How to Write Ad Copy That Engages Your Audience

Ads are everywhere these days, but they aren't all created equal. Your ads must contain excellent copy to drive results and provide a strong return on your investment. If you're using any advertising strategy to promote your business, you need to know how to write effective ad copy. Compelling ad copy will take your marketing campaigns to the next level. 



In this article, we'll be talking about how you can write ad copy that engages your audience. 

What Is Ad Copy?

Advertising copy is the text that appears in paid promotions. It's generally short and snappy to catch the target audience's attention. The goal of ad copy is to get people interested in your products or services and convince them to further engage with your brand. 

Almost all ad copy contains a call to action (CTA). The CTA tells the audience what to do next if they're intrigued. For example, you might prompt your audience to sign up for your email list, check out your product pages, or even make a purchase with your CTA. 

Why Is It Valuable?

Ad copy is the backbone of any marketing campaign. It's what captures attention, makes your ads memorable, and gets your audience interested in your brand. The better your ad copy is, the better your campaign will perform. 

Try to think of an effective ad that doesn't contain text or speech. There are few examples, if any. Visuals are great, but your ad copy is essential to reaching your audience. 

Ad Copy for Different Platforms

Ad copy is a broad category that includes many different types of copy. Depending on the platform you're using, you should tailor your approach to your target audience. For example, ad copy that works well on social media might not perform as well in a display ad. 

Here's how to approach writing copy for different advertising platforms.

Social Media

Social media users predominantly want to be entertained by the content they see on these platforms. For social media ad copy to be effective, it must be entertaining and unique enough to stand out. 

Avoid stuffy, overly complicated language in your social media copywriting. Instead, focus on being creative and funny, if possible. Find a strong hook and consider connecting your ad copy to a current social media trend. If your copy is entertaining, users may share your post, enabling you to reach a wider audience. 

Paid Search

Paid search ads don't allow images or videos, so your ad copy is the only thing that will determine the success of these campaigns. Plus, you get around 120 characters or less to use in your copy. Make them count. 

Audiences will see the display URL, headline, and description on paid search ads. Include your target keyword in the headline and additional details that will convince audiences to click on your ad in the description. 

Display Ads

Display ads appear on websites and apps alongside the content users read or watch. They may not get much space on the screen, so you should create a sense of urgency with short, straightforward ad copy. If you overload your display ads with dense copy, your target audience may not even be able to read your message. 

Video Ads

Writing video ad copy involves more steps than writing for other types of ads. When you're writing copy for a video ad, you need to write any text that will appear on-screen as well as the script for any voiceover or dialogue in the video.

Captions are popular on video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Shorts. Make sure to include captions that transcribe what everyone is saying, plus any other relevant information. 

Video ad copy allows for a lot of experimentation and creativity. Don't be afraid to try different things to see what audiences respond to best. 

Tips for Writing Ad Copy

A lot of people don't know where to start when they sit down to write ad copy. That's normal. Writing ad copy can initially feel awkward and forced, but it gets easier with time. 

Try implementing these tips to write ad copy that's engaging and effective. 

Show How You'll Solve the Problem

Don't just tell customers they should buy your products or services. Instead, recognize their problems and show them how you can solve those problems. When you're writing an ad, you need to think from the perspective of your target audience. 

What can you do for them? Why should they care about what you have to say? Answer those questions in your copy, and you'll have a persuasive ad. 

Use Emotional Triggers

One of the best ways to immediately catch audiences' attention and get them to respond to your copy is to use emotional triggers. Try to write copy that produces a strong emotional response, such as humor, nostalgia, or even sadness. The Sarah McLachlan ASPCA ad is a great example of using emotional triggers. 

Include a Strong CTA

Once you capture your audience's attention, it's time to direct them to the next step you want them to take. The CTA button tells audiences exactly what to do next. Two common CTAs are "sign up" and "buy now," but you can get much more creative. 

If you're not sure which version of your ad will produce the best conversion rate, you can run an A/B test. A/B testing entails running two similar but slightly different ads for limited audiences and seeing which one leads to better results. Then, you can run the winning ad for a larger audience. 

Upgrade Your Marketing Campaigns

Getting your ad copy right is just one component of running an effective marketing campaign. Optimize is here to help with your digital marketing efforts every step of the way, from social media ads to paid search. 

If you would like to learn more about how Optimize can help enhance your paid advertising strategies, schedule your free consultation today!