You’re scrolling through your social media feed after a long day, casually passing by countless ads without a second glance.
Then suddenly, one grabs your attention—a bold image, a message that aligns perfectly with what you've been thinking about, and a clear call to action that makes you want to click. Almost like they could read your mind.
What made that ad different from all the others? A carefully planned, well-executed strategy.
That’s the kind of magic we strive to create every time we design an ad for our clients. But it doesn’t happen by chance. Creating ads that convert requires proper planning, creative testing, and continuous optimisation.
In this article, we’re pulling back the curtain on the six steps we take to create ads that don’t just get noticed—they get results.
Let’s dive right in!
Identify Your Target Audience
Before we work on anything else, we take a deep dive into understanding exactly who your product/service is for.
It’s not enough to know broad details like age or gender—we need to get into the details. What problems are they facing? What kind of content do they engage with? What solutions are they already considering?
For instance, if we’re creating an ad for a luxury skincare line, we’re thinking about someone who’s looking for quality ingredients, not just the lowest price.
Maybe they’re concerned about fine lines or dark spots, and they want to invest in a solution that works. Once we know this, we can shape everything else around those needs and preferences.
Choose the Right Ad Format for the Goal
With the target audience in mind, the next thing we do is figure out the best ad format for what we’re trying to achieve. Whether it’s a video ad, carousel, or a static image, each option has its strengths.
Let’s say you’re launching a product and want to highlight multiple features, you could go with a carousel ad, giving you the space to tell a bigger story, frame by frame. But, if we’re promoting something that needs quick action—like a flash sale—we might go with a bold image that gets straight to the point.
Basically, you need to match the format to both the audience and the goal so that the ad has the best chance to convert.
We also make it a point to map out all the different aspects we can test from the start. Whether it’s highlighting a product’s benefits, focusing on customer pain points, or testing different customer segments, we look at past performance to see what’s worked before.
If a client is new to advertising, we’ll start with what’s already working for them—their best-sellers and core audience—to set a strong foundation before diving into more in-depth testing. This way, we’re building the campaign on solid ground right from the beginning.
Select the Best Platform to Reach Your Audience
Not every platform is the same, and neither are the audiences on each one. Based on what we know about your customers, we’ll select the platform where they’re most likely to engage. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google—you name it, we’ve tested ads on all of them and know where each one performs best.
For example, if we’re aiming at a younger audience who are always on their phones, Instagram Stories or TikTok could be the ideal platforms. But if we’re promoting a B2B software product, LinkedIn ads tend to work better, as that’s where key decision-makers are spending their time.
Work On The Messaging
Once the audience and platform are set, we focus on the messaging. Here’s where we really put the hours of research into action. We take everything we know about your audience’s needs, pain points, and desires and use that to write a message that cuts through the noise.
FUN FACT: On average, people are exposed to anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day, covering everything from social media and search engine ads to billboards and TV commercials. With smartphones and social media being a constant part of our daily lives, it's no surprise that advertising exposure has skyrocketed.
This sheer volume of ads means that cutting through the clutter is more important than ever. It’s not enough for an ad to just exist; it needs to stand out.
One of the things we love testing is different ad hooks. We’ll try out several options, but keep everything else—like the visuals, target audience, and landing page—consistent. That way, we can see exactly which hook grabs people’s attention the most without any other distractions.
For example, when we were creating an ad for an eco-friendly cleaning product, we were not just saying “It’s good for the planet.” We also addressed the concerns of the audience: “No harsh chemicals. Safe for your kids and pets. Effective on even the toughest stains.”
Every word is chosen carefully to address pain points, create emotional resonance, and prompt action. And we always make sure the call to action (CTA) is crystal clear—whether it’s “Shop now,” “Learn more,” or “Sign up today.
Make Sure the Content Stands Out
Let’s face it—no matter how great your product or service is, if your ad doesn’t catch people’s attention, they’ll scroll right past it. Basically, making all the efforts you’ve put into it useless.
Hence why we spend time making sure the visuals, layout, and overall design grab attention from the get-go.
If we’re creating a video ad, we know the first three seconds need to hook the viewer. For image ads, we focus on bold, eye-catching designs that can communicate the message quickly.
For example, we ran an ad for a new clothing line and used lifestyle shots of real people wearing the products in everyday settings. This gave the ad a more authentic feel and helped potential customers imagine themselves using the products.
At the end of the day, we understand that in today’s fast-scrolling world, you’ve only got a split second to grab someone’s attention. So we try keeping that in mind when working on our client’s ads.
Continuously Improve the Ad for Better Results
Here’s where the real magic happens. Once your ad is up and running, the work isn’t done. We keep a close eye on how it performs—tracking metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), conversion rate, and ROAS.
We run A/B tests to see what works best. Is your audience responding better to a video or a static image? Do they prefer “Shop Now” over “Learn More”? If something isn’t working as expected, we tweak it—switching the images, changing the headline, refining the CTA, and even shifting the audience targeting.
When it comes to testing, we like to focus on one variable at a time so we can really understand what’s driving the results. We also make sure the test has enough budget and time to produce accurate results. A well-rounded testing process helps us determine what’s truly effective.
A great example of this is when we ran two versions of the same ad for a skincare brand. One used a bold, minimalist design, while the other went for a softer, more luxurious feel. The minimalist version saw a 30% higher conversion rate, so we leaned into that style for future ads.
After the tests are done, we dive into the results to figure out what worked and what didn’t. We’re not just looking at the numbers—we’re asking “why?” Did one ad stand out because of the messaging or was it the visual? We break it all down and share these insights with our clients so we can refine our approach moving forward. The goal is to always be improving and making sure our next campaign is even stronger.
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SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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