This is one of the best times to be a marketer, but it's also one of the hardest. On one hand, you have more technologies, tools and channels than ever before to help you target and reach your audience. On the other hand, so does everyone else.
That is to say, while you have the ability to directly message the customers most likely to purchase your products and services, those people are also being bombarded by literally thousands of messages from other advertisers every day. Creating ads that stand out is challenging — but it's not impossible.
Here are five things you can do to rise above the noise and reach your target audience:
Design Ads With Mobile in Mind
While customers are still more likely to complete a purchase on a desktop, the buyer's journey often begins on mobile. More than half of visits to shopping sites come from smartphones and tablets, according to Adobe Digital Insights. The same research also found that purchase completion via mobile is on the rise — it now accounts for more than one-third of all online purchase revenue. By designing ads with a mobile experience in mind, you can engage buyers earlier in their journey.
Keep It Simple
Technology is great for many reasons, but there is a downside: distractions are abundant and attention spans are waning. To create ads that stand out, you need to get your message across as quickly and succinctly as possible using clean, aesthetically appealing design to your advantage. When it comes to online ads, embrace the KISS principle, and remember, less is almost always more.
Make Retargeting Part of Your Strategy
It's much easier to sell to someone who is already familiar with your brand than to a new prospect — which is why retargeting ads have so much potential. Whether it's reaching someone who recently landed on your site for the first time or a customer who hasn't returned in a while, it's important that prospects have your brand in mind as they navigate the web.
Apply the "Rule of Seven"
There's an old marketing adage that says most prospects need to see your message seven times before they even consider your brand's offer. In other words, the chance of someone converting the first time they encounter your brand is pretty low. By taking advantage of a multichannel advertising strategy, you can ensure prospects see your message regularly and reach the magical seventh interaction sooner.
Apply Sensory Adaptation Principles to Your CTA
HubSpot once reported that a red CTA button was more effective than a button of any other color, but there's actually a bit more to it. Color alone doesn't really matter — the human brain is hardwired to ignore anything that blends in with its surroundings. Your CTA can be red, blue, green, yellow or any other color of the rainbow so long as it stands out from the rest of the ad.
A great ad goes beyond selling a product. With the right tactics, you can create compelling content that inspires customers to seek out your brand. Still not sure where to start? Talk to a marketing professional who can help your business develop a unique and effective strategy.
