As a marketer, you know that compelling display ads are essential to boosting conversions and revenue. However, creating an ad that resonates with your target audience and motivates them to take action is easier said than done. It requires an understanding of human psychology and what makes people tick. When done right, a high-performing display ad creative becomes an art form in itself. In this article, we will dissect the anatomy of a winning display ad creative. You will learn a proven formula for crafting visually stunning ads with persuasive copy that capture attention, spark interest, and drive clicks. With the right combination of images, headlines, copy, and call-to-action, you have the power to turn more of your ad impressions into customers. Read on to unlock the secrets behind display ad creatives that deliver real results.
Choose an Eye-Catching Image
To create an effective display ad, choosing an eye-catching image is crucial. Selecting an image that is relevant, high quality, and visually appealing will help capture attention and drive interest in your ad.
Look for an image that clearly relates to your product or service. If you are advertising a new laptop, for example, an image of that laptop model would be ideal. For a more conceptual product or service, an image that symbolizes what you offer can also work well, as long as the relation is obvious.
The image should be high resolution and look professional. Grainy or pixilated images will make your ad seem amateurish and untrustworthy. Bright, vivid images with an interesting composition tend to attract the most attention.
Consider using images that evoke positive emotions or a sense of need in the viewer. Pictures of smiling customers, dramatic before-and-after shots, or images highlighting desirable features or applications of your offering can be effective.
Once you have selected a great image, be sure to optimize it for display advertising by cropping it to the correct aspect ratio and size. Double check that any text or logos in the image are clear and legible. An image that is visually striking but fails to effectively showcase your brand or product details will ultimately not serve your advertising needs.
With an eye-catching, optimized image, you will have crafted a display ad that demands attention and inspires action. Carefully choosing visuals that are relevant, high quality, and emotionally evocative is the first step to display ad success.
Write a Clear and Compelling Headline
To capture attention and drive engagement, a compelling headline is critical. As you develop your display ad creative, focus on these best practices for writing an effective headline:
•Keep it short and scannable. Aim for no more than 1 to 2 lines of text with a maximum of 70 characters. Online readers have short attention spans, so conciseness is key.
•Highlight a key benefit. Promote the primary advantage or solution that your product or service offers to address customer needs or pain points. For example, “Reduce Energy Costs by up to 25%!” or “Learn a New Skill in Just 5 Minutes a Day!”
•Use numbers and statistics. Quantifying the impact or results that customers can achieve makes for a persuasive headline. For example, “Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks!” or “Increase Web Traffic 300%!” Numbers give audiences a concrete idea of what to expect.
•Ask a provocative question. Posing an interesting question that your solution answers is an engaging way to capture attention. For example, “Tired of Overpriced Dating Sites?” or “What If You Could Save 4 Hours a Week on Chores?” Questions tap into audience emotions and curiosity.
•Include a call to action. Invite the reader to take the next step, whether it’s to get a free trial, download a resource, or subscribe for a service. For example, “Sign Up for a Free Consultation Today!” or “Download the Ultimate Productivity Toolkit Now!” A clear CTA prompts audiences to act.
By focusing your headline on these elements, you’ll craft a compelling message that resonates with your target audience and motivates them to click and convert. An irresistible headline is the first step to display ad success.
Keep the Message Simple and Focused
To capture attention and motivate the target audience, keep your display ad message simple and focused.
Headline
Craft an intriguing yet straightforward headline that highlights the key benefit or main selling point of your product or service. Use active language and avoid overly hyped or misleading claims. The ideal length is 3 to 5 compelling words that instantly convey what’s in it for the customer.
Visuals
Reinforce your message with a bold, eye-catching visual. For maximum impact, use a single high-quality image that showcases your product or service in an authentic way. Ensure all visual components are cohesive and align with your brand identity. Minimal text and clutter allows the visual to shine through.
Body Copy
The body copy should expand on the headline in 2 sentences or less. Briefly explain how you can deliver the promised benefit or solution. Use a friendly, conversational tone and simple language for a quick, easy read. Repeat key terms from the headline for improved comprehension and recall.
Call to Action
Issue a clear call to action that tells the audience exactly what you want them to do, such as “Buy Now,” “Learn More,” or “Call Today.” Place the CTA prominently on the ad, ideally aligned with the visual to guide the viewer. A sense of urgency can motivate people to take action but avoid being pushy.
Contact Information
Provide essential contact details like your business name, phone number, and website URL. This allows interested viewers to easily get in touch or find more details about your products and services. Display this information conspicuously in the ad.
Keeping display ads minimal but compelling, with a simple and cohesive message that focuses the audience’s attention, has been shown to drive the best response and conversion rates. Master these best practices, and your ad creative is sure to capture interest and motivate action.
Include a Strong Call-to-Action
For an effective display ad, a strong call-to-action (CTA) is essential to prompt the desired response from your audience. Your CTA should convey a clear message about what you want the viewer to do next.
Make the CTA Prominent
Place your CTA in a prominent position so it’s easily seen, such as at the top or centered in the ad. Use an eye-catching font, color, or graphic to help it stand out. For example, you might say “Shop Now” or “Learn More” in a bold, bright font.
Be Direct and Specific
Tell the reader exactly what you want them to do, such as “Buy Tickets,” “Download the Free Trial,” or “Subscribe Today.” A vague CTA like “Find Out More” requires too much work on the part of the viewer to determine what the next step is. Specificity increases the likelihood of the desired action being taken.
Match the CTA to Your Goal
The CTA should match your overall goal or objective for the ad campaign. If you want viewers to make a purchase, use “Buy Now” or “Shop Today.” For lead generation, try “Sign Up” or “Get Started.” To drive traffic to your website or social media, use “Learn More” or “Follow Us.” The CTA should logically lead to the next step required to reach your goal.
Consider Placement and Wording
For the most clicks, place your CTA at the bottom of the ad, centered or right-aligned. However, for higher-quality leads, a CTA at the top may be more effective. Test different placements to determine what works best for your particular audience and objectives. Similarly, test different wordings of the CTA to optimize the response. Subtle changes to the text or phrasing can significantly impact results.
An effective call-to-action is essential for an impactful display ad campaign. Following these best practices will help ensure your CTA prompts the desired action from viewers, whether that is a purchase, subscription, download or visit to your website. Carefully crafting your CTA and optimizing its placement and wording can lead to improved click-through and conversion rates.
Check for Quality and Consistency
To ensure your display ad creative is as impactful as possible, it’s important to check that it meets key quality and consistency standards before launching.
Review for Errors
Double check your ad creative for any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. Even small mistakes can reflect poorly on your brand and damage customer trust. Read through all text, headlines and calls-to-action carefully.
Align with Brand Guidelines
Your display ad creative should align with your established brand guidelines for fonts, colors, logos, and overall style. Using different or inconsistent branding elements will confuse customers and weaken brand recognition. Compare your ad creative to your brand style guide to ensure all components match.
Optimized for All Placements
The display ad unit sizes and aspect ratios you use dictate how much of your creative will actually be shown to customers. Review how your key messages and calls-to-action will appear in different placements. Consider using responsive design or multiple versions of the ad tailored to different sizes.
Clear Messaging
The goal of your display ad creative is to communicate a clear message or value proposition to capture interest. Evaluate whether the ad conveys a single, focused message that will resonate with your target audience. Remove or simplify any elements that could distract from the primary message.
Track Key Performance Metrics
Once your ad goes live, monitor how it’s performing to determine if any changes need to be made. Key metrics to track include impressions, clicks, click-through rate, conversions, and cost per conversion. Make optimizations to improve results over time.
Running a quality check on your display ad creative is well worth the effort. Taking the time to review, refine and improve your ad will lead to better performance and results. Your brand and customers will thank you.
Conclusion
As you have seen, there are several elements that come together to create an effective display ad creative. By following the best practices around choosing an eye-catching visual, crafting a compelling headline and call to action, keeping your messaging clear and concise, and optimizing for the right placement and targeting, you can design display ads that capture attention and drive real business impact. But remember, the work does not end once your ad goes live. Monitor how your ads are performing, make adjustments to improve results over time, and keep innovating to stay ahead of the trends. With the right creative and optimization strategy, display advertising can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. Success is within your reach if you take the time to understand the anatomy of a winning display ad.