At the heart of every great ad is a single good idea. Take time to think about what you really want consumers to take out of your ad. Try to boil it down to a single, short sentence. Strip away everything else so that your good idea shines through. Be single-minded.
So much mundane advertising out there focuses on the product or service. But great advertising tells the customer what benefit they will derive from the brand. Sure, tell me what your product will do for me (that is your secondary headline) but then think about how I will feel once I buy it (that is your primary headline).
There are three strategies you can use to create really effective advertising. Some great ads do one of these really well, some do all three at once:
- Be Relevant – really think through what your customer is looking for and nail it from their perspective.
- Be Memorable – use striking imagery and copy so that your ad really packs a punch and stands out through all the noise.
- Be Different – look at what your competitors are showing and saying in their ads and then boldly strike out in a different direction. Break the rules.
When you are writing the copy for your ad, there are certain key components that you will need to consider:
- Emotional benefit – how will the customer feel once they have bought your product/service?
- Rational underpinning – why should they believe the benefit?
- Offer details – any other hooks such as a deal or a limited time offer
- An effective call-to-action – what do you want the customer to do (e.g. go to your website, your Facebook page, your store)
