Best Practices
Creative Best Practices

Advertising Best Practices

Proven Strategies for Success

Learn from thousands of successful campaigns to maximize your advertising ROI.

Creative Best Practices

Visual Design

  • High Quality: Use professional images/videos
  • Brand Consistency: Maintain visual identity
  • Mobile First: Design for mobile viewing
  • Minimal Text: Keep text under 20% of image
  • Clear Focus: One main message per ad

Copy Writing

  • Hook First: Lead with benefit or question
  • Clear Value: State offer explicitly
  • Social Proof: Include testimonials/reviews
  • Urgency: Create time sensitivity
  • CTA: Strong, specific call-to-action

Video Ads

  • First 3 Seconds: Hook immediately
  • Sound Off: Design for muted viewing
  • Captions: Always include subtitles
  • Short Length: 15-30 seconds optimal
  • Vertical Format: 9:16 for stories/reels

Targeting Strategies

Audience Building

  1. Start Broad: Let AI optimize
  2. Layer Interests: Combine related interests
  3. Exclude Irrelevant: Use negative targeting
  4. Lookalike Audiences: From best customers
  5. Behavioral Targeting: Based on actions

Geographic Targeting

  • Local: Radius around location
  • Regional: State/province level
  • National: Country-wide
  • International: Multiple countries
  • Exclusions: Remove non-serving areas

Budget Management

Budget Allocation

  • Testing: 20% of budget
  • Proven: 60% of budget
  • Scaling: 20% of budget

Bid Strategies

  • Start Low: Begin conservative
  • Auto-Bidding: Use platform optimization
  • Manual: For experienced advertisers
  • Day-Parting: Adjust by time
  • Device: Modify by device type

Campaign Structure

Account Organization

Account
├── Campaigns (by objective)
│   ├── Ad Sets (by audience)
│   │   ├── Ads (by creative)

Naming Conventions

[Platform]_[Objective]_[Audience]_[Date]
Example: FB_CONV_Lookalike1%_Jan2024

Testing Framework

A/B Testing Priority

  1. Offer: Biggest impact
  2. Audience: High impact
  3. Creative: Medium impact
  4. Copy: Medium impact
  5. Placement: Low impact

Testing Rules

  • One variable at a time
  • Statistical significance required
  • Minimum 1000 impressions
  • Run for full week
  • Document results

Platform-Specific Tips

Facebook/Instagram

  • Use all placements
  • Leverage stories
  • Test reels/video
  • Dynamic creative
  • Catalog ads for e-commerce

Google Ads

  • Start with search
  • Use negative keywords
  • Ad extensions mandatory
  • Quality Score focus
  • Smart bidding

LinkedIn

  • Professional tone
  • Business hours
  • Job title targeting
  • Company targeting
  • Thought leadership content

TikTok

  • Native content style
  • Trending sounds
  • User-generated content
  • Influencer partnerships
  • Hashtag challenges

Optimization Timeline

Week 1

  • Monitor daily
  • No major changes
  • Check tracking
  • Note patterns

Week 2

  • First optimizations
  • Pause losers
  • Increase winners
  • Test variations

Week 3-4

  • Scale successes
  • Add new tests
  • Refine targeting
  • Expand creative

Month 2+

  • Advanced strategies
  • Automation rules
  • Seasonal adjustments
  • Expansion plans

Common Mistakes

To Avoid

  • ❌ Changing too quickly
  • ❌ Too narrow targeting
  • ❌ Ignoring mobile
  • ❌ Weak CTAs
  • ❌ Not tracking conversions

To Embrace

  • ✅ Patient optimization
  • ✅ Broad initial targeting
  • ✅ Mobile-first design
  • ✅ Clear value props
  • ✅ Comprehensive tracking

Industry Benchmarks

E-commerce

  • CTR: 0.9-1.2%
  • Conversion: 2-3%
  • ROAS: 4:1 minimum
  • Cart abandonment: 70%

Lead Generation

  • CTR: 1-2%
  • Conversion: 10-15%
  • CPL: Varies by industry
  • Form completion: 30%

B2B

  • CTR: 0.5-1%
  • Conversion: 2-5%
  • Sales cycle: 30-90 days
  • Multi-touch required

Scaling Strategies

Vertical Scaling

  • Gradual budget increases (20-30%)
  • Every 3-4 days
  • Monitor metrics
  • Maintain ROAS

Horizontal Scaling

  • New audiences
  • New geos
  • New creative
  • New platforms

Seasonal Considerations

Q1 (Jan-Mar)

  • New Year resolutions
  • Tax season
  • Valentine's Day
  • Lower CPMs

Q2 (Apr-Jun)

  • Spring shopping
  • Mother's Day
  • Graduations
  • Summer planning

Q3 (Jul-Sep)

  • Summer sales
  • Back to school
  • Lower competition
  • Build audiences

Q4 (Oct-Dec)

  • Holiday shopping
  • Black Friday
  • Highest CPMs
  • Maximum budgets

Compliance

Ad Policies

  • Review platform policies
  • Avoid prohibited content
  • Proper disclaimers
  • Age restrictions
  • Geographic limitations

Data Privacy

  • GDPR compliance
  • CCPA compliance
  • Cookie policies
  • Data retention
  • User consent

Success Metrics

Primary KPIs

  • ROAS/ROI
  • CPA/CPL
  • Conversion Rate
  • LTV:CAC ratio

Secondary KPIs

  • CTR
  • CPM
  • Frequency
  • Engagement Rate

Next Steps

OverviewIndex