<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa11d32946e555b67f1999_651d3d367d7701ed39c19ef6_62bd5354230f0875901c4cc5_232806%252520copy.jpeg" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Growth</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Creative 101: Getting your Ads Noticed with Better Static Imagery and Graphic Design</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>29 June 2022</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>6 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">With the sheer volume of brands and businesses vying for our attention on social media, it can be difficult to stand out and get someone to stop scrolling.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Competing brands will use a variety of tactics, but for the most successful campaigns, there is always one key piece to the puzzle - a well thought-out visual element.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In this article, we spoke to Network members <strong>The Behaviours Agency</strong> and <strong>Notepad</strong> to learn exactly what it takes for your static imagery and graphics to grab a customer's attention on busy platforms, and get them moving through the sales funnel.</p> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">01</span>How to plan the visual assets for your campaign</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">There is no 'one size fits all' approach to designing an eye-catching static ad, but the goal is always to create something that people want to interact with.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Communicate a single clear message</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">For <strong>Harry Williams</strong>, Senior Creative at <strong>The Behaviours Agency</strong>, "you should always start with a goal to communicate a single clear message, and then create a visual that supports it. It needs to be top line. <strong>Static ads are a single visual that need to both link to all your other campaign assets and achieve cut-through in an instant.</strong> So, whilst web pages, videos and other executions can go into depth and explain more your static assets are really the most focused versions of your campaign."</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Harry Williams on how to make the most of your static imager to get your ads noticed" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa11d22946e555b67f1942_62bc2cdc1a1ca12f5426f381_TBA_Article%2520Quote_1.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Harry Williams, Senior Creative at The Behaviours Agency, on communicating a single clear message in static ads.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Create ads that will stand out for your audience</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">As we often here when discussing where to start with any marketing strategy, <strong>Naeem Alvi-Assinder</strong>, Founder of <strong>Notepad</strong> stresses the importance of audience research.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Make them relevant and do your audience research. With social being such a competitive climate, we have to understand our audience's interests more than ever. <strong>What do they want to see and what's going to make them stop scrolling?</strong> Creating a mood board often helps to visualise the right direction for your audience."<cite>Naeem Alvi-Assinder · Founder, Notepad</cite></blockquote> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">02</span>Tactics to create ads that get noticed</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">Even though there's no one-size-fits-all approach to designing an eye-catching static ad, there are some tactics that can be applied by any business that can help to drive engagement.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Be brave - pick a message that will stand out from your competition</h3> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"First of all, take a look around. Get to know your audience and what they are looking for. Your ads will better perform better if they connect with your target market's taste, style, and interests. But you shouldn't just want to fit in, there is so much competition for attention that it should be a prerequisite to be brave. Attention spans are short, so be single-minded, pick a key message and do something to communicate it that is individual and will stand out."<cite>Harry Williams · Senior Creative, The Behaviours Agency</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Play around with your formats - but don't overcomplicate it</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">For Naeem, where possible and relevant, it's always good to play around with video or simple animation.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"When we're scrolling quickly on our favourite platform, <strong>our eyes are naturally drawn to movement</strong>. Making simple gifs for podcasts or turning case studies into video is a great way to get noticed. With that said, it's also important to keep it simple. Pick a focal point and make it easy for your audience to take in the information they need to click on your link."<cite>Naeem Alvi-Assinder · Founder, Notepad</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Naeem Alvi-Assinder on how to make the most of your static imager to get your ads noticed" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa11d22946e555b67f194b_62bc2d0547bb0358ff03afcf_Notepad_Article%2520Quote_1.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Naeem Alvi-Assinder, Founder of Notepad, on keeping formats simple and using movement to capture attention.</figcaption> </figure> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">03</span>Common mistakes made with static imagery in adverts</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">There are many reasons a marketing campaign can fizzle out, and design is one variable that can either strengthen or weaken all aspects of that campaign.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">You might strike the right tone with your message and audience, but use a colour that's too bright or a font that's difficult to read and potential customers will soon lose interest.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">To avoid any costly mistakes, we asked our experts to share some of the biggest mistakes they've seen.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Overcomplicating your ads with too many messages</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Harry warns against trying to communicate too many messages.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"You should always have a clear idea of the one message you want the viewer to take away with them. <strong>When you see static ads with two, three, four or more messages it's just confusing</strong>."<cite>Harry Williams · Senior Creative, The Behaviours Agency</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Harry Williams on how to make the most of your static imager to get your ads noticed" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa11d22946e555b67f194e_62bc2d4847bb030f5303c440_TBA_Article%2520Quote_2.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Harry Williams on the mistake of overloading static ads with too many messages.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Overdoing the stock imagery in your adverts</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Should you use stock imagery in your adverts? Though it's tempting, use it wisely.</p> <aside class="gn-quote gn-reveal"><q>The average person can notice up to 100 ads per day, so it's vital to choose an image that people will absorb and remember.</q><cite>Naeem Alvi-Assinder · Founder, Notepad</cite></aside> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>One of the biggest mistakes is using overused generic stock imagery.</strong> Quite often we see the same images being churned out which makes it impossible to connect them to one business. Stock images are great but it's all about being relevant. It's also important to remember to <strong>use the correct image size for the platform you're advertising on</strong>, this will stop poor resolution and quality.</p> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">04</span>How to create adverts that fit your wider brand strategy</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and we process visuals 60,000X faster than any text. However, visuals can only do so much when they're not used as part of a wider marketing effort.</p> <div class="gn-stats gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">90<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">Of information transmitted to the brain is visual.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">60,000<em>X</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">Faster than text: the speed at which we process visuals.</span></div> </div> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Use imagery in your adverts that clearly communicates your brand identity</h3> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Static ads should be the visual expression of it and by that, I mean every single image should be contributing to the overall strategy. It's the attention to detail and consistency at this level of a single image that makes the difference between successful brands and unsuccessful brands. They should fundamentally help build the brand distinctiveness your marketing strategy is looking for and the memory associations needed to be a top-of-mind brand."<cite>Harry Williams · Senior Creative, The Behaviours Agency</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Consistency is key when advertising on different platforms</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">Naeem explains that having an inconsistent brand identity across your audience touch points can be quite confusing.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Find a style that encompasses your brand and own it. Static ads are no exception, as quite often, they may be the first introduction to your business. Think about what you're trying to say and how it's relevant to your audience's brand experience."<cite>Naeem Alvi-Assinder · Founder, Notepad</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Naeem Alvi-Assinder on how to make the most of your static imager to get your ads noticed" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa11d22946e555b67f1948_62bc2d59a0d06decf98931c1_Notepad_Article%2520Quote_2.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Naeem Alvi-Assinder, Founder of Notepad, on brand consistency across advertising platforms.</figcaption> </figure> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">05</span>When to use an external marketing agency vs. in-house graphic design/photography team</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">Most marketers possess the basic knowledge to put together simple assets, but the software and equipment needed to produce high-quality static imagery ads can be costly and require specialist skills.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">For Harry, by working on a range of products, marketing agencies build a wider range of experience. "They can draw on this experience to create a variety of work that is rooted in proven results. It also means that challenges are approached, and solutions are found through more diverse thinking."</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Alongside this, an external agency can provide:</p> <aside class="gn-callout gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-callout__label">What this means for you</div> <h4>What an external agency brings to your static ad creative</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Objective, best-practise guidance.</strong> Objective, best-practise guidance on what works well with your audiences.</li> <li><strong>Capacity to scale.</strong> Capacity to create variations of your efforts regularly.</li> <li><strong>Platform knowledge.</strong> Up-to-date information on the latest trends in the platforms you're using.</li> </ul> </aside> <p class="gn-reveal">Still, it's key to find an agency that understands your brand, voice and goals. If you're looking to discover recommended agencies for your business, The GO Network's cost-free agency search and qualification offering can help. <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/get-in-touch"><strong>Get in touch here</strong></a>.</p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/5-signs-its-time-to-change-agencies" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Growth</span> <span class="gn-related__title">5 Signs It’s Time to Change Agencies</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Missed KPIs, creative drift, and vision misalignment are red flags. 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