A lot of people think that creating an ad is only for designers, publicists, marketers, or “creative” people. But that is not true.
You don’t need to be an expert on creativity to create something that converts. You just need a clear idea about what you want to say, what you want to show, and who you are trying to reach.
The process described next works for us as a team, but it is not the only way to create an ad. There is no strict formula, and it doesn’t have to be a team thing all the time. Sometimes the only one you have to brainstorm with is yourself, and both work.
The first step is always gathering ideas.
Before designing anything (which sometimes is the exciting part), we look at the topic we are trying to promote and ask: What is the message/service? What do we want people to understand? Where will this be shown?
From there, we collect inspiration. That can come from trends, ads from other companies, memes, visuals, or things happening in the place where the main audience is located.
In our case, many of the ads we create are for our newsletter. Our team includes people from both Mexico and the U.S., so that naturally helps us bring different perspectives and references from things that are happening sometimes nationwide (U.S.). But this can also work on a smaller scale. For example, if your business is located in California and your audience is local, then your inspiration can come from local trends, seasonal moments, or situations your community already relates to.
This stage of the process is where AI can actually be really helpful, not to do the work for you, but to help you generate ideas faster. Sometimes you just need a few starting points to react to.
For example, you can use a prompt to generate full concepts:
“Give me 10 ad concept ideas for a Law Firm promoting [Practice Area] services to people between the ages of [xx -xx] in [Place]. Use current trends, relatable situations and seasonal references. Keep it simple, understandable and adaptable to [social media, printable assets, billboards]”
That kind of prompt can help yo9u move past the “blank page” feeling. But the important part is to clean up the output and make it yours. AI can help spark the creativity, but your judgement is still what makes the idea relevant.
After choosing where we want to go visually, we focus on matching the image with the message.
A good ad is not just about making something look cool. The image should support the concept, and the concept should support the offer or services. If those things don’t connect, the ad may look nice, but it won’t communicate anything.
Then comes the design.
As a graphic designer, I usually work with Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. But if you are not a designer, that should NOT stop you.
There are so many online tools you can absolutely use, like Canva, ChatGPT, or Gemini to help you get started. Canva is one of the easiest ones to use, while the AI tools can help you visualize your idea to create visual prompts.
What helps the most is not the tool itself, but being clear about what you want to create.
- A clear headline
- A strong image
- A short message
- And a few extra details to reinforce your CTA (Call To Action) like a website, QR code, or phone number.
This is also a good moment to use AI for copy support, especially if you already know what you want to promote but you’re struggling to say it in a short and clear way.
For example, you can ask:
“Write 10 short headline ideas and 5 subheadline options for an ad promoting [service] to [target audience]. Keep them simple, clear, and professional — not cheesy or too long.”
Again, the goal is not to copy and paste whatever AI gives you. The best thing you can do is edit it down, remove anything that sounds too generic, and make sure it still sounds like your business.
*Tip: Be specific with the visual you want while using AI tools, the clearer your idea is, the easier is to build something that works.
Do not forget that a pretty image alone is not enough if your message gets lost, so leave space for text.
Finally, test your ideas and get feedback before launching.
If possible, create two versions and compare them. If you have a team, ask for feedback. If you are working alone, keep adjusting, especially on social media, where testing is easier.
At the end of the day, creating an ad is not really about being the most creative person in the room.
It is more about being clear.
If you know what you are selling, how your service helps people, and where they can find you, then you already have the most important part.
Everything else – the image, the color, the layout, and the tools – is there to support that message.
So if you are not a “creative person”, do not let that stop you.
You can absolutely create something from scratch, just don’t be afraid to try.
Sometimes, that is exactly how good ideas begin.
