Creating Ads That Actually Work: A few no-nonsense tips for turning content into conversions
Let’s be blunt: most digital ads don’t work.
They’re too vague, too busy, too clever for their own good—or worse, completely forgettable.
Clicks? Maybe.
Conversions? Not likely.
And while ad platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok love to promise success with “just a few clicks,” the truth is this: effective advertising still requires brains, not just budget.
Here’s how we approach it at Dove Digital—with practical strategies that actually work.
1. Start With the Scroll
You have 1.7 seconds. That’s how long the average person spends looking at your ad before deciding whether to keep scrolling.
So ask yourself: does your creative interrupt that scroll?
Bad ad: stock photo, tiny logo, “Summer Sale Now On!”
Good ad: a close-up of someone using your product with a short, snappy line that speaks directly to the viewer’s need: “Still using supermarket shampoo?”
🎯 Tip: Lead with a problem or pain point your audience immediately recognises. Not your product. Not your company name. Them.
2. Audience First. Always.
If you’re targeting “everyone,” you’re targeting no one. The platforms offer terrifying precision—use it.
Example:
Selling vegan skincare? You don’t just target women aged 18–35. You go after:
Skincare buyers who follow cruelty-free brands
People who’ve visited Sephora online in the past 14 days
TikTok users engaging with “#cleanbeauty” or “#skinfluencer” content
Shoppers who clicked on ads for your competitors but didn’t convert
🎯 Tip: Test small, hyper-targeted audience groups before scaling. It’s not just about who you can reach—it’s who’s likely to act.
3. Don’t Sell Features. Sell Feelings.
People don’t buy products. They buy what those products let them feel like.
Let’s say you’re selling ergonomic office chairs.
Don’t say: “High-density foam with adjustable lumbar support.”
Do say: “Goodbye, 3pm back pain. Hello, your most productive week ever.”
Example:
A mattress company we worked with replaced their headline—“Cooling Gel Memory Foam for Better Sleep”—with “Sleep Like You’ve Got Nothing to Prove.” CTR doubled. Sales followed.
🎯 Tip: Find the emotional transformation behind your offer. That’s what you’re really selling.
4. Show the Outcome, Not the Object
Your product is not the hero—your customer is.
If your ad is just a photo of your product on a white background, you’re making your audience do the work. They have to imagine how it fits into their life. Most won’t bother.
Better:
Show the product in action. Let them see the outcome.
Examples:
A meal kit ad that shows a proud dad plating up dinner, not the ingredients
A fitness app that shows someone closing their Apple Watch rings, not the dashboard
A finance tool that shows the “paid off” notification, not the app UI
🎯 Tip: Visual storytelling isn’t optional. It’s the shortcut to connection.
5. Write Like a Human. Not a Marketer.
If your copy reads like it was written by someone trying to hit a word count, it probably won’t convert.
Ditch the jargon.
Skip the “we’re passionate about…” clichés.
And for the love of attention spans—get to the point.
Example:
We recently rewrote a client’s Google ad from:
“Discover the future of enterprise-level project solutions.”
to:
“Projects a mess? We’ll fix that.”
Click-throughs went up 70%. Why? Because it sounds like a real person talking.
🎯 Tip: Read your ad out loud. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to your audience.
6. Test Ruthlessly. Assume Nothing.
Your first version won’t be your best version. The ad you “feel good about” isn’t necessarily the one that works.
We A/B test everything:
Headlines
Images vs. video
Long copy vs. short copy
CTA placement
Emojis vs. no emojis
Warm audience vs. cold audience
Example:
One of our ecommerce clients was convinced video was outperforming stills. A test showed the opposite—for that product and that audience, static lifestyle images drove 3x the conversions.
🎯 Tip: Let your audience tell you what works. Then scale that. Not your ego.
7. Use a Landing Page That Actually Converts
So they clicked. Now what?
If your landing page is a confusing mess with too many offers, too many steps, or slow load times—kiss that click goodbye.
Checklist:
One clear message
One clear call to action
Mobile-optimised
Fast loading
Social proof (testimonials, reviews, trust badges)
Zero distractions
🎯 Tip: Sending paid traffic to your homepage is like inviting someone to a dinner party and handing them a map of your whole city. Be specific.
TL;DR: How to Make Ads That Don’t Suck
Start with your audience’s problem, not your product
Say something that gets attention fast
Show outcomes, not objects
Write like a person
Test everything
Build landing pages that finish the job
At Dove Digital, we’ve helped small businesses triple their ROAS, launch viral TikTok campaigns from $50 budgets, and turn “meh” offers into six-figure funnels—without burning ad dollars in the process.
If you’re tired of guessing what works, or wasting money on ads that don’t convert, we should talk.
Book a free ad audit. No strings. Just straight answers.
