As a social media specialist and Facebook ads expert, I’ve encountered countless poorly designed ad creatives over the years. In this post, I’ll share five critical elements you should eliminate from your ads to improve their performance.
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The 5 Biggest Creative Mistakes Hurting Your Ads
1. Time-Consuming Ad Creatives
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is creating ad creatives that are too time-consuming for viewers. The longer it takes for the audience to understand the ad, the higher your cost per click (CPC) and cost per acquisition (CPA) will turn out in the long run.
People won’t click on ads that are overly complicated or hard to understand within the first few seconds. Your ad should be intuitive and easy to grasp. A good balance between copy and visual design is necessary for a coherent and engaging ad creative.
A good ad creative takes no more than 3 seconds for the viewers to understand the message.
Example of a Busy Ad
Consider this ad featuring multiple images and text:
While the intention might be to showcase travel vibes, the result is a cluttered ad with too much going on. I would recommend simplifying the background and adjusting the copy to improve the overall cohesiveness of the ad.
Learn more about the proven strategies I used to boost marketing for clients in the hospitality industry here.
Minimize copywriting and focus on one or two unique selling points (USPs) that capture the audience’s attention. This approach will lower your CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).
2. Lack of a Clear Hook
Without a strong hook, your ad is likely to be skipped over. Compelling hooks are necessary to boost ad performance and minimize costs while maintaining or increasing reach.
A good hook grabs attention immediately. Your ad should have 1-2 unique selling propositions (USP) that stand out and drive engagement with the audience.
Example of an Ad with No Hook
In this ad, the first things to catch the eye are generic images and vague text. There’s no clear reason to click on the ad. Make sure your ad has a unique proposition that piques the interest of the audience and further engages with the ad.
The first three seconds make or break the engagement between your ad and the audience. With video ad creatives, it is important to keep them brief and concise before viewers scroll past.
Remember, your ads are meant to attract and encourage engagement – an in-depth explanation of what’s on offer can be placed in your landing page.
3. Misleading Ad Creatives
Misleading ads can damage your brand’s reputation and result in higher bounce rates.
Your ad should clearly represent what you are offering. Misleading headlines or images can frustrate potential customers and lead to distrust.
Example of a Misleading Ad
This ad talks about a “free party”, but doesn’t specify what the party is about or who are invited. At the bottom of the ad, the audience is belatedly informed that the party will be held at a senior care center. The mixed messages can confuse and alienate your audience.
4. Business-Centered or Product-Centered Ad Creatives
While it’s important to highlight your business or product, ads that are too focused on these aspects can feel impersonal and unengaging.
Shift the focus from your business to the benefits for the audience. What problem are you solving for them? How will your product or service improve their life?
Instead of selling your product, address the pain points of your audience through your ad creative.
Example of a Product-Focused Ad
This ad is too centered on the product without conveying why the viewer should care. I would recommend incorporating elements that highlight the benefits for the customer.
5. Overly Promotional and Polished Ad Creatives
Ads that are too polished and promotional can seem insincere and unrelatable. When the copy sounds neutral, robotic, or overly used in the industry, the audience is less motivated to click and engage with the ad.
Aim for authenticity in your ad creatives. Real testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, and genuine messages can resonate better with your audience.
Example of an Overly Polished Ad
While this ad is professionally done, it feels bland and lacks the human touch. Ads should feel genuine and relatable to create a stronger connection with your audience.
By eliminating these five elements from your ad creatives, you can significantly improve your ad performance, resulting in lower CPC and higher conversion rates.
And also, don’t forget to download my free Facebook Advertising Bundle, which includes ChatGPT prompts for targeting competitors, ad copywriting structures, and checklists.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on social media and Facebook ads. Bye for now!
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Hyein
I’m an award-winning global marketing expert running HY Marketing in South Korea. We help businesses succeed in South Korea, Japan, and English-speaking markets through social media and Facebook ads.
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