A Guide To Creating Great Digital Ads That Drive Conversions

Effective digital ads combine clear messaging, compelling visuals, and strategic placement to engage your audience and encourage action. Whether you’re looking to boost brand awareness, generate leads, or increase sales, a thoughtful approach to ad creation will make all the difference. But how, exactly, do you accomplish this? While not every ad campaign will be the same, there are a few tried and true techniques that can help you get started.

notebook with plans for a digital ads campaign

Step 1: Outlining Your Digital Ads Campaign Using the 5 M’s Strategy

The 5 M’s of Marketing is a framework that helps businesses evaluate and manage key elements of a marketing strategy. The 5 M’s stand for Mission, Money, Message, Media, and Measurement, and they’ll help you organize your thoughts while designing an impactful digital ad:

Mission: Defining Goals for Your Digital Ads

Start this by answering the question: What do you want to achieve? Defining your mission will guide your entire campaign. Do you want to increase website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales?

Mission Examples:

  • Promote A New Product
  • Increase Organic Website Traffic
  • Increase Local Sales

Money: Setting a Budget for Digital Ads

Put a realistic budget together for your digital ad campaign. Your budget should include ad creation, the cost of the platforms that will be used, and the price of analytic tools needed to track ROI. You will also need to consider the duration of your ad campaign and fees associated with outsourcing its management. 

Budget Example: you allocate $10,000 to be spent primarily on Google Ads (80%) and the rest on social media over a period of 90 days.

Message: What Do You Want Your Digital Ad to Say?

This is the core message or value you want to convey. What’s the main takeaway for your audience? Is it something new you want them to buy, or maybe something about your business you want them to know? How about both? Whatever you choose, your digital ad campaign should have a clear, compelling message that aligns with your goals and resonates with your target audience.

Your message should also be on brand. Don’t deviate from your usual voice, or you risk alienating current customers and confusing new ones who will be taken to a site that has a very different look and feel from the ad they just clicked. 

Message Example: you highlight the eco-friendliness of a new product to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Media: Where Will You Display Your Digital Ads?

Choose what platforms where your ads will run. Your target demographic might primarily be on one platform over another. Will it be on Google, social media, email, or all of the above? 

The platform(s) you choose will figure heavily into the design of your digital ad. Each one has different optimal sizing, so you will need to take that into consideration.  

Media Example: Your Mission is to attract a younger demographic, so you choose Instagram and TikTok ads based on analytics that say these are the preferred platforms of users aged 18-25.

Measurement: How Will You Track Your Digital Ads Performance?

All good experiments must be able to be replicated, and you cannot do that without a way of measuring your ad campaign’s success (or failure). You will need to decide which key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor based on your campaign’s declared Mission. 

If your goal is leads, for example, you might choose to monitor net sales, click through rates, conversions, etc. If your Mission is more site traffic, you would want to monitor unique visitors, bounce rate, sessions, etc. Your digital marketing specialist can help you decide which KPIs to monitor for the best results. 

Step 2: Choosing Copy for Your Digital Ads

You know your Mission, and you know your Message. Now it is time to put it into words that will resonate with your chosen audience. Ultimately, your copy will vary depending on your brand and what you are promoting, but keep the following in mind every step of the way:

Set an Appropriate Tone 

The tone of your ad copy should reflect your brand’s personality while resonating with your target audience. If data shows your audience responds well to humor, incorporate it, but only if it aligns with your brand. A financial institution using jokes, for example, might not work as well as a lifestyle brand.

What’s your vibe? We have two very different tones here for the same digital marketing agency. One says casual and relaxed, the other says bold and technology-forward. Set a tone that resonates with your brand and target audience. 

Keep Verbiage Simple In Your Digital Ads

The best campaign communicates a message clearly and quickly. Avoid heavy and complicated words. Use clear language that grabs attention and communicates value. Go with your gut and look at it from your audience’s perspective: if it feels like you’re trying too hard, you are. If it feels too dumbed down, it is. Test drive copy ideas with members of your target audience to get their opinion as well. 

Highlight Benefits, Not Just Features

Focus on how your product or service improves the customer’s life rather than just listing features. Use emotional appeals that resonate with the audience’s desires or challenges.

For example, say the electronics product you are promoting has a 10-hour battery life. This could translate to copy like, “Stay productive all day without worrying about recharging.” This will resonate with plenty of busy individuals who know the headache of running out of battery in the middle of the day. 

Digital Ads Should Include Clear Call to Action (CTA)

A digital ad is nearly useless without a call to action. You don’t want users to just see it, you want them to engage somehow with it. A clear CTA should incite your potential customer to do something. Guide them with actionable phrases like “shop now,” “learn more,” “sign up today,” “download now,” or “call now.” (Notice the inclusion of “now” in each of the CTAs. This creates a sense of urgency that is also important in good ad copy.) 

Include Trust Metrics

Understandably, many people want proof before they spend any money. In fact, Highlight positive reviews, testimonials, or data to build credibility and reassure your audience. These metrics can increase click-through rates and conversions by reassuring potential customers that you’re reliable. 

Example: Join over 10,000 happy customers who trust us with their fitness goals!

A/B Test Your Digital Ads Copy 

A/B testing lets you compare variations of your ads to find the most effective combination of headlines, images, and CTAs. For example, test different taglines or visuals to learn which drives more traffic. Continuous testing helps refine future campaigns. Even small changes can make a difference. For example, analytics might show that adding courteous language can boost conversions by 20%. That might mean all you have to do is add a “please” somewhere to significantly increase your engagement. 

There’s nothing wrong with trying out a couple different headlines and images to see which combo performs better. 

Use Previous Ad Analytics 

You can get a huge jump start on a new campaign by carefully analyzing an old one. Compare your most successful ads with your least successful ones, and try to understand what made the difference. Was it the verbiage? The timing? The platform? All of the above? 

While you don’t want to go for cookie cutter ads by any means, you can certainly use a previously successful digital ad as a template to help you get started on tone, style, and platform. 

Create an Optimized Landing Page 

Consistency between your ad copy and landing page is important. The landing page should show the same offer if your ad promotes a discount. Inconsistent messaging will lead to confusion and higher bounce rates (meaning people leave almost as soon as they arrive). A smooth transition between the ad and the landing page will help create a sense of cohesion, which builds trust, and ultimately, boosts conversions.

Step 3: Choosing Images to Make Your Digital Ads Stand Out

Choosing visuals for a digital ad campaign is just as important as crafting compelling copy. The right visuals grab attention, convey your message effectively, and resonate emotionally with your target audience.

1. Understand Your Campaign Goal

  • Remember Your Mission: Are you building brand awareness, generating leads, or driving direct conversions?
  • Align Visuals With Your Mission: Choose visuals that support your campaign’s purpose. For example, if your Mission is to build brand awareness, you might go with bolder, brighter images. If your goal is conversions, you’ll want clear product shots or demos. 

2. Know Your Audience

  • Demographics and Preferences: Consider the age, gender, interests, and cultural background of your audience.
  • Psychographics: Psychographics are visuals that align with the emotions, values, and aspirations of your target group. Your digital marketer can help you identify trends among your target audience and choose which visuals will be most evocative. 

3. Reflect Your Brand Identity

  • Stay Consistent: Use colors, fonts, and styles that align with your brand’s visual identity and that match seamlessly with the aesthetics of your website. Keep the visuals consistent across all campaigns to build brand familiarity.
example of a poorly executed digital ad with obvious stock imagery and off-brand color scheme

The above ad is not as successful as it could be. It is clearly a stock photo, for starters (more on that below), and the color of the font is noticeably different from the brand’s color scheme. The description at the top is also cut off. Original, engaging images are key, as is cohesion with your brand. 

4. Focus on High-Quality Images or Videos 

  • Professional Quality: Use sharp, high-resolution visuals to convey credibility. Close-ups or different angles can help customers get a better feel. When possible, show the product in use or in some way that clearly demonstrates its benefits (like a before and after).
  • Relevance: Ensure visuals clearly represent your product, service, or message.
  • Avoid Stock Overuse: Whenever possible, use original material. You are trying to separate yourself from the competition. This is hard to do if everyone is using the same stock images. If you must use stock, try to curate images that feel authentic and select ones further down in search results. 

A bit of editing can also work wonders on making a stock photo stand out. Adding a filter, cropping, removing the background, or superposing another image go a long way in making a bland stock image more engaging and relatable. 

Stock photos are often easy to spot because of their stark backgrounds and use of generic props. Notice the stacked towels, label-free beauty products, and fake greenery used in the first example. In the second, we’ve given the model a sense of place with a serene background and cropped out the blank products. 

5. Make It Pop

You want your ad clutter-free, yes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bland. On the contrary, you want to add elements that make your ad stand out to the human eye. Whether you are designing for a massive billboard or a tiny Facebook ad, try to use bright colors (on-brand, of course) and contrast to create a dynamic ad whose elements don’t all blur together. 

digital ad for a bike repair service with blue and orange color scheme and photo of man working on bike wheel

This ad for a bike repair shop combines bold shapes that contrast with the photo and pops of orange that match the brand’s logo. 

6. Match Visuals to Platform

The type of visual you use will depend heavily on the platform. For example, TikTok and Instagram are largely vertical videos. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to hire a professional videographer. Users on these platforms tend to respond more to a video that feels impromptu and homemade. Script your video so that it feels conversational and remember to tell your viewers what you want them to do (CTA). And keep it short: you’ve got to hook them in about 3 seconds, and finish what you want to say in less than 30. 

Sizing is also important. Different Ad platforms have specifications for image sizes, video lengths, and text-to-image ratios. Adhere to these to prevent issues like cropping or rejection.

7. Test Different Formats

Just as you might test out different headlines or CTAs, you can also test the performance of different visuals and formats. For example, you can experiment with static images, GIFs, videos, and carousels to see what performs best.

8. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness

This should actually be one of your first priorities, since more than half of online traffic comes from mobile devices. Once you have designed an eye-catching ad, you need to make a version that is clearly visible and formatted for mobile devices. You may need to enlarge the font, change dimensions, and truncate your messaging so that it is suitable on a smaller screen. Make sure it loads quickly (less than 2 seconds, preferably).

9. Analyze Past Campaigns

Use analytics from past campaigns to help you choose images for your new one. Just as you might with copy, look at your most successful past campaigns and use them as a starting point for the style, format, and platform for your visuals. 

A Few Examples Of Effective Digital Ads

  1. Facebook Digital Ad
digital ad for Sensei with cartoon image of a Japanese woman in traditional dress

This Facebook Ad for Brain Sensei features a striking, original visual that is reflective of the brand, which focuses on story-based learning. It is also aligned with the Japanese influences of the brand, including its name. There is an immediate sense of urgency and clear CTA with an easy way to accomplish it (a button). Most importantly, it is optimized for mobile devices. 

  1. Google Shopping Ads

If you Google “photo printing services,” you may be presented with a carousel of ads like this. The two most successful are the ones that feature customer reviews.  They also have emotionally evocative imagery of families smiling and having a good time. We can guess who their target image is based on their choice of subject matter. 

  1. Google Ad
google ad for Molly Maid with image of employees in signature pink shirts

A Google Ad for house cleaning services by Molly Maid as it appears in search results. It highlights the benefit of using their service, which is that your home will be safe and sanitary. It offers a limited time discount (although it could be more limited, in our opinion!), and a relevant image that demonstrates the service in action. 

  1. LinkedIn
digital ad for gusto with minimalist design: white font and bright orange color

Effective digital ads don’t have to be complicated. This LinkedIn ad by Gusto is successful because of its simplicity. The bright orange color is on brand and eye-catching, the font is easy to read, and we know exactly what service this business provides. They have included a trust metric in the form of “G2’s #1 Payroll Software,” and there is also an easy way to sign up at the bottom. Essentially, they’ve aligned their platform choice, copy, and visuals to the small business owner-someone who will need this service with no frills. 

Get Expert Help Designing an Effective, Engaging Digital Ad

Crafting effective digital ads requires expertise and a data-driven approach. At Redstone Communications Group, we offer tailored solutions to create engaging, high-converting digital marketing ads. From defining your mission to tracking performance, our team will help you every step of the way. Contact us today to get started on your next project