How should different industries choose information flow platforms? Take this report for reference!

2017 is still a period of rapid development for information flow advertising , and the budgets of advertisers in various industries have begun to shift more towards information flow advertising channels . Which channels are easier to invest in to increase volume in different industries? What are the characteristics of the advertising platforms you use? Do different industries have obvious preferences when choosing the display format of information flow advertisements?

Based on the above problems, we further segmented according to different channels and industries, combined with the development trend observation of advertising platforms, focused on the information flow advertising market, and gained insight into the characteristics of information flow advertising delivery channels.

Which industries are the sponsors of advertising on each channel? Do advertisers in each industry have obvious channel preferences? To solve this problem, we extracted the advertising data (number of advertisements) of each channel and further subdivided them by industry, sorting out the top five industries with the largest number of advertisements in each channel as shown in the figure:

From the above chart, we can find the following rules:

1. The gaming industry has become a giant in information flow advertising

Overall, except for Tencent Social Advertising (Guangdiantong) and Cheetah Mobile Advertising Platform, the number of advertisements placed by the gaming industry accounts for the highest proportion among all platforms. In the overall advertising data, the number of advertisements in the gaming industry accounts for 34%, far higher than other industries, while culture and entertainment, which ranks second, accounts for only 8%. The gaming industry, especially the mobile gaming industry, is also highly dependent on the high conversion rate of mobile advertising , and the competition for buying traffic on various traffic platforms is becoming increasingly fierce.

2. Based on the characteristics of resources and other characteristics of different delivery channels, the differences in industry delivery ratios are presented

1) Tencent's social advertising channels have a balanced share of each industry, with the financial sector accounting for a higher share

There is no obvious difference in the proportion of investment in the top 5 industries. The financial industry with the highest proportion is only 10.96%, which is very close to the fifth place. The gaming industry is not obvious in Tencent social advertising.

In addition to the two traffic giants WeChat and QQ, Tencent Social Advertising (Guangdiantong) has integrated Tencent traffic products such as Qzone, QQ Browser , Tencent News, Tiantian Kuaibao , and Tencent Video, comprehensively covering core scenarios such as social, mobile applications, and information. It covers 90% of Chinese netizens and involves all scenarios of user life. It has wider industry applicability and a relatively more balanced share of delivery.

The payment system based on WeChat, financial data such as users' consumption records, and a complete financial operation and service system are believed to be the main reasons why it is favored by financial advertisers.

2) Toutiao and Baidu’s information flow channels are more popular among “enterprise service” advertisers

From the data, we can see that the enterprise service industry has a significant share in Baidu's information flow and Toutiao, ranking second and third respectively.

Targeting specific "enterprise-level users" and targeting the "general public", the delivery effect is uncontrollable and the overall conversion rate is poor, so it is more dependent on the precise targeting technology of the delivery platform. Toutiao's mature crowd labels and targeted expressions and Baidu's information flow's " AI + search interest" are more suitable for this type of industry.

3) Fanstong channel is more “life-oriented” and “entertaining” in the industry

The five industries with the highest proportion of Weibo advertising are "Games", "Culture and Entertainment", "Travel and Accommodation", "Skin Care and Beauty", and "Wedding Services", all of which are related to life and entertainment, while the proportion of the "Financial" industry, which is a giant in advertising, is not obvious.

Compared with other platforms, Weibo itself has stronger entertainment attributes and weaker tool attributes. Users open Weibo not to learn or search for information, but mainly to relax and learn about new, interesting and hot news. The user attributes of Weibo determine that the vast majority of content on Weibo is now entertainment-related, and is more suitable for industries related to food, drink, fun, life and leisure.

The above is the overall market launch trend, which is for reference only. When making actual launch decisions, further launch tests are required based on the specific characteristics of the product.

1. Delivery channels vs delivery forms: single image and text delivery is still the mainstream

In order to further study the differences between information flow ads in various channels and better guide the formulation of channel delivery strategies, we further classified the materials collected by App Growing according to the form of product delivery, as shown in the figure:

The proportion of advertising formats in each traffic channel is further broken down as shown in the following figure;

From the above figure, we can see

1) Image placement (single small or large image) is the mainstream

Among all channels, picture advertising accounts for the highest proportion and is the mainstream form of information flow advertising. Among them, the proportion of picture advertising in Cheetah Advertising and Tencent Social Advertising exceeds 90%.

2) Fanstong and Toutiao have more diverse delivery formats

Although they are also mainly single-image and text, Fanstong and Toutiao, especially video advertising , account for a significant proportion.

Fenstong has formed a relatively complete short video content system based on the Weibo ecosystem, Miaopai , Meipai , Weibo Stories and other short video content. Because it has more obvious advantages in video information flow advertising, it has high user acceptance.

Toutiao is connected to Xigua Video, Douyin , Huoshan Video and other short video content, and has rich short video content. On the Toutiao platform, the daily short video playback volume reached 3 billion in 2017, an increase of 200% compared with the same period last year. The rich soil of short video content has also contributed to the development of its video information flow advertising.

On the other hand, Baidu added its Haokan Video to the Baidu search navigation bar entrance, and Baidu Mobile also added a "Haokan Video" menu bar, paying more attention to the distribution of short videos. The structure of user attention has undergone a huge change. The rapid development of short videos in 2017 will further promote the development of video information flow advertising in 2018.

3) Baidu information flow, Zhihui promotes a high proportion of group pictures

In Baidu information flow, picture set ads on Zhihuitui account for a high proportion, accounting for 40.73% and 39.14% respectively. Compared with other channels, picture set ads account for a high proportion. Overall, users of these channels are more receptive to advertisements in the form of photo gallery.

2. Advertiser industry VS delivery form, the difference between industry delivery forms is not obvious

The overall advertising data was classified by industry, and the six industries with the highest advertising volume were sorted out, namely games, finance, culture and entertainment, education and training, corporate services, and skin care and beauty. In the overall advertising data, the forms of information flow advertising in various industries are as follows:

From the above figure, we can see that:

1) Overall, there is no obvious difference in the proportion of advertising formats among various industries, and the advertising format is mainly single image and text;

2) Among the top 7 industries with the highest number of placements, the education and training industry has the highest share of 30.85% in the placement of information flow advertisements in the form of picture sets. Relatively speaking, it is more keen to convey more information through picture sets, such as learning scenarios, academic certificates, prospects, etc.

3) Among the top 7 industries with the highest number of placements, the skin care and beauty industry has the highest share of video-based information flow advertising, at 12.22%. The video content mainly consists of short videos on skin care learning, implanting corresponding brands and products, and information on adding followers to the public account .

While analyzing the distribution channels and advertising format preferences of different industries, we further sorted out the image elements of the distribution materials of different industries, and combined with the distribution experience of Youmi’s senior optimizers, summarized them as follows and shared them with everyone.

1. Gaming industry: playability and high quality

The gaming industry places more emphasis on playability and high quality when optimizing information flow. By emphasizing gameplay (easy/difficult), classic game scenes (focusing on the presentation of user immersion), special elements (special weapons, equipment, characters, mounts, etc.), and celebrity endorsements (such as MMORPG games). The high quality is mainly reflected in the gaming capabilities through classic IP, excellent picture quality, and sophisticated design.

Examples of classic scenes: In the Wilderness series of battle royale games, the scene selection is representative, with shooting and parachuting scenes that provide a strong sense of immersion.

Celebrity endorsement: For example, legendary games often use celebrity endorsement images as related promotional materials

Details reflect high quality: For example, when NetEase releases games, it usually emphasizes the excellent image quality as a common way to reflect its high quality. In game materials, more attention is paid to the reflection of material details, as shown in the figure;

2. Clothing e-commerce customers: e-commerce attributes, emphasizing affordability

When clothing e-commerce is launching advertising, the main elements are product features, discounts, materials, brands, etc., emphasizing affordability. On the other hand, real models and clothing combinations are used to enhance the sense of reality and appeal, thereby alleviating user concerns. But in actual operation, the specific material strategy is also related to the tone of the e-commerce company. Take discount e-commerce and special sale e-commerce as examples.

Discount e-commerce: more emphasis on attractive prices, such as 9.9 free shipping, and more down-to-earth material style. As shown in the figure below, Pinduoduo's information flow promotion material

Special sale e-commerce: They will highlight the discount advantage, with a more refined material style. By showing the relevant brand logo, they reflect the "big brand" attribute, such as the promotional material of the Lightning Price Reduction APP in the figure below.

It is worth noting that the items involved in the materials should meet the popular needs of the target users . For example, an advertisement offering a 800 yuan discount to women aged 20-35 years old, or a more homely material of cotton slippers for 9.9 yuan with free shipping will be easier to increase in volume than kitchen utensils. When placing items on branded e-commerce platforms, brands with high recognition should be given priority.

3. Education and training, reflecting "learning" and "prospects"

The education and training industry, from the adult college entrance examination to various types of vocational training, generally emphasizes that "learning" brings changes to life, and the overall style is positive, sunny and full of positive energy. Common elements include learning scenes, work scenes, academic certificates, etc.

4. Finance (loans, financial management ): Emphasis on stimulation and authenticity

Financial loan products attract users with high interest rates, high loan amounts, short payment cycles, and low barriers to entry. Common elements include "amount", "screenshot of payment", "profile photo of the beautiful borrower", and "ID card". The overall design style tends to be simple and direct, and it is not suitable to add too many fancy elements. Real-life pictures tend to choose more original and real pictures to enhance the sense of reality.

Financial management products focus on "returns" in their advertising materials. The main related elements include "red envelopes", "gold coins", screenshots of "financial management returns" arriving, and emphasis on "high interest rates" figures. In terms of color tone, financial management materials are mainly red, yellow and orange.

Overall, compared with other advertising forms, information flow advertising materials pay more attention to originality, authenticity, and scenario-basedness, which can make users feel involved.

The author of this article @APP Growing compiled and published by (Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting!

Product promotion services: APP promotion services Advertising platform Longyou Century