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Have you ever seen an ad and thought, “What was that even for?” Or maybe you’ve mastered the fine art of skipping ads like it’s an Olympic sport. The reality is, many ads are forgettable. While we don’t design creative in-house at Lewis Media, we know that well-designed creative is an essential component of an effective media plan. Our team at Lewis Media can implement precise targeting on the best channels for your audience, but if the creative is lackluster, your campaign will likely fall flat.

Understanding ad creative guidelines for different platforms ensures your message is optimized for each audience, maximizing engagement and effectiveness. We know that great creative is the difference between an ad that’s instantly skipped and forgotten, and one that captures attention, tells a story, and sticks with the viewer. By following these best practices, you can help your ad rise above the noise and make an impact.

Perfecting the Timeless: How to Ace Digital Display Ads

Display ads are a tried-and-true format, proving their effectiveness and earning a place in our media plans, time and time again. Whether you’re using an HTML5, a GIF, or an old-fashioned static banner, follow these tips to drive the best results from your digital display ads.

• As The Office’s Michael Scott once said, “K.I.S.S.: Keep it simple stupid.” Here that means limiting text to 10-15 words and using bold, legible font.
• Banner ads are not print ads. Don’t include unnecessary information such as phone numbers or website URLs. The goal is for them to click the ad itself, not write down information from it.
• CTA, CTA, CTA. The design should include a clear, clickable call to action button that screams “Click Me!”
• Don’t use QR codes. Many display ads are viewed on mobile devices, making scanning QR codes impossible.

Not All Digital Video Ads are Created Equal: CTV vs. Preroll

Digital video is a powerhouse for grabbing attention; however, Connected TV (CTV) and Preroll are types of digital video ads that are viewed and used differently and, therefore, have different requirements and best practices. Preroll can be served on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, whereas CTV is only viewed on a horizontal television screen on streaming apps.

Preroll:

• Include both horizontal and vertical versions of your creative to garner a higher Click-Through-Rate by increasing available inventory.
• Don’t use QR codes since it can be viewed on mobile
• Pack as much value and information into the first 3-5 seconds of the ad before the viewer is given the option to press skip

CTV:

• Only include horizontal video since it’s viewed solely on televisions
• If you choose to use a QR code, allow it to be visible long enough for the consumer to recognize the code, pull out their phone, open the camera app, and scan it successfully — at least 10 seconds. For more tips and tricks on QR codes, read our blog post all about them: Scan You Dig It? Best Practices for QR Codes in Media.

Best Practices for Meta Ads: How to Make an Impact on Instagram and Facebook

The secret to Meta ads is to blend seamlessly into the native content while still captivating the user’s attention. In a world of endless doom scrolling, here are some Meta ad best practices to make your ads scroll-stopping.

• Create your ad in all available aspect ratios to accommodate the wide variety of available placements: Stories, feeds, Reels, etc.
• Keep it short and sweet. Let’s be honest, our attention spans are shorter than ever, so aim for videos between 6-15 seconds.
• Add captions! Many people scroll through Meta apps with sound off, and captions ensure that your message lands either way.
• Get straight to the point. Minimize your copy to avoid it getting truncated with the dreaded “See more…”

How to Create YouTube Ads That Are Skip-Proof

We have to face the facts: 93% of YouTube users hit “skip” on an ad the moment they can. Your job? Optimize the first 5 seconds to help make the rest of the ad unskippable.

• Start with a bang. Use bold visuals and lead with your key message. You want to front-load your ad in case they do end up skipping when the option presents itself.
• Use audio to your advantage with an engaging voice-over or relevant, attention-grabbing music.
• Pro tip: Add a companion banner to reinforce your message and increase clicks. It’s a 300 x 60 banner that sits in the top right corner of the YouTube desktop view while your ad plays and even after it’s skipped.

Social Media Platforms are Like Snowflakes, No Two are the Same

The audience, format, and personality of each social media platform are unique, and you want to create social media ads with each platform’s differences in mind.

• LinkedIn: Appeal to the professional audience and keep in mind the headspace of users while they’re scrolling (think: “corporate 9-5.”) Use concise headings, bold visuals, and relevant content.
• Snapchat: You haven’t seen speed until you’ve seen a Gen-Zer tap through Snapchat stories. Make your ad fast paced, vertical, and include minimal copy. Consider adding sound, but be sure the ad still makes sense without it.
• Twitch: Be authentic and speak directly to the highly engaged and diverse audience. Use sound to your advantage and consider the native livestreaming content that is prevalent here.

The key to creating effective digital ads is striking the balance between standing out and blending in. Your ads should feel like each platform’s native content but be engaging enough to capture attention in a sea of visuals, copy, and ads. We use client data and decades of industry expertise to hone in on who our client’s audience is, what message and visuals will resonate, and which channels we should use to reach them.

It’s no secret that the overall sentiment around ads is largely negative, so our role as advertisers is to make our ads worth the viewer’s time. Educate, inform, or entertain your audience and leave them with something valuable to remember. With these best practices in your toolkit, you’re ready to create scroll-stopping and skip-proof ads that are certain to move the needle. Learn more about the digital buying services that we offer at Lewis Media today.