Easy to View

• Visuals on an advertisement must be easy to view and comprehend. A picture on a billboard should be large enough for a driver to see. A reader should not have to squint as he is looking through a magazine. Think about your target audience when considering this. If you are marketing a product to the elderly, for instance, you may want to consider larger photographs that are easy to view. The rule of thirds dictates you to divide the space into three parts and separate the important portions for a more interesting image. Better visuals are recognizable.
  
  

Matches the Advertisement

• The visuals on the advertisement should clearly tie in with the product. An advertisement strives to make the product memorable, which is not necessarily the visual. A picture of a sunset that has no connection to the toothpaste you are selling may not work, no matter how stunning it is. The picture can be directly related to the product or it can be something subtle such as a person enjoying the product. Good images cause the reader to relate to and become interested in your product.
  
  

Visual Cues

• Advertisements should contain effective visual cues that make meaning in the minds of viewers. For instance, you may place a picture of a waterfall next to a bladder control medicine. A pain medication advertisement may show before and after photographs of someone in pain and then relieved. These cues can be hidden or obvious, but they cause the reader to relate to the need and desire the product. A bad visual will not connect the reader to any desire for the product.
  
  

Simplicity

• Fitting as much as you can in a visual is not typically the most effective strategy. Often simplicity is best. The reader should not have to search through a complicated visual to try to grasp the meaning. If you are advertising pizza, one of the most effective advertisements could be a savory close-up of that slice of pizza. The visual should directly relate to the copy as well as any other photographs in the advertisement. A bad visual may have an immense amount of clutter that confuses the reader and prevents him from focusing on the main message of the advertisement.