How to Craft the Best Affiliate Creatives (+ Image Editing Software Reviews)

There are many different elements that impact the performance of your affiliate ads. From the keywords you use to the location where your ads are being displayed and the format they’re presented in, all of these affect performance in one way or another. However, not any single element may affect the way your audience sees your content as much as the creatives you use.

With the above in mind, choosing and developing the best creative content takes a lot of time and energy. At ActiveRevenue, we’ve seen countless affiliates successfully produce stellar ads in terms of creatives, so our team knows what types of images you need to employ and where to find them.

In this article, we’ll look at the importance of the creative content you choose and go over steps to craft the best materials. We’ll also share our top 5 picks for the best image editing software options that allow you to develop the best creative elements.

Defining Affiliate Creatives

Before going any further, let’s take the time to define creatives in the affiliate world. Ad creatives are the elements that are visible on your advert, including the image, text, CTA, and any other area that’s visible to your audience. 

While creatives are technically made up of a variety of elements, we’ll focus specifically on the image being displayed in this article.

Why Is Your Creative Content Important?

There’s an old adage that says “one image is worth more than a thousand words,” and there may actually be a factual base to that statement. The human brain processes images faster than words, which means that you may be able to convey a message more effectively by using the right creatives.

You should pay close attention to the creatives you include in your ads because these can:

Provide Information

Whether it’s details about an offer, the manufacturer, or shipping costs, the creatives you choose can help you get your marketing message across. The best part is that you don’t have to be obvious — simply helping your audience understand what the ad is about or adding humor is enough to have a positive effect.

Impact Overall Ad Performance

It takes users just a split second to determine whether they like an ad or not. Investing time into producing quality creatives can improve overall ad performance across the board. Besides boosting profitability, you’ll also be able to work out what other areas of your campaign need to be improved.

Set the Tone for the Target Audience

Your target audience will tell you if your creatives are good or if they need work. But, what many affiliates don’t realize is that the image that appears on their ads sets the tone in terms of their audience’s emotional and psychological state.

How to Craft the Best Creatives

In order to craft the best creatives for your campaign, remember to:

Analyze What Top Competitors Are Doing

Instead of starting from scratch, you should take the time to analyze competitors and make note of the type of creatives they are leveraging. This will give you an indicator of what your audience has been responding to so far, so you can start by using this type of creative from the start.

Use High-Quality Images

The quality of your creatives will directly influence how consumers view the offer. Make sure to only use high-quality images that are relevant in one way or another. The good news is that there are many high-quality image banks to choose from, so you don’t have to invest a small fortune into finding the right creative.

Consider Seasonality and Region

Lastly, consider seasonality as well as cultural nuances that influence your audience’s decision-making process. For example, you should always stick to a theme if you’re running ads close to a holiday. And, you should also edit your creatives to exclude certain types of images or language if your ads will appear in areas that are known for being religious or orthodox.

Which Are the Best Image Editors for Affiliates?

There’s an almost infinite number of image editing tools available today, but not all of these produce great results. Below, we’ll go over our picks for the best image editors for affiliates. Just a small, awesome side note: they are all either free or offer a free version!

Photoshop Express

The creators of the traditional Photoshop platform have developed a lite version that allows you to edit images and create awesome content. The best part is that Photoshop Express is easy to use and offers many functionalities free of cost, so it’s a great alternative for everyone.

Snapseed

Snapseed made a name for itself as a mobile app, but the platform has evolved into a superb image-editing alternative that can be used to produce outstanding materials. Although it’s only available for mobile, it’s a free tool developed by Google, which means that it won’t become a security liability later on.

VSCO

VSCO is probably the closest you can get to a professional image editor without forking out the money. From cool filters to more granular options, this platform is perfect for any affiliate that needs to get creative with his or her content. 

Canva

Canva is known as the leading cloud image editing software and it’s earned an awesome reputation because it allows users to create quality banners, infographics, and many other types of visual content. The platform has a superb free version and it comes with pre-set sizes depending on what you need to image for, which can save you a significant amount of time.

GIMP

Affiliates that use Linux-based computers may already be familiar with GIMP, a free open-source image editing software that’s as reliable as they get. This tool is on a more complex level because it offers a huge collection of features, which can help you create any type of image content from scratch. 

Start Developing Great Creatives Today!

Do you want to start crafting awesome creatives for your next campaign? Contact ActiveRevenue and learn how to get the best traffic today.