Any affiliate is well aware that creatives are the foundation of a successful campaign. They normally tend to rely on spy tools that use working images and texts to quickly launch an advertising campaign; however, the problem is that such a scheme does not prove to be effective in the long term. A solution to this is to study the psychology of consumers, test different approaches, and look for new original ideas.
According to Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist, and professor at Princeton University (USA), there are two systems in the human mind:
- System 1 is a kind of “cognitive reflex” that automatically and almost instantly responds to an emerging stimulus;
- System 2 turns on if System 1 failed to cope with the task or if you deliberately cast doubt on the solution automatically generated by System 1.
It is the affiliate’s task is to attract System 1 and not prompt System 2, which will make the user start to think, analyze and ultimately delay the speed of purchase or the purchase itself.
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System 1 makes hasty conclusions and is easier to trick. It considers everything familiar to be true, this phenomenon being called the “illusion of truth”. You need to keep a balance between common patterns and experiments, this will be the first step of a successful creative.
So, having decided on the concept, we will move on to the second important element – details. Make sure to use correct accents and highlight crucial points. In this regard, we suggest working in tandem with localization to avoid any misunderstanding or failure. For example, let’s say you have a health & beauty product you wish to advertise. Do not be surprised when a creative with pork does not do well in Muslim countries, as pork in the Qur’an is haram (forbidden food).
Another important aspect is insight. Insight is a secret of a person about which he does not always want to talk about. The user should be able to relate and place themselves in the ad. “It’s about me!” is the perfect ending to your creative.
The last element is emotion. Studies show that ads containing an emotional push are more effective in comparison to ads with rational content, that difference being 31% to 16%.
Happiness, Friendship, Anger, and Sadness are the main emotions that push people to make a purchase. Other studies have shown that ads with alerts and tense wording are the most memorable for consumers. Therefore, it’s essential to use images and words that will evoke these emotions and thus prompt the user to take action.
Now, you should have a grasp on what creatives should be, so it’s time to decide on whom to target. Although an obvious target would be millennials (Generation Y), centennials (Generation Z) have been steadily maturing and will soon become a key target; their purchasing power is now estimated to be $44 billion. The younger generation (specifically Generation Z) has entirely lived surrounded by new-age technology and therefore does not know about life without gadgets, thus enabling them to master hundreds of new applications in seconds. They are quite inquisitive due to their experience and proficiency with the internet, and will easily feel insincerity since their knowledge in various fields (although in many ways superficial) is quite extensive.
Emotionally, these kids are already desperate. More than anyone else, they are desperate for love, attention, and approval. From birth, their worldview constantly succumbed to doubt, which was not always objective. Due to their keen nature and emotional state, Generation Z is deeply troubled when it comes to their money, and turn out to be very skeptical when analyzing advertisements. When marketing a product or service to Gen Z, focus on smart investments, good deals and offer bonuses (like free shipping for instance).
So, the best strategy to making win-win creatives is to analyze the market, study consumer behavior of a certain cohort, find an insight, add geo-social features, and finally achieve the emotion you desire to express through images and texts. Also, always remember about A/B testing until you find success in crafting the perfect advertisement. Successful creatives are not the result of luck but the result of effort!
