Instant messenger advertising has taken a backseat to other forms of social media as of late, but it may be one of the most potent ways of grabbing attention online, according to digital media agency Eyeblaster.
Consumers who chat with friends using AOL, MSN, or Yahoo messenger services spend more time looking at advertising in the space than in any other web display spot.
Eyeblaster told Forbes magazine that in a recent study, the average messenger user spends at least 60 seconds on every advertisement rolled over while talking to friends.
The price for messaging advertising varies widely, ranging between $0.50 per thousand views to $5 (£3) per thousand, depending on targeting specifics, male-only or teens only for example, and whether the advertisement is text-based or interactive.
With Google Wave, the company's new e-mail/messenger hybrid rolling out later this year, there will likely be growth in communication-based advertising. After all, communication is the reason most people turn to the Web and keep going back.
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong recently announced his plan to expand the company's messenger services. The internet giant plans to test text and picture-based advertising in its new messenger platform, AIM 7. Advertising won't invade the user's conversation space, but it will likely be displayed below.
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