Think about an advertisement that you liked. What made it unforgettable to you? Now that you are remembering an interesting ad, you should know that’s what exactly an ad should do: to make people remember. That’s why we believe your advertisement design can make or break your business. If you don’t make your audience stop, read your message, and take action, you are doing it wrong.
In this article, we are going to give you some tips to help you design an effective advertisement.
What Is Advertising Design?
Every ad needs to be visually appealing to audiences because people are attracted to beautiful designs. Accordingly, advertisement design is known as the creation of artwork used in ads, typically for products or services. This subject is one of the subsets of marketing design, and its expenses should be considered in the advertising budget.
The goal of every ad is to increase sales or make people do a specific action, and ad design is the main thing that can attract people to these messages. Specifically, it should capture the attention and interest of the target audience. Knowing how to make an ad design more converting is what can help you spread your messages more successfully.
Now, let’s delve into the different types of design for ads.
7 Types of Advertising Design
How you design an advertisement depends on the type of ad and where you want to utilize it. Therefore, you should know different types of advertising design to comprehend what may appeal to your audiences.
1. Social Media Ads
When it comes to social media, you can do several things: From creating Instagram reels to promoting your product or a long video of an influencer on TikTok reviewing it. Social media ads include several creative ways to represent your products or services to your target audiences. It can be a video, an image, a banner, or a collaboration with influencers.
Boost Your Ads View via Influencer Marketing
Are you aware of the benefits of influencer marketing for your brand? With their online power and a wide array of followers, influencers can make your ad gain more views. There are several methods you can choose to participate with an influencer. You can ask them to promote your brand by representing your product or services or create a video together. Sponsorship is also another way that can help you introduce yourself to top influencers.
Want to find influencers for your market? Ainfluencer is here to connect brands and influencers. Our 100-free DIY marketplace can help you find the best influencer for your market. You only need to sign up on Ainfluencer as a brand and search for influencers based on their location, category, gender, or hashtags they use.
2. Video and Commercial Ads
In the past, video ads were only available on TV. But these days everything is different. Video and commercial ads are seen on several high-rated platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. A survey shows that video ads can increase conversion by 20-30%. Therefore, this type of ad should have a great design and story so that your audiences won’t skip it.
3. Display Advertisements
Generally, online ads have better results, especially if you have an e-commerce website. You can get a high volume of impressions, clicks, or followers by display ads, which come in different formats including text, image, video, and audio. Based on your advertising plan, you can mix multiple of them. After recognizing your target audience, you can decide which type of display advertisement is better for your business.
4. Email Marketing
Although email marketing seems traditional, it is still widely in use. However, it is trickier to attract people via email as they should first click on your message and then do another action. Therefore, this ad design should be as attractive as possible. You should use beautiful photos, eye-catching colors, and a tasteful copy.
5. Outdoor Ads
Have you ever seen a billboard ad that makes you stay for a minute and read all its messages? Sometimes, it seems as if the image on the board is talking to you. That’s how an outdoor ad design should be. It should be so powerful to captivate others’ gaze. Therefore, you have a hard project if you want to run an engaging outdoor ad.
6. Event Advertising
Part of your audience might be people who are interested in different events such as conferences. Therefore, with event advertising, you have a chance to meet them face-to-face. This type of ad is one of the best methods for brand awareness. You put your name, logo, and motto in front of the eyes of a huge number of people. If the event is something related to your business, you can also give away your products as a gift.
Don’t forget to tell your online audience about these events. You can use the event’s hashtag on your social media to promote your brand and create more trust among people.
7. Newspaper and Magazine Ads
Although with the emergence of the internet, most people read the news online, there are still people who like to read specific magazines or newspapers. That’s why printing ads like magazine ads are still alive.
Now that we have recognized different types of advertisement design, let’s see how to make every ad more attractive and effective.
15 Innovative Advertising Design Tips for Unforgettable Ads
You should note that your advertisement design is not just about the visual aspect of your ad. Instead, it’s a package that is supposed to give a message to your audience. These tips can help you make your ad design more effective.
1. Define Your Objective
What is the purpose of creating this ad? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate sales, or promote a specific product or service? You should clearly understand the reason for running an ad so you can better decide how to design it.
2. Know Your Target Audience
The second most important thing to consider is your audience because you are creating an ad to attract a group of people. Therefore, you should know who you are talking to. Identify your target demographic and tailor your design to captivate their preferences, interests, and needs. Also, consider factors such as age, gender, location, and cultural background.
3. Keep It Simple
Don’t divert the viewers’ attention from your core message. Instead, you want to push them to take action, so don’t confuse or overwhelm viewers. Use a clean and minimalist layout that focuses on the main message and visuals. To make this happen, avoid using too many fonts, colors, or images that may distract people from the main content.
4. Incorporate A Call To Action (CTA)
As mentioned in the previous tip, the main objective of your advertisement design is to ask viewers to take action. What do you want them to do after seeing this ad? It can be visiting your website, downloading your app, or purchasing something. Therefore, take your time and think about a prominent and compelling CTA. Be creative, but don’t be confusing.
5. Exaggerate a Little Bit
Although we want a clear message, adding a bit of exaggeration to it can be fun and creative. People know it is not possible for you to prepare something in only one second, but that message makes them feel you are quick. You can add this exaggeration in your copy or visual message.
6. Think about Lines
Even if you don’t use a visible line in your ad, you can still make people look at what you want. All you need to do is to lead them in a direction. You can simply use arrows on your banner ads or make a move to the camera while creating a video ad. Anything you do, makes viewers’ eyes move and look at something.
7. Use High-Quality Visuals
Select visually appealing images, illustrations, or graphics that are relevant to your message. Ensure they are high-resolution and well-suited for both print and digital formats. Images should evoke emotions and talk to your target audience.
8. Choose The Right Color Pallet
Your brand definitely has a specific color pallet, which is usually used in logos. Therefore, choose a color palette for your advertisement design that reflects your brand identity and creates a harmonious visual experience. Use contrasting colors to make important elements stand out. Similarly, select legible and appropriate fonts that align with your brand’s personality.
9. Use Recognizable Symbols
Some icons and symbols have the same meaning in every language. We can say that symbols are the new language that all people can understand, without the need for any translation tool! So, why not choose a symbol that makes your ad understandable for more people, even if the ones that can’t read your message?
10. Make Them Stop And Stare
This is the most essential part of any design. No matter where your ad is displayed, whether it is a billboard on the road, a printed ad in a magazine, or a banner ad on a website, all you want people to do is to notice your ad.
For example, if they are reading a magazine, they should stop turning the page and stare at your advertisement. Add creativity to your design, and do whatever you can to make people notice you.
11. Let The Image Speak
Regarding the type of advertisement, you can choose images, videos, or animations in your advertisement design. It is easier to speak in a video or animation, but when you create a static ad, it is your image that should speak! Think about a design that makes viewers feel the picture is calling them and say: hey look at me! Think deeply about how you can create such feelings in your audience.
12. Leave A Clear Message
As mentioned earlier, your message should be bold and simple. Don’t make it long and complicated. Get to the point of your message. Craft a concise and persuasive copy that conveys the key benefits or unique selling points of your product or service. Use simple language and avoid jargon, and break up text into easily digestible sections or bullet points.
13. Create a Movement
Making a movement in an ad means creating a sense of motion or direction in your design that can capture the attention and interest of your audience. Additionally, movement can also refer to the way you mobilize and engage your audience to take action or join your cause. For example, on social media, you can create this movement with the help of influencers, hashtags, and viral campaigns.
Some other ways to make a movement in an ad design:
- Use a repeating element, such as a shape, a color, or a word, to create a sense of rhythm and direction.
- Add lines and curves to suggest speed, direction, and focal points.
- Use texture to create a sense of depth and movement. You can use different textures, such as smooth, rough, or patterned, to create contrast and interest in your advertisement design.
- Create a sense of perspective and movement with negative space.
- Add animation and transitions to your graphic elements. You can also use sound effects and music to enhance the mood and message of your ad.
14. Consider The Medium
Adapt your design to the medium where the advertisement will be displayed. Whether it’s a print ad, digital banner, social media post, or billboard, optimize the design to maximize its impact in that specific format.
15. Test And Gather Feedback
Before finalizing your design, seek feedback from colleagues, friends, or your target audience. Test the advertisement to ensure it effectively communicates your message and connects with your intended viewers.
Bottom Line
Advertisement design is something you should brainstorm about to capture audiences’ attention, create interest, and inspire action. First, consider the medium you want to display your ad, understand your target audience, add creativity to your design, and use the right colors and bold messages. By applying these tips and considering the preferences of your target audience, you can design a compelling and successful advertisement.
If you want to run ads on social media and grow your business on Instagram or TikTok, you are at the right place right now.
Take your time and find the most compelling message for your audience.
FAQs
The most important thing we want from an effective ad design is creating a connection between the brand and its target audiences. The ad should make the viewer understand the message and take action, which is the goal of creating that ad. Explain the benefits of taking action by focusing on the ‘why’ and addressing any potential objections or pain points.
Every ad design consists of four major elements which are: headline, illustrations, call to action, and copy. While creating an ad, consider what you want to say in the headline, what image or video can better introduce your brand, and what action you want people to take.
What are the goals of running this ad? An effective ad should encourage viewers to take action by providing a clear and compelling call-to-action that tells them what to do next and why.