Interstitial Ad: A beginner’s guide

While programmatic advertising platforms have been witnessing their fair share of action these days, more creative and streamlined methodologies have popped on the radar as well. One of these new methodologies involves the positioning of ads in an organic manner that suits the narration and flow of a game, website, or application. Interstitial ads have become one of the fastest-growing ad techniques that involve the right positioning of an organic ad at the right time.

Gamers are perhaps the best demographic that can give you an idea of how interstitial ads impact a user’s experience. Since 57% of game publishers feel the need to use interstitial ads, it is safe to say that the methodology here works for a big demographic. And that’s not all, other domains have also been using interstitial ads to get a better grasp on new audiences. So, what is an interstitial ad? What are its benefits? And how does one place an interstitial ad somewhere? Fret not for these questions shall be answered as we move through.

What is an interstitial ad?

Do you recall one of those ads that fill the entire screen and are often skippable after a few seconds? You’ll often find them on websites for various permissions, newsletter proposals, product placements, and much more. If you’re a gamer you’ll find them upon the completion of a level as well. Hypercasual games have become the perfect testbed for interstitial ads as they are for the most part, Free to Play.

These days with the advent of programmatic advertising platforms and their growing complexities, publishers are developing new ways to tackle and woo a demographic of their choosing. Interstitial ads however have been performing quite well. The philosophy at work here restricts the inflow of additional information about any other brand or product. This eventually leads to the end user recognizing the ad’s presence because that’s the only thing visible on the screen at a given point of time.

What are its benefits?

Having interstitial ads on your mobile game, website, or any other platform can be beneficial. In this age of rapidly evolving digital advertising practices, interstitial ads are turning out to be highly profitable. The only catch here is the right know how, if you possess it or are in the process of learning it, the results can be very fruitful. Here’s a list of the key benefits that a publisher enjoys with the deployment of interstitial ads:

• They’re highly captivating

At the end of the day, every publisher wants to garner as much attention to their ad spaces as possible. Having interstitial ads not only allows you to grab the attention of your audience but it also drives the focus to the actionable elements. If a big ad pops up on your screen with a timer, you’d still take a casual look unwillingly. And that’s just the worst-case scenario. In the event of an ad placed with the right elements, coupled with the generous mood of the user, chances are that the CTA would be accessed quite often.

• They’re highly customizable

A lot of banner ads these days go for or at least root for a dynamic approach. In the case of interstitial ads though, there are a plethora of possibilities. They’re not restricted to one form or formula as they can be deployed anywhere. A good interstitial ad could be a video, an image, or even an interactive short-term gameplay session. A ton of hypercasual games possess ads for other titles from the same publisher that are very dynamic in nature. So at the end of the day, you don’t have to worry whether your formula is going to work or not as there are a ton of other options that can yield the same results.

• They drive crucial metrics in the right direction

Speaking of crucial metrics, we can unanimously agree on the fact that a boosted CTR (Click Through Rate) is crucial for the success of your campaign. Similarly, a better eCPM (Effective Cost Per Mille) also benefits the publishing prowess that you possess. An interstitial ad not only helps you boost the CTR, but if handled the right way can also help you boost the eCPM figures and turn in a good profit. One notable example is the benefit that Android app publishers in the US get. The highest eCPM of $10.45 from interstitial ads has been achieved for Android apps in the US as of 2022.  

Where and when should you place an interstitial ad?

As a publisher, you should take into account the right places and moments where your interstitial advertisement would work. Although the intricacies may vary from one company to another based on their business and marketing philosophy. But there are certain aspects that should be kept in mind while going ahead with an interstitial ad.

1. The dynamic nature of the ad matters and so does its placement. The ad placement should appear natural and should also be a part of the linear sequence of events. Placing them in the middle of nowhere or simply bombing the user with a sudden ad while they’re in the middle of something breaks the flow and disturbs the user resulting in a bad conversion rate.
2. While the ad’s existence is of paramount importance, so is the user’s ability to disengage when they feel like it. An exit button hidden somewhere is only going to annoy the user. Exit buttons are highly crucial for videogame interstitial ads as they’re often time-based. Their mismanagement is not only going to cost the user their time but can also result in the user uninstalling the app as well.
3. Just like keyword stuffing is bad for your SEO score, stuffing too many interstitial ads is also detrimental as it consumes the user’s time and patience. The right number of ads should be placed in such a way that the ads justify the flow of the entire process.

Conclusion

Interstitial ads have become a crucial factor towards the placement and management of digital advertising platforms over the last couple of years. Their presence shares a lot of mixed emotions among the users but for publishers, they’re a really effective piece of media. Spanning across multiple platforms in various modes and methods of interactivity, these ads are set to become a key aspect of the digital marketing and advertising realm.

If you are a publisher looking for quirky ad campaigns while leveraging programmatic advertising platforms, Cubera’s solution lineup can help you achieve the desired goals. It is high time for you to streamline your campaigns and opt for solutions that benefit your campaigns.