Ad Creatives: Best Practices for Making Your Ads Stand Out (2023)

Are your ads not performing as well as you'd hoped? Don't take it seriously, we've all been there. You might just be making some mistakes that are affecting your ad's performance.

Here's the deal: The three main keys to every successful ad are copy, ad creativity, and targeting. Make them on point and you're winning. Sounds easy, right? Well, I hate to break it to you, but it's far from a piece of cake.

The impact of advertising creativity can be a little bigger than anything else.Make one that stands out and you could attract audiences you never imagined.

And if you're looking for the creative spark to help you create ads that stop scrolling, you're in luck. We'll look at the science behind creating ads, and we'll also show you some of our own work.

How important are advertising creatives?

According to Neil PatelWe don't read as much as we used to. The percentage of people who read at least one book a year is decreasing year after year.

Our attention span is at an all-time low. Even the most captivating ad copy is sometimes not enough to "hook" a potential customer. But do you know what stops them from rolling these days?

Stunning visual creativity.

For humans, visualization takes the cake for several reasons:

• Our brain processes an image in 13ms (“a picture is worth a thousand words”)
• 90% of the information that reaches the brain is visual. (MIT news)
• 65% of humans are strictly visual learners (can only remember images rather than textual forms)
• shiny object syndromeIt's a real thing. We can drop everything when something catches our attention...SQUIRREL!!! (Sorry, where was I...)

That's why in the paid advertising space, competition for visual supremacy is fierce. Even though images and videos are the most effective, they are still quite saturated.

Some brands think they figured this out before spending big bucks on ads that never convert. Therefore, you have to consider several different factors before diving into the creative process.

The effectiveness of different ad creatives

What is a creative ad? If you've ever tried to make your own, you might feel overwhelmed with all the options and where to start.

The right ads come in different shapes and sizes depending on the platform you use.

For example, if you choosefacebook ads, you can find different sizes, designs and, mainly, types. A video ad, an image ad, a carousel ad, a slideshow ad, a canvas ad, a story ad, etc. (so so….) a lot more. The options are crazy!

Other considerations come into play if you arerun an e-commerce campaignversus traditional sales.

So instead of diving into each ad and its role in the customer journey, let's focus on Facebook's main ad creative:display and video ads.Which one works best? It is indisputable that video is in fashion today.

Therefore, many online advertisers turn to video by default.Oberlopublished some key marketing statistics last year that support this trend.

However, the truth is that image and video ads work well if you know how to use them. Always let the data speak for itself!

hubspotrecently declaredthat video ads receive up to 20% more clicks than images. But even they admit that optimizing the image's creative and orientation parameters narrowed that gap.

The key here is that display and video ads can drive a ton of conversions, but the big differences are:

1. the offer and
2. Incredible creativity to stand out from the crowd at every stage of the customer journey.

Hit them in the right place in the funnel:

Your ads will look different to someone who has never heard of your brand than someone who has visited your site.

If you want to scale, convert and increase your ROI with paid ads, you need to think about the customer first. And there are different customers at different stages of your sales funnel.

Here is a nice little graph of what the hot vs cold funnel looks like:

Now the important part:

What makes ad creatives stand out?

It's not just the bright colors and cool animation that will tell."Then!(now buy)”.

We believe there are 4 essential creative types that help you get your message across and get those sales.

Let's explain them using some of the best performing ads from our agency's happy clients.

1. What is the pain point? explain

Products and services exist to help solve problems. Why else did you do this? What's it for? How do our products solve these problems?

Remember, part of creationeffective targeted adsis to make sure the creative matches what your audience wants to see.

We call this a video or image ad:the explainerWe need to answer a few questions with our banner ad:

• Why should they use this product?
• How is it different?
• Because you need?
• How to use it?
• How will this solve your problems?

Call those pain points! In copy and creativity, it's important that your product answers the questions. Use checkmark emojis ✅, identifiable emojis 🙏, and eye-catching icons ❌ to get your point across.

Example:

Explainer ads are often the best performing ads among our clients. Here's one:

Copy: The copy mentions weaknesses: no dangerous flames 🔥, 200 hours of operation 🕯, a savings offer 💰 and all-natural soy 🌿

Creative:To get started, check out the thumbnail 👌. “Innovative, flameless, natural.” These are strong words to occupy anyone's attention. If you keep watching the video it shows you exactly how it works.

The hook:There are several: Free bag with the purchase of the fuser. Patented silicone plate. Includes a timer so you don't have to worry about it staying on... It has no flame, but you still get all the benefits of a candle.

Practically, this ad hits right on the head. Mention any pain points and how this product can fix them.

2. Add testimonials and reviews

This is the most important way tohumanizeyour business.

To remember:People will trust other people much more than any brand.At the end of the day, your job as a brand is to sell your product.(But Jeff, he really likes it here, let me tell you all about it.)

Jeff not only likes him, he has appeared inEl Huffington Post!Ooooh! Now you have to see what all the hype is about...

It's simple psychology.social validationplays an important role when customers decide for or against a particular product. Let the clients and resources write the ads for you! They are using the product and for your benefit let them tell YOUR customers why they should love it.

Testimonials and resources are great to use for remarketing. Now that they've heard of the brand, who else can convince them to buy it? What would be the momentum of the fence?

Example one:

AppSumo does a great job of leveraging its features and testimonials.

Copy: Dictation“Don't just listen to us, see what others have to say” changes sales to other people and brands. capitalizingALL LIFEoffer stands out.

creative– The ad uses recognizable logos and prominent quotes from its resources. These logos add familiarity to brands they already know and trust.

The hook:You get these LIFETIME offers for a one-time payment. Also, you're saying "Look at all these articles in the big business magazines we were in."

Example two:

This ad from TenikleIt features great UGC (User Generated Content) and full features:

Copy: The copy is rather short, but it asks the important question. How do YOU ​​use Tenikle? Open your imagination to countless possibilities.

creative: This ad has EVERYTHING. It shows you how to use it, shows all its features and posts, comments and also shows how customers use it. It also shows how you can have A LOT of products, and this one combines them all into one (sore point, resolved!).

The hook:The real hook comes not knowing what the product is. It's a strange and crazy product, so the miniature of this octopus really attracts you.

Example three:

Some brands also manage to include TV features or celebrity endorsements. AsMy intentiondisplays your product from your TV features.Who wouldn't want a bracelet that Kanye and Rhianna wore?? It works like a thousand wonders.

Copy: Short, simple and to the point. He also asks readers who is using them and why. The proud users are the Biebs and Beyonce. And as if you didn't have the slightest curiosity to at least click on it! Not to mention there's a toast when you comment.

creative:“…and by so many celebrities”the thumbnail with the peacock TV symbol will make it 100% clickable. The full video is the Today show segment explaining the celebrity phenomenon.

the hook: Get the bracelet the celebrities won and they will give away a FREE bracelet every day! So you see how they have 40k comments? This also further drives the general idea ofsocial validation. You'll want to see why 40k people commented on this post.

Trust us, there's no better way to offer a ticket to the promised land than by using other people's testimonials and reviews. especially ifothersThey are influencers or celebrities. Let them write the copy for you. Easy and done.

3. Add more benefits and value

It's okay, you got them. Your potential customers might be interested in it.Now that?It's time to add that value that will make your brand hard to recognizeNoa.

Tell them WHY they NEED IT. Explain to them. And remember -Ads should be short and to the point.

Don't make one of those ads that looks like you're looking for a recipe and suddenly it comes out like your grandmother picked tomatoes in Italy.(For God's sake, just give me the recipe!)

Still, 3-4 points with eye-catching emojis are a great way to show the benefits and value your product will bring to your customer. ✅

Example:

look at this adbreathe b12. The benefits are there with flashy emojis.

Copy: Persuade by asking if you're getting enough b12, but also letting you know the importance of b12. In addition, it tells you about the benefits of b12 and how your product solves your b12 deficiency problem.

Creative – This video has everything you need to land a customer. Brightly colored, explanatory, answers all the questions you want and tells you what's NOT in it.

the hook: asking a question in the title really gets it right. The headline draws attention when you compare it to the rest of your ad, so your eyes naturally go to the headline first. Are you getting enough B12? You might not be sure, but keep reading to find out if it ties in with these spots.

Bonus: Joon's Saffron Hair Elixir Does a Great JobdemonstrationBecause you need.

4.Shock, direct facts or humor factor

Sometimes marketers use facts, surprises, or humor to get their point across and grab the potential customer's attention. Play with consumers’ emotions and “trigger” they listen.

an investigationof 1,400 case studies of successful advertising campaigns found that campaigns with purely emotional content had approximately twice as many (✌️) (31% versus 16%) as those with only rational content. 😲

Example one:

son of a baristahas some big competitors stacked against them (Nespresso and Keurig,uff!), but they made a rather shocking and attractive offer. A FREE machine with the purchase of capsules.

Copy: Mention the coffee machine is FREE, you get free shipping and no subscription.

creative: The creative shows the product, talks about the sale, and even mentions the price. All the information is there and you are completely hooked.

The hook:A FREE coffee machine. You heard right. A free coffee machine with the purchase of pods. And free shipping. It's even better? No conditions. The offer is a big part of what makes this business so successful.

Example two:

If you want a good laugh while marketing, check outno nuts. This ad is filled with good humor, facts about the product and will keep your attention high at all times.

Copy: This bar DOES NOT HAVE NUTS. Big problem in the snack market (especially with kids) = so they fix it right away. It is a great diet snack, free of allergens and delicious.

creative: You see, humor is everything in this ad. Everything from the name No Nuts (and how Mom plays with it) to the creativity of the video is spot on.

the hook: Legitimately all.

More examples of ad creatives that convert

Our advertising agency works with amazing clients from a wide range of industries. Working with their creatives has been so much fun (seeing how they benefit from them is icing on the cake).

Since we don't want you to waste too much time digging into every ad we love, here are some of our favorite ad creatives we've seen in our newsfeed!

Let's dive!

For example,To distributesell custom socks of any image you want. They use images and videos of humorous testimonials from their customers to increase engagement, and they do it with amazing ad creative.

Black Brown Rifleused a simple but effective humorous video to describe that morning sleepy feeling before taking that first sip. Everyone can relate to this ad, so it really hits home.

On the other hand,Dead Energyleverages his UGC and uses all his tagged stories and made a great build. There's nothing we love more than a good UGC creative. Let the client do the work for you; this is just the perfect example of that.

this ad forRevibeTechit's greatexplainerIt touches on the pain point, explains how it's done, shows testimonials and how and where the product is used.

Marquisis one of those great advertising creatives who play with emotions. You know what fresh fruit tastes like, and straight out of the can it looks delicious. Also, as a curiosity, red is (psychologically) used to evoke hunger! The ad for Marquis organic energy drink is short, witty and to the point.

This creativity toTophelabs converts very well because it adds additional value. You can see the effect before/after image editing (problem spot/solution) with a short and spot copy. This creative shows exactly HOW the product works. It's simple yet incredibly attractive.

And that's just a small dip into the vast sea of ​​paid ads.

If we call your attention and want to see more, you can visit our website.paid ad library where you can consult all our advertisements carefully selected throughout our history. Browse through some of these lists and get inspired for yours!

Bonus: How hard is it to make a good creative?

You can look at all those ads from above and say, “But I just don't have the talent/knowledge/tools/time to create something like this."But that's where you're wrong.

First, you can alwaysask Top Growth Marketingas advice! (shameless stopper 🤣).

But today you have a ton of tools that should make your ad creation process as streamlined and streamlined as possible. If you have a good foundation (professional images, good copy, and an awesome idea), then you don't need much else.

If you want to create an image, an animation or a gif, you can usecanva. On the other hand,InVideo,lumen5, youCrello, for example, can help you create short and long video ad creatives without much effort. If you want to create marketing material such as posters andflyer designs, try your luck with PhotoADKing.

It is no coincidence that these tools get the most recognition among online marketers, designers, etc. Most of the ads you see above and in our ad library were created by these apps (and Final Cut Pro).

It's time to be creative

We've done our fair share of ads. Trust us, we're talking thousands of ad creatives + copy here. And even when we think we've seen it all and figured it all out, something new always comes along.

However, this article should act as a good guide to the general format and aesthetic of a converting ad. But like any good marketer, you should know that all this is nothing without testing.

Of course, we'd love for you to share some of your ad creatives too.

What do you think of our ad library? Is there something you think is missing? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also, if you would like more similar articles, tips and case studies, feel free tocontact usor subscribe below so you don't miss any posts.