In the age of information overload attracting users’ attention is getting more and more difficult. It’s even harder when it comes to engaging them with some kind of interaction.

In general, people are sensitive to ads that “attack” them. It is very common to use AdBlock – in average 27% of the ads are blocked. The first one in the rank is Greece with more than 40% of blocked advertising.

So, how to create good ads that will be both effective and efficient? Here are some tips that will help you prepare appropriate banners, tailored to your target group.

Message

1. Title (headline) – should be short (preferably 2-6 words), catchy and specific. You have little space to accommodate all these elements, as well as about a quarter of a second to catch the users attention.
2. Numbers – use numbers (facts, price, date, limited offer, etc.).
3. USP (Unique Selling Proposition) – use your USP to show the real benefit that the buyer of your product will gain.
4. Subtitle – title and subtitle should be logically consistent – subheadline should be a continuation of a headline. Try to get users attention first and then briefly explain what is going on. Make sure that the title and subtitle have different sizes. Thanks to this, the text will become more readable to recipients who will be able to quickly read the content and decide whether they are interested in it.
5. Information – you have the chance to attract more attention if you include useful information in your message that may interest your audience and bring them real value or knowledge.
6. Seasonality – Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Children’s Day or any other occasion are very good to use in your banner campaigns. There is a good chance that in the search for a gift, customers will decide to read about your offer. You can then present to them a product that they didn’t take into consideration before.
7. RTM (real-time marketing) – every day in the world happens something unexpected that brings attention to a lot of people. Think if you can connect this situation with your brand in a smart way (but you should act quickly before users forget about it)

Look & Feel

1. Readability – nowadays, the aesthetics are very much required. The design should please the eye of the potential customer. Try to keep the texts short and do not blend it with the background. Keep graphic elements simple so you don’t overwhelm the recipient and clearly show what you want to tell. It is worth taking care of the appropriate margins and space between the various elements of the banner.
2. Colors – use them reasonably. Try to match colors, shades, fonts – so you do not irritate the recipient. Let all the elements create a coherent whole. Colors can attract or distract the user’s attention. They can also help in arousing emotions and feelings. Make sure that the colors you use are adequate to the content presented in the banner (and consistent with the brand book).
3. Photos and other graphic elements that you show should be consistent, contextually related to the message that the recipient can read on the banner.
4. Fonts – avoid very thin variations, especially in italics. Also, do not use only capital letters.
5. Logotype – do not forget about it. Most publishers require it, but it’s also an element that builds your brand awareness. This will help the recipient associate a specific offer with your company.

Personalization

Try to distinguish the message and match it to different target groups. Make sure that the content presented in the advertisement is adequate to their interests, place of residence or environment (e.g. the website in which they are presented).

Interaction

A simple message is not always enough to attract the attention of the recipient. It is perfect to get involved in what we want to convey to him. Mini-game, video, interaction with the mouse cursor or phone’s sensors can work very well.

CTA

Do not forget about the „call to action”! Once you’ve caught users attention with graphic elements, encourage them with a short but concise copy. Give the customer the chance to „learn more” or „buy now”. Ideally, you want the CTA message to be consistent with the action that happens after clicking on the banner. For example “Buy now” should lead to buying page or “Discover more” should lead to a page with more information.

Important thing is that the CTA button should be placed at the end of the message, based on how you think users will look at your ad – usually at the bottom, in the middle or on the right side. Use a color that contrasts with the background to make it visible.

Campaign consistency

1. Make sure all campaign elements are consistent and will not mislead the customers. What you present on banners should be reflected on the landing page (both message and design). A simple, dedicated landing page is better than targeting all traffic to the home page.
2. Do not promise something that you know you will not be able to keep. Do not leave the user feeling cheated. Clickbaits are not welcome (unless your goal is a high bounce rate). As a result, you can achieve the opposite effect and discourage the customer not only from the purchase of the product but from the entire brand.

Inspiration

There’s never too much inspiration! Pay attention to the ads that competition or similar industry already use. The point is not to copy someone’s solutions only by changing the logo but to see if we follow trends and get inspired by interesting ideas.

At MOAT, you can easily view the banner campaigns of different brands, searching for those that interest you. I hope that these few suggestions will help you in preparing an effective banner campaign.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at support@dizply.com. Our team will be more than glad to help you.