A furniture maker toils at a lathe by day but moonlights as an SEO specialist by night. A plumber in Cedar Rapids, after a long day of unclogging drains, heads home to refine his online advertising strategy, adding negative keywords and optimizing bids. My freelance life finds me as a business development guru, a creative powerhouse, an accounting whiz, or a persistent debt collector, all depending on the day. The point here is simple: the well-worn cliché about small business owners wearing multiple hats is undeniably true.

It’s crucial to note, however, that the tasks accompanying business ownership, like those mentioned above, are learnable skills. They can be mastered (or even bypassed) with a bit of effort, the right resources, and time. Anyone can delve into the world of PPC advertising (with help from blogs like this one) or subscribe to accounting software like QuickBooks. Developing an eye for visually appealing design, however, is a different ball game entirely. While good taste is subjective, it’s not an inherent trait for everyone. Trying to harmonize the text and visuals in a Display ad or a Facebook ad can feel like an arbitrary chore to some, and a frustrating puzzle to others. So, how can the typical small business owner or the time-strapped marketer elevate their advertising game from bland creative like this…

Sure, it’s overflowing with information and four shades of grey, but where’s the excitement? …to something captivating like this…

The first step is practice. I know, not the quick fix you were hoping for. The second, more manageable and equally effective step is this: Seek inspiration for your creative from the right sources. Find exceptional ad designs, analyze what makes them tick, and then incorporate those insights into your work. All it takes is a bit of open-minded exploration and a willingness to leverage free resources. Speaking of which, I’ve compiled a handy list of some of the best resources you can use to elevate your ad creative.

#1: Canva Design School

If you’re a content marketer, an influencer, or simply an active social media user, you’ve probably encountered Canva. Heck, if you’ve ever visited our website, you’ve encountered Canva. Many of our contributors (myself included) use it to create the visuals (you know, the ones with an image and the blog post title) that we share on social media.

While I haven’t personally used the paid version, I’ve extensively used Canva’s free tools. Before diving in, I took a quick tour of their blog, Design School. Design School is a treasure trove of tips on creating better ad visuals through effective design. They have blog posts dedicated to platform-specific strategies and best practices, all brimming with excellent examples (feel free to borrow liberally). While the blog itself is valuable, the crown jewel is their comprehensive tutorials section, which features step-by-step modules on:

• Backgrounds
• Color palettes
• Branding elements
• Font selection
• Image use
• Effective layouts
• Shapes and Icons The best part about Canva’s tutorials? They’re interactive. Everything you learn is taught within the context of the tool itself. This makes it effortless to transition from research to creating stunning visuals for your Display and Facebook ads in no time.

#2: Pinterest

“Pinterest is just for hobbyist bakers, kindergarten teachers, and organization enthusiasts with ample free time.” – A direct quote from me, just a few months ago. Then something shifted. I delved into the world of Pinterest ads and stumbled upon a mind-boggling statistic: Pinterest’s 150 million monthly active users generate a staggering 9,700 pins every single minute. That level of engagement turned my skepticism into strategic curiosity. As I began exploring the platform, I found myself overwhelmed by an endless stream of unconventional cupcake recipes and aspirational log cabin designs. However, when I refined my searches to include more industry-specific keywords, I unearthed a treasure trove of impressive ads and inspiring creative elements.

!pinterest for ad creative inspiration This very month, as I embarked on designing a new Facebook infographic (stay tuned!), Pinterest was my first port of call. It provided a glimpse into what already existed in that creative space, which was a crucial first step toward crafting something unique and even better. Now, Pinterest might not be the ultimate source of inspiration for everyone. It tends to be more beneficial for B2C businesses, particularly those catering to demographics that align with Pinterest’s core user base. That said, Pinterest remains an excellent (and free) platform for honing your design sensibilities. A curated collection of ad creative, what a brilliant concept! Now, if only there were a resource where marketers like me could explore examples of exceptional ad creative without the distractions of Pinterest’s recipe and home decor overload…

#3: Swipe-Worthy

And wouldn’t you know it, there is!

According to their website, Swipe-Worthy is “an exclusive community for marketers, copywriters & savvy business minds who gather to dissect the psychology and strategies behind successful marketing examples. We strive to help you understand what makes them work so you can apply these insights to your own marketing efforts.” That’s a mouthful, so here’s the essence: Swipe-Worthy is your go-to resource for exploring decades of print and digital ad creatives, meticulously broken down and analyzed by industry experts. What distinguishes Swipe-Worthy from Pinterest, beyond its scope and target audience, is what happens when you click into one of the sample ads. Equipped with this analysis, you can reverse-engineer the psychological principles employed by advertising legends like David Ogilvy and apply those same concepts to your own ad designs. Whether you’re crafting the perfect secondary headline for a bottom-of-funnel AdWords ad or a high-converting landing page, the insights gleaned from Swipe-Worthy can be the difference between a prospect remaining just that and transforming into a customer. While binge-watching Mad Men might sound like a more glamorous approach to vintage ad research, it simply can’t compete with the level of directly applicable inspiration provided by Swipe-Worthy. Maybe save Mad Men for background noise?

#4: Facebook Creative Hub

Interactive? Check. Curated? Absolutely. Empowering? You bet. Last but certainly not least, we have my personal favorite source of ad creative inspiration: Facebook Creative Hub.

For those unfamiliar, Facebook Creative Hub is a tool that allows advertisers to explore ad creative across the entire spectrum of ad formats available on Facebook and Instagram. When I say “ad creative,” I’m not talking about just any old visuals. I’m talking about captivating carousel ads that tell compelling stories, high-converting Collection ads, and video ads that could rival Sundance Film Festival contenders. Case in point. While you might not have the resources of a global agency like BBDO to create a Canvas ad for your own marketing campaigns (like the impressive Lowe’s example mentioned earlier), understanding the possibilities on Facebook (and any other platform, for that matter) can be incredibly insightful from a strategic perspective. Once you’ve pinpointed the types of ads you want to draw inspiration from, Facebook simplifies the process of creating and sharing your own detailed mockups (which you can then upload to your ad account). So, what are you waiting for? *** As your digital marketing strategy matures, the demand for clear, engaging ad creative will only intensify. The free tools I’ve highlighted here are an excellent launchpad for elevating the quality of your visuals. Speaking of improved creative, we have an exciting announcement: Our company recently acquired Algorithmic Ads, a company whose software uses algorithms to select content, images, color schemes, and calls to action from existing business assets. It then dynamically generates a range of Google Display Network and Facebook ads. This acquisition will make it even easier for our clients to deploy eye-catching, conversion-optimized visuals that complement their search engine presence. We’re beyond excited! Did I miss mentioning your favorite resource for ad creative inspiration? Share your insights with us on Twitter or in the comments section below!