Ad animations are a trend we see growing with every passing year. This is because they’re an effective way to catch users’ attention and drive home your message. They also tend to be more memorable than static ads. In addition, the improvement in mobile internet speeds means that users are not as likely to skip past static images in their feeds because it won’t take them long to load. Instead, people will stop and look at animation ads for longer meaning that your message has a greater opportunity to stick. However, there’s no reason why you should always use animations over static ads – after all, that depends on your campaign and what you want from it.
Read on for more information about how these two types of ads stack up against each other:
What is an Animated Ad?
An animated ad is one that uses a moving image to relay a message. They’re used in many industries including ecommerce; travel; financial services; and retail. Animated ads are also referred to as rich media ads or interactive ads. They’re often presented in an animated GIF format or as a short video clip. You’ll often see them in Facebook feeds, but they can also appear in other places like email newsletters, websites, and mobile apps.
Animated ads are usually more engaging than static images because they have more going on. At the same time, they need to be relevant to the product or service being advertised to avoid being misleading.
Why do animated ads work better than static ads?
The main advantage of animated ads over static ads is that they allow you to add more information and visual content to your ad. This makes them more engaging, and they also stand out from the other ads in your campaign. As mentioned earlier, these days, people are more likely to look at animated ads for longer compared to their static counterparts. This is because the animation slows down their scrolling, so they have more time to focus on your ad.
While there’s no hard and fast rule about which ad format works better, there are reasons why animated ads may be more effective than static ads. These include:
- Attention - By adding visual content to your ad, you’re increasing the chance that viewers will stop and look at what you’re offering compared to a static ad. This is especially true if your static ad uses a small image as part of your campaign. Animated ads also tend to be more interesting than static ads, and they make a bigger impact on your viewer’s emotions. This is because the animation has the ability to tap into your viewers’ feelings and emotions – which static ads simply can’t do.
- Visibility - Animated ads also stand out more than static ads. They also have more impact as they are more noticeable as they scroll past your audience, and they also take up more screen space. Ads are designed to grab a person’s attention, and static ads don’t do this as well as animated ads. As a result, static ads often get overlooked by your audience and don’t achieve their desired impact.
- Easy to share - Animated ads are also easier to share compared to static images. The animated GIF format is especially popular for social media because it can easily be added to feeds and reposted.
Why are static ads still used?
While animated ads have many advantages over static ads, there are still situations in which static ads are used. For example, static ads may be more appropriate if your budget is tight, or you want to avoid the costs of creating an animated ad. There are also some scenarios in which static ads are more appropriate:
- Specific products - If you’re selling specific products, it’s usually best to use static ads because they feature individual products.
- Short campaigns - Static ads are also often used for short campaigns due to their quick turnaround time. You can easily design and create a static ad, and it won’t take long before it’s ready to go live.
- Fewer options - Static ads also give you less flexibility with what you can do with your ad, which can be a benefit for those who aren’t interested in experimenting with different ad formats.
- Budgets - While animated ads are more engaging and tend to drive more sales, static ads often have a lower price tag and can be used to test out a new audience.
How do animation ads work?
Animated ads are a form of rich media and they usually involve the use of GIFs or short video clips. For example, you could create an animated GIF that shows several different scenes in quick succession, or you could create a video and edit it down to a 30-second clip. Both of these options let you add a lot more information and visual content to your ad. At the same time, it’s important to remember that you can’t mislead your audience with an animated ad.
Static ads often use a series of images that are strung together to create the impression of movement. However, an animated ad wouldn’t be considered static because it uses a series of images to create the impression of motion.
Pros of using animated ads
As we’ve seen, there are many advantages to using animated ads. However, here are the top three:
- More engaging - As we’ve seen, animated ads are far more engaging than static ads. They’re also more likely to stand out from the other ads in your campaign because they have more visual content such as sound, movement, and color.
- Easier to understand - Animated ads are also easier to understand than static ads. They help your audience to visualize the product or service that you’re offering, and they also appeal to their emotions.
- Easy to share - Animated ads are also easier to share than static ads. They’re usually short and to the point, making them easy to copy and paste into social media. Others can also easily repost your animated ad if it’s in GIF format.
Cons of using animated ads
While there are many advantages to using animated ads, there are also a few disadvantages to keep in mind:
- More costly - Animated ads are often more costly to create than static ads. This is because you need to pay for both the design process and the creation of the actual animation.
- Less control - Some marketers worry that they have less control over their message when they use animated ads. After all, you can’t control what your viewers take away from the animation.
What makes an ad successful?
There are no hard and fast rules about what makes an ad successful. Instead, it depends on your campaign and your industry. However, it’s important to remember that an ad is only successful if it drives your audience to take action. From there, it can be broken down into two parts:
- Ad engagement - Engagement is the amount of time your audience spends looking at your ad. The longer they spend looking at it, the more likely they are to take action.
- Ad click-through rate - The click-through rate is the percentage of people who look at your ad and then click through to your website.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that animated ads are more engaging than static ads. Animated ads also have the potential to drive more sales and be more successful than static ads because they’re easier to understand, easier to share, and they’re given more time by your viewers. However, there are situations in which static ads are more appropriate.
When you’re designing your ads, it’s important to remember that they need to be relevant to the product or service you’re offering. At the same time, they need to be interesting enough to capture your audience’s attention and drive them to take action.
