You’ve got less than 2 seconds to grab attention on social media. When you’re running ads, they need to grab attention quickly! The creative is the first thing people see, and it can make or break your ad campaign.
If you struggle for ideas on creating ads, read on! In this blog I’m sharing 9 different ad styles for you to try. These are all popular styles us Ads Managers use because we know they work! You’ll find some inspiration and ideas that could work for your brand. There’s also a link to view all of these ads (and more) at the end of this blog.
1. Founder Story
A founder story ad introduces the audience to who is behind the business. It brings authenticity and a personal touch to your brand. It shares the journey, challenges, obstacles and successes. This type of ad fosters a deeper connection with your audience, making your brand more relatable and trustworthy. It’s also a great way to communicate your mission and what drives you/your brand.
Example: This is a really simple but effective style from 47Skin, a video from the founder talking straight to camera, explaining his own skincare struggles and how he created a solution.
2. Testimonial
Testimonial ads work because they’re the online equivalent of word-of-mouth. Satisfied customers who share their positive experiences is a great way to significantly boost credibility and influence potential buyers’ decisions.
Example: calming music and film, with a 5 star testimonial overlaid on top. You get a moment of relaxation in your scrolling, an incentive to click that button and find out more about hypnotherapy.
3. Homemade-Looking Ad
Homemade-looking ads feel more authentic and like the content we see from our friends/family on socials, so they feel like regular posts rather than paid ads. They’re less polished and produced, which we perceive as more genuine and trustworthy – they’re not showing an airbrushed, world of advertising perfection and viewers love that! They can resonate well with audiences looking for genuine recommendations and real-life examples. This is a great style if you can use content creators in your brand.
Example: asking customers who love your products can be a great source of content for ads. Or if that’s not possible, look for content creators who are a good fit to promote your products.
4. Carousels
Many of the social media platforms have a built-in capacity to explore ads, making it even easier to do your res
Carousel ads allow you to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit. They are perfect for highlighting different features, products, or aspects of your brand in one go.
Example: This carousel ad promotes a different free class on each slide, a great way to show a range of products you have on offer and a great way for your customers to scroll through and find a product to suit them.
5. Before and After
Before-and-after ads are powerful for demonstrating how effective your product/service is. They provide clear, visual proof of the transformation your offering provides. One thing to be careful with a before/after creative – you can’t mislead people by posting after photos with misleading or inaccurate results.
Example: A great way of showing progress and end results, but they need to be genuine and truthtful to work.
6. As Featured In
TikTok’s Ads Cent
Featuring media coverage or endorsements from reputable sources can add significant credibility to your brand. These ads showcase that your brand is trusted by authoritative figures or publications.
Example: This ad includes ‘As seen on BBC Dragons’ Den’ and reviews from a number of publications. These can act as a real trusted endorsement of your product.
7. Infographics
Infographics are visually appealing and can convey complex information quickly and effectively. They are great for sharing data, statistics, and key points in an engaging format.
Example: An infographic on Facebook showcasing the benefits of your product with eye-catching graphics and concise text.
8. Features call-out
Showing the main features of your product can help answer questions from potential customers at the first stage. They are engaging and can simplify complex concepts, especially if your product has a lot of benefits to call out.
Example: This ad contains a lot of information, but it’s still easy to understand and digest 😉 You’re learning the ingredients, what they are good for along with the health benefits of this drink.
9. The Post-It Ad.
A simple, effective and worthwhile way of showing a product benefit, delivered by writing a benefit of your product or service on a post-it note alongside a visual.
Example: This ad shows how to use a product alongside communicating a very worthwhile benefit alongside a literal customer pain point.
Creating the right ads for your social media campaigns is a major factor in your campaign success. Whether it’s a heartfelt founder story, a convincing testimonial, or an engaging carousel, the key is to match the ad type with your brand’s voice and the preferences of your target audience. Try several styles to learn the ads your audience responds best to. Different people in your audience will respond to different ad types, don’t discount a style that is a fit for your brand just because you don’t like it, your audience might love it!
Experiment with these different creatives to see which resonates best with your audience and which gives you the best results.
I’ve saved all of these ads, and more, into a board for you, so you can get even more ad inspiration. Just head here to view my ad creatives inspiration board.