Advertising copy can make or break a campaign and the world’s most prominent advertising gurus know this too. Even when working with online display advertising it is essential that you write text that not only grabs the attention of your audience but also sells. This guide will show you how to craft fresh and exciting copy that sells!
1. Research and Plan
Doing pre-campaign research will really improve the quality of your advertising copy. Research the different types of people that you want to communicate with. By discovering the types of people that make up your audience you will be able to research the copy that connects with them best. Different segments of your audience will respond differently to copy; therefore it is important that you reflect this your campaigns. From your research, you will most likely discover that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to communicating with your audience. Embrace this by writing copy for all segments of your audience, this means that you will have to build more creatives (that can be done quite easily with the right solution) but it means that you will create a hyper-targeted campaign.
2. Speak to Your Audience
There is no substitute for being relevant when it comes to writing copy for your online display ads. Now that you have discovered who your audience is, writing relevant content that really speaks to your audience will be much easier. Using the research you have gathered you can start to create copy that really communicates with your audience. Lack of relevance simply means that it is not going to show up in search results and this will certainly work against you. A great way to make the advertising copy relevant is by ensuring by using keywords that are relevant to your product or service that you are promoting.
3. Respect Your Audience
Advertising legend David Ogilvy said ‘a consumer is not a moron. She’s your wife. Don’t insult her intelligence, and don’t shock her’. This quote is about how we view our audience and potential customers. Consumers are intelligent and they will determine the success of your company, so treat them with respect and don’t talk down to them, reflect this tone in your copy otherwise you could push potential customers away.
4. Keep Ahead of the Competition
When it comes to writing ad copy that stands out, it is important that you know your competitors first and then understand how to tailor your advertising material in a way that puts you in the lead. Ensure that you hunt your competitors down first and find out what they are doing. Knowing your true competition is considerably helpful in guiding you on the approach you should take when writing your online advert so that you can gain an advantage over them.
5. Exceed Expectations
It is vital that you perfectly well as a marketer if you really want to succeed. After you gain a thorough understanding of your customers, you will certainly be able to engage in online ad writing that will communicate exactly what your customers are really looking for. Your ad copy should be designed in such a way that it concisely and clearly explains to the customers why they must click that ad to take advantage of what you are offering them. Remember that your content should reflect what is going to offer once the user clicks your ad, so aim to exceed expectations, but don’t use your display ad copy to promise something you’re not able to deliver because consumers will easily see through this and it could damage your brand’s reputation.
6. Keep it Short and Sweet
Keep in mind that you are writing copy in a limited space that has to capture the attention of a viewer within a second or two. Now is not the time to start writing your epic advertising saga or explaining how to create your product is in detail, leave that for the landing page or your upcoming memoir. Keep the copy short and to the point.
7. Write a Killer CTA
Regardless of what you do in your online ad writing, writing a killer CTA will certainly work to your advantage and this is something that you should not hesitate to do. You need to create a killer call to action that is written in such a way that will make the viewer really want to click on your display ad. “Buy now” is a standard call to action used by many online marketers, but if you really want to stay a step ahead of your competitors, opt for an alternative that depicts your creativity at its best. Again, remember that the copy that you use in your CTA should reflect what will happen once someone has clicked your ad and arrived on your landing page.
8. Test Ad Copy
The best way to see if your display ad copy works and how you can improve it in future campaigns is by testing the copy during the run of your campaign. Even though you might think that your ad is the best it can be, you should always test to collect solid proof of this, instead of guessing. Predicting how your new ad will perform is a bit tough and it is thus important that you test your ad copy. Don’t be surprised if the ad you are expecting to win ends up losing in the end. This is the exact reason why you should always test every element of you display ads, including the copy.
It is highly advisable that you A/B test the ad copy as a way of refining it. This process is something that you should take very seriously. What is involved here is that you need to create two ad versions and run them concurrently to see which version works the best. Doing so will certainly help you to achieve your advertising goals and will result in you achieving your desired effects in the end.
Final Thoughts
Writing ad copy that sells is no easy tasks and takes the time to get right. However, it is possible to begin to master ad copywriting by:
- Researching your audience and how you can best communicate with them;
- Speaking to the different segments of your audience by creating different ads for each of your target groups;
- Respecting the consumer by communicating with them 0n the right level;
- Researching your competition so that you can stand out and keep one step ahead of them;
- Exceed the viewers’ expectations but don’t promise what you can’t deliver;
- Keep it short and sweet;
- Write a killer CTA;
- Always test your ads!
