In today's digital landscape, having the right creative assets isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential for campaign success. But what exactly constitutes "the right creative"?

This question comes up frequently in conversations with our clients, and for good reason. The creative elements of your digital advertising campaign can make or break your results, regardless of how well you've targeted your audience or optimized your budget.

In a our recent Click and Mortar episode, we broke down the essential creative elements that every business needs for successful digital advertising. Let's dive into our insights and explore how you can apply them to your own campaigns.

The Marketing Funnel Approach

Before diving into specific creative assets, it's important to understand how they fit into the overall marketing funnel. Creative needs fall into three main categories:

• Top of funnel (awareness)

• Middle of funnel (consideration)

• Bottom of funnel (conversion)

Each stage requires different types of creative assets tailored to where your potential customers are in their buying journey.

Top of Funnel Creative: Introducing Your Brand

At the top of the funnel, your goal is to introduce your brand and establish initial interest. According to Patterson and Trout, there are four key creative elements needed here:

1. The "About Us" Video

This is your founding story—the narrative that explains why your business exists in the first place. "Most businesses got started because there was a problem that the founder solved. And hearing that is fun. It's cool. It's a way to make you relatable", Dustin relays in the Podcast

The about us video humanizes your brand and creates an emotional connection with potential customers. It should answer questions like:

• Why did you start the business?

• What problem did you personally experience that led to this solution?

• What drives your passion for this industry?

2. Benefits/Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Video

While the about us video helps people understand the human element of your brand, the USP video addresses the logical side of the equation. As Dustin puts it, "Why specifically you? You're cheaper, you're faster, you're better, whatever that is that makes you the best thing on the market."

This video should clearly articulate what differentiates you from competitors and why customers should choose you.

3. Product/Service Overview

This creative asset provides a comprehensive look at your entire offering. Dustin compares it to car commercials that showcase their full vehicle lineup: "It's almost like the Ford commercial that outlines the series... they show all their lines so you can clearly see what are all the different things they offer."

The overview helps potential customers understand the breadth of your offerings and where they might fit into your ecosystem.

4. Featured Product Creative

Mike describes this as highlighting "your best foot forward" or your "golden child" product or service. This creative asset—whether video or photography—showcases your flagship offering in detail.

"What's your top product? What are you really known for?" Having either photography and/or a video about that specific product. Have what's your golden child and what do people know you... what that product is, what problem it solves, and the unique selling point of that product.

Middle of Funnel Creative: Building Credibility

As prospects move down the funnel, they need reassurance that your products or services deliver on their promises. The middle of the funnel is all about building credibility and trust.

Proof Elements

"Think about the middle of the funnel," Mike explains. "What is proof in the market that you're the best? So that takes the form of a testimonial from a client, a review from a customer or a client, or something like a case study."

These proof elements serve as a "resume" for your business, demonstrating past successes and building confidence in your offerings. They might include:

• Customer testimonial videos

• Written reviews displayed in carousels

• Before-and-after demonstrations

• Case studies showing measurable results

Mike emphasizes that "form in this piece has to follow function." The format should match the message you're trying to convey. For some businesses, video testimonials might be most effective, while others might benefit from text-based reviews or visual case studies.

Bottom of Funnel Creative: Closing the Deal

At the bottom of the funnel, your creative assets need to facilitate conversion. This is where your offer takes center stage.

Offer-Specific Creative

"This is the bottom of the funnel. This is what gets the lead or that sale," Dustin explains. "And this is taking that top product or service that you offer and really packaging it up and putting a price tag on it so someone knows monetarily exactly what they're going to give you and then put deliverables or what they can expect."

Your offer creative should make the value proposition crystal clear. It answers questions like:

• What exactly am I getting?

• How much does it cost?

• What are the specific deliverables or outcomes?

Dustin emphasizes that this piece is "crucial" because it "breaks through the noise" and drives lead volume.

Mike adds that while offer messaging might appear in other creative assets, you should also have "standalone offer creative for boom, hitting the potential customer over the head with, hey, this is the offer on the table to close the deal."

The Impact of Comprehensive Creative

Having all these creative "buckets" covered doesn't just improve the aesthetic quality of your campaigns—it dramatically impacts performance.

As Dustin notes, "We talk a lot about ads, and when we have all these pieces, the ads perform much better and the ROI is much greater. So it is extremely important if you want to maximize profits on your marketing to have these."

Format Considerations

Various formats can be used for your creative assets, we've found these to be highly effective:

• Videos

• Photography

• Carousels

• Text boxes with reviews

• Case studies

The format should serve the message. Different businesses and industries may require different approaches, but the fundamental categories of creative assets remain consistent.

Conclusion

Digital advertising success requires more than just strategic targeting and budget allocation—it demands thoughtful, comprehensive creative assets that guide potential customers through each stage of the marketing funnel.

By ensuring you have appropriate creative for the top, middle, and bottom of your funnel, you set your campaigns up for optimal performance and ROI. Each element serves a specific purpose, from introducing your brand story to providing proof of your value to presenting compelling offers that drive conversions.

These creative elements aren't optional—they're essential components of any successful digital advertising program.

Resources

EIC Creative Template Library

Ready to elevate your digital advertising creative? Watch the full episode for additional insights on optimizing your digital marketing campaigns.

This article is based on insights from the Click and Mortar podcast hosted by Mike Patterson and Dustin Trout, digital marketing experts focused on helping businesses maximize their advertising ROI.

Watch the Full Episode on YouTube

Listen to the Full Episode on Spotify

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