People trust ads on news sites ‘4 times more than on social media’ during COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 15, 2020 | Ad tech, Content marketing, Marketing transformation, Online advertising, Paid search, Search Engine Optimization

People trust ads on news sites ‘4 times more than on social media’ during COVID-19 pandemic
Consumers trust ads placed on news sites 4 times more than on social media websites, highlighting to advertisers the importance of placing ads only on those sites viewed by consumers as a credible source, according to new research.

Taboola has released a new report as part of its ‘Moments of Next’ research series, which surveyed 5,000 consumers using neuroscientific and behavioural tools, to identify their preferences for online ads during the pandemic.

In addition, for the first time, Taboola is sharing new data about increased online readership as it relates to COVID-19, revealing shifts in how people are consuming content.

Since the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus a pandemic, Taboola readership data shows that news publishers have seen an uptick in traffic and engagement with content across the board, including:

• 8% increase in unique readers
• 14% increase in page views
• 25% increase in time on page

Increased online readership is good news for publishers, but advertisers must consider the placement of their ads very carefully. In the current pandemic, Taboola’s research found that consumers trust ads placed on news sites 4x more than on social media websites, highlighting to advertisers the importance of placing ads only on those sites viewed by consumers as a credible source.

The research additionally shows that over the past two weeks, the increase in news readership can be seen to spike across different categories within the UK:

• Lifestyle readership has increased 52%
• Gaming 49%
• Local news 38%
• Government 36%
• Technology 34%

Lastly, the ‘Moments of Next’ research highlights that, if advertisers are to spend their ad dollars effectively, it’s more vital than ever they consider the mindset of the consumers they’re targeting.

Taboola found consumers are most receptive to information, including advertisements, before they go to sleep (31%), at work (17.5%), and in the bathroom (16%). There was a departure between genders, however, with women most interested in ads while going to sleep and waking up, and men while in the bathroom.

This demonstrates how brands can capitalise on the moments in which people are most receptive to specific messages.

Source: https://www.taboola.com/

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