As a regular Internet user, while going through multiple ads on websites, I realized that the number of display ads is continuously increasing. The pace regular pace with which these ads are growing made me go crazy! However, what kept me sane is the fact that the ad privacy policy is now protecting the rights of the consumer. Phew! I can take a sigh of relief and set that aside for now.

Let’s talk about a successful digital display ad. It has been established that such a digital display ad doesn’t just happen on its own. Proper homework and research are required to make it attractive. 

Marketers are doing their job to run their businesses, but no matter how experienced a marketer is, if he doesn’t look at his ad from a user’s perspective, he won’t achieve his goal. Every marketer must take a step back and consider all the important factors that can help make the ad successful. On the other hand, you, as a user, should also help marketers reach their goals by providing a detailed analysis of their ads.

Today, I am doing my part as a user. Recently, one of the display ads got my attention, and I picked it for a detailed analysis in a way that any marketer can relate with and get something from it.

Here is the ad:

I have listed six proven ways to make a digital ad successful. Remember, this is a perspective purely coming from a user. I am not a specialist, but I believe my opinion is relevant as I am one of the ad’s target audiences.

Keep the Ad Simple

Simplicity is one important key a marketer can use to unlock the success of his digital ad. The overall design and theme of the ad don’t necessarily have to be fancy or extraordinary. Quick disclaimer – creatives aren’t bad! However, to understand a creative ad and its purpose, the users must have the same creative mind. 

What I’m trying to say is that you can achieve the same goal by keeping it simple. Majority of users will be coming across ads amid the mess of their work. All you need is a catchy, to-the-point, and concise ad to make them pause for a second. Like the given example, the ad simply has a direct message for everyone looking for an expert in PPC management.

Call-to-Action Should Be Compelling

The most beautiful and creative ads with a poor call-to-action fail to attract their audience. If you don’t want to hurt your chances of generating leads through your ad, make sure your ad has a proper call-to-action. Some marketers have the misconception that the audience is smart enough to know what to do next. 

On the contrary, a call-to-action is a way to secure the action. For instance, in the above ad, there is a clear call-to-action that incites the user for a free consultation. Anyone looking for a PPC management service would also need a free consultation first. Moreover, there is nothing more tempting than the word “Free!” On that note, it is a perfect example of playing with words to get the best possible results.

Goals and Themes Must Be Consistent

Your digital ad campaign must have a cohesive goal and theme. Even if you are creating multiple ads for the same product or service, there must be consistency among them. Everything from color to image to font should look uniform. It would also help reinforce your brand identity. Similarly, you should ensure that if you are running a specific campaign, the products and services you advertise must also be the same.

Provide Value to the User

If you want to take users to the next step, you must provide them some value or incentive. The user must have something to learn, download, or register. Just like the ad above, the marketer has incorporated the incentive of “Free Consultation” in the messaging of the banner. It must also be easy to access to ensure that when the user comes to the website’s landing page, it reconfirms his interest or incentive that made him click on the ad in the first place.

Don’t Forget to Test and Optimize

You can’t just launch your campaign and expect everything to go according to the plan because some things you were sure about might not do well. You must have plan “B” to test and see the change you get in the kind of impressions you want. Analyze the click-through rate of the ad after a few hours or days, and compare the results with your expected goal or revenue. 

You can test different versions of the ad and optimize your campaign to make your ad the top-performing one. Keep a check and balance on the performance of the ad to be able to optimize it for better results.

Take Advantage of Remarketing

Just like everything else, the concept of remarketing is also evolving. Third-party cookies are coming to an end in the next few years. So, it is high time to find an alternative to retargeting ads. Google has introduced FLEDGE (First “Locally-Executed Decision over Groups” Experiment) to allow the marketers to target previous visitors without giving them access to their data. 

The above ad is also a perfect example of remarketing. I visited multiple sites to find the best PPC management service but ended up buying nothing. I was devastated at the end that they are lost forever – and that is when this ad popped up on my screen again to take me back.  

To Sum Up

There are multiple ways and techniques that you can try to see which ones resonate the most. You can also pick a few best and proven ones to ensure that you are running a successful digital display ad for your product or service.