It is no wonder that practically the key question here is what is the best practice for writing an effective text ad? The reason any business decides to invest in advertising is to create sales and investments. Essentially, make that business grow. Whichever advertising type you have in mind, in 99.9% of cases it includes some form of text. It could be native video advertising or, say, radio jingles. Text is there, even if it is just a few words.
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is much more complex than it seems. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have so many advertising agencies or career categories as advertising designers.
Essentially, any text within an advertisement is defined as advertising copy. As we noted in our post on the subject, definitions of this term usually agree that “an advertising copy is a term used to describe the main text used in the advertisement. The text could be a dialogue, a catchy punch line, or a company’s dictum. That is a print, radio, or TV advertising message. It aims at developing and retaining the interest of the target customer. It also needs to prompt him to purchase the product within a couple of seconds.”
So the main response to the question on which is the best practice for writing an effective text ad will depend on understanding both what ad copy is and how to use it in different mediums where any prospective ad is to run. As thebalancesmb.com notes, “when it comes to marketing and sales, it is vital to have a firm understanding of ad copy. Without understanding ad copy, your business will lose prospects and sales. You will experience much lower conversion rates, and your profits will suffer.”
Which is the best practice for writing an effective text ad – how ad copy works
The Balance (above) puts it in very clear terms – ad copy is a very specific type of content. It is designed to get the reader to respond or take action. In a standard sales situation, the salesperson tries to walk the customer through the process and providing valuable insights. “The salesperson can effectively communicate with the customer.”
But when you try to sell without direct contact, say, online, this type of interaction is rarely possible. “This is where ad copy comes in. Ad copy is a sales letter that addresses the possible objections a customer might have. It also highlights the key features and benefits the customer will receive by making a purchase.”
These days, the key advertising is done online. As WordStream points out, the one thing that you need the most to grow your business online is to increase your online traffic. Of course, the fastest and most effective way to do that is through advertising. And ad copy is one of the essential parts of it.
Still, online advertising might be dominant these days, but it is not the only one where you need ad copy. You need it practically for any media, from ads in print newspapers and magazines to podcasts. Of course, that list is extensive and includes radio, TV, brochures, and billboards.
But, currently, online advertising in all shapes and forms dominates, even though it shares the same goal with other types of ads. That is to increase conversion rates and profits.
Online, you can increase the traffic to the sales page, increase the value of the product or service, or you can increase the percentage of web traffic that converts to customers. Increasing the conversion rate is the most effective way to increase the profitability of a business (The Balance).
Ad copy and PPC marketing
So, how does effective ad copy increase online traffic? “Ad copy achieves this by highlighting the key components of a product or service and communicating them to potential customers in a way they can relate to” (above).
But what constitutes effective ad copy? The answer to that question at the same time answers our main question. And that is which is the best practice for writing an effective text ad.
According to The Balance, effective ad copy is easy to identify. Good ad copy will open with a powerful headline. The headline will do one of two things. It will either appeal to fear or desire, or it will inspire curiosity. The goal of the headline is to stop readers in their tracks and inspire them to read the rest of the copy.
Properly written ad copy will appeal to both the logical reasons and emotional reasons that a customer would want to buy the product or service. Therefore, it is vital to take the key motivating factors of the customer into consideration when writing ad copy.
The key there might lie with key buzzwords these days, search engine results, online traffic, and the inescapable conversions and sales. According to the Search Engine Journal (SEJ), the quickest way to do this is with pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. As they also point out, the key makes or breaks a difference there has much of it to do with the ad text. And this is where it becomes tricky to write a good ad copy.
“Platforms like Google Ads give you a limited amount of space to catch a searcher’s eye, get them interested in your offer, and entice them to click” (SEJ). Still, they define some of the best practices that can help with this process.
Which is the best practice for writing an effective text ad – some guidelines to follow
SEJ gives the following 10 tips on what should be included in an effective ad copy.
- Getting to know the target market and what it wants. Customers seek you out because they need something, not because they’re curious about your business. The best way to get the attention of your target audience is to show them that you understand – and can fix – their problems.
- Addressing your audience directly. Use the words “you” and “your” in your ads. Speaking to your audience makes them feel important. It creates the sense that your business is personable – you want to create a friendly and helpful relationship with customers.
- Using emotional triggers to your advantage. The worst comment somebody can make about any ad is that it is boring. It might be inoffensive and even well-put-together, but if no one ever feels intrigued or moved enough to click on it, why even bother publishing it? You can avoid the fate of boring ads by choosing your words and making your audience feel something.
Zero in on the core problem or desire that brings customers to you, and brainstorm some ways to play up the emotion contained in it.
Negative feelings can actually be better stimuli than positive ones since people are motivated to avoid pain, so don’t be afraid to leverage your audience’s anxiety, anger, or FOMO (fear of missing out). - Numbers, trademarks, and Register Marks (™, ®). Figures and statistics have a way of getting people’s attention and have proven to increase CTR. One way to use numbers is to name your product’s price or advertise a sale.
You can also try featuring a numerical statistic about your business, such as the number of customers you’ve helped.
More on best practice guidelines
- Give answers to possible objections. Think out what possible objections customers can have about your product or service. Come up with a few common objections to your service or selling points, and address those preemptively in your ad copy. If you remove your audience’s excuses for not clicking before they even think of them, they’ll immediately feel more at ease with your business – and more likely to take you up on your offer.
- Using all the available space. Google Ads gives you three 30-character headlines plus two 90-character descriptions. Maximize your ad’s power by packing all the information you can into this space.
If you’re short a few characters, see if you can come up with an extra detail or two to include. Ad extensions can be another valuable way to get more real estate in search results. - Underline what makes you stand out. Make your ad more intriguing by setting yourself apart from your competitors. You don’t have much space to pitch your unique selling proposition to your audience, so try to distill it down into a powerful kernel that will make readers want to know more.
- Localize. People like and trust local businesses over big, faceless national corporations. Emphasize your location in your ads to give people an approachable first impression of your business. If you have multiple locations, create separate PPC campaigns to run in different geographical areas, and use specific location-based terms for each campaign.
- Strong, creative calls to action (CTA). Instead of resorting to worn-out clichés for your calls to action, come up with something that hits home a little bit more for your audience.
You already know what they want, so highlight that in your call to action.
Getting the right professionals
- Finally, test how the PPC ad works. Regular testing is one of the surest ways you can make real improvements in your ads. The more data you collect, the more patterns you’ll start to spot, and the better you’ll be able to adjust your ad strategy.
With all this set practice advice, it becomes quite obvious that in current circumstances just churning any old advertising text will not do. As we can see, the answer to the question of which is the best practice for writing an effective text ad is more complicated than it might seem.
One of the ways to resolve that problem is by going to an advertising agency. It can be a good solution, but at the same time, it can be an expensive one.
The other solution could be opting for a professional freelance ad copywriter. You may get the same quality results, but most probably at a more competitive price. That is where BunnyStudio can certainly be of help. Our list of professional freelance ad copywriters is carefully pre-selected and offers a range of freelance possibilities that can successfully answer your needs for effective text ads.
