Online ads are everywhere – but how can you create a successful online advertising campaign? For all things marketing, you should start with research – but thereโs a lot more to it than that.
1. Research and Talk to Your Target Audience
If youโve already got client personas, do you know what client persona youโre targeting with this ad? Will it speak to one niche audience, or are there multiple niches you could target with this ad? Design your ad so that it targets the niche you want to attract.
Try customizing the ad to target people within a specific age range, those who use a specific device, the users who live in a particular location, and more. The more specific you can be, the likelier that your target audience will resonate with and share your ad, product, or service with other people.
Look at it this way: an eco-friendly 20-year old mom doesnโt need (or want) to see ads for Depends – but an ad for a sustainable baby diaper brand would be great!
Youโll also need to get on the same page with the person whoโs overseeing the project. How long do you have to create the advertisement? What constraints do you have? Will you have time to A/B test, and if so, how long do you have for that?
2. Create High-Quality Content
It should go without saying (but weโre going to say it anyway): one of the top predictors of successful online ads is how high-quality the content is. The last thing you want to do is slap an ad together – youโre paying to run it, so youโll want it to be as successful as possible!
Here are the elements that you need to hone in on for a good ad:
- Images/graphics and the overall look of the advertisement (copy, images/graphics, etc.) should be professional, with plenty of white space so itโs eye-catching.
- The content/copy should utilize SEO best practices, keep to the ideal ad length, and consist of compelling high-quality messaging tailored to the target audience.
- Testimonials from other recognizable (industry) professionals should also be included – social proof helps add to your authority and credibility.
- Correct sizing ensures that your ad will be readable by everyone who comes across it, so be sure to keep it to a suitable size. Accessibility is another element to consider.
3. Include a clear CTA (Call-to-Action)
An ad with the highest quality copy the worldโs ever seen will still fall flat without a clear call to action, so make sure that youโre letting the target audience know what action you want them to take. (And if your ad is going to take people to a landing page, youโd better deliver on the promises from the advertisement!)
A good CTA tells people what the logical next step is if they love your ad. The best way to use them is to take people exactly where the CTA said it would with as few roadblocks as possible. (So if the CTA is โLearn more,โ you can take them to a page with more infoโฆ but if the CTA is โShop now,โ youโd better immediately take them to your e-commerce store !)
4. Remember to Retarget Site Visitors
You can retarget site visitors in two ways: by having a contact form, or by using cookies on your website.
Hereโs a little about each one:
- A contact form gives you an opportunity to collect site visitorsโ email addresses. Youโve got a few options: signup, payment, and event registration forms are fair game.
- Cookies store data in the website visitorsโ browsers, which enables you to offer targeted PPC ads to them later on. (You can do this in Google Analytics!)
5. Test and Track (KPIs) for Ad Success
If you arenโt sure which ad you want to use, try A/B testing the two best ones and see which performs better. Thankfully, A/B testing has come a long way, and itโs easier to implement than it used to be.
Not sure how to A/B test? That depends on how much time you have. Many experts recommend swapping a single element out at a time while keeping the rest the same. This is akin to the scientific method, which involves having a โcontrolโ that remains consistent, with one thing being changed. That said, some prefer to test totally different ads because itโs quicker.
Another (obvious) part of this is to track your key performance indicators (KPIs) – whether you choose to A/B test or not. If youโre not sure how your ad is performing, you could end up throwing money into your advertising efforts with little to no reward to show for it.
Make sure you check your ad performance periodically (weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on your goals) to ensure your ads are still working for you.
Get an Advertising Expert for Your Ad
Advertising isnโt rocket science – but learning how to do it correctly takes time, especially if youโre planning to advertise on multiple platforms. As a business owner, your time is precious – and you know the value of calling in an expert instead of wasting precious time and money trying to figure it out for yourself.
Thatโs what weโre here for! At Matcha Design, we have over three decades of experience in marketing, advertising, and design. If you need it, chances are weโve done it – so get in touch for help with your advertising campaign today!
