plan these elements before creating your ad.

2. Plan the creative assets.

Once you know more about your strategy, it is time to list the creative elements that you will need to implement it.

Then you’ll either want to film or look through stock footage if you’re not using your own images. This step includes either hiring actors, filming videos, taking photos, and writing text.

3. Use online tools.

At this point you have your strategy and assets ready. How do you create the ad?

If you don’t have a graphic designer on your team, you can use online tools to create a rich media ad.

For example, there is the Rich Media Gallery from Google. This website is where you can create sophisticated rich media ads for free. While there are ready-made templates available, you can also customize them using your own creative elements.

However, if you have a graphic designer, make sure to meet with them at the beginning of your process so they know what you are up to and can let you know if it is feasible.

4. Track and measure success.

When your ad is created, it’s time to run it. You can use rich media ads on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also include them in search engines.

Once you’ve started running your ads, don’t forget to track and measure your success. Hopefully you will see better results than your static display ads.

Now you may be wondering “What will that look like?” Let’s see some examples of rich media ads in action below.

Examples of rich media ads

1. Lincoln Aviator

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When Lincoln decided to create an ad for the new Aviator car, they wanted it to be interactive. If you click on this ad, you will be taken to a separate slide. This picture is an interactive guide to the functions of the car. You can click on different areas of the car to learn more about them.

This is a great example of how engaging and interactive rich media ads are. Audiences can click on the ad and learn more about the car without being taken to a new webpage.

2. Jessica London

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This Jessica London ad is another rich media ad that utilizes moving images. Moving images are a great way to make a static display more dynamic and engaging.

In addition, moving ads are noticeable in ways that static images are not. This is a great example of an easy way to take your ads to the next level.

3. Netflix Narcos

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This is the Netflix rich media ad that I talked about earlier. This ad features a unique video of the actors and is presented almost like a trailer.

If you then move the mouse over the picture, the audience will see moving pictures that rotate. If you click on the ad, you can also watch the latest trailer of the Netflix show. This is a great rich media ad that incorporates various media formats to keep the viewer engaged.

Rich media ads are an amazing way to connect and interact with your audience. In a time when audiences are banner blind, rich media ads are a great way to get your audience’s attention.