What’s in an ad?
The number of different platforms available to advertisers on the modern web is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Each one can be leveraged to reach a different audience, and each one requires a slightly different approach. Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most widespread platforms – Facebook.
There’s a fair bit that goes into making a decent Facebook ad and ensuring that ad is a success. With that said, most good ads have a few things in common.
They’re Visually Appealing
Facebook might not move as fast as Twitter, nor is it as focused on visuals as Instagram. At the same time, you cannot undersell the importance of visual appeal in your advertisements. If an ad isn’t eye-catching – if it doesn’t draw your audience’s attention away from their newsfeeds and make them interested in learning more – then nothing else matters.
Not only is there evidence that visual ads tend to be favored by Facebook’s algorithms, but a creative image or video is also much likelier to be remembered or shared than a piece of copy alone.
In terms of choosing your visual style, focus on the sort of feel you want your advertisement to convey. This should align well with your brand’s image and reputation, and resonate with its target audience (more on that in a moment). Generally, it’s better to focus on either being entertaining or provoking positive emotions than on something baser like sex appeal.
They hit the Right Notes for Their Target Audience
Who is your audience for this ad? What sort of content do they generally enjoy, and how can you design your ads to play into that? You need to answer both of these questions if your ad campaign is to have even a measure of success.
This is where your ad’s copy comes in. Although visual appeal is critical to getting people’s attention, it’s the copy that actually draws them in. Said copy needs to be well-written, and – as we’ve already stated – creatively aligned with the visual elements of your ad. More importantly, the copy and visuals should both be geared specifically towards your targets – they need to be relevant.
You can use Facebook’s advertising platform to measure – it has a feature that lets you determine an ad’s relevancy score, enabling you to tweak it as you go.
They Offer a Clear Value Proposition and a Strong Call to Action
Last but certainly not least, you need to figure out a reason for consumers to click on your ads. What exactly can you offer them that they can’t find elsewhere? An entertaining, well-targeted ad is a good first step, but to ensure the highest degree of success, you should take things one step further.
Maybe you can offer a discount or freebie to anyone who clicks on your ad. Maybe you can provide some information about your brand that inspires them to do business with you. Whatever value proposition you choose, make sure you pair it with a strong call to action.
This need not be anything complex – something as simple as “claim yours now” or “get yours today” works as well as anything else.
Closing Thoughts
What’s in an ad? A lot more than you might think. As with any other platform, Facebook has certain established rules and certain techniques that work better than others. At the end of the day, though, one piece of guidance can take precedence over all else: offer quality, and you’ll receive attention in return.
