Ad clutter is taking over - but could influencer marketing be the solution?

 
Rich media banners. Standard banners. Pop-ups. Pop-unders. Web pages are full of "ad clutter" — a glut of attention-grabbing marketing messages displayed all over. Despite the overabundance of intrusive marketing messages on the Internet, ad click-through rates are relatively low. In fact, you're more likely to survive a plane crash than click on a banner ad, according to research.

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The average Internet user sees 1,707 ad banners a month, and consumers have had enough. Ad blockers — programs that filter or remove marketing material from websites — are used by nearly 200 million people worldwide. In a digital landscape where consumers covet clean, clutter-free pages, marketers are starting to focus on authentic content — such as influencer marketing — instead.

Image from The Digital Marketing Glossary

There's More Ad Clutter Than Ever

ComScore discovered celebrity gossip blog Media Take Out had an average of nine display ads on every page, earning it the title of the "web's worst ad clutter offender." Gaming portal ZAM, music streaming site Grooveshark, and the New York Daily News had seven, five and four display ads respectively, according to the 2013 study. Three years later, advertisers are still cramming ads down consumers' throats — perhaps as a result of a drop in CPM prices. As customers become increasingly bored of display ads — average clickthrough rates stand at just 0.06 percent, and less than 3 percent of web users find online display ads relevant — marketers are scouring the Internet for innovative, creative ways to advertise their services.

Ad Clutter is Currently the Biggest Challenge for Marketers

A hefty 54 percent of US ad buyers and brand marketers now think ad clutter is a problem, according to a recent study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Advertiser Perceptions, Kargo, and Refinery29. Ad clutter was seen as a bigger challenge in digital advertising than creative quality (37 percent), overall experience (36 percent), contextualization (35 percent) and distractions from content consumption (35 percent). It was even viewed as a bigger hindrance than page load times.

The Solution

Influencer marketing overcomes ad clutter. It cuts through the "noise" and creates an authentic experience that your audience will relish. Influencers — social media superstars, thought leaders, authority figures — already connect with consumers who support them on social media. Unlike display ads, these content creators command clout from their thousands of followers. Here at Carusele, we work with a network of 7,500 hand-picked influencers on campaigns for brands in every niche. We'll pair you with a team of influencers that will drive your brand message to your target market.

Carusele influencer campaign content for #RevlonBeautyMustHaves

Takeaway

Digital banner ads are a turn-off: marketers see them as the biggest challenge in digital advertising and consumers are going to great lengths to block them. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, makes a massive difference when it comes to the amount of attention your campaigns receive. Brands see influencer marketing in a positive light: 81 percent of marketers said it was an "effective" channel, and companies receive an average $9.60 in earned media value for every dollar they spend on an influencer-driven campaign. This climbs even higher to $14.29 for the CPG Food industry.

Contact us today to find out how Carusele can deliver measurable results for your brand with our proprietary influencer marketing methods.