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Rich Media

by Alexandra Vazquez
Rich media is a form of digital advertising that uses complex elements to catch attention and encourage interaction. Find out how to measure performance.

What is rich media?

Rich media is a term for digital advertisements that use complex elements to catch attention and encourage interaction. Rich media ads implement these advanced elements to elevate how virtual advertisements are created and manipulated. The ads combine features like video, sound, location, and expansion to keep users engaged. 

Companies use unique digital advertising tools within creative management platforms to build rich media ads and analyze their performance. Creative management platforms also include features like built-in design functions, collaborative solutions, access to multichannel publishing, and marketing campaign data analysis.

Types of rich media advertisements

Different types of rich media serve different purposes, depending on the good or service advertised. All these types are beneficial in making users stop and spend more time on ads.

  • Interstitial ads are highly interactive full-page ads. They can include elements of other media types, like banners and videos.
  • Video ads are the most identifiable rich media ads. They use moving images and sometimes sound to attract attention.
  • Multi-directional expanding ads sit on one side of a webpage and expand when users interact with it.
  • Banner ads stay in place and are the least complex rich media ad. They are also the most common because they are the easiest to create.
  • Pushdown ads act as teasers until users interact with them, and take over a portion of the page to show the entire ad.
  • Lightbox ads are also teasers that are initially small. But when a user interacts with them, the webpage dims and the full ad plays.
  • Slider ads are usually placed at the corner of the site and follow the user as they move around the page.

Benefits of rich media

Using rich media the right way will ultimately improve how users perceive and interact with advertising. The benefits below highlight other ways that rich media elevates company advertising.

  • Increase interaction by giving users a memorable experience.
  • Advertise in a bigger way, literally. Rich media ads give companies more space to work with.
  • Improve brand awareness by making potential customers take notice.
  • Gain user analytics insights by tracking how users interacted with different elements of the ad.
  • Expand reach and target different audiences by curating unique rich media ads to fit messaging on different platforms. 
  • Get more creative by pushing the limits of standard ads and implementing innovative features.
  • Enhance the user experience by learning from user behavior and editing ads to give users what they want.

How to measure rich media ad performance

The points below explain the different data analytics that can help determine how rich media ads perform and what needs to change to improve their performance.

  • Impressions: the number of times the ad was shown on the page
  • Views: the number of times users saw the ad
  • Engagement rate: the percentage of interactions per impression or view
  • Reach: the number of unique people that saw the ad
  • Dwell rate: the percentage of time that users actively spent on the ad
  • Interaction time: the average amount of time a user interacts with the ad
  • Expansion rate: the percentage of ad expansions per impression or view
  • Completion rate: the rate at which users finish watching or interacting with the ad
  • Click-through rate: the rate at which users click on the ad and are redirected
  • Conversion rate: the rate at which ad visitors follow the call-to-action 
  • Revenue: how much money was made because a customer visited the site directly from an ad

Rich media ads vs. standard display ads

Rich media is known for attracting attention in new and unique ways. Because of this, rich media ads greatly differ from the standard display ads seen every day. 

Standard display ads are simple, only include basic text and graphics, and support .html, .gif, .png, or .jpg file formats of 200 KB or less. Rich media ads are normally a lot larger in file size, often exceeding 200 KB, and offer way more customization options. 

Standard display ads cannot incorporate rich media features like sliders and lightboxes, and they only have one interaction point, whereas rich media offer many areas for the target audience to interact with. 

For example, clicking a standard display ad will simply bring the user to the intended page. Clicking on a rich media ad can create different interactions like expanding, pausing, or moving around.

Alexandra Vazquez
AV

Alexandra Vazquez

Alexandra Vazquez is a former Senior Content Marketing Specialist at G2. She received her Business Administration degree from Florida International University and is a published playwright. Alexandra's expertise lies in copywriting for the G2 Tea newsletter, interviewing experts in the Industry Insights blog and video series, and leading our internal thought leadership blog series, G2 Voices. In her spare time, she enjoys collecting board games, playing karaoke, and watching trashy reality TV.

Rich Media Software

This list shows the top software that mention rich media most on G2.

Creative Automation for Marketing and Advertising allows brands and agencies to efficiently scale content production for global toolkits, performance creative, and market-specific campaigns. Creative Automation for Media is a product for publishers and platforms (such as ad networks and DSPs). It allows media owners and operators to create and activate premium and creative-first ad products.

Airtory enables you with a powerful Ad toolkit, which allows you to amplify your branddigital advertising game. Produce innovative and interactive ad experiences, which tell brand stories like never before and help connect with users on a deeper level.

Eskimi is a full-stack programmatic advertising platform that gets business done with you or done for you. We are offering advanced targeting, unique rich media creatives done for you, in-game advertising & other solutions. Get your brand awareness, reach, and engagement growing with Eskimi. Use geolocation targeting by reaching targeted audiences within a specific distance of single or multiple geolocations. Maximize engagement with our unique rich media. Increase brand recognition and engagement with creatives that gamify user experience. Reach us to learn more about our capabilities now!

Google Web Designer is a free, professional-grade tool developed by Google for creating interactive HTML5-based designs and motion graphics that can run seamlessly across various devices. It empowers users to design and build engaging content, such as advertisements and web pages, without requiring extensive coding knowledge. The platform offers a user-friendly interface that combines visual design tools with the flexibility to edit HTML, CSS, and JavaScript directly, catering to both designers and developers. Key Features and Functionality: - Animation Tools: Users can create animations using two modes: Quick mode for scene-based animations and Advanced mode for timeline-based animations with layers. Motion paths and custom easing provide precise control over animations. - 3D Content Creation: The tool supports the creation and manipulation of 3D content using CSS3, allowing for the rotation and transformation of objects along any axis. - Responsive Design: Google Web Designer enables the creation of responsive ads and web content that adapt to different screen sizes and orientations, ensuring a consistent user experience across devices. - Interactive Components: The platform includes a variety of built-in components, such as image galleries, video players, and maps, which can be easily integrated to enhance interactivity. - Google Integrations: Seamless integration with other Google products, including Google Ads, Display & Video 360, and Google Drive, facilitates efficient workflows and direct publishing of content. - Code Editing: For users with coding expertise, the Code View allows direct editing of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with features like syntax highlighting and code autocompletion to streamline the coding process. Primary Value and User Solutions: Google Web Designer addresses the need for a versatile and accessible tool to create rich, interactive web content without the steep learning curve associated with traditional coding. By offering a blend of visual design capabilities and code editing flexibility, it caters to both designers seeking intuitive design tools and developers requiring precise control over code. The platform's support for responsive design ensures that content is optimized for various devices, enhancing user engagement. Additionally, its integration with Google's advertising and cloud services streamlines the creation, management, and deployment of digital marketing materials, making it a valuable asset for businesses aiming to produce high-quality, interactive web content efficiently.

Google Marketing Platform is an integrated ad-technology platform that enables agencies and advertisers to more effectively create, manage and grow high-impact digital marketing campaigns.

ClearSlide provides cloud-based sales communications platforms. It helps sales teams close more business.

Slack brings all your communication together in one place. It’s real-time messaging, archiving and search for modern teams.

Dropbox Paper is a collaborative document-editing service developed by Dropbox, designed to facilitate seamless teamwork and idea sharing. Launched in January 2017, Paper provides a flexible workspace where teams can create, review, and organize content in real-time, enhancing productivity and collaboration. Key Features and Functionality: - Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can simultaneously edit documents, with changes instantly visible to all participants. - Rich Media Integration: Embed images, videos, audio files, and even code snippets directly into documents, supporting a wide range of content types. - Task Management: Assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress within documents, streamlining project management. - Commenting and Annotation: Add comments and annotations to specific sections of a document, facilitating clear communication and feedback. - Version History: Access previous versions of documents to track changes and revert to earlier iterations if necessary. - Integration with Third-Party Tools: Connect with popular design and productivity tools like InVision, Figma, and Sketch, allowing for seamless workflow integration. Primary Value and User Solutions: Dropbox Paper addresses the need for a unified platform where teams can collaboratively create and manage content without the constraints of traditional document editors. By combining document creation, media embedding, and task management in a single interface, Paper eliminates the need to switch between multiple applications, thereby reducing workflow fragmentation. Its real-time collaboration features ensure that team members stay aligned, while the integration with various tools enhances versatility. Overall, Dropbox Paper simplifies the collaborative process, making it more efficient and effective for teams of all sizes.

Epom ad serving platform provides publishers and advertisers with everything they need at each step while solving their advertising tasks: planning, optimising, analysing, real time reporting, and many more.

Reimagine how your teams work with Zoom Workplace, powered by AI Companion. Streamline communications, improve productivity, optimize in-person time, and increase employee engagement, all with Zoom Workplace. Fueled by AI Companion, included at no additional cost.

Google Workspace enables teams of all sizes to connect, create and collaborate. It includes productivity and collaboration tools for all the ways that we work: Gmail for custom business email, Drive for cloud storage, Docs for word processing, Meet for video and voice conferencing, Chat for team messaging, Slides for presentation building, shared Calendars, and many more.

The Genesys Cloud CX™ platform is trusted by thousands of small, medium and large enterprises and recognized across the globe as an industry-leading cloud call center software and customer experience (CX) platform. No matter where the customer conversation starts or ends, Genesys Cloud CX transforms your customer experience. It connects insights across teams, tools and interactions so you have the data to address customers problems with ease. Meet your customers anywhere, anytime, on any channel, with a suite of digital channels.

mediasmart - a self-serve mobile programmatic platform (now acquired by Affle International Pte. Ltd., Singapore) - provides advertisers, trading desks and agencies an integrated mobile advertising solution with the unique capability of measuring incremental metrics in real-time for Proximity and App marketing campaigns. mediasmart empowers advertisers to efficiently invest in advertising through a transparent platform that links the physical world with the digital world across mobile devices and connected TVs, all while following a privacy by design approach to all solutions provided. Headquartered in Madrid, mediasmart includes a team of passionate technologists and mobile advertising experts.

Bannerflow is cloud-based software that lets teams design, scale, publish, analyse, personalise, and optimise digital campaigns.

Zoho Notebook is a note-taking application designed to enhance productivity by allowing users to capture, organize, and share various types of content seamlessly. Available across multiple platforms—including iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux—Zoho Notebook offers a unified experience for managing notes, checklists, audio recordings, and images. Its intuitive interface and rich feature set make it suitable for individuals, students, and teams seeking an efficient way to document and collaborate on ideas. Key Features and Functionality: - Diverse Note Cards: Zoho Notebook introduces 'Note Cards,' specialized templates for different content types. These include Text Cards for written notes, Checklist Cards for to-do lists, Audio Cards for voice recordings, Photo Cards for images, Sketch Cards for drawings, and File Cards for document attachments. - Customization and Organization: Users can personalize their notebooks with handcrafted covers, assign colors to Note Cards, and organize content using tags and collections. The app supports both grid and landscape views for flexible navigation. - Collaboration Tools: Zoho Notebook facilitates real-time collaboration by allowing users to share notes and notebooks with varying levels of access—view, edit, or share permissions. This feature is particularly beneficial for teams working on shared projects. - Advanced Search and AI Integration: The application offers advanced search capabilities, including Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and object detection, enabling users to find content within images and handwritten notes. Additionally, Notebook AI assists in transcribing audio recordings, translating content, and enhancing note quality by checking for tone, redundancy, and inclusivity. - Security and Synchronization: All notes are encrypted at rest, ensuring data security. Zoho Notebook syncs across devices and to the cloud, providing consistent access to notes from anywhere. Primary Value and User Solutions: Zoho Notebook addresses the need for a comprehensive and user-friendly note-taking solution that caters to various content types and collaboration requirements. By offering customizable Note Cards, seamless organization tools, and robust collaboration features, it empowers users to capture ideas effectively, stay organized, and work collaboratively. The integration of advanced search and AI functionalities further enhances productivity by simplifying content retrieval and improving note quality. With its cross-platform availability and secure synchronization, Zoho Notebook ensures that users have reliable access to their information, making it an invaluable tool for personal and professional use.

With StackAdapt, ad buyers plan data-driven digital advertising campaigns across all devices, inventory and publisher partners. Plan the best campaigns.

Vista Social is a modern all-in-one social management solution that empowers agencies and brand owners to do more with their social media strategy. Feature include a best-in-class social media publisher, an inbox to reply to all incoming messages, social media listening, customizable analytics and review management.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Marketing is a comprehensive marketing automation solution designed to help businesses orchestrate personalized, multi-channel campaigns and enhance customer engagement. By integrating seamlessly with other Microsoft products, it enables organizations to unify their marketing efforts, gain valuable insights, and drive meaningful interactions with their audience. Key Features and Functionality: - Personalized Customer Journeys: Design and automate tailored customer experiences across various channels, including email, social media, and events, using AI-driven insights to deliver the right message at the right time. - Lead Management and Scoring: Identify, nurture, and prioritize leads effectively with automated lead scoring models, ensuring that sales teams focus on the most promising prospects. - Event Management: Plan, promote, and manage both virtual and in-person events seamlessly, from registration to post-event analytics, enhancing attendee engagement and tracking event success. - Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Leverage native integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Power BI, and Teams to create a unified workflow, facilitating collaboration and data sharing across departments. - Advanced Analytics and AI Insights: Utilize built-in analytics and AI capabilities to gain a 360-degree view of customer interactions, measure campaign performance, and make data-driven decisions to optimize marketing strategies. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: Dynamics 365 Marketing empowers businesses to deliver personalized and timely marketing messages, fostering stronger customer relationships and increasing conversion rates. By automating routine tasks and providing deep insights into customer behavior, it enables marketing teams to operate more efficiently and effectively. The platform's integration with the broader Microsoft ecosystem ensures a cohesive approach to customer engagement, breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and service departments. Ultimately, Dynamics 365 Marketing helps organizations enhance their marketing ROI by delivering targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience.