Social ad proofing: Tips & tools to get high-quality content, fast

How to build an effective social ad proofing process step by step

Getting social ad proofing right requires a clearly defined process. Follow these six steps to create that process for your organization.

1. Define roles and responsibilities

It needs to be clear who’s looking at what, who’s responsible for what, and who has the final say.

Not everyone on your team is an expert in everything. At the same time, sometimes we miss seemingly obvious flaws in the stuff we create because we’re too close to it. 

So while your copywriter may have the most skill at, you know, copywriting, others may spot what the copywriter is unable to see.

That’s different than letting the copywriter have the final say on design choices or giving the graphic designer veto power over copy. So take some time to define who’s responsible and accountable, or who has the final say.

If the team is struggling to come to consensus here, there are paradigms that can help, including RACI charts or the RAPID model.

2. Establish proofing guidelines

Since you’re proofing creative material, the proofing process can get a little subjective. So it’s a good idea to introduce a little objectivity where you can.

To do this, define what is and isn’t OK for your brand (and for this project). Proofing guidelines tell team members what’s expected in their creative, such as brand colors, logos, style decisions (often logged in a style guide), etc.

The clearer and more comprehensive you can make your proofing guidelines, the better. Just don’t go overboard and create something so detailed that no one can realistically follow it all as they proof content.

3. Set up a centralized proofing system

The creative you’re proofing is all digital, so it’s a good idea to set up a centralized proofing system where all involved can add their feedback and interact with others’ input.

Using collaborative ad proofing software like Ziflow makes this simple and effective. Your organization enjoys one central location for managing proofs, feedback, and approvals, with comments tied to specific frames (in video content). Pulling all reviewers into the same digital space to see and interact with each other’s feedback will greatly streamline the ad proofing process and boost the results you achieve.

4. Build a feedback and approval workflow

Open collaboration can be a good thing. But many creative workflows require a logical sequence for feedback and approval. For example, you might need specific people or departments to offer feedback before the ad makes its way to management or client review.

That’s why one of the best practices for online proofing is creating and using review groups and stages.

Take time to build out a structured workflow that pulls in the right feedback in the right order. The goal is efficient feedback collection and speedy approval, coupled with appropriate thoroughness.

5. Facilitate communication among the team and stakeholders

Ad proofing may also be cyclical: when the first round of feedback is collected, the project may return to creatives to polish and refine. It’s vital to create a way for stakeholders to communicate clearly throughout the proofing process. This way misunderstandings can be avoided and the ad proofing process can stay on track.

Using a centralized proofing system may solve this communication challenge as well. If you’re relying on general-purpose tools (like a PDF reader and a cloud storage drive), you may need a separate collaboration tool for this communication. Microsoft Teams, Slack, or similar tools may be a help.

6. Implement revisions and get final approvals 

Once you’ve gathered feedback and team members understand what revisions they need to make, it’s back to the drawing board. (Or the keyboard, or the video editing suite — you get the idea.)

From there, you’ll want to run an abbreviated version of the workflow you just completed. Run the revised ad through the stakeholders that you’ve defined as final approvers. Once the advertisement is approved, you’re ready to release it — and then you’re on to the next project!

Proofing different social ads

Not every social ad needs the exact same things during proofing. For this piece, we’re dividing ads into two relatively broad categories: static and video social ads.

Static social ads

Proofing static social ads involves more than just checking the visual design and copy. The platform, device type, and even user behavior can dramatically impact how your ad appears and performs. Here are key areas to focus on when proofing static social ads:

• Image resolution and dimensions — Ensure your static ads are optimized for the specific platform's image size requirements. If the image is cropped or stretched, it could diminish its impact.
• Ad copy clarity — Since static ads often have limited space, it’s crucial that the message is concise and easy to understand at a glance. Check if the copy aligns with the brand tone and resonates with the audience.
• Platform-specific formatting — Static ads may display differently on platforms like LinkedIn, Meta, and Twitter. For instance, text overlays on Instagram may obscure key parts of your image on smaller screens or in grid views.
• Mobile vs. desktop viewing — Double-check how the ad looks across devices. A graphic that works well on desktop might look cluttered or illegible on mobile. Previewing the ad in different display environments (mobile, tablet, desktop) helps ensure that visual integrity is maintained.
• Clickable elements — Make sure any CTA buttons, hashtags, or clickable links work properly. Check that links route to the correct landing pages and that tracking codes (UTMs, pixels) are in place to monitor campaign performance. It’s easy for something as simple as a broken link to derail a campaign’s success.
• Platform-specific guidelines — Different platforms have unique policies about text-to-image ratios, prohibited content, and advertising rules. Ensure your static ads adhere to each platform’s guidelines to avoid delays or rejections during the publishing process. For instance, Meta limits the amount of text you can overlay on images, which could impact the ad's reach.

Video social ads

Video ads are the most complex social content by far. All the visual elements from static social are still in play, but now they occur over time and constantly changing imagery.

• TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc. — These videos are shorter and more rapid-paced, so the message needs to be understood within just a few seconds. The displayed text and any voice overs should be timed and formatted properly to ensure that they are easily readable and audible, even on mobile devices where the screen is smaller. Captions are often needed (and sometimes expected) on these platforms because many users watch videos with the sound off, so ensure that any on-screen text is synced with the visuals and remains visible long enough to be read without rushing.
• LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. — These videos can be longer and more detailed, so you have more room to develop the narrative, but the message still needs to be cohesive. Your branding elements such as logos, colors, and taglines should appear consistently throughout the video, especially at key moments like the intro, transitions, and the call-to-action. This consistency reinforces brand recognition across platforms. Additionally, pay close attention to pacing—on LinkedIn, for instance, more professional content might benefit from a slower pace with clearer messaging, while YouTube may allow for a bit more creativity with storytelling.

Benefits of ad proofing software

Proofing ads digitally is a requirement for many creative businesses (where the notion of everyone working on-site all the time is long gone). Using software built for creative proofing and social ad proofing offers lots of advantages over general business collaboration tools.

Streamlined collaboration

Ad proofing software enables teams to collaborate in real time, directly “on top of” creative assets — including frame-perfect video feedback with some tools. Team members, managers, and clients can provide precise feedback, annotations, and approvals in one centralized platform. Everyone’s looking at the same version of the content and seeing the same comments and questions, reducing miscommunication.

Version control

Ad proofing software also provides version control. It automatically tracks changes and versions of ad creative so that everyone using the platform is evaluating the same, most up-to-date version of the deliverable.

This eliminates the confusion and miscommunication that can arise when saving endless updated versions of a file. 

Plus, with version control, you can roll back to an earlier version of the ad should you need it. Both of these advantages mean you no longer have to end up with a dozen or more versions of a file (think videoad.mov_final_final2_revD_forrealthistime). You’ll save on storage space and present a more professional image to clients as a result.

Centralized feedback

Without ad proofing software, collecting feedback can be… kind of messy. Let’s say you post the LinkedIn ad in the right Teams space or Slack channel. You get some specific feedback there, though two contributors offer contradictory directions (and don’t seem to be aware of the other). A manager or client rep shoots you an email with a copy of the asset with hand-drawn markup showing what they want. Someone else shoots you a direct message via chat.

On and on this goes, and before long you have three or four different discussions and email threads going. It’s almost inevitable that something gets missed.

Proofing software gets rid of all of that, consolidating all feedback in one place. It’s much easier to review and address comments systematically, helping your team stay more organized and efficient.

Increased transparency

With proofing software you’ll have a clear audit trail of who reviewed what and when, where specific suggestions came from, and what changes were made. No more mystery changes or secret side discussions. This increased transparency helps teams take responsibility and avoid blame-shifting, improving the quality of your end product and the speed and thoroughness of your proofing process.

4 great ad proofing tools to consider