On 14 and 15 September, Cologne played host to the Dmexco trade fair for digital marketing companies. The figures from the latest Adobe Digital Insights study on digital advertising were revealed. It revealed that more than two-thirds of visitors to a site arrive thanks to… advertising!

Traffic accelerated by targeted advertising

Despite a general fall in traffic, some sites are doing very well, posting an increase of 8% compared with their competitors in Europe, and even 36% in the USA. How is this possible? Thanks to targeted advertising, particularly via social networks and paid search. Using these methods, these sites display more personalised advertising content that is appreciated by web users.

Despite this, Europe is lagging behind the American continent, which is more experienced in digital marketing and advertising targeting. In Europe, more than 75% of visitors still arrive on a site through natural referencing or links from other sites, and not through advertising.

The French and digital advertising

The French have always had an ambiguous position on advertising. Rather suspicious, they have until now been reluctant to provide personal information. Recent surveys show that this trend is changing, especially among the under-35s. Only 12% of French people would now use an adblocker, justifying their use by annoying and untargeted advertising. On the other hand, what they don’t like are adverts that automatically play music: over 60% of French people hate this.

While the French have nothing against mobile advertising, they are highly critical of it. Over 59% feel that the ads are not adapted to their desires or needs, and 55% say that they are not related to the site they are visiting. Among young people, this trend is slightly less true, with 43% considering that mobile advertising is adapted to their needs and desires. The latest Harris Interactive survey also points to new trends: today’s web users want less intrusive advertising, they want to choose what they watch, and they expect something in return…

Yes, well aware that their personal data is very valuable to marketing professionals, Internet users now want to receive some form of payment… Until now, visitors were invited to provide their data, but very rarely received any benefits in return. This represents a minor revolution in the world of digital advertising, and brands are being forced to adapt. More than 60% of 18-24 year-olds say they expect a reward in exchange for their personal data. This can take a variety of forms: discounts, special offers, remuneration, etc. A final form of reward is also emerging, in the form of free access to certain sites or articles that are usually subject to a charge.

So we can see that digital marketing still has plenty of room for growth in France. This trend will be facilitated by the younger generations of Internet users, who have fully integrated advertising and targeting into their browsing habits, unlike their elders…

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