When it comes to sales, marketing and promotion, effective advertising is key. As a Perth Branding Agency specialising in helping businesses experience rapid growth, we know all too well how a haphazard approach to advertising with poor planning can result in limited ad results, and high ad spend. So how to we plan advertisements to ensure they get the best chance at success?
Top Characteristics of Effective Advertising
Here are some of the top characteristics of effective advertising:
It’s Personalized
Personalized ads are designed to meet the needs and characteristics of a particular user. They help companies connect with their customers, allowing them to feel like an individual, not just a number. An email marketing campaign is an example of personalized marketing, which typically uses the email recipient’s name in the body of the email.
Knowing your audience is key to personalized marketing. This is accomplished by accumulating specific data about your audience or target market. Here are three primary sources of data for advertisers:
- Firsthand data. This is data collected directly from customers or users. Much of this info can be collected from websites, analytics, or in person such as with business cards.
- Data from other companies. This information can be obtained by purchasing data from other companies. These businesses typically work together, having similar customers and target markets.
- Third party data. This information is collected and purchased from external providers.
Ads Are Consistent
Ad consistency means your ads are aligned with the values and themes associated with your brand. For example, if your specialty is quality, your ads should consistently emphasize the quality of your product or service. Customers should remember your brand and message when they see your business without it being annoying or overbearing.
If you have brand guidelines, or a brand I.D. document it *may* have examples of ad copy and styling. At the very minimum it should have ‘copy tone’ so you can get a feel for how you should be talking. Is your copy tone ‘fun and energetic’ or ‘professional and factual’? As a Perth brand agency we include these types of copy examples in our brand guidelines so you can create compelling ads.
Your Ads Are Persuasive
Ads should be both creative and persuasive. Your ads should let consumers know your product or service is better than those of your competitors. After seeing your ads, customers should want your product or service or feel they need it.
But in saying that, persuasive ads don’t just mean ‘pushy’. They mean compelling. This can mean finding creative ways of selling the outcomes your customers will have when using your products. Or it could be telling them what they are missing out on.
For example:
BAD CREATIVE: We are a natural spa crystals company selling organic spa crystals to customers in Australia
BETTER CREATIVE: Our customers love our spa products because they remove harsh chemicals from your spa, and are better for the environment.
Your Ads Are Creative
Creativity is the ability to make your ads stand out from the crowd and be memorable. In addition, ads should prompt viewers to take action, while still maintaining the character and identity of the brand.
The Ad is Ethical
“Ethical” can be defined as “morally good or correct” or “avoiding activities or organizations that do harm to people or the environment.” It’s critical your ads don’t give any misleading information or make guarantees and promises that can’t be met.
Having an ethical business is key to having ethical advertising. Here are top ways our Perth Branding Agency maintain an ethical standard:
- Stay open to receiving feedback
- Instill a positive, ethical culture among employees
- Make your products and services in an ethical way
- Stay true to your core values and beliefs
- Give back to the community
Doing these things can translate into ethical advertising as well.
Perth Branding Agency Hacks: How To Create Effective Ads
Once the top qualities of effective ads are understood, the next step is to create them. Perth Branding Agency ad creation tips and tricks:
Define Your Audience
Who is your target market? Millennials? Baby Boomers? College educated women? The answer to this question will allow you to tailor your ads to meet the specific needs of your target customers.
Use High Quality Visuals
The average human attention span is approximately 8 seconds. This means you must act fast if you want to make a positive impression. High quality visuals (pictures and/or videos) help pique interest, prompting a longer look at what you have to offer.
Analyze The Ads
Once the ads have been shared, analyze the data. What is the retention rate? Has the ad generated the responses you desired? If the answer is yes, keep making ads along the same theme. If the results are not what you expected, tweak the ads, or adjust your advertising strategy.
Clearly Define Your Goals
What are you trying to do? Do you want more sales? More leads? Increased market share? More followers on your website or social media platforms? By answering these questions, you can tailor your ads to help you reach your desired goals.
Create Multiple Ads
Before launching for the world to see, consider creating different variations and sharing with a test audience. Determine which ad(s) get the most positive response and use that one. Another strategy is to test the ads on different social media platforms to determine where they are the most popular and effective.
Putting It All Together
Whether you are simply looking to get more followers, sell products or services or get more visitors to your website, quality advertising is key. The average person’s attention span is only 8 seconds, so its critical you gain their interest quickly. Try following the tips listed here that are used by our Perth branding agency. Your business will thank you.
More About Soto Group
We are an Perth Branding Agency that offers branding, marketing, and web design services. Originally a Melbourne design agency, we relocated our HQ to Perth in 2020 and continue to provide services across Australia to brands and companies of all sizes. We also have clients all over the globe and help them navigate the often tricky brand and website design landscape. Our ethos is to build relationships based on trust that leads to design projects and outcomes that are goal-specific and help our clients’ businesses grow and thrive. Hundreds of businesses trust us to build then brands and websites that can stand the test of time, and lead to more conversions, more sales and more work life balance.
If you are looking for more advice on getting your brand ready for scaling, or how to get the best out of your advertising – or simply to find out more about our services and how we help businesses excel, reach out to our friendly team for a no-obligation chat.
