Ever since the World Wide Web was first launched it has been used for advertising. In the early days, you couldn’t click on a link without being inundated by annoying pop-up ads. Today, advertising has evolved so that it now fits seamlessly into your user experience. However, this can mean that it is often overlooked. In this article, we’ll show you how to improve your ads to make them more visible.
Know Your Customer
The first thing you need to think about before designing your ads is who they are for. Knowing your target audience is key! The second is to think about the needs, desires, problems and questions they might have. Once you know these, you should look at the product you are advertising and work out how it can benefit your ideal customer. It’s best to spend some time really researching this as the better you know your audience, the better you can talk to their needs and the more conversions you’ll make when you do.
First Impressions Last
There are two things which a visitor to a site will notice immediately; a strong image and an interesting headline. If you can find the right balance between these two things then you will make a good first impression.
The main thing you should be trying to do with your advert is to pique your readers’ interest. You can often do this by asking questions and answering them when people click on your link. Therefore, try to think of questions your customers might ask. For example, imagine you are trying to sell an online learning tool which teaches people about science. You could ask a question which many people might ask, but very few know the answer to.
This method generates curiosity and people will click on the link because they want to know the answer. The great thing about ads like this is that they can easily be made into a series and will become quickly recognisable. What’s more, they don’t break any of Google’s rules and you won’t get penalised for producing clickbait. Of course, you will need a prelander explaining the answer and how the product you are selling can benefit people.
In short, if you can generate instant interest and give people information that they crave right from the start, then they will be far more likely to notice your ads. Also, because the question above is simple, it reassures people that they will be getting a simple answer. People online have short attention spans and they want information quickly, therefore you should cater to this by making your questions as short as possible.
Straight Talking
You should never talk down to people and present yourself as the ‘expert’. Instead, it’s much better to place yourself on the same level as your visitors and speak to them as if they were a friend. At the end of the day, what you should be trying to do is give them friendly, trustworthy advise. If you can get that into the tone of your writing then you’ll find your ads work far better.
One of the ways in which to do this is to swap out the features for benefits. If you talk about features, you end up ‘showing off’ about your product rather than telling people how it can help them. One easy way to ensure that you talk about the benefits and not the features is to use verbs in place of adjectives and to focus on the customer. Imagine you are selling a car. Instead of saying that it has ABS, air conditioning and an engine tell people:
- It will take you on the journey of a lifetime.
- You’ll be in safe hands.
- You’ll feel comfortable all year round.
By focusing on the benefits, consumers can better understand how the car will suit their needs and they will be able to build a better picture of the product in their mind. This is a hugely effective tactic and it’s one used by all of the major adverting giants.
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