What Makes Great Digital Ads
How do you create ads that grab the attention of your target audience?
Great ads get people to take notice of your product. It is not about being creative for the sake of being creative, but rather about persuading people to buy what you are selling.
The average attention span is only 8.25 seconds, and we know the first 3 seconds of any video, animation, or advertisement is essential to engaging your audience. Remember, everything starts with the visual element, which is why video ads are an effective medium to communicate your brand's message. (Financeonline, 2022)
In this article, we share best practices to craft effective digital ads and help you achieve your marketing goals.
Identify your audience
Your target audience refers to the specific group of consumers that most likely want your product or service, and therefore, the group of people who should see your ad campaigns. There are many ways you can target ads, including:
Demographic targeting: Testing different demographics is a good starting point to narrow down the best options for your brand and message. You can target your ideal audience by age, gender, relationship status, job title, education level, household composition, and even life events.
Geographic targeting: By narrowing down your target locations by city, state, or zip code, you can ensure that your brand is reaching a relevant pool of people.
Placement, device, and platform targeting: Now you have a broad spectrum of platforms to reach your customer: LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Google Search, YouTube, Yahoo, Pinterest, Bing, podcasts, and the list goes on. Each digital channel has specific requirements and objectives, making it necessary to create variations, but keep the visual tone and messaging consistent across the board.
Behavior and interest targeting: You can reach niche audiences that have expressed some degree of interest in your product, measured by social engagements, browsing activity, and even offline purchase behavior.
Conduct market research
Your marketing team can use the information collected from your market research to design better products, improve user experience, and craft a marketing strategy that attracts quality leads and improves conversion rates.
Four common types of market research techniques include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and customer observation.
Which method you use may vary based on your business goals, an effective approach is to mix and match these methods depending on what you need to know.
Without research, it’s hard to fully understand your customers. The data you obtain from your analytics can tell you what people do at scale, but only research can explain the why behind their actions.
Choose the right platform
As more advertising shifts to social media, your ads need to get to the point and drive customer interest and social sharing. When you are intentional with your ad placement, consumers are more likely to engage with your brand.
In order to determine which platform your ad should be placed on, consult your analytics and research results to identify which platform(s) your audience is most active. By aligning your ad goals to the right channels, you’ll have a higher chance of meeting and even exceeding your marketing goals.
Create a captivating headline
Headlines must be both attention-grabbing and relevant. And they must be clear and concise; long, rambling headlines are a sure way to lose potential customers.
When designing your ads, remember that people will only give your ad a moment to impress them. Use that time by highlighting your value proposition while keeping your call to action clear and easily actionable.
Solve their problem
The most memorable ads trigger some type of emotional response: joy, empathy, anger, fear, desire, hope, or some other emotion.
Leverage the emotions that suit your brand's purpose and the needs of your consumer. Rather than a listing of features and/or facts, emphasize the emotional benefits of your offering.
Ads that evoke those emotions your brand's values emulate, such as happiness, pride, or desire, can have a powerful effect on people and influence their behavior.
Create a call-to-action
Example of call-to-action buttons on digital ads for Smartmouth Dental Chews
Your call to action, or CTA invites readers to take action. It usually includes action verbs, such as “Buy,” “Watch” or “Get your discount.”
Most advertisers design CTAs as buttons.
The point of your ad is to make a connection and make a sale, so be sure the call to action offers the easiest and most efficient way to contact you.