Creating a fantastic ad takes serious work. A good display ad doesn’t happen by accident, and more often than not, even well-planned ads go unnoticed by potential customers.
So how do you create a display ad that will actually grab people’s attention and convert them into leads? Are there any special tricks?
We’re here to talk about some of the top secrets to creating these attention-grabbing display ads. Read on to learn more.
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Keep It Simple
When you start trying to create a fantastic new display ad for the first time, you might get over-excited. There’s so much information that you want to share and you have so many creative ideas! You want to put them all into one fantastic ad, right?
In most cases, this isn’t the best option. While some businesses can get away with busy and aesthetically overwhelming ads, most can’t. For the majority of businesses, it’s far better to err on the side of simplicity. It’s better for a display to be too simple than too busy.
You want to leave plenty of blank space so the images and text on your ad are clear to viewers. You don’t want to overwhelm them with too much visual information. They may find your ad eye-catching, but it won’t actually benefit your business if there’s too much to process on it.
Simplicity will also make it easier to create the ad and print it in the future if you ever want to use it for flyers or signs. When it comes to ad design, less is usually more.
Consider Your Location
Where is your ad going to go? There are so many types of digital display ads that all have their own purposes and suit their own locations and situations. Where you place your ad is definitely a factor when you’re considering what you want it to look like.
For example, let’s say you’re creating a digital sign that you want to place inside your store. The customers are already there, so while you want it to grab their attention, you don’t want to make it so distracting that they lose track of what they’re doing.
Because it’s in your store, you want it to match your interior aesthetic. If you stick with neutral tones, you may want a white digital display ad rather than a colorful one that would stick out and look out of place.
On the other hand, perhaps you’re creating a digital display ad that you’re going to put outdoors somewhere. In this case, you’d want it to be large, bold, and as attention-grabbing as possible. You may use bright colors and large fonts rather than a tasteful color palette and simple fonts.
You’ll likely have different designs for all of your ads, so individualize them for their locations.
Make Your Colors Count
You don’t have to be an expert in color theory to make an effective ad, but it’s helpful to know how certain colors work together. How will you use color in your digital display ad?
In most cases, you want to choose colors that contrast well against each other. This way, you can see text and images easily against the background. If the colors are too similar, the display ad will be more difficult to read.
Pick colors that already align with your brand, especially if this is an ad that won’t be in your physical store. Your brand should extend through all of your marketing materials and your digital display ads are no exception.
Make Sure the Purpose Is Clear
Often, people get so wrapped up in the design process for their ads that they forget that those ads are actually serving a purpose. Make sure the purpose of your digital ad is clear to onlookers.
When you look at the ad, can you see all of the necessary information quickly without having to look closer? Is your brand evident? If there’s a call-to-action, is it easy to understand?
If not, it won’t be useful to you. Even the most beautiful digital ad won’t help your business if potential customers don’t understand what it’s supposed to do.
It’s a good idea to test your ads before officially setting them out just to make sure you’re on the right track. If you’re trying to up your marketing game in 2023, you can’t afford to waste time with ads that don’t convert.
Play With Scale
When you’re creating your display ads, play around with scale. Remember that the design you’re making right now is likely not the same size as what your customers are actually going to see. That’s important to keep in mind when you’re deciding how large things are.
When you’re working on your display, it’s easy for you to see the writing on it as well as any images. It’s right in front of you! But would it be that easy if the display ad was on a sign that someone was passing while driving?
If the display ad is going to go on a social media profile, will the text be too small for anyone to read?
Keep Copy Minimal
You have so much that you want to say with your display ad, but keep your copy as minimal as possible. Remember that the average person is only going to view your ad for a matter of seconds, so you only want to present the most important information.
This may be the name of your brand, the date of an event you’re running, a special sale, or another promotion. If people are interested, they’ll seek out more information on their own after the ad grabs their attention.
In certain rare cases, having more copies is okay, but these are few and far between. You should never assume that viewers will read through paragraphs of even the most well-written copy on a display ad.
How Will You Make Your Display Ads Pop?
Creating an eye-catching display ad that perfectly represents your brand isn’t easy. These tips should put you on the right track. As long as you keep it simple, make sure that all important information is clear, and consider how the ad will look when it’s actually being displayed, you should be on the right track.
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