10 Tips for Creating Scroll-Stopping Ad Creatives

Why Your Ads Need to Stop the Scroll

In a world where the average person scrolls through 300 feet of content daily, your ad creative has about 1.7 seconds to make an impression. Here are 10 proven tips to make every pixel count.

1. Lead with Bold Contrast

High-contrast images naturally draw the eye. Use dark backgrounds with bright focal points, or vice versa. This creates visual tension that forces the viewer to pause.

2. Use Faces and Eye Contact

Humans are hardwired to notice faces. Ads featuring people looking directly at the camera consistently outperform abstract imagery by 30-40% in click-through rates.

3. Keep Text Minimal

The best-performing ads follow the 20% text rule — no more than 20% of the image should contain text. Let the visual do the heavy lifting and save the details for the copy below.

4. Choose One Focal Point

Cluttered images confuse the viewer. Pick one hero element — a product, a person, or a bold statement — and build the composition around it.

5. Match Platform Dimensions

A landscape image cropped into a square loses impact. Always design for the platform first. Instagram posts need 1:1, Stories need 9:16, and Facebook ads work best at 1.91:1.

6. Use Color Psychology

Colors trigger emotions. Blue builds trust (finance, tech), red creates urgency (sales, food), and green signals growth (health, eco). Choose colors that align with your message.

7. Add Motion When Possible

Even subtle animation — a gentle zoom, a text reveal, or a color shift — can increase engagement by up to 70% compared to static images.

8. Test Multiple Variations

Never settle on one creative. Generate 3-4 variations with different compositions, colors, and text placements. Let the data decide which performs best.

9. Include a Clear CTA

Your ad should answer "what do I do next?" in under a second. Whether it's "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Get Started," make the action obvious.

10. Stay On Brand

Consistency builds recognition. Use your brand colors, fonts, and visual style across all creatives so viewers start recognizing your content before they even read the text.

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