Multiple Impressions Impress Consumers

By Craig Swerdloff
VP and GM of Customer Acquisition Solutions

eMarketer recently ran a report that found that multiple impressions across online media work best in driving sales and acquiring new customers. In fact, the quoted study found that ads seen on multiple websites were twice as likely to convert as those seen on a single website. Moreover, 86.1% of ads which led to a responsive action had multiple placements.

While the article didn't specifically mention email, our experience is that clients who use email acquisition consistently, and as part of an integrated online marketing strategy - creating multiple impressions with the same audience - have a much higher ROI than those who use email haphazardly.

In fact, it is sometimes possible to create multiple impressions within email by testing frequency to a single list. This needs to be done with care as to not annoy people. Test a frequency of one, two, and three. Negotiate pricing to do so effectively, and then measure the benefit of increased frequency against the added cost. This tactic requires highly targeted lists - multiple impressions to an untargeted audience is less likely to be effective and more likely to be perceived as junk.

We believe this eMarketer report points the way to a better future for all advertisers. Use every media that makes sense for your business, then use it consistently. Integrate your placements so you surround your target market with a coordinated message. The sum of this strategy adds up to way more than the individual parts.