In performance marketing, most conversations revolve around targeting, budgets, and platforms. Many marketing leaders obsess over building personas, target account lists, and dashboards, but overlook the one thing users actually see: the creative.
High-performing B2B ads require bold, intentional design and messaging choices. They also need to follow B2B creative best practices. Here’s how to create an ad design for conversions—the right way.
As a creative who’s spent years scaling B2B campaigns, I’ve seen firsthand how ad design affects B2B CTR and conversion rates—how a brilliant headline can double click-through rates, and how a boring, forgettable visual can tank an entire initiative.
The creative is what your audience sees. It’s what drives the click, the demo, and the deal.
And yet, too many B2B brands still treat creative as an afterthought.
If you’re serious about performance, it’s time to treat creative like the growth lever it is. Let’s break down how to design B2B ads that convert and drive results.
One of the biggest myths in B2B marketing? Playing it safe is the professional thing to do.
In reality, safe creative is expensive. Generic stock photos, buzzword-packed headlines, and bland CTAs don’t just blend in, they waste your media budget.
In fact, 70% of B2B ad campaigns fail to hit benchmark CTRs on platforms like LinkedIn. The culprit? Weak creative.
Your audience may be professional, but they’re still human. They respond to clarity, emotion, and novelty just like any consumer. The best visual elements for B2B paid media performance are similar to consumer ads: They make you feel something, quickly.
In a sea of sameness, your visuals need to work overtime. Here’s what breaks through:
Every element of your copy needs a job, whether it's to grab attention, build interest, and drive action. Here’s how to write effective B2B copy:
Your call-to-action should be the clearest part of the ad.
Different platforms, different creative rules. Here’s how to tailor your approach:
Performance doesn’t come from guessing, it comes from testing.
When CareMetx needed to raise awareness about how long patients wait for specialty therapies, BOL helped them create the "End the Wait" campaign.
We visualized patient frustration by blending home environments with the most miserable parts of waiting rooms: fluorescent lights, plastic plants, cracked vinyl chairs. The result was emotionally resonant, visually disruptive, and deeply human.
The message: CareMetx streamlines every step of the patient journey. The creative made the pain real and positioned the platform as the solution.
With this campaign, CareMetx has helped over 2.8 million patients access their medications faster.
That’s the power of empathetic creative that connects.
Your brand doesn’t have time for forgettable ads. Strategic creative is no longer optional. It’s your most scalable lever for performance.
Don’t let your growth hinge on outdated visuals or uninspired copy. Build a playbook that empowers your team to test, learn, and scale creative that actually works.
If your ads look like everyone else’s, don’t be surprised when they perform like everyone else’s.
For more examples and inspiration, check out some of our award-winning creative campaigns.
Ready to take your creative from "meh" to magnetic? Let’s make your next campaign one to remember.