SmallBusinessNewz

A recent study shows some noteworthy stats about consumer preference when it comes to different forms of online advertising. Hightlights include:

- 25% of respondents more likely to click on simple text ads

- 20% for right banner ads

- 12% for top banner ads

- 11% for video ads

The study seeems to try and dispell the notion that video advertising is worth the time and money for businesses. This is pretty much the opposite of what I've been saying. What should be taken into consideration here, however, is that iPerceptions seems to be referring to clickable video ads, whereas I tend to favor videos in more of a viral sense.

If you are looking for instant gratification in the form of clicks, than these stats probably hold more meaning, but that doesn't mean that you should forget about videos, because there is no question that they are a better branding tool. I dont' have any hard data for this, but I would go so far as to say that you could almost reverse the order of these stats when it comes to branding. I happen to think the more visual an ad is, the more likely it is likely to stick with the viewer and leave a lasting impression. Text ads, being the least visual, are probably not going to leave an impact in the minds of the audience the way a viral video or even a banner ad ( as I have discussed before) will.

I'm not saying don't use text ads. All of the aforementioned varieties of advertising can be effective if executed well, and they certainly all have their merits. Perhaps you should evaluate just what you are hoping to achieve with each one though. Branding or clicks? Keep in mind the whole "garbage clicks" issue comes into play as well. Clicks are great, but they're not everything. A brand is invaluable.

Brands stick around. Brands survive. Brands are remembered.