+1 Buttons on Google Display Network Ads
As of Oct 11 of this year, visitors of Google Display Network will discover a new feature Implemented by Google.
Indeed, the latter had announced, around a month before, that a new feature was coming, but so far it hadn’t been officially launched.
What is this new feature anyway?
Well the big difference is that since October 11th, users can see +1 buttons and annotations on display ads.
The aim for Google was to add another dimension to advertising, and include the notion of social cues and recommendations, which greatly factor in the decision-making process nowadays.
The great news for users is that they can recommend an ad to their friends and contacts with just one click! This allows them to make an active contribution in the rating and efficiency of an ad program, instead of being just passive actors towards whom the information is pushed.
As you all probably know, a recommendation from a friend is far more powerful and trustworthy than regular advertising on the Internet. This is the result of Web 2.0 technology, which allows everybody to give his/her contribution and become a decision maker when it comes to choosing the right product or service.
What is the outcome of clicking on the +1 button?
The aim here is to increase the chance for this ad to be displayed for your friends too. For advertisers, the positive outcome is that they have the opportunity to see their products and services go viral when using this new mechanism.
The +1 is available for:
- images
- animated GIF
- Flash
- Display Ad
- Builder ads
- Click Rich Media ads.
So, what is the impact of adding a +1 to your ad?
- Your ad receives a boost in the auction.
- Personal recommendations create a positive impact on other viewers.
- Boosts the click through rates
- Increases customer engagement (people will care to stop and take a look at the ad, because their friend – a trusted source- recommended it).
This new feature is not mandatory, of course. Advertisers are free to sign up or not depending on their strategy.
If, as an advertiser, you don’t wish to place this button on your display ads, you can easily opt out in adwords or adsense.
I would recommend you, however, to make the most of the opportunities given by Google to mix advertising and social media.
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