Feed vs. Read: And the Winner Is …

Feed vs. Read

In the search to maximize marketing impact, advertisers bravely explore new roads to success. One road to the land of gold has been the automatic news feed. This handy packet of content generally is supplied via channels such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. The thinking here is simple – topics of proven interest will draw viewers. Especially when the content arrives fast and effortlessly. Hopefully, while the enthralled viewers consume the subject matter, they’ll notice some of the accompanying ads.

But this approach may not be the optimum pathway to the average consumer’s overcrowded, overfed mind. According to an article published earlier in the year by Ad Week, more bang for the buck may be gained from content sitting on a brand’s website – waiting to be discovered.

As the article pointed out, testing conducted by Neuro-Insight revealed a clear preference for web posts over newsfeeds. The results showed that subjects were 16% more likely to consider posted material more engaging than comparable content delivered via newsfeed. During the test, special neuro-mapping technology was connected to each subject. Very serious stuff. Those connected viewed videos supplied via Facebook newsfeed and videos displayed on a designated website.

One explanation for the preference is a website’s impact on viewer memories. The neuro-mapping technology revealed that website videos had a 19% greater effect on the brain’s left hemisphere – headquarters for all rational processes. Equally telling was the impact the web-generated video had on the quantity of information recalled. In 80% of the cases, detail retention was more pronounced with the web vids.

Other tests have revealed similar results. Some experts conjecture that relevancy plays a role in the preference for web content over social feeds. This makes abundant sense. Users who read or view web-published content are making a conscious choice to explore a topic of personal interest. In contrast, automatically-delivered newsfeeds may or may not provide the same level of relevancy. It’s strictly hit or miss at that point.

If you have any questions or comments about maximizing marketing impact with web content, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.