What's an ad creative freelancer?
An ad creative freelancer specializes in creating visuals, graphic designs, or concepts for advertising campaigns. They typically provide creative ideas and designs to help brands build their presence in the market. Ad creatives must have an eye for visual design and branding and be familiar with both traditional and digital media platforms.
What can an ad creative designer do for your business?
Hiring a graphic designer or a graphic design agency for ad creatives can help your business stand out in a sea of likeness. Sure, using pre-made ad design templates is an easy way to push your ads out there. But hiring a professional to help you either customize those templates or create designs from scratch can help you:
- Avoid becoming just another (ad) number in the crowd
- Create ads that are visually appealing and convey your message
- Understand the most effective ways to target specific audiences
- Stay ahead of trends and capitalize on them in real-time
- Work with a creative strategist and branding expert to elevate your brand
- Be competitive by having a unique approach and presentation for your ad designs
- Ensure every ad creative you publish is built according to the latest best practices
Keep in mind that an ad design creative will help with more than just the ad designs themselves. They will be able to help you create:
Landing page designs
Your landing page is just as important as the ad creative itself. Once people click on an ad, you want them to have a great user experience and actually convert too - and that's where good landing page design comes into play.
An ad creative designer can help you create a landing page that's visually pleasing, aesthetically aligned with your brand, and optimized for conversions.
They will make sure they use the best tactics to draw attention to the essential elements of your landing page (such as your offering, your call-to-action, and so on.)
Logo designs
Your logo is your brand's entire message, encapsulated in one small, repeatable, and recognizable image. An ad creative designer can help you create a logo that conveys your brand's mission and values in a visual manner.
They will also work with you to ensure that your logo is eye-catching and memorable so that it stands out from the rest.
Banner ads
Designing banner ads that stand out can be challenging. A successful freelancer should be able to create engaging ads that drive conversions and stay true to your brand's values and mission.
They should know how to employ the most efficient techniques to draw the viewers' attention, such as using bright colors, clear fonts, and typography that underlines the message and urges people to take action.
Social media creatives
Last, but not least, an ad creative designer can also help you create social media creatives - for organic posts and ads (such as Facebook Ads, for example). This is important because you need to ensure your social media creatives are visually appealing and optimized for each platform.
People scroll through social media incredibly quickly, so an ad creative designer can help you create social media designs that are eye-catching, draw people's attention, and drive conversions.
How much does an ad creative freelancer cost?
The cost of a freelance creative varies, depending on their experience and your specific needs (e.g., how many creatives you need, if you need static and motion graphics, etc.) However, you can get a quality ad creative designer for as low as $380/ month if you only need static graphics.
How to hire the perfect ad creative designer
If you want to hire an ad creative designer, you're in luck! There are a lot of options out there. Here's an easy step-by-step process you should follow.
Identify your needs
To hire the right candidate you need to be clear on what you need. For example, are you looking for a banner ad designer or someone who can help you with motion graphics as well? Also, are you looking for a freelancer, or do you need someone on a full-time basis? Do you need someone with a lot of experience, or are you OK with someone on the junior / intermediate level?
Decide on the offer
Next, decide on your offer. To make sure you attract the right kind of candidates, be clear about what you offer in terms of salary, benefits, and so on. The more transparent you are about your expectations and offer, the smoother the hiring process will be.
Look at their portfolio
Asking ad creatives for a portfolio is crucial, as it will help you better understand their level of expertise. Look for someone with previous experience with the kind of creatives you need, as well as your industry. This will help you ensure you hire someone who knows what you need - and are able to deliver it.
Post on online platforms
You can hire an ad creative designer the traditional way: post on a job board, wait for applications, sift through them, test suitable candidates, and then interview them. Alternatively, if you're looking for a freelancer (especially beginner-medium level) you can hire someone on Upwork or Fiverr as well.
Ask your network for referrals
A better way to get more qualified candidates is to ask your professional network. Ask creative directors, art directors, graphic designers, social media marketing specialists, and fellow freelancers if they know someone that could be a good fit for your project.
Work with Mayple
If you need to hire an ad designer quickly and make sure they will provide you with excellent quality, you should consider Mayple. We only work with vetted creatives, with a proven track record of success, so you can rest assured you're hiring someone who'll help you increase your online presence and reach your advertising goals.
Questions to ask
When interviewing an ad creative freelancer, you should ask them questions like:
- What is your design background and experience?
- Can you walk me through your design process and how you approach a new project?
- How do you stay up to date with design trends and techniques?
- Can you provide examples of ads / social media designs / packaging designs you've designed in the past and describe the results they achieved?
- What software do you use?
- Can you share a time when you had to handle a difficult client or project, and how you overcame it?
- How do you ensure your designs align with a brand's identity and messaging?
- How do you incorporate feedback and revisions into your process?
- Can you give an example of a project you worked on that required collaboration with other team members, and how you handled it?
- Can you describe a design project you completed that you are particularly proud of, and why?
- What are some of the pieces of information you need on creative briefs?
- What makes for effective advertising?
- Do you have experience designing for social media marketing campaigns (e.g. Facebook ad campaigns?)
FAQs
What does a creative freelancer do?
A creative freelancer provides design services in exchange for a price, on a task, project, or hourly basis. They work with in-house teams, as well as advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, and creative agencies.
How do I find creative freelancers?
You can find creative freelancers by posting job ads on job boards and LinkedIn, outsourcing your needs on Upwork or Freelancer, or contacting a service like Mayple (who will match you with a vetted creative freelancer in a matter of days).
How do creative freelancers make money?
Creative freelancers make money by charging a project-based or hourly fee for their services (e.g., designing logos, graphics, ad creatives, vectors, etc.) They can also make money using passive income methods, such as designing T-shirts, mugs, etc., and selling them on print-on-demand websites.
What is advertising creative design?
A creative designer works with marketing and/or advertising teams to create marketing/ advertising materials meant to promote brands, products, and services. They usually design the artwork on paper sketches or by using digital illustration software first, then they transfer their designs into a digital format that can be used for a variety of purposes, including print, video, and web.
What is the difference between graphic design and advertising design?
The main difference between graphic design and advertising design is that graphic design focuses on creating visual elements to support the overall visuals of a brand, while advertising design aims to persuade or inform potential clients (to reach a marketing goal).
Graphic design is more artistic in nature, while advertising design is more focused on creating campaigns that will be effective in driving results.
Can graphic designers work in advertising?
Yes, graphic designers can work in advertising. To do that, they need to re-train in advertising design, understand the principles of persuasive design and be able to come up with creative ideas that will entice viewers. They also need to work with digital tools, such as Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.