How to Make Your Advertisement Stand Out

Co-authored by Alfonso Cuesta

Last Updated: August 25, 2021 References

No matter what type of ad you’re running, the more it stands out, the more effective it is. Advertising has definitely changed a lot over the past few decades, but there are many principles that you can still apply to most types of ad to help attract customers. Check out this list of tried-and-true tips and tricks for creating stand-out ads.

1

Do market research on your customers.

That way, you can tailor your ads to appeal to them. Do market research to find out what types of individuals and groups are already customers of your brand. Focus on finding out information like their geographic location, age, interests, and other identifying factors.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Alfonso Cuesta
Advertising Expert
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}
- This is standard practice for creating any type of advertisement. It's important for ensuring that you don't waste resources and time advertising to the wrong demographic.

2

Speak directly to your customers.

Ads that feel personal are more likely to attract buyers. Don’t shy away from using “you” in your ad copy. Write your ad as if you’re actually talking face-to-face with a customer of yours.^{[2]
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- For example, “Become the fastest you with our 500-series trainers” is more personal and direct than, “People clock better times with our 500-series trainers.”

3

Write an intriguing headline to get attention.

Hook your customers with the opening statement of your ad. Try to write an opening statement that piques readers’ curiosity and encourages them to continue reading your ad. Include a rhetorical question in your headline or a bold statement that readers just have to find out more about.^{[3]
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- For example, if you’re selling a new brand of whiskey developed alongside Willie Nelson, your headline might be something like: “What would Willie do?”
- Avoid cliches in your headline.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Alfonso Cuesta
  Advertising Expert
  Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.} For example, stay away from overused direct questions like: “Do you want to save money?”
- Consider using numbers in your headline since they tend to be attention-grabbers. For example: “You miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t seize."

4

Use short, simple messages to support your product.

Reinforce your headline, introduce the product, and tie it all together. Clarify what you're promoting in the second line of ad copy. Use keywords or common themes to keep the sentences coherent. Then, create a final line of ad copy to wrap it all up in a neat, consistent way.^{[5]
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- For example, if your headline is: “We’re still here,” your second line could be: “We’re not going anywhere with our running gear, but you can!”
- A final line that ties everything together might be: "Go the distance with our 500-series trainers.”

5

Include a call to action.

A call to action directly tells the reader what you want them to do. Make it very clear what specific action you want customers to take after reading your ad. Use direct language and explain to readers how taking that action will benefit them.^{[6]
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- For example: “Visit our website and get 20% off your first order with the code: Whiskey20.”

6

Use a unique, eye-catching visual.

The visual is typically the first thing that readers notice in an ad. Of course, not all types of ads allow for images. However, when they do, use custom photography or illustrations to make your ad really pop on the page or on the screen. Stay away from stock images that look similar to everyone else’s ads.^{[7]
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- Images really shine in display ads and print ads. Pay-per-click ads, on the other hand, are purely text based.

7

Incorporate current events in your ads.

Ads that are relevant to current events stick in peoples’ minds. Keep a close eye on what’s going on in the world and try to tie your ads into them. Or, create seasonal ads for special events like holidays or sports tournaments.^{[8]
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- For example, if the Olympics are happening, you could create a special ad campaign that revolves around them.
- An example of timely ads that stands out are Coca-Cola’s polar bear Christmas ads that run every year.

8

Use clear and consistent branding.

Customers should be able to quickly identify your brand. The easiest way to do this is to include pictures of your products in the visuals. Or, include a brand slogan in all your ads.^{[9]
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- For example, Nike’s ads are all very recognizable because they almost always have the slogan “Just do it.” somewhere in the ad.
- If you sell vodka, your ad’s text could be written in the shape of your vodka’s bottle. Or, you could use a photo of people drinking your vodka with the bottle and brand name clearly visible.

9

Try working humor into your ad.

People are more likely to remember an ad that made them laugh. Try to entertain your audience, instead of just pitching them a product. Include a funny picture or some humorous ad copy in your ad to really make your ad memorable.^{[10]
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- You can get ideas of types of humor to use by attending a comedy show and paying attention to who/what types of jokes get the most laughs from the crowd.

10

Tell a story with your ad.

Stories draw in customers because they feel relatable. Depending on what you’re selling, the story you tell with your ad may be endearing, fear inducing, controversial, or funny. Try to evoke whatever feeling you think will make your audience more likely to buy your product.^{[11]
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- For example, if you’re selling cookie dough, your ad could tell a story about how your ready-to-bake cookies remind someone of their grandma’s homemade cookies. This gives readers positive feelings about your brand and makes them want to try your dough.

11

Strive to create original ad content.

Unique ads are more memorable than run-of-the-mill copy. Don’t try to make your ads similar to a competitor’s brand. Avoid using cliches and overused sales-oriented phrases.^{[12]
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- For example, “Everything must go!” is a pretty overused line of sales talk. Your audience has probably already seen hundreds of sale ads with that wording and is likely to ignore your ad if you don’t say something more original.

12

Optimize digital ads for mobile.

People frequently view ads on their mobile phones. If your ads don’t automatically adjust to fit their screens, they’re more likely to exit the page or miss key information. Work with a developer and a designer to make all your digital ads mobile-friendly for a variety of common devices and screen sizes.^{[13]
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- For instance, a banner ad that appears completely on a website doesn’t fit on the screen of a smartphone. However, if you optimize it for mobile, it changes size and shape depending on what device someone is viewing it from.

Community Q&A

Question

What makes a successful advertisement?

Alfonso Cuesta
Advertising Expert
Alfonso Cuesta is an Advertising Expert and the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Salta With Us, a "Creativity First" boutique specialized in multicultural advertising and campaigns for digital and social media channels. After 20 years of working in global ad agencies for brands like Coca-Cola, PlayStation, and Discovery Channel in Europe, Latin America, and the US, Alfonso remains convinced that creativity is the best tool to engage audiences in any medium. Alfonso has a BA in Graphic Design and Advertising from the Centro Español de Nuevas Profesiones in Madrid, Spain.

Alfonso Cuesta

Advertising Expert

Expert Answer

Keep your target audience in mind when designing your ad to make sure it appeals to the people you want to reach.