Google brings app streaming to ads, letting users try before they download

Google introduced a really awesome feature called app streaming to search results last month, and now a very similar technology is coming to the company’s AdMob ad platform. A couple new app ad formats are being introduced today, the first of which allowing users to try out an app within an ad itself before downloading…

Google’s Inside AdWords blog has it:

We’ve focused our efforts on offering developers advertising tools that engage users and showcase an app at its best. We recently redesigned one of our in-app ad formats, and are building on our desire to create beautiful app ad experiences. That’s why today we’re introducing two new rich, immersive ad formats to our growing suite of creative app install solutions.

The first new type of ads are called Trial Run Ads, which “let a user play a game for up to 60 seconds by streaming content from the app before downloading.” This gives users real hands-on time with an app before deciding to go all-out and download it, and will increase the chances that a prospective user will download the app in full.

Google also announced the introduction of new Interactive Interstitial ads. These ads are HTML5-based and “offer a completely customized user experience tailored to each advertiser’s app.” Essentially, they give advertisers the ability to be more creative with their ads. While they don’t stream apps, they do “bring a piece of the app experience,” Googles says.