1 Creative Best Practices Tangible Impact, Inc. May, 2007.

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Creative Best Practices

Tangible Impact, Inc. May, 2007

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Agency Introduction

Tangible Impact, Inc – previously known as the AOL MN Performance Management team – has been successfully engaged in interactive marketing for more than 20 years, first as an AOL in-house creative services team and now as an independent interactive services agency.

We have an extensive and successful track record of rigorous single- and multi-variable, head-to-head creative testing, analysis and optimization for hundreds of interactive marketers.

As a direct result of our many years of testing, we’ve identified a number of actionable and cost-effective interactive marketing creative and copy best practices.

This presentation offers an introduction to our testing methodology, examples of testing with marketers, and our top copy & creative best practices, every one intended to help marketers drive interactive brand engagement and response.

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Each of these marketers has benefited from our interactive testing and best practices – achieving improvements in customer acquisition, sales, subscriptions, lead generation & downloads.

A Track Record of Success

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We create, test and optimize creative assets across the primary interactive marketing channels of display, search and email marketing.

Testing Methodology – Marketing Channels

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We help marketers test, learn and optimize decisions across 5 fundamental levels of interactive marketing:

Testing Methodology – Marketing Tiers

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Audience Segment Testing

Will you achieve a better ROI by spending to acquire a new customer, or by spending to encourage an existing customer to purchase again?

Of your High/Medium/Low customer segments, which is a more effective upsell online?

+14%

+9%

+5%

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Product Mix Testing

What does it cost to sell Product X online?

Which product in your line generates the best ROI online?

What is your ideal product mix to optimize online results? by revenue? by profit?

+4%

+2%

-6%

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Media Plan Component Testing

What is the relative effectiveness of each major property/publisher you are advertising with?

What is the relative effectiveness of each major inventory component (e.g., search vs. email inbox)?

+11%

+2%

-3%

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Pages & Pathing Testing

Do your ads lead consumers to the best converting page on your site?

Can abandon rates at points along the path be minimized, to maximize intended conversions?

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How do different calls-to-action impact conversion?

What imagery is optimal?

Which is more effective – inclusion or exclusion of price point?

Testing Methodology – Tiers – Creative & Copy

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During the initial engagement with a client, we develop tests that span the range from conservative to more aggressive departures from the control.

Tests along a spectrum can be characterized as:

Conservative (single- and multi-variable control improvements to design)

Moderate (major changes to components of design)

Aggressive (entirely new design)

The benefits of this approach include:

Minimizing risk

Maximizing immediate understanding of whether the assets need complete redesign or specific/subtle alterations. Steps for execution in subsequent rounds of testing are clarified.

Testing Methodology: Spectrum

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Control – Creative A

Creative I – duplicate of H with new headline

Creative J – change in animation, less time on “free 5-license”

Creative K – storyboard animation is removed. Main headline followed by 2 sub-headlines.

Creative L – alternate copy in the call-to-action

312% increase in CTR -- (.73% CTR)

149% increase in CTR -- (.44% CTR)

227% increase in CTR -- (.58% CTR)

310% increase in CTR -- (.73% CTR)

Creative M – changed size and position of logo; product shot, position of the product shot, position of headline and subheads

288% increase in CTR -- (.69% CTR)

Control baseline -- (.18% CTR)

Testing Example – Symantec – Conservative

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ORIGINAL SITE:

TEST #1:

Testing Example – AARP – Aggressive

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Creative & Copy Best Practices

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The sequence of elements in your creative will influence how consumers process and respond to it.

In horizontal/leaderboard units, performance will benefit from a left-to-right creative composition. Lead with an image, follow with the headline, and finish with a strong call-to-action.

In boxy units, the copy should be the first element seen, and it should always be followed immediately by the call-to-action.

Best Practice – Sequence Creative Elements

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Best Practice – Tower Treatments

Control Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Tower ad units present a unique challenge in that the page break often obscures the lower half of the unit - unless and until the viewer scrolls down the page.

This means that it’s best to concentrate all key ad elements in the top half of the unit.

Additionally, consider reiterating the copy and call to action in the lower portion of the banner.

And explore presenting a related, yet distinct, message in the lower half – giving you 2-for-1 utility from a single ad impression.

State Farm Test Results:

Test 1: increased CTR by 72% Test 2: increased CTR by 94% Test 3: increased CTR by 146%

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Keep the pop-up / banner background simple and clean, allowing the copy and call-to-action to easily stand out.

White backgrounds tends to work particularly well. Almost all colors contrast strongly with white.

Even if you choose to use a colored background, keep the core message in a high contrast tone. It’s the most important element in any ad, and it needs to be the first one seen.

Avoid the temptation to have textured, segmented or overly patterned backgrounds. While it may look interesting, it often makes it extremely difficult to absorb the content of the creative.

Best Practice – Color Contrast

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Keep the logo prominent and persistent to reinforce brand identity.

Keep the brand name within the copy to reinforce message association.

Position the logo on the left of horizontal units, toward the bottom of boxy units and toward the middle or bottom of tall units.

Leverage brand mascots/icons to further reinforce the brand identity.

Best Practice – Leverage Logos & Brands

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Best Practice – Unbranded Alternative As an effective alternative, consider a product- or benefit-focused message, forgoing brand and logo.

An “unbranded” approach may perform well when a brand is relatively unknown or is regionally recognized.

Unbranded ads can also work well when purchase decisions are heavily based on product attributes (e.g., destination, APR, compatibility) or price.

Consider omitting the brand in small ad units, where the inclusion of brand elements may crowd-out the copy and call-to-action.

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Inclusion of an image can often enhance response.

Response will vary from one image to another, so testing of this creative component is warranted.

People/lifestyle images often outperform product images, especially in broadreach placements.

Product images do best in highly contextual placements.

All images should be instantly recognizable.

Best Practice – Influence with Imagery

Top Performing Image:

42% increase in bookings

Original Control

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Asking a question invites response, especially in the interactive environment.

Ask a question that evokes a personal need, fear or desire. Emotion produces response.

Pose a problem, inviting the click to reveal the solution.

Present a multiple choice question, compelling the member to select from several responses.

Remember: The best questions will set the stage for how you and your product will benefit the consumer. How can you address their needs or immediate desires?

Best Practice – Ask & Answer

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Sentence completion scenarios create a natural, logical flow from the headline message to the call-to-action.

To complete the message you’re communicating, the consumer must engage with the ad, through the call-to-action.

This technique works best when you can present a highly relevant set of resolutions, via an HTML list-box, to the headline statement.

Alternately, you can funnel the consumer to a single resolution, via an HTML dropdown.

Best Practice – Complete the Sentence

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With a considerable amount of copy, it’s best to break it up into two components on the same frame – a headline and a subhead.

A short headline piques interest and is then reinforced with a more elaborate message.

Alternately, the headline and subhead can act independently – with the main message being associated with the primary call-to-action and the subhead presenting a separate offer & catalyst to click through.

Best Practice – Headline & Subhead

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Because consumers are accustomed to passive forms of advertising (e.g., print, TV, radio), in which interaction with your brand is not an option, remind them that they can engage with your product through the ad.

Use an easy and contextually appropriate action verb (e.g., click, get, view, search, tell) as opposed to more arduous verbs (e.g., register, enroll, learn).

Position the call-to-action in the lower-right corner of a rectangular banner or immediately below the headline in a tower ads.

The call-to-action should be present in every frame.

Best Practice – Call-to-Action

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In dropdowns, the first listing should offer a “payoff” for the headline – presenting a selection that is of immediate relevance to the idea or problem highlighted by the ad copy.

Limit number of choices in your dropdown (2-4 works best) and always offer a “catch-all” listing as the final option – e.g, “See all products”

In listboxes, present a range of 3 options that encapsulate the most popular or likely choices a person would make. Then include a 4th “catch all” listing.

Make sure to pair your dropdown with a “go” button or similar call-to-action. There’s no need to do so with a listbox.

The call-to-action should be present in every frame.

Best Practice – Dropdown/Listbox Call-to-Action

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Animate the copy. You want to draw attention to what will incite reaction.

Every frame of your banner should contain enough information to understand your offer, as well as a means of response. Avoid elaborate animations that delay the delivery of your core message.

This is especially true for popups, which unlike banners, can be closed. There should be no time at which the main copy and call-to-action is not visible.

However, Flash animations that involve heavy graphic movement, in combination with the revealing of text, can be exceptionally attention-grabbing and engaging.

Best Practice – Animation

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With a storyboard approach, make sure that each frame can stand alone. Each frame should present a compelling message and a call to action.

Again, animate the copy. You want to draw attention to the creative component that will incite reaction, not temporarily distract.

Considering the amount of time a consumer is likely to invest in any given interactive page or ad, 2 or 3 frames will likely perform better than more elaborate storytelling.

Best Practice – StoryBoard Animation

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After clicking on a banner, a consumer invests only seconds to decide whether or not to interact with the linking page.

Improve follow-through by giving banners and pages a similar look and feel. Keep colors, fonts and imagery consistent.

Message, too, must be maintained, with the page immediately reinforcing and or expanding upon the premise presented in the banners.

The page should “fulfill the promise” of the banners.

Best Practice – Banner/Landing Page Symmetry

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Keep all core content and calls-to-action above-the-fold. Nothing crucial to comprehension or response should fall much below 400 pixels.

Keep the design simple. Excessive graphics increase file size and page load times. Your page can still look clean and professional while staying lean and fast-loading.

Make sure the process is clear. Keep the copy and its call(s)-to-action on the same background and close together.

Add emphasis to call(s)-to-action with strategic positioning, font size, color and/or bolding.

Best Practice – Key Elements of a Page

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Keep colors, fonts & images consistent with campaign banners & landing page.

A clean (white) background offers optimal readability.

Limit the fields to required and relevant requests only.

Offer reassurance (e.g., privacy policy link) at points of hesitation.

The call to action should closely follow the entry fields, on an unbroken background.

Best Practice – Registration Forms

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Best Practice - Email Subject Lines The goal of the subject line is to create a sense of credibility, value and timeliness for your email communication.

Be Brief: Just enough to stimulate the opening of the email

Leverage Your Brand: If a relationship exists, brand name use like this - “Comcast Customers….” , “NetFlix Account Upgrade”, “E*Trade Account Update” - are excellent ways to stimulate an open. Even if a relationship doesn’t yet exist, a well-known brand name in the subject line can boost confidence and open rates.

Forecast the Desired Action: Do you want a customer to book a room – “Ritz-Carlton: Your Reservation” or maybe sign up for a seminar – “Adobe Photoshop Webinar: Your Login”.

Convey Urgency – e.g., - “AOL Shopping: Memorial Day Event Ends a Noon”

Ask a Question – e.g., - “Dell Customers: Upgrading to Vista?”

Avoid Spam-Filter Works – e.g., “free”, “credit”, “quote”, “rates”, etc.

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Unless your email is going to users of a specific email browser (e.g., AOL), design for the lowest common denominator vertical and horizontal cutoff points of email preview windows:

520 pixels in width Keep headline and 1 call-to-action within the first 200-300 pixels of height.

Imagery shouldn’t dominate the e-mail space, unless the image is pivotal to understanding the nature of the product (as in the TRIA example, at right).

Keep the design clean and light, allowing the copy to be easily read.

As with pop-ups and banners, avoid harsh segmentation of the email space. Ensure a continual flow between the sections of the email.

Best Practice – Email Design

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Create a clear, prominent headline that conveys the essence of the email communication.

Use bolding to highlight key phrases in the copy. Use the bolding judiciously, highlighting phrases vs. long sentences and full paragraphs.

Break the copy into digestible chunks. Paragraphs consisting of a sentence or two are easily read and absorbed. They also look more inviting and accessible than a large body of text.

Position multiple calls-to-action throughout the email, so that one is always in view. Include a button or link within the first short paragraph or two. Present a 2nd call-to-action at the midpoint and a 3rd near the close.

Best Practice – Email Copy

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Best Practices – Search Keyword Copy

Leverage the keyword.

Always use the keyword in the ad headline, and explore its use within the main copy, as well.

Distinguish your product or service.

Mention of awards, endorsements, certifications and major media appearances (“As seen on…”) can provide strong performance advantages.

Explore all possible benefits.

Feature as many potential product benefits as possible (immediacy, simplicity, time investment, finances, physical well-being, emotional well-being) throughout your individual copy iterations.

Get personal

Leverage personal language and pronouns – I, me, you and your – in the copy.

Keep your copy short and compelling.

Say it in bullets. Short phrases are highly digestible & more readily absorbed than full sentences. There’s no need to use the maximum copy character count; doing so may even depress results.

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The 4 search concepts above received over 7,000 click-throughs combined, leading to statistically definitive results.

The top performer achieved a 37% higher CTR than the bottom performer.

What copy elements are consistent? Mention of the product, the free 30-day trial, and a delivery method.

Which copy elements are varied? Mention of “today” inclusion of “free” in the headline, and the sequence in which the product and the trial are mentioned.

Which was the top performer?

Keyword Copy Testing - AutoDesk

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Keyword Copy Testing - AutoDesk

Top Performer2nd 3rd 4th

Why did the top performer win?

The timely announcement of the product’s arrival to the marketplace – “AutoCAD 2008 Is Here” -outperformed the 3 ads that included “free” in the headline.

The immediate gratification and convenience of “download” vs. “order” was a major contributor to strong performance.

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Keyword Copy Testing - CareOne

The 4 search concepts above received over 67,000 click-throughs combined.

The top performer generated a 135% increase in click-through over the bottom performer.

What is consistent? All concepts share the same headline

What is varied? Body copy.

Which was the top performer?

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2ndTop Performer 4th 3rd

The top performer achieved a CTR as much as 135% higher and a CPA 17% lower than the others. Why did the top performer win?

It leverages the keyword in both the headline and body copy.

It speaks in easily digested bullets.

It doesn’t include unnecessary detail. The addition of “no obligation” in performer #2 depressed response by 29%.

It does include the personal pronoun “your.”

It highlights the benefit of immediate gratification (“See you savings in 10 minutes”) vs. the more product-specific benefits included in the ad on the far right (“Lower monthly payments up to 57%” and “Become debt-free without a loan”).

Keyword Copy Testing - CareOne

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Search Landing Page Testing – K12

Test and optimize your search landing pages, too.

Alternate conversion paths, layouts, copy and imagery can have a profound impact on search campaign performance.

Should each of your keywords have its own customized landing page? Are incentives needed on the landing pages of certain keywords? Can subtle design adjustments (e.g., a change of imagery) improve the performance of one keyword versus another?

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Office: 614.792.3392Mobile: 614.296.4327

Tangible Impact, Inc.

[email protected]

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