You’ve done it. You’ve written quite possibly the most convincing ad copy you’ve ever attempted. So…why haven’t any sales been made from it? Including all the SEO and buzzwords in the world won’t persuade even the keenest of buyers if your copy is no good.
We all know that it should be powerful and persuasive whilst not being too heavy on the old sell, sell, sell. So, how do you achieve that balance? Here are 10 techniques for writing ad copy that sells.
- Drop Some Names…
I’m starting with a scary one. Many will be too afraid to do what I’m about to suggest.
Name drop your competitors directly into your ad copy. Follow it up by presenting an offer that surpasses anything they are currently offering. Think about those supermarket adverts where they show you a direct price comparison. It leads potential buyers directly to you and takes away the ‘shopping around’ element.
I will say that if you opt to use this technique, be prepared for your competitors to bite back. More eyes on you though, right? Seize that opportunity.
- Speak Your Audience’s Language
Does Polly want a cracker? Parrots are great at mimicking us. I’ve personally never wanted one because I don’t think I could stand the squawking. They’ve got the right idea, though. Mimic what you’ve heard and you’ll be rewarded.
In just the same way, you need to use the same language your target audience is using. Read the room and write your copy accordingly. If you can specifically target and run multiple ads to different audiences – tailoring each of these to individual groups will be crucial.
Whilst a group of investment bankers will have no clue what a ‘Yasss Queen!’ is, a group of University students will pick that out and be drawn to it straight away. So, where it’s appropriate, be edgy and spice things up.
- No Doubt
People with doubts don’t buy. How long have you spent umming and ahhing about a product or service that you weren’t 99% sure about? You need to give buyers reasons to move from a query to a sale.
First impressions count. The second and third impressions will be the deciding factor. There is no ‘one ad and done’. The image of your company certainly helps but it’s how you go about dispelling the doubt in buyer’s minds that will see your success.
- Commenting Is The New Customer Service
If you’ve seen advertisements on social media, you may have noticed that there will always be company representatives in the comments. This has a dual function. Damage control and customer service.
This does extend from the initial ad copy but it’s still crucial to get right. If your product is accompanied by a service that goes the extra mile – that’s attractive! Cultivate your audience. Comments are great for engagement.
They don’t have to be the same old generic comments with a link to the customer helpline either. If you’re feeling brave enough, sending witty or sarcastic replies (within reason) can really up the ‘meme’ and likeability factor. Particularly for a younger audience, making your brand more personal is a great tactic for attracting Gen Z and Millenial customers.
- Be Big-Headed!
A lot of people don’t like to brag. Particularly over here in the UK where we prefer to take a bit more of a modest approach. But you know where your company excels and you should use that to your advantage.
Nobody does your product or service like you do your product or service. The problem is – nobody else knows that! Go ahead and boast about it. Shout it from the metaphorical rooftops. I wouldn’t advise it from your actual rooftop. Word of mouth is a great method of free advertising though…
- Inspiration Is A Powerful Motivator
Everybody is looking for something in life. What you’re selling may be the exact thing they’re looking for but they just don’t know it yet. That’s why your ad copy needs to tell customers exactly how your product or service could help them become that version of themselves they’re striving to be.
Tell them a story, don’t just promise results. Leave in all the juicy details of your method or how you’ll get them there. Ignite that little spark of inspiration. It’s a powerful motivator. You’ll be playing on their minds all day.
- It’s Nothing Personal…But It Should Be
How do you forge connections with people? Why did that baby elephant video you saw last week almost bring you to tears at your desk?
It’s all in the emotion. How you make people feel can be a powerful way to get people to pay attention to your copy. Use emotional triggers and make the people who see your ads feel special. Make them feel seen. Make them feel understood.
- Pander To The Problem
It’s great to boast about your product or service and what it can do for people. However, it may leave some people thinking ‘Well, how is that any use to me and what I do?’.
Be a bit of a negative nancy. List out a variety of problems and pain points that your ideal customer might have that your product can solve. Then, tell them how you can make their lives a whole lot easier and make all of these big, bad problems go away…
- Y’all Come Back Now, Ya Hear?
Incentive. It’s a good word, that.
You should be providing an incentive within your ad copy to draw visitors to come back often. Whichever incentive you choose is entirely up to you and will, of course, be individual to each product or service you offer.
Run a part-series of ads, do a virtual treasure hunt, run competitions. Everyone loves discounts and FREE STUFF! Go on, be generous. You’ll reap the rewards in the long run.
- The 4 U’s
We have made it to the tenth and final technique. The four U’s of copywriting: Urgent, Unique, Ultra-specific and Useful. These are all a given but people forget or only heed to 1 or 2 of these.
Urgency creates an immediate incentive to buy. Limited-time sales or exclusive offers for followers of that specific social media platform. Get it whilst it’s hot. Going, going, gone.
Be unique. Your copy will be drowning in a bottomless swamp of advertisers and competitors trying to sell similar products or services to you. You can be witty or weird or human. At Maverrik, we know we can come across as a little unconventional but it makes us stand out. Why would you want to blend in?
Ultra-specificity is something you should include but something to also be careful with. Know who you want and know exactly how to target them but don’t be exclusionary at the same time. You don’t want to close people out or push them away completely, because you may want to target them in future campaigns.
And of course, usefulness. Why should they read what you have to say if it’s not going to be useful or add some kind of value to their day? We’re all busy. We see tonnes of ads every day. Give people a reason to hover just a few seconds longer.
