If you want your advertising to stand apart from the many ads out there vying for your audience's attention, creativity is vital. Research has found that creativity is the most essential element of successful ads, so it's essential to do what you can to innovate with creative ideas as you develop your campaigns. As you think outside the box and explore new ways to promote your brand and connect with your audience, you'll be able to effectively differentiate yourself. 

To help you come up with creative advertising ideas and implement them, here are some strategies you can use when approaching the creative process.

1. Block Out Time

Creativity requires ample time without distractions. To give yourself plenty of time to develop your ideas, set aside a block of time when you plan to focus on nothing else. With your undivided attention, your ideas will have the chance to flourish and grow.

For example, you may find that you have a break in your schedule in the middle of the day that you can devote to brainstorming, or you can take some time out during your lunch break after eating to explore some ideas. Even a small window of time can be all you need to develop that winning idea that you can later run with and expand upon.

2. Get in the Right Mindset

Familiarity is often an enemy of creativity, as your mind remains comfortable in what it already knows. To help change your mindset and explore different perceptions and ways of thinking, step out of that comfort zone and get out of your usual environment. This could entail merely choosing a different workspace for a day or going out for a walk on a route that you wouldn't usually take.

If it's a nice day out, for instance, and you're capable of doing so, consider working outside for the afternoon and inviting your team to join you. This change of environment can help facilitate new ideas in a unique atmosphere, switching up people's typical routine without disrupting their work.

3. Look at Inspiration

Oftentimes, great creative ideas come from significant sources of inspiration. To help you and your teams explore different ideas that you might not have otherwise come up with, look elsewhere for some inspiration.

Some places where you can look may include competitors' social media pages, or you can look at the profiles of other businesses in similar industries. Pinterest is a great place to look, as businesses frequently use this platform to share many visual advertising types. Also, take a look at competitors' ads on other platforms, such as video ads that might be on YouTube or even on TV—what techniques or emotional cues are they using that you can adopt for your advertising? Perhaps there's a specific characterization or storytelling method that your competitors are using, which you may be able to put a unique spin on for your own ads.

4. Brainstorm

When brainstorming advertising ideas, carve out plenty of time to make the most of these sessions. More importantly, collaborate with others on your team, as teamwork is often integral to bringing new creative ideas.

In addition to internal teams, you can ask colleagues outside your department for their opinion. People in other areas may be able to offer a different perspective and way of thinking that may not have entered your mind before. Don't hesitate to invite outsiders to join in for different opinions, as they may be able to help paint a complete picture to incorporate new ideas or eliminate bad ones.

For example, you and your immediate team may consider implementing one creative idea, but another person from outside your team reasons why it might be misguided and offers some modifications, leading you to rethink and tweak this idea. In the process, you can perfect the creative process and ensure that your ideas are properly aligned with your branding campaigns and goals from every perspective.

5. Have Fun

The creative process should be fun more than anything. While scheduling some time to devote to the creative process can be beneficial, don't look at it solely as another task you need to complete. Anytime you have an idea come to mind, write it down on the nearest piece of paper or cocktail napkin, depending on where the idea pops up.

Take notes about even the most off-the-wall ideas. An idea that might seem incredibly unrealistic or otherwise unusable might actually come into play at some point when you least expect it. Anything out of the box is grounds for exploration, so be sure to include it in your notes before the idea fades.

Be Consistently Creative and Don't Be Quick to Dismiss Ideas

When developing creative advertising ideas, the key is to be consistent in your practices and explore any ideas that come to you. Take some time to create, work with a mix of people with different opinions and viewpoints, switch up your routine, and have fun thinking outside of the box. With a good creative process behind your digital marketing, you may find that some of the most unique advertising ideas make the biggest splash.