Take action
Get the most out of your campaign by building compelling creative.
1. Know the basics
You should familiarize yourself with these common terms.
Creative assets
Great campaigns rely on impactful creative assets, encompassing text, images, video, or HTML5. You can supply your own assets or automatically generate them through the App or Play Store.
Ad formats
These campaign outputs result from rendering your original creative assets into diverse ad formats, representing what your target audience sees. App campaigns are automatically generated and displayed across the Google Ads network.
Ad groups
You can create a new ad group for each campaign. These content themes or buckets help you target audience segments with more relevant creative assets. When you build different ad groups, consider what will most likely influence specific audiences.
2. Get inspired
Watch this journey through some creative learnings to consider when building your next campaign.
3. Prepare your creative assets
Text
Google text ads, also known as Search Ads or Google Ads, appear on Google search results when linked to specific keywords or phrases. Google Search, YouTube, and Google Play Store index these keywords.
Steps to success:
- Generate 5 unique headlines and descriptions for your campaign.
- Vary the length of your text ads and highlight your app’s key features.
- Craft each asset to highlight a distinct selling point and showcase the significance of your product or service.
- Use conversational language for customer engagement and retention.
- Center your text ads on app download calls-to-action.
- Incorporate top keywords for improved rankings.
Images
Google image ads, also known as display ads, are visual advertisements that appear on the Google Display Network (GDN).
Steps to success:
- Upload images as .jpg or .png with a maximum size of 5MB.
- Optimize ad sizes for various placements on the Google Display Network.
- Utilize the full ad frame, ensure high pixel density, and avoid text overlay.
- Ensure your ad is visually consistent with your brand’s colors, logo, and style.
- Don’t use superimposing logos and calls to action.
- Blank space should not occupy more than 80% of any image.
- You can include up to 20 image assets per ad group.
Videos
Google video ads use video content to promote products, services, or brand messages across the Google Display Network, YouTube, and other partner sites. Adding a video to your App campaign can drive a 20% uplift in installs.
Steps to success:
- Vary the length of your assets between 10 to 30 seconds.
- You must host and store your video ads on your YouTube channel.
- Showcase your in-app experience early on — ideally within the first 2-3 seconds.
- Tell users why they should download your app over just purely showing them.
- Include a range of portrait, landscape, and square aspect ratios to qualify across more ad channels.
- Use audio and music to emphasize branding and calls to action.
- If you don’t have a video ad, Google Ads may make one using assets from your App store listing.
- You can include up to 20 video assets per ad group.
HTML5 / Playable assets
Google HTML5 ads are interactive display advertisements that use HTML5 technology to capture the attention of app users with engaging and dynamic visual experiences. They appear across the Google Display Network (GDN), which includes millions of websites, apps, and videos.
Steps to success:
- HTML5/Playable assets may be paired with other assets such as your app icon, app description, or description text.
- Use animations and transitions in moderation to avoid overwhelming or distracting users.
- Ensure your ad is responsive and visually consistent across different devices and screen sizes.
- Incorporate interactive elements like buttons, sliders, or hover effects to encourage user engagement.
- Optimize the file size of your HTML5 ads to reduce load times and improve user experience.
- You can include up to 20 HTML5 playable assets per ad group.
- For detailed guidance on HTML5/Playable asset size and formats, visit the dedicated page in the Google Ads Help Center
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Catawiki achieves lower average cost per in-app action by diversifying ad group assets
Catawiki saw significant cost savings thanks to diversified ad groups and better ad targeting.
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27%Lower CPS27%Lower CPS
Voot Select gains subscriptions and 27% lower CPS with app optimization
Voot Select was able to improve ROI from App campaigns by incorporating best practices on all fronts.
27%Lower CPS -
44%7D ROAS44%7D ROAS
Product Madness uses popular IP creatives in its App campaigns; sees 44% increase in 7D ROAS
“The approach of using suitable IPs in our App campaigns helped Product Madness improve our 7D ROAS and decrease the cost of acquiring new users.”
44%7D ROAS -
Tophatter finds high lifetime value customers with fresh video creative
Through high-performing creatives, Tophatter was able to scale its campaign while continuing to achieve its KPIs for conversions and ROAS.
4. Assess your campaign
Vary your creative assets to optimize performance
The ad strength indicator helps you evaluate
your App campaign assets to ensure they’re
sufficiently diverse for achieving optimal
performance. If your rating needs improvement,
try crafting more creative assets like text,
images, and video.
You need to
monitor your campaign performance post-launch,
too. The asset performance report can help you
understand which creative elements resonate with
customers when building new creative assets.
More information about the Ad Strength
indicator.
More information about the asset report.
5. Best practices
Include clear calls-to-action in your text assets
A strong call-to-action (CTA) helps ensure your audience understands what you have to offer and how to take action. Adjust your CTAs according to your campaign goals and clearly highlight your brand and offerings in your headlines and descriptions.
Use a wide variety of assets
To increase the chance your ads will be displayed across all ad channels, provide the maximum number of text, image, video, and where relevant, HTML5 assets. You should include visuals of people interacting with your products or services to create real-life context for potential customers.
Build for smaller screens
Provide visual assets that clearly and immediately communicate your CTA. Use overlays sparingly and showcase your products and services with tight framing and bright, natural lighting.
Give your creatives time to test
Once you upload a new asset, you should wait 2-3 weeks to give the Google Ads system time to learn and optimize its strategies. You can review Ad Strength and asset reporting to better understand which assets perform best.
6. Useful resources
Use these additional resources to start creating successful campaigns.
Find a partner to help with creative assets
Our mobile-first agency partners can help
maximize your ad’s impact.
Explore our creative partners directory.
Make better creative assets for App campaigns
This article provides best practices for
developing creative assets that can improve your
App campaign performance and reach, including
text, image, video, and HTML5.
Learn about creative asset best practices.
App creative policy
Read our app creative policy to help you build
App campaigns that align with Google’s
advertising policies.
View our creative policies.
Well done! You’re now ready to take action.
Download our creative best practices checklist to help create campaigns with real impact.