Tips for Creating an Ad with Impact
We’re back and ready to continue our discussion on the “Less is More” approach to advertising. If you missed Part 1, check it out here, or you can watch the entire recording of the webinar in the video at the bottom of this post.
When we left off with Part 1, we shared three specific things an ad needs to do in order to resonate with an audience. To recap, an ad should: capture your audience’s attention; connect with them through clear messaging and images that tell the story or solve the problem; and create a reasonable call to action. Now, let’s take these three things we need an ad to do and look at a real world example.
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Billboards are a great example because the experience of seeing a billboard ad is something we have all seen and we all take it in the same – driving down the road. You can/should use the standards you see in billboard ads for any type of ad placement because this is part of advertising “best practices.” When you’re traveling down the highway at 65 miles per hour, you can’t do much other than remember the ad, so a billboard needs to leave a quick, clear, and impactful question. You can use the following tips and tricks to create an impactful ad with the less is more approach.
- Get your message across in 6 words or less.
- Know the type of response you want from your audience and advertise appropriately. Remember not all forms of advertising are good for direct responses.
- Make sure your ad isn’t distracting. (This is mainly for billboards so you don’t cause accidents.)
- Make sure your message is smart and fun, but not overly clever. Don’t make people wonder what point you’re trying to get across.
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- A picture is worth 1,000 words, so let your imagery tell the story.
- Use your space wisely. Messaging and visuals should support one another and not be repetitive of each other.
- Make sure your logo is sized appropriately. If it’s too big it may distract from the message. If it’s too small, people may not connect your brand with the ad.
- Print your ad the size of a business card and hold it at arm’s length to make sure everything in your message comes across the same as it does on your computer screen. You can also print it larger and place it across the room.
- Use the K.I.S.S (“Keep It Simple Stupid”) principle. Your ad should be so straightforward that it can speak to anyone.
We hope these tips will help you take a less is more approach when it comes to creating ads for your business. If you have any questions, send them our way and we’ll be happy to chat with you. Also, be sure to make plans to join us on March 15 at 12:30 pm EST for our next webinar where we’ll be discussing all things Instagram!
