Advertising is most effective when it doesn’t feel like advertising. That’s exactly why Personal Media Ads (PMAs) work – personal, text-based messages sent by satisfied customers directly to friends and contacts via messengers like WhatsApp.
But how can you ensure these messages are truly credible and effective? And what really matters when creating a strong Personal Media Ad?
What are Personal Media Ads - and why do they work so well?
Imagine you receive a message from a friend:
“Hey, how’s it going? I just had a consultation with Michael from Money Bank – it was actually super cool!
They’ve got some great offers for us, with nice discounts and all that. Totally recommend checking it out if you're interested! 😊“
No pushy sales pitch. No marketing jargon. Just a personal message – on equal footing, built on real trust.
That’s exactly what Personal Media Ads are: recommendation messages prepared by companies and voluntarily shared by satisfied customers with potential new ones. Like an organic referral, Personal Media Ads build trust – while significantly reducing customer acquisition costs.
“User-generated content (UGC), such as personal recommendations, increases the conversion rate by up to 144% and leads to a 162% increase in sales per website visitor“
Ecommerce Institut Köln
Personal Media Ads vs. Conventional advertising
Targeting
Personal Media Ads: Personal Media Ads rely on the most precise form of targeting – real personal relationships. Customers know better than any algorithm what the people around them actually need.
Social Media Ads: Social Media Ads are based on algorithmic targeting aimed at broad audiences. These ads are often shown to people with little or no interest in the company, leading to wasted impressions and lower open rates.
Content
Personal Media Ads: The content of Personal Media Ads is authentic, personally worded, and tailored to the individual recipient.
Social Media Ads: Social Media Ads often feature impersonal, standardized marketing messages created for the masses. They’re easily recognized as ads, which typically leads to lower engagement rates.
Attention
Personal Media Ads: Personal Media Ads feel like recommendations from friends or acquaintances, making them appear authentic. Since the message comes from a trusted source, the chances that it will be read and taken seriously are very high.
Social Media Ads: Social Media Ads are easily identified as advertising and are often ignored or perceived as intrusive. A direct marketing message from an unknown source reduces both trust and interest.
“63% of buyers consider user-generated content to be more authentic than brand-generated content.“
Chainstorage
Effectiveness
Personal Media Ads: According to Nielsen, a word-of-mouth impression in 2022 generated five times more sales than a paid impression on social media. Customers essentially take on the advertising role by forwarding Personal Media Ads on behalf of the company. This results in high credibility and significantly boosts ad efficiency.
Social Media Ads: Reaching the right audience through social media ads is becoming increasingly difficult. The constant flood of online content is making users more resistant to digital advertising. As a result, acquisition costs are rising and success rates are falling compared to Personal Media Ads.
How are Personal Media Ads used?
1 Choose the Right Moment
Recommendations are born from enthusiasm. PMAs should ideally be used right after a purchase or a “wow” moment — precisely when customer satisfaction is at its peak.
2 Make Forwarding Easy
Personal Media Ads are preloaded into the selected messenger app and can be sent with just one click.
3 Ensure Voluntariness and Transparency
Recommendations are most effective when they come from genuine conviction and intrinsic motivation — not pressure or artificial incentives. That’s why it’s important to make clear that sharing is entirely voluntary and not mandatory.
5 Best Practices for the use of Personal Media Ads
A good Personal Media Ad doesn’t have to be creative — but it must feel human and personal.
- A personal message, not a marketing pitch
- Easy to forward with just one click
- Delivers real value instead of empty promises
- Includes a target URL for easy access
- Ideally mentions a real contact person to boost trust
How do Personal Media Ads influence acquisition costs?
Personal Media Ads significantly reduce acquisition costs — by leveraging the personal relationships of satisfied customers and transferring their trust to potential new ones. There’s no need for elaborate persuasion: the likelihood of conversion rises sharply while budgets stay lean. Companies only invest in crafting the message itself — saving on closing costs and retargeting. The result? A highly efficient recommendation tool with an unbeatable cost-benefit ratio.
“A study by McKinsey shows that personalized ads can reduce acquisition costs by up to 50% — while simultaneously increasing revenue by 5–15% and boosting marketing ROI by 10–30%.“
McKinsey
Long story short: advertising that resonates
People don’t trust brands — they trust people. That’s exactly why Personal Media Ads are so effective: they make genuine satisfaction visible and translate it into personal recommendations. Companies provide the message — customers drive the reach.
Simple, authentic, and impactful.
