Keep Your Advertising Simple But Brilliant
Have you ever seen a print advertisement from the 1910s, 20s, or 30s? Ads from the first few decades of the 20th century are fascinating because they’re so detailed. They might include a picture, but many ads were more focused on text in tiny print. Ad writers churned out paragraph after paragraph of detailed information, convincing consumers to choose their products.
We all know that those techniques simply won’t work today. The average user stays on a web page for about 52 seconds when browsing the internet. Today’s customers lead busy lifestyles, and they expect advertisements to be short and sweet. As a society, our collective attention span is constantly on the decline. How can you keep up with this trend, so you won’t bore your customers or drive them away?
The answer? Keep your advertising simple but brilliant. Today’s best ads are uncluttered, straightforward, and compelling. What does it look like to apply this advice to your brand’s ad campaign? Read on to discover some tips and tricks from the pros.
Simplicity: More Is Not More
When it comes to advertising, the simpler, the better, keep your ads clutter-free with these tips!
Know Your Audience
The more market research you do, the more you can pare down your ads to focus only on the most relevant content. Some advertisers try to make ads with a broad enough appeal to reach anyone. This might seem like a good way to hedge your bets, but it’s usually a mistake. Ads that are focused on a clear, limited target demographic will be more focused and relevant for that group.
Unfortunately, misinformation is good at generating strong feelings and reactions. Brands that rely on half-truths for likes and follows might see a short-term surge in engagement. However, the long-term damage to your brand’s reputation is not worth it.
Keep Your Product Front and Center
Have you ever seen an ad on TV and thought, “what does any of that have to do with the product?” Sometimes it can even be hard to identify what the brand is all about. Don’t make this mistake in your own campaign! Your ad might be really memorable and fun to look at. However, if it doesn’t clearly define your product and sell its features, it’s a waste of your resources. Don’t just tell your audience your product exists–be sure to include specifics about what it can do for them.
Leave Your Audience Wanting More
If you’ve ever been stuck in a conversation that just didn’t seem to end, think back to how you felt at the time. Annoyed? Bored? If your ad content is just too long, your customers will end up feeling the same way. They don’t need to make a polite excuse to get away–they’ll simply scroll past your ad or hit “delete.” It’s far better to use your ad space as an open door, inviting customers to engage more deeply with the product. Make sure they can easily figure out how to do that by clearly displaying links to more sources of information.
Craft A Memorable Slogan or Catchphrase
Your ad campaign has a central message to share with your readers: “buy our product for X reasons.” However, it’s essential to boil that message down to a memorable headline that will stick in your readers’ minds. Lume deodorant’s website offers a great example of this. The landing page boasts, “We didn’t invent deodorant, we changed everything about it.” How could a company change everything about deodorant? This short, memorable phrase leaves the reader with something to think about later–and it might bring them back to the site to get their questions answered!
Brilliant: Keep It Fresh And Creative
In the world of advertising, it’s hard to do something that’s never been done before. However, it’s vital to make your brand stand out from the crowd. Try these helpful techniques!
Add a Personal Touch
Social media giants like YouTube and TikTok are successful because people like watching others they can identify with. Many of the most popular influencers on these platforms have a very personal relationship with their followers. They often invite viewers into their own homes or spaces, and they speak openly about their personal opinions and experiences.
Your customers already like watching content like this, and you can tap into the trend, too. Involving you, your employees, or your customers in your advertising is powerful. Things like product demos, Q and A sessions, and user reviews can all be done in a personal, intimate way. When your customers feel connected to a real human being, they’re more likely to identify with your brand.
Build a Consistent Brand Identity
When you meet someone for the first time, you form an initial impression about them. If you were to meet them a second time, and they acted completely differently, you might feel confused or misled. The same thing can happen to your brand. Your advertising should send a consistent message over time about your brand’s identity. Otherwise, your audience won’t have a clear picture of who you are and what to expect from you.
Of course, consistency isn’t the same as repeating yourself over and over again. The best ad campaigns revolve around a core brand identity, but they continue to add more depth to that brand identity as time passes. Your brand identity can evolve and expand, but jarring shifts in tone or content should be avoided.
Keep An Eye On Your Competition
Creating a clear, engaging ad isn’t enough to sell your product. Your ad must differentiate your brand from the competition. Your customers see ads from your competitors, too. It’s your job to convince them that you have more to offer.
To implement this strategy, it’s essential for you to study your competitors’ ad campaigns. What are they promising? What product details are they highlighting? What brand values are they modeling? When you discover something your customers want but can’t get anywhere else, you’ve got a key talking point for your ad campaign.
At Personalized Creative, we believe ads should be both simple and brilliant. Our team of professionals can help you design the perfect advertising campaign for your business. Get in touch with us today to learn more!