Ashlyn Busse – Senior Graphic Designer
Two seconds is all the time you have to capture someone’s attention with a digital ad. That’s less time than it would take to read the title of this blog out loud.
With such a limited fraction of a person’s attention as they scroll through a website or social media, advertisers have to make every single aspect of the ad count with impactful, memorable design that effectively communicates key messages. Copy and visuals generally play an equal role in accomplishing this, though some concepts will favor one or the other. Regardless of what does the heavy lifting in the ad, there are some general tips to follow that can help ensure the best results.
Copy
When you think about the best ad copy written in the past several years, chances are your favorite and most memorable lines are under 10 words. Slogans like “Got milk?” and “Just do it” stick with people in such a significant way that they make you think of the brand without any other supportive imagery or even the company name. The fewer words you can use while still getting the point across, the better the ad’s impact will be. People won’t want to stop scrolling on social media to read an entire paragraph of ad copy, so they should not have to in order to understand the message.
With a smaller number of words in the ad, each one needs to pack a punch. Researching keywords that the audience is familiar with can be a great way to increase impact, as well as using universally exciting terms like “new” or “free.” Choosing a bolder font and taking up significant space with the copy can also help draw attention.
Visuals
Sticking to brand standards is critical in digital ads to ensure the audience understands that the message is coming from you. However, with limited space, designers often need to get creative to communicate branding.
Some clients try to include an image of their best-selling product in all ads, but with smaller ad sizes common on digital platforms, the image would either take too much of the ad or be so small it can’t be recognized. Instead, the designer can pull from other elements in the brand standards, such as fonts, colors and other more abstract imagery. Primary brand colors and fonts should be incorporated into every ad, and many specific products or services will have their own variations of these themes that can be worked in as well depending on the ad’s focus. Many brands will also incorporate swoops, stripes or icons into other collateral, and those elements can be used to increase visual association between the ad and the brand.
Applying This in B2B
In some respects, laying out digital ads is easier in B2C. Most B2C products do not require as much research on the consumer’s end before a purchase is made, meaning advertisers have less to communicate before they can effectively sway behavior. With such limited space and time, this is a distinct advantage.
However, B2B audiences are generally more informed. Ad viewers do not need to be taught about the needs of their market; they simply need to be shown how your product or service is the solution. B2B audiences are also generally easier to find. Digital platforms offer the ability to refine your ad’s reach based on behaviors, or even job titles on platforms like LinkedIn. Using this data easily allows B2B advertisers to get their messages in front of the right eyes, where a more general interest product will have to cast a much larger net.
Combining this specific audience targeting with an experienced ad team that can efficiently and effectively communicate your messages allows you create and disseminate content that makes the most of your two seconds.