7 ways to make your advert stand out – a case study
To get the best return on investment for your advert, you’ll need to think carefully about its design. In this case study of a recently designed ad, we look at the components that make it work.
1. What size is your advert?
Before you start thinking about all the great information you want to include in your ad, establish what size it will be and where it will be printed.
In our example below, we show the before and after of an advert we re-designed for Rubix Dance, for their placement in Raring2go!. The ad is a quarter page in the A5 magazine, so when printed is just 63 x 89mm.
2. Hero image
Use of photography can really bring your advert to life, but be careful not to overdo it with images. One large ‘hero’ image is often more impactful than numerous smaller ones. Choose an image that isn’t too ‘busy’ and is in line with what you’re offering – it it clear what it’s supposed to be?
3. Key message
Your advert should focus on one key message, so decide on the primary thing you want readers to know when they scan the page. You can make your key message stand out against the other text on your ad by choosing a larger font size. Remember to clearly promote the benefits of what you’re providing to the audience.
You can find more advice on how to write good copy in our recent article: How to write marketing material that wins business.
4. Call to action
What would you like the reader to do after seeing your ad? Whether it’s book an appointment, buy a ticket, call for more information, make sure you ask them to do it. If there are no clear instructions then response to the ad will be limited.
5. Pull out key benefits
If you have a supporting USP (unique selling point) or other key info you need to communicate in addition to your key message, you can highlight these within the design. A flash or lozenge as shown here is a great way to do this.
6. Other services
While there may be many things you want to tell the reader, don’t go overboard. Keep your message succinct for clarity. If you really want to let people know about other services, you can subtly add them to a footer as we’ve done here. It will show you have lots to offer, without confusing your message.
7. Branding
Finally, it can take consumers between 7 and 11 times of seeing your material before they decide to make a purchase. So keeping your ad consistent in its style (colours, fonts, logos and so on) is vital to aid recognition of your brand across the different media you may use (online ads, printed ads etc).
Give it a try
Armed with this advice, go ahead and give it a try! You can design your own great looking material using a free app such as Canva. Or, if you prefer to have a little help, get in touch! We’d love to chat.