How to Make a Digital Print Ad

By: Nicholas Carpenter

April 6, 2024

In our modern, connected world, the power of digital print advertising remains an undeniable force in influencing consumer behaviors and expanding brand awareness. Making the perfect digital print advertisement requires an understanding of your target audience, unique design elements, compelling content and copy.

Step 1: Understand Your Audience

Before you even sketch your first design, identify and understand your target audience. What are their needs, preferences, and attitudes? What issues matter to them the most? Understanding your target audience ensures that your message resonates with them. Keep in mind demographics, psychographics, and the media they consume.

Two tools that can help you identify your target audience are Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Manager. Google Analytics provides you with demographic information about the traffic visiting your website. Facebook Audience Manager gives insights into the people who are viewing your social media posts.

Step 2: Define Your Goals

Clearly defining your advertising goals will guide your ad creation process. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, promote customer engagement, or perhaps drive traffic to your website? Your ad should be designed with a clear objective in mind. Every element from your headlines, visuals, to a call to action (CTA) should be aligned to this objective.

Step 3: Create Compelling Content

The heart of a successful digital print ad is compelling content. This includes a catchy headline, engaging copy, and powerful visuals. Your headlines should be enticing enough to grab attention instantly. The copy should be brief but influential enough to persuade your audience about the benefits of your product or service. Visuals should be relevant to your brand and complement your text to create a congruent message. The CTA is the bridge between your ad and the action you want your audience to take. It should stand out and spur immediate action.

If you are having a hard time finding a place to start or the inspiration to write the copy check out AI Forged Ads. We use AI to create relevant ads for your brand and advertising goals.

Step 4: Craft a Cohesive Design

Your ad must look visually appealing to make a good first impression. Choose font types and colors that align with your brand guidelines. The layout should be clean and well-structured, allowing readers to process the information easily. Remember to place the most crucial information — the unique selling proposition and call to action — in the most noticeable spots.

Step 5: Test and Refine Your Ad

Start small, test it on a smaller audience or focus group. Gather feedback, this can be in the form of link clicks or conversion. Use that information to refine your ad. Further, try A/B testing different versions of your ad to understand what works best. Keep refining until you have an ad that best resonates with your audience.

Creating a digital print advertisement is both an art and science. By following these steps, you have a great head start on creating effective ads that not only capture attention but also drive action.