Going viral. 

It’s the pie in the sky for so many brand owners and content creators because, in their minds, it’s quickest route to more views, more sales, more success.

But the truth is, chasing virality is lazy.

It’s like trying to get rich by winning the lottery. Hey, it’s great if you can do it — but just like there’s no formula for winning the lottery, there’s no proven way to go viral.

(In fact, a study by Stanford University and Microsoft found the statistical odds of a piece of content going viral are literally 1 in 1,000,000.)

Do you really want to stake your brand’s success on something you can’t control? Or would you rather focus on something you can control — like building a strong creative strategy backed by research, metrics and strong design?

This is the approach we use at the Smart Marketer Agency, where we just delivered +120% NCROAS on average for our creative clients. Not bad!

So in this post, we’re giving you 3 steps for stronger ad creative, including:

• How to create unique, engaging visuals that stand out in a crowded market.
• The keys to developing a consistent brand voice that feels authentic and relatable.
• And strategies for leveraging industry trends without sacrificing your unique brand identity.

Let’s go!

Step #1: Break Free From Generic UGC & Elevate Your Design

User-generated content (UGC) has taken over social media marketing, and while it’s a great tool for authenticity and for connecting with your target audience, relying solely on the UGC style can limit your brand’s creative potential. 

Some brands fall into the trap of thinking that UGC alone will carry them to success, but the reality is that it’s often not enough to differentiate their brand from competitors.

So instead of using the same generic UGC style that most audiences have already seen, focus on elevating your creative execution. 

Here’s how:

Focus on Quality Visuals & Design

Many assume “quality” means “expensive”, but developing strong visuals doesn’t rely on budget so much as strategy and execution. 

It’s all about taking the extra step to refine and structure your visuals so they look and feel different, align with your brand’s message and engage your target audiences. 

You can do that with:

• Custom photography
• Motion graphics
• Video content
• Or even a design template you found on Canva

Before finalizing any design, just ask yourself, “Is this something any brand could post, or does this stand out as uniquely ours?”.

Being unique doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel: it can be as simple as taking an existing concept and adding your brilliant touch to elevate what’s already working. 

Just try to give the design that WOW factor, while still ensuring your creative is polished, on-brand and resonates with your audience.

Mix It Up

Don’t be repetitive — find ways to incorporate your brand’s unique message and visual identity into a variety of creative styles. 

This could mean: 

• Combining UGC with polished production elements
• Leveraging bold motion graphics
• Or using different storytelling formats to engage your audience. 

By incorporating a mix of creative elements that align with your brand’s identity, you can keep your content fresh and engaging so you stand out from the crowd and avoid creative fatigue.

Testing different creative hooks  in your static and video design will also help you unlock new audiences and connect with a wider range of people.

(Need help with effective hooks? We have a Hook Library and a ton of other useful resources in our Ad Creative Class.)

Pull the Viewer In

Great ad creative does more than just show a cool product. It taps into motivators that make people want to engage with your brand — by evoking emotion, solving a problem, or sparking curiosity. 

And this requires storytelling! 

A simple and compelling story can be the difference between someone scrolling past your ad or stopping to engage.

You can pull audiences into your world by:

• Speaking their language
• Addressing their pain points
• And clearly showing how your product is the solution

When done correctly, your creative won’t just capture attention — it will drive action.

Step #2: To Connect with Customers, Find Your Brand Voice 

As you aim to elevate your creative through better design, it’s equally important you don’t sacrifice authenticity. 

Today’s digital landscape is oversaturated with content, and audiences are more discerning than ever. They can quickly spot when a brand is being disingenuous, using gimmicks or forcing a trend to capture attention. 

Businesses that truly connect with their audience are the ones that maintain their unique, authentic brand voice. So here’s how to ensure your brand feels real, relatable, and true to the core values of the company.

Define Your Message & Voice

This will help create a consistent, relatable identity that attracts and retains customers. 

Think about a close friend: they probably have a consistent tone, vocabulary and set of opinions, and if any of those things changed — you’d notice! That’s how we want to relate with our audience through our design.

To define their message and voice, brands should: 

• Identify their core values, target audience, and unique selling points
• Incorporate that identity into their design and other branding 
• And then communicate consistently across all platforms using a recognizable tone and style

Speak Like a Real Person

The best marketing doesn’t feel like a sales pitch — it feels like a real conversation. 

And if you want your audience to engage in this conversation, then it helps to speak like the people in your community actually speak.

Avoid overused buzzwords and language that feels robotic. Here’s what to do instead: 

• When writing ad copy or creating video content, imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend who fits your customer avatar
• Read your content aloud and ask yourself, “Does this sound natural?”. 
• If it doesn’t, refine the copy and try again until it sounds authentic and in alignment with your message and voice guidelines from above.

This will help ensure you’re speaking to your audience in a way that feels human, rather than overly scripted or forced.
  

Step #3: Leverage Industry Trends Without Sacrificing Authenticity

Just because a trend is going viral on TikTok doesn’t mean it fits your brand. 

Being aware of new creative styles and market trends is a great way tap into the current cultural conversation and engage with your audience in a timely, relatable way.

But blindly following trends can dilute your brand identity and weaken your message. When you simply chase what’s popular, you risk confusing your audience and losing the unique elements that set you apart.

The trick is to leverage market trends while maintaining your own brand DNA. Here’s how.

Adapt Trends to Fit Your Brand

Not every trend will naturally align with your brand’s tone or message, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt it. 

If you see a trend or creative idea that you like but doesn’t quite fit, consider ways you can tweak it to complement your brand identity.

For example, if a humor-based meme is trending but your brand has a more serious tone, think of how you can reframe the idea in a way that keeps the structure but changes the message to be more thoughtful. 

Remember, being unique doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel. The key is to stay authentic while still tapping into the conversation, and ensuring your creative remains true to your brand’s voice. 

Use Data to Validate Trends

Before committing to a trendy creative approach, take a moment to analyze the data. 

Look at engagement metrics from past content to see if similar ideas have resonated with your audience. Reviewing data helps you make more informed creative decisions, rather than blindly following what’s popular. 

By using these insights, you can strategically adopt creative trends and ideas that align with what your audience will respond to.

Final Thoughts: A Strong, Consistent Creative Strategy Wins Over Luck

Instead of chasing viral content, focus on building a strong creative strategy that elevates your design, captures your brand voice, and leverages market trends.

When you shift from hoping for that overnight success to creating consistent, dynamic content, you set your brand up for long-term growth and a stronger audience connection. 

Remember, the brands that win aren’t the ones who go viral once, they’re the ones that show up consistently, strategically, and authentically. 

And if you want help with any of the concepts we covered in this post — including your voice/messaging, your visual styles, and more — grab our Ad Creative Class to get our full system for creating high-converting ad creative.

Thanks for reading, and best of luck with your creative strategy!