While I much prefer writing positive news about the online marketing industry, it is important to share ‘bad’ news as well. According to a recent Nielsen study, most consumers don’t trust online video ads. This is compared to 63% of consumers who say that they do trust ads that they see on television. The survey asked over 30,000 consumers in 60 countries earlier this year.
The survey looked at a variety of different marketing methods to see which ones were the most effective. Not surprisingly, word of mouth recommendations from friends or family ranked at the top with 80% trust levels.
They looked at other online advertising options as well. The following is the full breakdown of how much people trusted any type of online ad:
- Online Video Ads – 48% Trust
- Online Search Ads – 47% Trust
- Online Social Ads – 46% Trust
- Online Mobile ads – 43% Trust
This is an interesting problem. Most marketers look at the biggest challenge being getting their ads seen and clicked on. According to this study, however, building trust may be an even more important task. If people don’t trust what they are seeing, they are much less likely to make a purchase, even if they do click on the ad.
When you step back and think about it, there is no surprise about these results. Most people don’t believe what they see on the internet because of the fact that there is so much false information out there. It has almost become a joke in everyday conversation where people will make outrageous claims and then back it up by saying, ‘well, I read it on the Internet so it must be true.’
On top of this general lack in trust for online ads, you need to keep in mind that people are generally skeptical of advertisements in general. Ads on TV have 63% trust, which is much higher than online, but still fairly low in the overall scheme of things.
As marketers it will be more important than ever to try to find ways to show ads that will not only grab the attention of viewers, but also help them to take that leap of faith. Obviously this should start with always running an honest business and earning the trust of consumers over time. Beyond that, however, there doesn’t seem to be any established strategy.
Take some time to think about how you can build trust with your customers and you’ll likely start seeing your conversion rates improve.
