There are many components to a digital marketing campaign. When examining the performance of your ads, it can be difficult to accurately attribute certain components of them to the success or failure. In other words, data attribution is one of the keys to utilizing data to improve your digital marketing campaigns. So, let’s get into some of the main components of digital ad campaigns and uncover how they are commonly attributed to the success of a campaign.
First, it’s important to understand that financial advisors face challenges when trying to connect with an audience that is ready for retirement, but the exact service they need is unknown. Additionally, with a lot of competition in every market, you need to be able to set yourself apart in your advertising. This is the reason why you need to have your images, written ads and targeting all working in concert with each other.
When trying to get prospects to take the desired action from an ad, you may be wondering which is more important: the image, the written ad or the targeting. Over my years of experience creating ad campaigns, I have found that it is a combination of all three that need to work together to be successful, especially when it comes to advertising for financial advisors on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google. Here’s what you need to know about each of these three components.
The image, video, or carousel of images of your ad is the first thing that captures the audience's attention. It can create a connection, convey the essence of your service and set the tone of your message. A compelling and relevant image can pique interest and encourage the audience to engage further with your ad. In some cases, especially on visually oriented platforms, the image may have a significant impact on initial engagement. With most social media platforms having a black or white background to their feed, you also must take that into account when creating the images. Too much black or white could have the effect of blending into the background and having people miss the ad as they scroll. A good image will also consider the branding of your company.
The ad copy provides essential information and context. It should be persuasive, concise and clear, explaining what you're offering, why it's valuable and what action you want the prospect to take. A well-crafted ad copy can address pain points, highlight benefits and most importantly must include a strong call to action. Without a strong CTA, it is impossible to guide the prospect toward the desired action be it a guide download, attending a webinar, registering for a dinner event or asking to meet with an advisor.
Targeting is the process of selecting and reaching the right audience for your ad. It's crucial to ensure your ad reaches people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service. Effective targeting can significantly increase the likelihood of conversion because you're presenting your message to individuals who have a genuine interest or need for what you're offering. If your targeting is wrong, you run the risk of wasting money, and not getting the desired results from your campaign.
As you can see, the effectiveness of these three elements is interconnected. For example:
- A well-targeted ad ensures that it reaches the right people who are more likely to respond positively to both the image and the ad copy because it's relevant to their needs or interests.
- The image, ad copy and targeting should align seamlessly. If your image and ad copy are compelling but don't align with the interests of your target audience, your campaign may not perform as well.
- The written ad copy must clearly convey what action you want the prospect to take. If the message isn't clear or the CTA isn't compelling, even a well-targeted ad with an attention-grabbing image may not yield the desired results.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of your ad campaign will depend on how well you balance and optimize these three elements to create a cohesive and persuasive message that resonates with your target audience. A strong marketing campaign will always require regular monitoring and adjusting your ad campaigns based on performance metrics to fine-tune the combination of these elements for the best results.
Craig Foster is Director of Digital Media at Lone Beacon