How to Make an Advertisement for Your Business
You have just bought advertising and need to provide an image or have one created. How important is the creative and the text you use? Very!
Whether you have bought print or online advertising, the visual aspect is very important, even crucial. Especially when it comes to online advertising, you need something persuasive that will make them click. Who wants to spend money on ineffective advertising?
1. Here’s how to advertise your business so that your images enhance your advertising, not detract from it:
When it comes to marketing, I can’t stress consistency enough. The ultimate goal of strong branding is to characterise your business enough for potential customers to recognise it immediately. This means being consistent with your logo, colour scheme, slogans, typefaces, and so on.
When thinking about what image to use in your latest advertising campaign, don’t forget to keep your branding efforts in mind. When designing ads, make sure they look like your previous ads. Always incorporate standard elements of your brand, whether it’s your logo, a photo of your shop or another familiar image.
2. Product placement
It is often appropriate to use a product image in your advertising. This is especially appropriate if you are launching a new product range or have a sale on certain items. You want your potential customers to SEE what you want them to buy. Consider using images of products that sell well in your advertisements. Use visually appealing, colourful and attention-grabbing elements.
Always use your own product images, not stock photos or images similar to what you are offering. You want to give an accurate and truthful picture of what customers can expect when they shop with you.
3. Text?
In the world of memes, many images now contain text. Should you advertise with an image that has text overlay? You can, as long as it does not detract from the image itself. The text should be legible and not too small. For example, you can include your company name, website address or social media address at the bottom of the image. This helps to link your brand image.
If you have to include text, it should be minimal and not a paragraph of words. Words like “buy now”, “sign up” and “get started” can attract attention and be a great call to action (CTA) if your image is placed correctly. When you take a look at your ad, you want to be able to quickly identify what you are advertising.
4. Proportion and resolution
Always keep in mind the final size of your ad. If it is a print ad, remember that you will need to send a larger, high-resolution file. You don’t want your ad to appear pixelated or distorted. Graphic designers cannot fix a low resolution, low quality image. Also, if your ad is smaller or intended to be published online, keep this in mind. Do not send an image with overlapping text that will not be read in the final publication. Finally, if you use a product image in your ad, make sure it is large enough to be seen.
For example, a button ad of 125 x 125 pixels is a fairly standard online ad size. However, it is relatively small, too small for a lot of text. You don’t want your ad to be hard to read, or it will be overlooked because people won’t know what you’re trying to offer.
You want your online ad to load quickly and not clutter the website on which it is placed. Therefore, online ads can and should have a lower resolution, such as 72 dpi. If in doubt, you can ask a designer for help, or be sure to ask your advertising venue for a proof before your ad goes public.
5. How to make the ad
Now that you know what to include in your ad, the easiest way to make it is to hire a graphic designer. With these tips, you will be able to clearly convey to your designer exactly what you want and need. Don’t worry, if you’re working on a tight budget you can try to create the ad yourself. Tools like Photoshop and Canva are affordable ways to create professional-looking ads.
6. Follow the instructions
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, follow the instructions. Generally, when you purchase any type of ad, the publication will respond with the ad’s specifications. They will ask for specific sizes and sometimes for specific file types or colour formats. Always follow these instructions. Often, sites or publications are unable or unwilling to run ads that do not meet your specifications. You will save yourself a lot of time and headaches if you submit the right materials the first time. If you don’t, you risk running an ad that reflects poorly on your business.
Conclusion.
If you take the time to understand the important elements that make up an effective ad, you can make an ad for your business that looks professional and generates more leads and sales for your business.
Have you made an ad for your business? What tips and tools do you recommend? Send us a note; we’d love to hear from you!