Erotic Buzz
by Brandon Palmer
With steadily increasing competition for your attention,
Internet advertisers are doing whatever they can to entice you to
click and spend.
As technology constantly improves, the experts are always finding
new ways to assault our senses, while trying to one-up each other
with bells and whistles in the process. Audio ads are just one example
of the escalating onslaught being directed at surfers, and it seems
that the jury is still out as to their effectiveness, especially in
the adult industry.
It's happened to all of us at one time or another. We log on to a
site and are startled by an unexpected voice saying something like,
"Yeah baby, click my clit and let me get you off." Granted, it's usually
something a little less provocative, but it can still catch you off
guard. "We use audio adverts for some of our clients," says Willfred
Cosy, proprietor of Cosyclicks.com, "and some specifically ask us
to use them. By using an audio advertisement, an advertiser is provoking
attention from every sense employed by a surfer: the visual, the aural,
and that of feeling, which may be classed as a part of the sixth sense,
which on the 'Net replaces touch." These ads may indeed get your attention,
but will you click? More importantly, will you then pull out your
credit card?
"First, we have the visual design of the banner, which must be fast-loading.
Then we have the feel of the banner, which must be appealing and provoke
the surfer to click," says Cosy. "Finally, we have the audio, in addition
to the visual, with the aim of persuading more surfers to click on
the banner. This generally does work, and audio banners often perform
better than static or animated banners. I think they are an excellent
way of advertising and passing on additional information to those
who have their speakers on." That may be true, but not everyone is
so thrilled about the use of audio ads.
We spoke to a webmaster named Seven, owner of A Digital World Inc.,
which runs www.blackbachelor.com, about his experiences with the ads.
"I have used audio ads in the past," said Seven, "and they are not
a good investment for the adult market. Often times, many adult surfers
are browsing the Internet from home or work, and the last thing they
need is to have an ad screaming out obscenities. Surfers want to browse
discreetly, as many of them are living out their fantasies online,
so I think audio ads are really more suited for mainstream sites."
Driving Traffic: Can You Hear Me Now?
It's true that mainstream sites are using audio ads more frequently,
but the adult industry is catching up rather quickly. With several
new types of ads to choose from, and more people signing on for
high-speed connections, there has been a recent surge in usage.
"There are flash audio ads which run when the flash file has loaded,"
says Cosy, "or the banner ones where you hear the voice once you
run the mouse over the banner. The latter is used mainly on pages
with a number of ads, while the first is best on a single ad page,
since the surfer can then tell which banner to associate with the
ad. Then you have sites loading an audio advert with a page, giving
instructions where to click to see more. The cost varies from $50,
or even less, upwards for an audio banner. They may cost more, but
if used correctly, they can also make you more money."
Thr0wingsticK (yes, that's his name), Chief Content Editor at rugczar.com,
doesn't seem to feel the same way about the profitability of audio
ads. "I think they are extremely effective in getting a person's
attention and in terms of branding," he says, "yet I would imagine
often times a negative connotation will arise. As far as getting
attention, audio ads are probably the most effective advertising
tool. Banners and pop-ups are ubiquitous, and therefore totally
ignored. However, I still think they are a huge turnoff," he explains,
"and I know for sure that many of my readers would visit my site
less often due to the annoyance and restrictions audio ads place
on the page viewer. I also would find it hard to believe that after
the audio assault anyone would be interested in the product being
offered."
If that's the case, then do the numbers lie? "For driving traffic,
there is about a 30% to 50% increase in my experience," says Cosy,
"but the banner design will play a big role for attention, as well
as the page design, since the surfer must still run that mouse over
the banner before the sound is produced. Attention will then be
intensified and provoke a 30% click-through increase, but we still
have the destination site design to rely on to make the conversions."
It would seem that audio ads can deliver on click-throughs, but
getting sign-ups is still the big challenge, and that always comes
down to excellent site design and knowing what your audience wants.
In fact, many people feel that audio ads have little or no effect
on sign-ups, especially in the adult market. "We have used audio
ads before, and have taken polls from surfers and paying members,"
says Seven. "To our surprise, we received an overwhelming thumbs
down because of the audio ad. Keep in mind, we do run a hardcore
interracial Web site, so the choice of words could have played an
important part in the surfers' review of the ads. But from the information
gathered," he explains, "surfers do not want to hear about porn
when surfing the Web, they want to see it, and click on what they
like."
Sound On, Sound Off: Are They Turned On?
When it comes to adult advertising, visual stimulus certainly is
important, but there are cases where an audio ad can maximize effectiveness
by targeting an audience that is certain to have their speakers
on. An obvious choice would be to use audio ads during an online
radio show, where listeners are there to do just that - listen.
Generally speaking, however, the online adult industry depends primarily
on pictures, whether moving or still, to gain that initial spark
of interest.
Does that mean that traditional Internet ads may be more effective
than audio ads? "Regular flash banner or animated ads are the better
marketing tool," says Seven, "since they are quick and to the point,
and they load quickly. Studies have shown that regular animated
flashing ads are one of the better adult marketing tools online.
Traffic is increased when using an animated banner ad versus a static
or flash advertisement. You do not have to worry about long load
times, and if designed effectively, it can produce great results
even if you are on a shoestring budget."
Like so many aspects of our business, the most effective strategies
are simply the ones that work best for you. Trial and error is important
here, since your results are far more valuable than others' opinions.
"Whenever one decides to use audio ads," says Cosy, "remember that
the ad alone will not generate the sign-ups, it's the site's design.
You may get more clicks, but without an enticing design and a great
product, those clicks just represent bandwidth consumption. The
banner might bring in the visitors, but you must do the rest."
It may be true that technological advances make it easier for us
as advertisers to compete for a surfer's attention, but we need
to consider what kind of attention we really want, and what makes
sense for our particular business. On that note, we'll let Thr0wingsticK
have the last word on the subject. "Remember when you used to go
to someone's little site on Geocities, and they would have a MIDI
version of 'Eye of the Tiger' playing?" he says. "Remember how you
hated that person? Just keep that in mind when designing your online
ad campaign."
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