Want to Create an Ad? 7 Questions to Get it Right the First Time

Pinterest - create an adAdvertising your business is absolutely necessary. If all the great brands do it (think Coca-Cola®, Apple®, Nike®), you need to do it too. With so much competition for people’s attention, there’s a need to constantly remind current customers AND potential new ones of what you have to offer.

If you want to create an ad that will have a positive image and ROI, you’ll need to do some important upfront thinking on your part. I’ve seen many small (and large) businesses have to re-work their ads after poor results: expenses that could have been avoided. Grab the 10 page workbook that goes along with this article, then come back here and follow along!

Here are 7 questions to answer as you prepare your message and then create an ad:

 

1. THE GOAL: What do I want this ad to achieve? For example, is it to promote a new product/service/capability? Is it to introduce a special promotion? Is it to announce a new location?

2. THE TARGET: Who do I want to talk to? Am I targeting current customers, new prospects, a specific demographic or geography?

3. THE MESSAGE: What is the single message that I want to get across? Am I stating the benefit my solution provides from the customer’s point of view? Am I clear why my solution is better than what competitors offer?

4. THE PROOF: Do I have photos, videos, demos, guides, white papers or customer success stories to give more credibility to my message?

5. CALL TO ACTION: Is there an incentive offer? Do I have a unique URL to enable me to do better tracking of responses?

6. HOW TO BUY: Is it clear how and when interested people can reach me or buy from me?

7. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: Am I staffed up and have trained my sales channel to handle the response?

Once you have a draft of your ad, test it out with some friends. Ask them what the ad is saying. Do they understand what you’re selling and why you’re a good choice versus the competition? Creating an ad is usually a fun experience, allowing you to rev up your creativity. By having a good strategy upfront you are well on your way to having a memorable and revenue yielding campaign.

Do you have any additional insights on how to create an ad to share with us?

Workbook: Want to Create an Ad?​

If you want to create an ad that will have a positive image and ROI, you'll need to do some important upfront thinking!

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