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What information do I need to know about creating a good ad?

A good digital advertisement needs to do two things:

  1. Give viewers something to remember
  2. Give viewers something to do.

The better you are at getting these two things right, the better the ad performs.

Something to Remember
Even if viewers don’t react to the ad the first time they see it, they still see it. So, a good ad gives viewers something to remember. Then, when they need your product or service or are looking for something to do, they’ll recall the ad from memory. A name and a good tag line work together to get this done. For example:

  • “Smith Plumbing – Best Plumber in the City”
  • “Acme Dental – Voted #1 Dentist”
  • “Jones Realty – Most Knowledgeable in the Market”
  • “School Carnival – The most fun you’ll have this weekend”

Good graphics and a clean layout help make the message standout.

Something to Do
The second most important thing in a digital ad is to give the viewer something to do. This is called a call-to-action. The better the call to action, the better the response to the ad. For example:

  • “Click here for 40% off your first visit”
  • “Call today for a free consultation”
  • “Download our whitepaper on buying a home in Dallas”
  • “Contact us to learn more”
  • “Click here for details”

Don’t Forget Follow-Through
Don’t forget that when a viewer clicks on your ad, they’ll expect something that follows up on the call-to-action. If your call-to-action is for a 40% off coupon, then the next page should ask them for an email address to receive the coupon. The worst thing you can do is take a good strong call-to-action and then direct them to the front page of your website where they are left wondering what to do next. Always try to look at the ad from a new customer’s standpoint and think “does this make sense?”

Remember that BubbleLife Connect let’s you easily create landing pages that can be used as ad destinations.

Designing Your Ad
If you have someone design your ad, here’s a quick list of questions to answer that helps get the best layout and determine the best call-to-action:

Basic Details

  1. Company, Organization or Event Name
  2. Phone Number (if applicable)
  3. Address (including location relative to other larger businesses or intersections)
  4. Start and End Dates (if applicable)
  5. Website or landing page URL
  6. Graphics including logos and pictures of storefronts, interiors, activities, previous works, owner or employees.

Previous Ad Experiences

  1. Samples of previous ads with good results
  2. Messages you’ve used in brochures, mailers or emails

Marketing Questions to Help

  1. How would you describe your business, organization or event in one sentence?
  2. How do you describe this to friends?
  3. Why do customers choose you over competitors?
  4. Why would a new customer choose your business?
  5. What is the most typical service you provide?
  6. What is the most profitable service you provide?
  7. What does a typical customer look like?
  8. How long have you been in business?
  9. Have you received any awards or recognitions?

Jeff is the President and CEO of BubbleLife Media, the publisher of http://bubblemedia4.wpengine.com, DFW's largest neighborhood news source, and a leading provider of neighborhood marketing solutions. Jeff has always been a technology entrepreneur including founding and leading one company that ranked 26th on Inc. Magazine’s list of Fastest Growing Private Companies, held an IPO and sold to McAfee.