Cross-device targeting is all the rage now, and rightly so. With customers using more and more devices, tracking them from mobile to desktop and sending them relevant ads is critical for marketers. Without the tools needed for cross-device tracking and targeting, brands and advertisers can’t really be sure that they’re reaching their customers in the most effective way.
However, in the rush to utilize these tools and send ads to the same user on different devices, it can be easy to forget about the customer experience. That’s not to say that advertisers are sending ads across devices in an obtrusive or negative manner, but rather that cross-device targeting provides a significant opportunity for marketers to deliver a unique and extremely personalized advertising experience. By respecting the platform on which customers are browsing, as well as utilizing the right intent data, you can create a complete ad journey that drives leads, increases brand awareness and boosts sales, all while improving customer loyalty.
One the biggest recent developments in digital marketing is the rapid adoption of mobile advertising by marketers. 2015 has seen significant investments made in the mobile ad space. It’s predicted that worldwide ad spend on mobile alone with be almost $70 billion by year’s end, and over $100 billion by the end of 2016. It would be a logical conclusion to draw, then, that the bulk of cross-device targeting should be focused on mobile, since the radical increase in ad spending must mean that users will most likely buy on mobile. Right? Well, not quite.
While customers have been turning to mobile at an increasing rate, 60% of transactions still occur over desktops, making it the preferred platform for actually transacting. This has to do with the fact that customers on mobile devices (which includes both smartphones and tablets) are usually in “browse mode”. They aren’t looking to actively make a purchasing decision while surfing content on their phones. They are, however, much more likely to conduct product research on a mobile device due to the convenience the platform offers. They might be waiting for a train and decide to take a few minutes to look up a new product to see how it’s being reviewed, or hear a recommendation from a friend and want to look it up for themselves in real-time.
This is a great example of where cross-device targeting needs to take the customer journey into account. Since mobile ads are more likely to be seen by customers who are in the more passive state of browsing, they will be, in all likelihood, the first point of contact the customer will have for that particular product or brand. They may not be discovering it for the first time, but a mobile ad could very well be their first step on the path to an ultimate purchase. Because of this, the content of your mobile ads should be crafted in a way that sparks interest, rather than simply pitching your products or services.
Desktop ads, inversely, should take a more active slant, with more calls-to-action and content that encourages more interaction. Customers like going to brands’ sites on mobile, but can view ads that take them there involuntarily as being disruptive to their content experience and be more likely to turn them away from the brand. Because of this, ads on mobile should be more subtly suggestive, with language and content that instills the brand message without necessarily relying on opening a new window. When on desktops, however, clicking on an ad, even accidentally, just brings up a new tab that can be easily opted out of should the user wish. Since customers usually take a more active approach to desktop browsing, it makes more sense to send them ads that are designed to get them to complete the purchase, instead of just generating interest.
A good example of this would be a brand like Mountain Dew sending a mobile user an ad displaying images or videos from an extreme sport event they sponsored, inviting the user to search for a hashtag or tweet to learn more about the event, rather than just taking them to the website. Then, when the user goes on their desktop, marketers see they searched for the hashtag and send the user an ad for an extreme sports tour that they’re sponsoring, along with a call to action prompting them to buy tickets. The user then would be much more likely to make a purchase because they’re in the privacy of their own home and actively browsing on a desktop.
The key to stitching these two approaches together, and ensuring that customers enjoy a truly unique and personalized advertising experience, is effective retargeting and intent data. Intent data can help marketers see what customers are interested in to provide relevant ads, but it can also tell them where and when users are most likely to spend their time browsing. With this information, marketers can craft content designed to instigate the path to purchase on the specific device which the customer is most likely to be on. This enables customers to have an advertising experience that complements their browsing habits, making it less intrusive. Someone on their mobile device on the bus ride home from work isn’t going to want an ad saying, “buy this now” because they’re not looking to make active purchasing decisions at that time. When that customer gets home and turns on their laptop, however, they will probably be in a more focused, active mindset, and be willing to make a purchase, and so the ads delivered to them at that time should be more active.
By recognizing customer mindset and behavioral context, brands and marketers can help deliver a cross-device ad experience that treats users with respect. When this happens, users will not only be more likely to interact with ads and make purchases, but they will have more trust in the brands. When the path to purchase is treated like a customer journey, everyone wins.
Julian Mossanen is regional vice-president, buyer cloud, at Rubicon Project
