Creative has always been instrumental in making social advertising effective, but what makes the creative stand out is constantly evolving. In this article, we discuss 3 creative formats that are currently under-utilized, but if leveraged will immediately differentiate your ad creative from its competition.

 

User-Generated Content (UGC)

The concept of user-generated content has gained popularity with the emergence of platforms like TikTok and the growing influencer economy. UGC creatives are successful because they feel authentic and organic, creating a level of trust with the user that is difficult to replicate with highly produced studio creatives. However, producing UGC creatives at scale is challenging for many advertisers, hence why the market for UGC is not saturated yet. As UGC makes up a small percentage of all social ads, having the ability to produce UGC creatives at scale will be a great way to quickly make your brand stand out.

 

Interactivity

In order for a user to take the desired action on your ad you need to capture their attention first, and adding an interactive element to your creatives is a great way to do so. Every social platform has their own unique tools for encouraging ad engagement, but some of the most common interactive features include polls, quizzes, countdowns, & more. These interactive features can be added directly from the ad platform on most social channels, meaning it requires minimal lift for a creative team to boost user participation.

 

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented reality (AR) is an effective creative format for retailers, as it helps bridge the gap between eCommerce and brick and mortar. Similarly to interactive features, AR gives people an opportunity to actively engage with your ad creatives. Some popular ad uses of AR allow users to look through an AR lens and see how products (E.g. clothing, accessories, etc.) would look on them or in their space – essentially becoming the new way to try something out. As AR ads have yet to be used more regularly due to the current lack of resources necessary to create them, now is the time to get ahead of the curve and build out your AR social strategy.

If you’re interested in learning more about Direct Agents’ Social Advertising offerings and how our team can help your brand grow on social, email [email protected].

 

Trevor Clune, Associate Director of Paid Media, Direct Agents