Creating great ad creatives is essential to any successful marketing strategy. However, many businesses don’t have a single clue on how to do that. If your ads aren’t getting the traction you want, then maybe it has something to do with your ad creative process.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating ad copies that work for all companies. However, there are a few fundamental principles that all businesses should follow when crafting their ad creatives for the best results.
In today’s post, we’ll discuss some of the best practices for creating creative and effective ads. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make your ads stand out from the competition. So, if you’re looking to create better ad creatives, read on!
Ad Creative Best Practices Explained
The ad creative process is often overlooked, but it’s actually one of the most important aspects of a successful marketing campaign. After all, your ad creative is what will ultimately determine whether or not people click on your ad.
You should make the most of your ad creative process to ensure you convey the right message and paint the right picture for your target audience. Here are some of the best practices for doing just that:
Use Eye-Catching Design Elements
Creative and visually-appealing ad designs are more likely to catch people’s attention than boring, text-heavy ads. Use strong visuals and design elements to make your ad stand out from the crowd.
This doesn’t mean using a medley of beautiful photos and graphics and then combining all of them in your ad copy. Far from that, the visual and design element must reflect your company’s culture and ideals. You must also ensure that they resonate with the target audience.
One of the best ways to capture your audience’s attention is by using graphics to tell stories. This is an effective way to communicate your message and leave a lasting impression on people. No one can resist a good story, especially if it isn’t all text but has lovely graphics to better send the message across.
Be sure to keep the ads enjoyable and as engaging as possible. If possible, incorporate a little bit of humor and dialogue to spice up your ads. However, steer clear from any stereotyping, mansplaining, and any overt or hints of discrimination. These will only hurt your ad campaign. Cap it off with a brief and clear call to action, and you’re good to go!
Use the Right Words to Hit the Spot
Your ad copy is just as important as the visuals. After all, it’s the words that will ultimately sell your product or service. So, choose them carefully!
When writing your ad copy, be sure to use simple and easy-to-understand language. Don’t try to sound too smart by using big words and complicated sentence structures. Not only will this turn people off, but they might not even understand what you’re trying to say.
It’s also important to use persuasive language that can convince people to take action. Use words that evoke emotion and encourage people to buy from you. Be sure to avoid using any negative words or phrases that might put people off. Instead, use power words that trigger emotional or psychological responses to achieve your core objective.
Don’t forget to use words that resonate with your target audience. For instance, if you’re targeting millennials, then use vernacular and pop culture references that they can relate to. If you’re targeting Baby Boomers, then use language that appeals to their values and lifestyle.
Finally, remember to always include a call-to-action (CTA) in your ad copy. This is what tells people what you want them to do next. Make it short, sweet, and to the point. For example, “Click here to learn more” or “Buy now and get 50% off.”
Monitor Trends to Seize the Hour
It’s important to always be on the lookout for new trends, especially in the world of advertising. What worked last year might not work this year, so you need to be adaptable and adjust your ad strategy accordingly.
One way to do this is by monitoring social media platforms and seeing which topics are trending. You can then create ad campaigns that focus on these topics. For example, if there’s a new trend in fashion, you can create ads for your clothing line that feature the latest styles. However, remember to only keep an eye on trends that apply to your specific business. There’s no need to try and be everything to everyone.
You should also keep an eye on your competition and see how they’re using creative ads to reach their target audiences. See what works for them and adapt it to fit your own business. Just be sure not to copy them directly, as this can come across as unoriginal and inauthentic.
Check out platforms like Owler and Crunchbase to find out what’s making the headlines. Latch on to any relevant trend and find a way to incorporate it into your ad copies and overall value proposition.
Choose Your Ad Creative Format Wisely
Ad creatives come in all sorts of different layouts and formats, and it’s up to you to choose the best one that works for you. But with so many formats, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which one to use for your business. However, the best way to approach this is by thinking about your goals and what you want to achieve with your ads.
Some of the most popular ad formats include images, videos, carousels, and slideshows. If you want to increase brand awareness or show off your product, then images and videos are a great option. Carousels and slideshows are perfect for e-commerce businesses that want to showcase several products at once.
It’s also important to consider the placement of your ad. For example, if you’re running a Facebook ad campaign, then you have the option of placing your ad in the newsfeed or in the right-hand column.
If you’re not sure which format to choose, then experiment with different ones and see what works best for your business. Try out different combinations of visuals and copy to see what performs the best. And always be willing to change things up if you’re not getting the results that you want.
Your DSP should have an auto-resize tool to make sure your creatives are the right size for each ad placement. This is a quick and easy way to optimize your ad performance without having to manually resize each creative.
Differentiate Ad Creatives for Different Customer Segments
When creating ad creatives, it’s important to keep in mind that not all customers are the same. They have different needs, wants, and values. So your ad copy should be tailored specifically to each customer segment.
For example, if you’re selling a new type of running shoe, then you might create one ad creative for experienced runners and another for people who are just starting out. The copy and visuals would be different for each ad because you’re catering to a different audience.
You can also use ad creatives to target specific customer pain points. For example, if you’re selling a new type of skincare product, then you might create an ad that focuses on how your product can help people with acne.
By creating ad creatives that are specific to each customer segment, you’re more likely to reach your target audience and achieve your desired results. There are tons of ways you can segment your audience, some of the most effective ones include segmenting them by:
- Demographic: Age, gender, socio-economics
- Customer Types: New users, loyal, returning
- Location: Local audience, out-of-state audience, international audience
- Customer Source: Referrals, social media, paid ads, direct, others
- Device Type: PC, mobile web, mobile app, CTV, others
Test, Then Launch
Once you’ve created your ad creatives, it’s important to test them before you launch your campaign. This helps gauge their performance to see what works and what doesn’t.
You can use A/B testing to compare different ad creatives against each other. Try out different copies, visuals, and call-to-actions to see which performs the best. You can also use split testing to test different ad placements. For example, if you’re running a Facebook ad campaign, then you can test placing your ad in the news feed versus the right-hand column.
By testing your ad creatives, you can make sure that they’re performing as well as possible before you launch your campaign. This helps to ensure that you’re getting the best results for your business. Once you’ve created your ad creatives and tested them, it’s time to launch your campaign. Make sure to track your results so that you can see how well your ad performs.
If you’re not happy with the results, then don’t be afraid to make changes. Try doing things differently like changing the visuals, call-to-actions, and ad placements to see what works best for your business. Creative ads are a great way to reach your target audience and achieve your desired results.
Benefits of an Effective Ad Creative Process
A structure and well-laid-out ad creative process are imperative to the success of your marketing campaigns. Here are a couple of benefits of having an effective and creative process.
- Helps Your Business Stand Out – In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with marketing messages, it’s important that your business stands out. Creative ads help you to do just that. By thinking outside the box and being creative with your ad copy and visuals, you’ll be more likely to capture attention and stand out from the competition.
- Improves Ad Performance – Not only will an effective ad creative process help your business to stand out, but it will also improve your ad performance. By testing different copy, visuals, and call-to-actions, you can find what works best for your business. This helps to ensure that your ads are performing as well as possible
- Helps Craft a Solid Brand Identity – Your ad creatives should be reflective of your brand identity. By having a well-defined brand identity, you’ll be able to create ad creatives that are consistent with your brand image. This helps to build trust and credibility with your target audience. By having an effective ad creative process, not only can you create a solid brand, but also create one that appeals to your target audience.
- Your Ads Become More Memorable – By being creative with your ad copy and visuals, you’re more likely to create ads that are memorable. When people see an ad that’s creative and stands out, they’re more likely to remember it. This helps to ensure that your business is top-of-mind when they’re ready to make a purchase.
- Helps Build a Fan Community – Creative ads can also help you to build a fan community around your brand. When people see that you’re constantly putting out creative and interesting ads, they’re more likely to become fans of your business. This helps to create loyalty and brand ambassadors who will spread the word about your business.
- Saves Time and Money – An effective and creative process can also save you time and money. By testing different ad creatives, you can find what works best for your business without having to waste time and money on ads that don’t perform well. This helps to ensure that you’re using your resources in the most efficient way possible. You’ll only spend money on things that work and ignore the rest.
Summary
Creativity is the heart and soul of advertising and branding. Now that you know the benefits of an effective and creative process, it’s time to put it into practice. Use the tips and tricks in this blog post to help you create ad creatives that are sure to capture attention and achieve your desired results.
Creative ads are a great way to reach your target audience, share your value proposition, and achieve success for your business. So what are you waiting for? Get started today
Don’t forget to check out the other posts on the site for more informative reads.