The Power of Creativity in Performance Marketing

Creative is the number one driver of sales effectiveness, with highly creative ads performing up to twice as effectively as ads deemed “non-creative.” This truth builds over time and, approached in the right way, can drive more conversions and minimise misattribution.

Nowhere is this more true and less practised than in performance marketing. Google Ads and dynamic PMAX campaigns use a range of assets to build, test, and refine ads to drive maximum conversions. But there are a whole host of ways that a poorly implemented creative approach can hamper the potential of performance ads to deliver.

Maximising Creative Assets in Google Ads

The simplest method is to give Google Ads as many options and variations as possible, including using animated GIFs as well as static images to provide the platform with diverse creative options. The images you provide don’t need to include logos, detailed copy, or call-to-action faux buttons, as these will all be covered by the ad format. Instead, images should be attractive, even distracting. Any messages in the image should be big, bold statements, such as brand messages, or “SALE!” 

Great photography, people and faces, and fantastic-looking products can all woo a prospect. Big, bold, bright, single-minded, clear, and beautiful are the words you should be thinking of when designing the imagery for your ad. Logos should be visible against both light and dark backgrounds and, unless you’re NIKE, should always contain your company name, not just your logo. Be careful, though; logos can be rendered quite small. 

Google Ads allows you to include a whole range of copy options, and you should use as many options as you can. But when it comes to headlines, again, unless you’re very well known, it can really help to include a keyword that reinforces your key service. Body copy should expand on the service and provoke a reaction to drive a response. 

The Big Opportunity: Video Ads

Video presents a significant opportunity in performance marketing. Google recommends 5s, 10s, and 30s videos. These should all play as stand-alone ads and be fully self-contained, containing all the information you want to get across. The shorter ads need to be attractive, clear and direct. The decision to skip or pay attention to an ad in the first second or so is primarily down to how beautiful it is! 

The longer format is a real opportunity to hook people in with a good story. Google recommends an A, B, C, D approach to storytelling in digital advertising: 

A=Attract: If you can’t make people watch your ad in the first few seconds, everything else is a waste of time.

B=Branding: Your trusted brand at the beginning of an ad can actually improve the chances of people watching, and if someone does skip the ad, at least they have been exposed to your brand. Brand a video not just early, but often, throughout. 

C=Connection: Help people think or feel something by working hard to educate, inspire, or entertain your audience. 

D=Direction: Give people clear instructions on what to do next. It’s not rocket science, but the more clearly you can tell people to do what you want, the more people will do it. 

Investing in Creativity

Creativity is the most powerful advertising tool in your arsenal. Being original in your market will not just make you stand out and be noticed, but you’re more likely to be remembered too. The other simple thing to focus on is the artistic value of your video—that’s the production value. Cheap ads feel like ads and diminish the perceived value of your product or service. The more people feel like they’re watching art, the less they feel like they’re being sold to. 

Not investing in creative can be disastrous for your campaign, delivering lower results and wasting money. So, pay close attention to the impact your creative assets have —they’re the most important aspect of your performance marketing strategy. 

Ready to learn more about how you can better blend creative storytelling within your performance marketing mix? Talk to the experts at Mediaworks today.