There is no getting away from the fact that digital ads are everywhere in this day and age. Social media, podcasts, Google, you name it; there’s no shortage of options when it comes to advertising online. But this increased battle for attention means ads need to be almost perfect. But this begs the question, what makes the perfect ad?
In this article, we’re going to explore the factors that contribute towards scroll stopping, high-converting ads. Continue reading to find out more.
How to Perfect Your Digital Ads
The Targeting
If your ad is being seen by the wrong people, then you can forget about the other factors in this list. While marketers and creatives may debate over the most important part of an advert, it’s hard to look past the targeting or reach of an advert.
Let’s think in terms of a real world example. A brand selling diapers puts a huge amount of its marketing budget into a new TikTok ad campaign. The creative for the ad is designed by a leading TikTok marketing agency, the hook promotes a huge discount, and the ad also features fantastic reviews from previous buyers. While this may sound like the perfect example of a powerful social ad, it counts for absolutely nothing if the ad isn’t being served up to parents with young babies, and that is exactly why targeting should be your first consideration.
The Hook
The second challenge of a digital ad is to stop the user dead in their tracks. This has arguably become the hardest part of creating an ad due to the fierce battle for attention online, and it’s all dependent on your hook.
The hook of an ad is exactly what it sounds like: it’s the part that hooks the user in, often the thing they see first, whether that be the headline copy or the main image. There are a few ways to approach this. If you have a powerful offer, then making this the focal point of the advert is a great way to ensure your ad grabs users’ attention.
Alternatively, you could try to foster an emotion. Shock, excitement, or even fear will make users stop and stare. It’s also important to consider hooks in video form. In this instant, the hook becomes the first few seconds of the video. Without a hard-hitting opening to a video ad, users will simply scroll on to the next video in their feed.
The Positioning
The positioning or the angle of your ad refers to the way it is displayed to users. There’s an old saying in marketing and sales that states brands aren’t selling products, they are selling solutions. Another way you may have heard this is when people talk about selling the benefits, not the features.
Again, let’s think of this in terms of a real world example. A new running shoe’s features may include the use of advanced foam fabrics to create a spongier cushioning. But do customers care about the material? Possibly not. But do they care about the fact that the material could prevent blisters? Absolutely. How you choose to display this is up to you!
The Proof
While many different factors go into winning a sale, one of the most powerful factors is social proof. This comes in many forms, such as reviews, ratings and testimonials. The next time you come across an ad, stop to see if it includes any form of social proof. Many static ads choose to include a Trustpilot review to build proof with those who see the ad.
You may also not even realise when brands are using social proof. For example, if you hear a brand use a certain number of people in their ad copy, this is a subtle nod to the number of products that have been sold by the brand.
The Offer
We mentioned the offer when speaking about the hook of an ad, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lead with the offer. But you do need to be offering the user something, and this doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of a discounted product.
An example of an offer is trying a service for free for 28 days, or money back if you’re not satisfied. Whatever you are offering, make it easy, clear and concise.
The CTA
The factors outlined above will all contribute to a great ad. But as a brand, it’s important not to lose sight of the reason for running ads: to make a profit. If an ad grabs the attention of users, lures them in with a tempting offer, but doesn’t actually take them to a place where they can purchase the product, it’s unlikely to generate many sales.
This is also known as a call to action. It involves prompting the user to take a certain action, and it’s also worth pointing out that the action doesn’t have to be a purchase. In the world of lead gen, the action may be signing up for a newsletter.
It’s also worth understanding that a call to action isn’t simply adding a buy now button to an ad. It can also involve creating urgency through time limits, stock numbers and so on.
Final Thoughts
Digital advertising’s ubiquity means the fight for consumer attention will only get more intense. Ultimately, perfection in a digital ad is about combining all of these elements to create content that will resonate with your target audience.