Of all the elements that factor into the success of your ad campaigns, few offer advertisers as much control, and as much confusion as the actual creative. Many of the questions we get from new platform signups here at FieldTest have to do with ad creative, what kind should they use?
Where should they be looking for it? What exactly makes ad creative “Good”?

We want our platform users to be as prepared as possible to tackle all of the challenges advertising can throw at them, and this one is no exception. Today we’re going to take a look at 3 steps you can take to make sure your ad creative is not only beautiful and represents your brand well, but is a huge success with your customers. Let’s start at the top!

Step 1: Make it true to your brand 

This may sound like common knowledge, and maybe it is, but it’s still extremely important to remember. Your ads are an extension of your brand, often the first thing your customers will see of it, and we all know the old adage about first impressions. Every single ad you create is a small piece of your brand and it is absolutely critical that it reflect not only the visual language and personality of your brand, but also your values and mission. 

So what exactly does it mean to make your ad creative true to your brand? Here’s where that confusion we mentioned comes in. The truth is, it will depend on your brand. Broadly speaking it means asking yourself what your brand’s purpose is, what problem you are solving, and just how your products accomplish this - then asking yourself if the visuals you have chosen communicate these ideas effectively. Any brand can go out and select a few stock photos, toss them in an ad and hit publish on an ad campaign - the ones who find the most success are the ones who understand that their ad creative is a vital avenue of communication of their core values. 

Step 2: Make it connect with your customers

On the subject of communication, our next step is one that is often overlooked but equally as important: Making sure your ad creative resonates with your customers. Many brands come to us with ad creative that effectively convey their branding and their products, but don’t seem to be voiced to resonate with anybody in particular - or are voiced so generally in order to appeal to everybody that they ultimately appeal to nobody. This is a very common mistake, but one that is simple enough to avoid! When you are selecting your ad creatives, ask yourself questions such as: Who is this ad intended for? What are they supposed to think of this ad? What do I want this ad to convince my customers to do? Again, all simple questions, but if your answer to each is “my customers”, “this brand is good”, and “buy my products” you may be disappointed with the results considering the sheer amount of ads out there voicing nearly identical goals.

Instead, think a bit deeper about your creative selection. Decide who your customers are, anticipate their needs, and base your creative selections on how you think they’ll respond when they see them. Any brand can say “we’re good, buy from us”, the most successful brands know a more personalized approach is far more effective. 

Step 3: Make it inclusive 

It’s no secret that the advertising world has had an inclusivity problem in the past. Anyone who has seen Mad Men or the classic film Putney Swope is familiar with the issues with how the industry was operated for a long, long time. This is all changing in the digital landscape, and with the democratization of the advertising industry spearheaded by FieldTest. Of course, democracy only works when people participate in it, and that’s where you come in. 

Too often ads and ad messaging get created with one types of person in mind: Often white, typically cisgendered, almost always able-bodied, and so on. This is great for reaching that one type of person, but of course we know that there are so many other people in the world who deserve respect, acknowledgement, and yes, even representation in marketing. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s also good business. By ensuring that your ad creative is inclusive of everyone who may become a potential customer you are connecting with them in a real way, telling them they are worth your time and consideration, that they deserve to be marketed to as much as anyone else, it’s a powerful message and one that should not be ignored.

This of course gets into another challenge for the inclusivity-minded marketer: Where do I find inclusive images? The stock photo world has come a long way in the last few years but the vast majority of stock photos still seem to focus primarily on that same “default” person we discussed - white, male, straight, etc. making finding images that represent other people difficult. Well that all changed when Scop.io was introduced. Scop.io is a stock photo platform with a focus on inclusivity and quality unlike any other stock photo platform. We love their product and their mission so much that we've partnered with them to bring their library of beautiful images into the FieldTest Platform in the coming months and we couldn’t be more excited. In the meantime, go sign up for their platform at scop.io and see just how much better you could be connecting with your customers through the right creative choices! 

Get in touch to find out how FieldTest can help you build the perfect creatives to connect meaningfully with your customers