Your Facebook Ad Copy Sucks (sorry) – 7 Tips to Make It WAY Better

Copy is the make or break element of your Facebook advertisements (we got in-depth on Facebook advertising here and here).

Regardless of how good your product is or how creative other elements of your campaign may be, if your copy (written or verbal) isn’t compelling, thoughtful, tested, and researched, chances are you won’t capture and keep your viewer’s attention in that narrow 1-2 second window as they’re scrolling.

Facebook is flooded with underperforming ads for good products for a number of reasons: could be a lack of budget, misunderstanding their audience, poor targeting, lack of creativity, or they may just be green to marketing.

Even if your campaigns aren’t suffering and you’re looking for an added bump in performance, we encourage you to take a look at 7 ways you can make your ads even stronger and increase your ROI in no time.

(Or to read more about our unique Advertising best practices here)

1) Solve Your Audience’s Problem

It’s an age-old adage, but don’t focus your ad campaign on being “creative.” This is the quicksand that bogs down advertisers at every level: focusing time, energy, on resources on being original or overly creative rather than distilling the product’s unique selling point into a compelling headline (more on that here).

People purchase products that solve their problems and make their lives better. If your product is more of a luxury and less of a need, creating a sense of FOMO, aka “fear of missing out,” is a very effective problem to create and solve.

Appeal to precisely that need of theirs in your headline or opening to capture their attention right away. Don’t be afraid to be blunt! Engaging their interest is key and bolder ads are quicker to make an impression.

It’s important to keep in mind: this is never an excuse to speak down to your audience or come off in any way patronizing. That’s a one-way ticket to swift rejection. Focus instead on identifying their problem and offering a thoughtful solution.

2) Focus on the Benefits

We make purchases based on the products that enhance our lives and provide us with a good dose of that sweet sweet serotonin. Things that make our day easier, more efficient, happier or more relaxing.

Understanding how to best convey your product’s benefits begins by fundamentally understanding who your audience is and what they care about (we go in-depth on the “Customer Value Journey” right here) .

Who are they, where are they, what do they do, and what exactly is missing from their lives? Next, how does your product fill that void? High-converting ad copy is rooted in genuine audience insight .

Ensure your ad copy isn’t overtly negative and doesn’t trigger negative emotions. In focusing on benefits, ads should maintain an atmosphere of positivity that people naturally associate with the use of your product.

The best ads are aspirational and highlight how their products are uniquely capable of positively impacting buyers’ lives.

3) Numbers and Statistics Are Key Trust-Builders

alk is cheap and audiences are savvy. One helpful key to increasing engagement is displaying data, metrics, or some sort of quantifiable information in your ad copy to show that your product has proof of success. If you don’t have these, UGC (User generated content) goes a long way in building trust.

These metrics could come in wide variety of forms: how many people have purchased your product to date, how many 5-star reviews you’ve received, how many followers your page or channel may have, or any other piece of brag-worthy information that conveys to your audience that you’re established, reputable, and proven.

This is instrumental in building trust with your audience and giving them the confidence to invest their time in clicking your advertisement and learning more about your USP.

4) Research or Get Outta Here!

If you’ve not conducted audience and competitor research before running your ads, you’re honestly wasting your money (for more on the importance of research and the “Customer Value Journey,” give this blog a read).

Researching your competitors gives you the ability to understand a keyword’s popularity, price, and search volume, meaning you can identify opportunities to target more cost-effective or undervalued search terms.

Likewise, researching your ideal audience’s tastes, social presence, demographic information, preferred channels, and similar products allows you to effectively target them with the right content on the right channel at the right time (read everything you need to know about the “Customer Value Journey“).

Without this fundamental information, you’re essentially trying to solve a Rubick’s cube in the dark. Do your homework, know your audience, understand your competitors, and increase your ROI!

5) Get to the Point!

On average, you have 1-2 seconds to compel your target audience to pause on your ad, much less engage with it. In that very narrow window of time, it’s important that you cut right to the chase and tell them exactly what they want to hear.

Time is precious and they don’t want to be wooed with fluffy language, industry jargon, or tedious explanations (more on content writing here). They want to know exactly how your product is going to have a positive impact on their lives and solve a long-unanswered problem.

Your headline is your precious first impression and should convey your product’s USP in a relevant and compelling way for your specific audience.

6) Use Emotional Triggers

It’s the most effective way into the hearts and minds of any audience: appeal to their emotions (more on that here).

Whether that’s through comedy, nostalgia, or any other emotion that’s relevant to your ideal audience and consistent with the USP of your product, emotional triggers create instant connections, meaning your ads become stickier and your CTR starts climbing.

Surprise them, cheer them, humor them, whatever reaction they’re more predisposed to is what your headline should be built around. Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the creative wheel here; just write ad copy in the same tonal language your audience speaks (more on content writing and the “Customer Value Journey” here).

7) Use Your Best Copy

Even though it’s important to test a variety of headlines and keyword targets throughout your campaign, it’s even more crucial to ensure you’re putting your best creative foot forward in all of your ad campaigns.

Identify one or two “champions” in your early ad development and prioritize those for your larger ad spends. Even if you have a brainstorm document filled with potentially good copy drafts for your ad campaign, always use your best copy right off the bat.

And better yet, ensure that your best copy is at the very front of the ad itself! This is a macro and micro rule for your entire campaign: it’s ok to test new ideas but always rely on your best copy and never change a successful USP (more on there here)!

Think you’re ready to dive back into the trenches of Facebook’s Ad Manager and give your campaigns a much-needed creative boost?

We’d love to help. If you’re ready to make your Facebook or PPC campaign smarter, let our ad experts show you the way. Give us a call today for a free consultation!

Never Miss a Beat

Grow with us