But, more often than not, we see cramped, uninspiring ads that don’t get the job done. Here’s our how-to guide for display ads that’ll knock your socks off.
Less is more
You don’t have a lot of space in a display ad, so you need to make sure you’re making the most of it. Focus on minimal text and choose a striking image. If people are interested, they’ll click through, and that’s where you can provide more details (on that very nice and effective landing page you’ve put together).
Match your creative to the space
Rather than just scaling some existing artwork down, think about whether it really fits the space you’re putting it into. This’ll work well for some campaigns, but for others, it can come across as very uninspired. If it makes sense to do so, come up with different ideas that can work in unique spaces. Plus, it’ll help you avoid ad fatigue – that’s a win-win.
Keep your tagline to the point
Think about the most compelling print adverts of the last 50 years. The very best of them use hardly any text and focus on a single tagline that sums up exactly what they’re trying to say. The same principle applies to display ads. Come up with a bold, distinct tagline that best represents your brand and you’re more likely to succeed.
Choose the right photography
Display ads aren’t necessarily known for their high resolution, but that doesn’t mean you can skimp on the photography. Avoid stock photos that suck (or that your rivals probably have) and pick images that are guaranteed to wow.
Using GIFs? Keep it simple
Motion can be a great way to draw the eye, but don’t use GIFs to cram as much information as possible across a bunch of slides. Instead, pick an element in your advert – for example, a background shape or an icon – and animate that instead. Now you’re cooking with gas.
Make sure it matters to your audience
We’ve saved the best for last – make sure your display ads are the right fit for your target audience. Even if they’re shown on sites that don’t completely fit the bill, you want to make sure you get the right people clicking through. Therefore, approach display ads like you would a print ad – think about who it’s for and design accordingly.
This might all seem like a pain to you, but we love this kind of stuff. So how about you stick to what you’re best at, and we’ll take care of this for you – deal? Just drop us a line to find out more.