Crafting compelling display assets to enhance campaign performance

With creatives being one of the biggest drivers of digital marketing campaign performance, using the right creative display assets can make or break a campaign. The most compelling ads are the ones that grab the attention of your audience. They draw the user to your website and lead to the completion of a desired action. In many cases, a display ad might be a user’s first contact with your brand, so it’s vital that creatives stand out and clearly present what is being advertised.

We are in the age of automation – with the rise of Performance Max campaigns, and platforms taking steps toward AI for campaign optimisation. So it’s essential  to make full use of assets to ensure they perform optimally, and display creatives are integral to delivering effective and inspiring ads.

The following best practice tips will help you create compelling creative display assets for your digital marketing campaigns:

Variety is key 

A variety of creative assets is key to creating an engaging and compelling digital marketing campaign. You can maximise reach through tailoring assets to specific target audiences, and minimise the risk of ad fatigue through asset rotation every few weeks. People often get tired of seeing the same creative, and a lack of rotation and variation could lead to ad fatigue. 

Use a Strong Image

The image can be the make or break. If you have a physical product that can be showcased, be sure to showcase it! This will help users understand what the ad is actually advertising at a glance. However, strong colours and fonts can also produce great results, so keep in mind that imagery isn’t always necessarily needed. 

Use bold colours

Remember, the display ad needs to stand out from everything else on the screen. Use bold colours, but don’t go too colourful.. General practice is that there should be two dominant colours and no more than four accent colours. Too many colours can clutter an ad, and actually make the ad an eye-sore. It is important to learn what colours work best for your brand, and also with what audience. The key to this is testing. When it comes to fonts, decorative fonts are popular, but try to use them sparingly. Ensure the font is clear and easy to read.

Keep text short and sweet

People generally have short attention spans, tailor the text on your display creatives to suit this. Use as little copy as possible to deliver the key message.

The old school Facebook 20% rule is a great rule to stick to. Ensure text takes up less than 20% of the display ad. The more clutter – the less people are likely to remember the key message of the ad. In terms of the messaging itself, what will get your audience to click your the ad? Why should people click on your ad? What makes you different from your competitors? Text could be used to create a sense of urgency too, as people don’t want to feel like they’re missing out. 

Choosing an enticing Call to Action (CTA)

Firstly, be sure to include a CTA. This gives users a reason to interact with the ad. Secondly, make sure to choose a CTA that best fits with your ad’s messaging and intention. For example, if the digital marketing campaign objective is brand awareness, Learn More might be the most appropriate CTA, whereas an ecommerce campaign would use Shop Now. Highlight the CTA with a bold colour, to make it stand out from the rest of the display ad, make it look enticing to click on.

In summary, people tend to be engaged by content they find interesting, funny or unusual, but it’s important for any creative to fit with brand image and tone. Don’t overthink it, and follow these best practice tips to help ensure you are creating compelling display assets to maximise the performance of your digital marketing campaigns.