4 Tips for Creating Killer Display Ads

Paid Media / August 01, 2017

There is a fair amount of artistry behind creating great digital display ads. They need to stand out, without being too complex or showy. And they need to effortlessly get your message across in the blink of an eye. No small task. Here’s how to make your display ads pop.

We love display ads. And we hate display ads.

They plague us when we’re reading and browsing online. And they fill us with hope when we’re building and managing ad campaigns.

There is middle ground, a place rich with well-designed banners that inspire curiosity and generate sales. You can create display ads that your potential customers like, and even enjoy. Here’s now:

Create different messages for different phases in the consumer cycle.

Banner ads aren’t always effective for closing the sale. They’re often effective during earlier phases in the consumer decision journey: awareness, familiarity and consideration. So while some ad creative should aggressively drive to the sale, other variations should focus on brand and product benefits rather than the hard sell.

Start with the top-performing banner sizes.

The number of possible banner sizes out there is truly overwhelming. Don’t drive your designer crazy by asking for 20 different shapes and sizes. Start with the formats that will give you the most bang for your buck. According to the Google Display Network, opt for these top-performing ad formats: 300×250, 336×280, 728×90, 300×600, 320×100.

Sync with the content on your landing page.

In an ideal universe, a suite of display ads would be developed at the same time, with the same content and strategy as your landing page. We know this isn’t always possible. But wherever you can, sync your display ad creative with the messaging and content on your landing page. If a potential customer is drawn to your display ad, they are more likely to engage and convert if they have a consistent experience on your website.

Create simple designs with strong imagery.

One of the reasons why people dislike display ads is because they are often crowded and ugly. If you’re on a busy content page, the last thing you want is a bunch of poorly designed display ads polluting your experience. Consider the user experience and minimize the clutter:

• Pare down your ad to four elements: logo, copy, image, and call to action
• Use a bold, impactful image
• Keep your ad copy short and punchy
• Make sure your text is exceptionally easy to read — in a sans-serif font

Discover 14 best practices when designing display ads.

Appreciating the artistry of a well-built ad

It takes practice and talent to distil a campaign objective down to one or two images and a punchy piece of copy. Once you start thinking about the components of a strong display ad, you start to notice and appreciate artful creative in the wild. In a sea of stale and ugly digital advertising campaigns, the winners begin to jump out at you. They’re inevitably simple, witty and bold.

Is there a digital display ad that you find remarkable? Send it to us. We love finding out about great creative work.