The effectiveness of your data-driven digital marketing campaign and ad strategy relies largely on a single element: your ad headline. This is the single-sentence preview that will determine if your customer will take action on the interest that they may have in your offer, and is one of the hardest things to get “right” in marketing. While ad copy and strategy may be industry and sector-specific, there are certain elements of success that remain universal when it comes to writing high-quality ad headlines and copy. Let’s get into techniques that you can use today to take your ad conversions to the next level.
1. Leave Long Headlines In Your Funnel
Funnel writing is very different from ad writing, and many can confuse the two styles. Ad headlines must be short, snappy, and have the “WOW” factor that makes your prospect want to click in. Normally you can support this type of content and copy with a psychological understanding of your prospect, and give them what they want to hear or what will catch their attention in this portion. Challenge yourself to be concise, and try to get your point across in 60 characters or less. Most people only stay for a few seconds on a single post, despite the average user surfing social for over 2 hours per day.
2. Engage Your Prospect Immediately
Use your ad to speak with your prospect, rather than at your prospect. To do this, you’ll want to create a headline that will not only pull them in nearly immediately, but that will engage them. Ideal examples of these include:
- Using a question. Determining what your clients may ask themselves regarding their business or needs can be done with a few simple Google searches.You can also rely on any form of microsurveys or information that you’ve collected elsewhere to inform your marketing strategy.
- Using risk. Every business has risk, which must be actively mitigated by business owners in your targeted industry. Leading off with an eye-catching statistic about a concerning risk, or with a new risk that has developed can be a great way to stop the scroll.
- Using a freebie with a brand promise. Creating a headline that incorporates a freebie as well as reinforces your brand promise and authority is a great way to engage. Examples of this include:
- “Want to 10x Your Revenue? Claim your FREE GUIDE today!”
- “This Owner Grew by 200% in 1 Month: Here’s How”
- “Claim Your Gift & Double Your Growth in 1 Week with Ads Company!”
Really, the possibilities are endless for engagement. You know your prospective audience best. Consider meeting with your team and determining what strategies you want to apply to each customer profile, and experiment to determine which ones work the best for each platform.
3. Plan For Mobile Formatting
This point is aligned with our first goal of keeping the ad headline (very) short and sweet. Mobile formatting has thrown a wrench into digital marketing since it became popularized in the 2000s and continues to evolve as tech changes. Test your ad before it runs to make sure your headline appears clearly on the page, and doesn’t end up completely cut off or behind ellipses. This is vital, since mobile accounts for nearly half of all internet traffic globally on an annual basis.
4. Compare With Competitors
Your copy will never truly be done. Ad copy and digital marketing require constant improvement and refinement over time. You’ll want to continue to conduct competitor analysis and research to see how your competitors are framing their brand promise, and serving the space. If you are in B2B, look for B2B campaign examples that are doing well, and implement similar strategies. Conducting quarterly reviews can help keep you on the cutting edge of advancement and optimization ahead of your next product launch or rollout.
5. Use Accessible Language
It can be tempting to try to show off industry knowledge and authority with sophisticated language. But it’s actually not considered good practice for ad copy, even for the more specific niches. You are the ultimate authority in the field that you serve, but your prospects may not have that same level of understanding. Even if you find yourself leading off with an industry statistic or other relevant, eye-catching information, it’s important to maintain high readability for those who may not be as familiar. This concept, while often overlooked in the copy creation process, can really enhance the experience for those who may not be as familiar with your business.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely looking to figure out how to get more out of your Facebook Ads Campaigns, get in touch with us for a free consultation on how we can help your business.
