It's official. Google is giving users the opportunity to mute an ad and not see another one from that particular campaign within their display network. This is good news for both advertisers and those who sell digital advertising. Here's why the glass is half full:
- CTRs have been debated, refuted, supported and analyzed to death. The value of a click is not as debatable as it once had been, but Google's Mute This Ad should actually help improve CTRs in the long run—which will help advertisers measure conversions with more accuracy.
- Relevancy is important with any campaign. Advertisers will be able to engage with a more qualified, interested audience and Google Ad Words campaigners can save a lot by not having to analyze fake or spam traffic.
- As Henry Ford once said, he knew half of every dollar he spent on advertising was wasted. He just didn't know which half. Any opportunity to waste less when it comes to online, is a positive in my book. Even if some don't feel users will really respond and mute these ads, those that do are just one step closer to helping us understand how all this digital advertising stuff works.
What do you think? Is "mute this ad" a good thing?
Kim Willoughby is a Senior Consultant at The Center for Sales Strategy.
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