How micro-influencers + partnerships = gold

Another week means another issue of Nice Ads, breaking down the creator strategy behind three of my favourite ads this week.

In today's issue, we're going over:

• How mixed media ads are lowering brands' CPAs.

• The new way to run UGC in your ad account.

• The recipe for a perfect static ad.

Before we jump into it, my ad creative agency Fraggell has capacity for one more DTC brand this month. So if you're spending over 70K on ads and need some help making an ad creative that lowers your CPA, click here.

The Foldie

👉 Watch in full here

This is a video that we filmed in our studio a couple of weeks ago. The idea was a spokesperson-style ad with UGC elements, I think I mentioned this last week, but mixed format ads like this are becoming more and more popular, particularly with a millennial or older audience.

Surprisingly, this ad is actually performing better in the US than it is in the UK, even though the actor has a strong northern English accent.

I often speak with a lot of US brands that are scared to use any accent other than American, and I think a trend I am seeing is that it really doesn't matter anymore.

As long as the ad is good, it will perform.

The key to any app like this is determining the real reason why people buy the product. And in The Foldies case, it's the fact that this is a large bag that takes up very little space when travelling, perfect for budget airlines, making travel even cheaper.

This is one of the main selling points that we emphasise when creating any content for them. The data also shows that including footage of the bag inside an airport actually being used is a great way to prove that the product actually does what it says.

If you're a brand spending over 70K on ads and need some help with your creative - Apply to work with us here.

COROS

👉 Watch in full here

Let's discuss working with influencers and whitelisting user-generated content (UGC). It's becoming one of the most popular ways to run creative, and Meta is encouraging people to do this. And by this, I mean partnership ads.

The old way of whitelisting involved gaining access to a creator’s Facebook page, which can pose a safety concern for some people. But also meant that the brand didn't collect any of the social proof or engagement that came with the ad spend. However, the new partnership feature allows both parties to be displayed on the feed, providing the ad with a bit more authentic product proof.

I'm seeing more brands adopt this approach when running UGC, sometimes they're creating fake creator Facebook pages just to benefit from the partnership feature.

This ad is a great example of how partnering with a micro influencer within your niche and using partnership ads can be a great way to fill your account with high quality, high targeted ads that your customer actually wants to watch.

TLDR:

• Use partnership ads when running UGC.

• If a creator doesn't have a Facebook page, just make your own.

Looking for more?

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• CreativeOS - Create static ads in seconds with over 800 pre-tested templates for DTC brands. Become a member today and get 50% off your first month.

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Curology

Curology is one of the many brands that I go to when I need inspiration for static ads. They just do creative strategy so well in their image ads that it's hard to ignore.

One of the most powerful ad angles that you can use with video creative is the expert angle. Using someone's experience in a field and the authority that comes with that to help people feel confident in their purchase. Often this is reserved for video creative, but what Curology have done here is use it in an image ad. Very smart.

Just the line at the bottom saying "dermatologist founded, developed, and tested" is enough for people to feel confident that this product will do what it says.

However, they've also combined this with a testimonial from a real customer, which helps build deeper trust.

Remember, static ads often sit at the bottom or middle of the funnel, and so this is the point where customers need social proof to help justify their purchase.

TLDR:

• Including an authority figure in your static ads is a great way to build trust.

• Your static ad should always include social proof.

That's all for this week's nice ads. Thanks so much for reading (as usual). I just released a new YouTube video. You can watch it here—a great way to spend your lunch break.

And remember, if you think a friend or a colleague might enjoy this newsletter, feel free to forward it to them.

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