We’ve all clicked on banner ads that took us to the advertiser’s website or landing page. This is what interactivity meant to us.

Until now.

Google+ is now offering interactive ads – ‘Google+ Post Ads’.

What’s the difference you may ask?

Most of the traditional ad formats on the web offer the same advantages that they offered even a decade ago. Digital marketers can measure views, impressions and clicks. But neither can these ads tell brands what consumers thought about a particular ad nor can consumers make any enquiries about the advertised product.

Advertisers have varied objectives while advertising on the web – sometimes it’s to build awareness and sometimes to build engagement. More and more brands want their consumers to engage with them but traditional ad formats have not been allowing them to. Traditional ads only served to lure consumers to the brand’s Facebook page or website from where the brand engagement would begin. Google+ post ads endeavor to fill that gap in online advertising and interaction.

Features and Benefits of +Post Ads

Google+ Post Ads give a brands’ online content a power boost by turning their Google+ posts into display ads that will run across the web through the trusted Google Display Network. With these ads, brands can go beyond normal, ‘static’ advertising. +Post ads let brands host Hangouts On Air, it lets viewers comment on the ad, follow your brand or +1 right from the ad. This kind of interaction with the brand directly from the ad is a huge plus for advertisers.

With +Post ads:

• A brand’s target audience will be able to tell their favored brand exactly what they thought about that particular ad
• Make specific enquiries about the product/service advertised
• Engage with the brand, thereby providing the brand with invaluable insight into consumers’ minds

Add in the social angle to this, and it gets better. It goes without saying that people are more open to things their friends have favored. The comments, +1s and shares +Post ads receive give your content a social edge that works for both advertisers and consumers. +Post ads also expand in a lightbox and show full screen social creatives.

Go all out on the Web!

As we mentioned before, the ability of +Post ads to run across the web through the Google Display Network’s 2 million sites takes its reach to astronomical heights. Brands can reach the right audience at the right place thereby increasing the relevance and potential ROI of their ad. What’s more, brands can also make use of Google Display Network features like demographics, affinity segments and contextual targeting while determining ad reach.

An advantage of +Post ads is that you only pay when people engage with your content. This means the awareness comes free and that you are paying for engagement. You can set more specific advertising objectives and measure campaign response against these objectives.

The added bonus is that engagement with your brand’s content can continue even after your ad campaign has ended. As they discover your posts through Search and Google+, people can continue to engage with your content.

But +Post ads are still in the Beta testing phase. Brands interested in testing it out need to sign up for it or get in touch with their Google team.

+Post ads sure seem to bring up one’s curiosity about it. What do you think about them?

Image Source: Search Engine Land