Report Reveals 54% of Display Advertising Goes Unseen… Is Content The Answer?

A recent ComScore report has produced an astounding statistic: 54% of paid impressions for display advertising are never seen.

Over half the impressions an advertiser is paying for don’t technically exist due to them being out of view of user whose impression they are paying for.

For those affected, which we assume is nearly all of the ComScore research is robust, that means they have overpaid by double for all of their display advertising. No matter how much CPM rates are coming down and making the display more affordable, that’s a bitter pill to swallow.

The display advertising industry is taking steps to improve: with the introduction of viewability metrics into pricing models the ‘quality’ of the impressions an advertiser pays for should improve. But is that enough?

Creative, well-executed display advertising can be highly effective.

But what future for the poor old 468×60 if advertisers lose confidence it was ever getting seen in the first place?

Could this be another nail in the coffin for the less effective forms of paid advertising and yet another reason to be investing in a well-planned content strategy?

Let’s look at the pros and cons:

1. Long-form engaging copy – vs – small ineffective ad units
2. Full visibility – vs – questionable visibility
3. Positive brand association – vs – zero brand impact
4. Good social interactions – vs – zero shareability
5. Pay once for production and outreach – vs – pay for every impression

Of course, our passion for content at SixSearch makes us slightly biased in this assessment.

But for those advertisers who’ve long questioned the impact of display advertising or don’t have large-scale budgets to invest heavily enough to get results, channelling what budget they do have into content marketing could be a wise decision.