Finding the perfect digital ad frequency is essential for the success of your business. Whether that is to drive ad recall or influence a decision, consider what level of frequency is right when you plan your ad campaigns. A successful advertisement will reach your audience with the right messaging and creative, while also helping you achieve your business objectives.
As a marketer, it is your decision to focus more on driving reach or frequency of exposure. There are many perspectives and opinions on this topic, with some marketers deciding that the more times a consumer saw an ad, the more likely they are to exhibit a level of purchase interest than those that viewed the ad less.
However, other marketers have concluded that the optimal frequency is one time. There is no one-size-fits-all answer or recommendation, but in this blog post, we will explore the options and discuss what has worked for us.
Before we continue, please ask yourself these two questions:
- Is there a truly optimal mix of reach versus frequency? If so, what is it?
- To what degree does this mix differ depending on the client’s KPI?
There are many factors that determine the perfect ad frequency for your ad campaigns. Due to the fact that every client has their own business objectives, you can assume that every business will have a different ad frequency.
There are 5 factors that play a role in deciding what ad frequency is right for you and your business:
Brand Establishment
If you have a more established brand, you are more likely to get a larger consumer response with less exposure than a new startup. Eternity has been in business for over 20 years, therefore requiring less frequency than compared to a startup business. However, Eternity still requires a decent frequency for other reasons.
Target Demographic
Always consider your target audience. All human beings are different, which is why it is important to determine who you are trying to reach. You would not show the same advertisement to a college student and a Brand Manager with years of professional experience. Eternity has several target markets due to the fact that we work with an array of clients. However, each advertisement we create is built based on the demographic it will be advertised to.
Determine an Overall Objective
Each campaign that you create as a marketer, should have an overall objective. This objective will need to be factored in to come up with the correct ad frequency. For example, Eternity has advertisements that are relevant for job openings within our company. The objective for this advertisement would be very different from an ad that is meant to reach our clients.
Market Saturation
As previously mentioned, Eternity has its HQ in Burlington, Vermont where there is healthy competition within the industry. We are lucky to have 20 years of experience, and a team of talented individuals that force our brand to stand out. However, in a saturated market, it makes it more difficult for your brand to stand out and for a consumer to remember you, rather than the business down the road.
Big or Small Purchases
Depending on the product or service you are trying to sell, you may or may not need to have a higher ad frequency. The more money a prospective buyer is being enticed to spend, the more ads they will need to see before making the decision. For example, Eternity sells a service that is more expensive than the cost of a pizza, therefore we will need to have a higher ad frequency.
Conclusion
There is no magic number. Every business is different, and every marketer should know how to determine what ad frequency will work for their business. There will likely be a trial and error period, but when it comes to exposure, your message is more effective when repeated no less than three times. Otherwise, it is doing your ad campaign a disservice.
Although we do not claim to have all the answers regarding ad frequency, contact us today with any questions!
