The O-Word
Stop Making These 3 Ad Mistakes
ADS CONTENT & STRATEGY
SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE
OPINION MISTAKES TO AVOID
Ads are often a sore spot for brands looking to scale. When connecting with prospective clients, we consistently have some flavor of the conversation - "Our ads are not working (or scaling). Can you take a look and offer some insights into why?". To help you begin to answer this question, below are three of the most common mistakes we see that can explain why an ad might not be as effective as it could be.
Mistake #1: Wrong Creative For The Part Of The Funnel You're Targeting
The number one mistake we see is the wrong creative. Creative has a myriad of its own challenges and ways it can fall apart; from only leaning into highly-produced assets to getting too long to get to the hook -- the list goes on. To make things even more complicated, different creatives need to be created to talk to different customers on different platforms at different points in the customer journey.
For ads to be effective, the creative must be seen by the right person, at the right point in consideration, and through a lens that speaks to them. For example, if you are running ads on TikTok, the creative needs to feel native to the platform - lean into a talking-to-the-camera testimonial from a content creator, not a beautifully produced campaign video. For awareness ads, consider ads that highlight a reason to believe a brand promise; for conversion, one to set the product apart in market.
Mistake #2: Trying To Convert Competitive Brand Evangelists (With No Nurture)
Conquesting is a popular, but difficult, ad tactic. Every marketer is tasked with competitive market capture at some level, but the way we strategize about this makes a big difference in whether we can convert a customer, or if we have just paid for a wasted click.
Acquiring customers who are at least tacitly loyal to a competitor is not usually effective outright, but rather, requires a layered approach to awareness, consideration, and trial. Developing a thoughtful approach to nurture requires creative flexibility and a blended attribution model with an eye towards long-term growth. Consider a targeting and creative strategy that accounts for seeding brand messaging, inspiring action, prompting consideration and re-capture. You'll need to carefully think through both messaging and creative, and while time consuming, it communicates to your conquesting audience that your brand understands and can solve their issues better than their preferred competitor.
Mistake #3: No Re-Engagement Strategy
In a perfect world, your ideal customer sees your ad and immediately takes action. Within 30 days, they even fill up their cart again at a higher AOV because of a thoughtful post on an owned, organic channel! It sounds like a dream because, unfortunately, marketing is less linear than we know it to be. Ads can be used to re-engage customers as long as it's done thoughtfully. By using first party data, a tightly controlled CAC, and creative and messaging that speaks to retention and repurchase, instead of net new acquisition, ads can be an effective way to recapture lapsed customers and re-engage them in a buying cycle.
Ads are a dynamic and personal way to speak to your potential customers, but only if you know exactly where, how and when to reach them.
