Rocket Fuel reveals results of research into what leads a consumer to click and convert. Financial worries keeping people up at night? Conversion rates 
peak at between midnight and 6am.
What makes a financial services digital advertising campaign successful? Rocket Fuel, a major provider of artificial intelligence (AI) advertising solutions for digital marketers, asked that question.
Its study analysed 2,300 distinct ads from more 200 credit card and financial services campaigns run with Rocket Fuel during October and November last year.
By looking at the sample of creatives from credit card and financial services campaigns a number of trends were revealed:
Consumers convert on weekends, late at night
Consumers are significantly more likely to convert on financial services campaigns on Saturdays (+16%) and Sundays (+30%), and are most likely to convert late at night, with conversion rates peaking between midnight and 6am.
Offers are more compelling than pricing
Consumers are 10x more likely to convert on financial services ads featuring a special offer than those that don’t. Similarly, they are significantly less likely to convert on ads featuring regular pricing.
Green backgrounds, animation draw interest
Animated ads tend to draw lower click-through rates but significantly higher conversion rates, while ads with a green, white or yellow background tend to generate higher conversion rates than ads of other colours.
Human faces drive more conversions
Consumers are slightly more likely (+8%) to click on credit card ads with a human face and are 2x more likely to convert on ads with human faces in the creative.
Credit card images need not apply
Ads featuring an image of the credit card itself performed considerably worse than ads without an image of the card, regardless of whether or not those ads featured a human face. Consumers were nearly twice as likely to convert on campaigns for a credit card after exposure to ads that did not feature an image of the card compare to ads with an image of the card.
‘Learn more’ is a more effective call-to-action
Among calls to action for credit-card and financial-services ads, “Learn More” drives the highest conversion rates by a considerable margin, as does content mentioning a special or limited-time offer, regardless of the benefit.
Points are more rewarding
Consumers are 1.5x more likely to click or convert on ads showcasing reward points (eg, frequent flyer points) over any other type of incentive.
Dominic Trigg, Rocket Fuel’s VP and managing director Europe, said: “A consumer’s attention span fluctuates between numerous digital channels like never before, resulting in a major challenge for financial-service providers – how to attract the right audiences in a competitive marketplace with the appropriate products, services and advertising creative.
“According to eMarketer, financial services companies spent over $5 billion in digital ad spending globally in 2013. We developed this body of research to shed light on key consumer preferences, behaviour and habits, and provide innovative financial marketers with the insights needed to develop more impactful, tailored ad initiatives.”
Joel Christie, Client Strategy director at Rocket Fuel, addeed: “This is the kind of insight that we are really excited to offer to our clients across verticals, and the reason why we have brought on board vertical specialists to leverage these insights and provide the relevant information across the sectors.”
To download the complete financial services research study — including recommendations for how advertisers can best reach consumers with financial services advertising, click here.
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Trained as a journalist from the age of 18 and enjoying a long career in regional newspaper reporting and editing, Sally Hooton joined DMI (Direct Marketing International) magazine as editor in 2001. DMI then morphed into The GMA, taking her with it!
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