To grow your business online, the one thing you need the most is Traffic. And the fastest way to get traffic is advertising.
Digital advertising is a complex game. Small changes here and there can significantly alter the performance of your ads.
When you’re paying to feature your ads over the internet, it’s crucial that you write an Ad Copy that can compel people to buy your product or service.
In this article, we have compiled a list of 7 important tips that would help you write an ad copy that would push and persuade your target audience:
Go Big or Go Home
Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals. -David Ogilvy
Your business depends on you, and if you allow yourself to take shortcuts or present a weak argument, you will fail.
As an entrepreneur, you simply cannot afford bad copy. If you cannot achieve perfection on your own, then you should hire someone who can. That would be better for you and your business than making half-hearted, weak attempts yourself.
Do Your Homework
Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals. -David Ogilvy
Knowing exactly what your audience is thinking is key to creating a good copy.
You cannot write a good copy unless you know:
- Who you’re writing it for
- How that person thinks
- What that person needs
If you haven’t done the proper research, then you’re simply faking it and this type of copy will get your business in trouble.
To write a great copy, you have to understand your audience to the letter. You have to know what they want, what they need and what they think so that you serve them well. You cannot assume the wants of your audience to suit your product, rather your product should suit the audience and to be able to make that judgement, you need to do a lot of research.
Never Talk down to Your Customers
A consumer is not a moron. She’s your wife. Don’t insult her intelligence, and don’t shock her. -David Ogilvy
Whatever your product or service maybe, speaking down to your audience is going to turn them away. As much as you’d love them to be infatuated with your charming pitch, understand that at the end of the day, they simply want to solve their problems.
Know that you and your customer are on equal footing. Well, since the customer is king and it is you who needs the customer, not the other way around, you are probably on a lower footing. Your respect for the customer should reflect in your copy.
The Headline is 80%
On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. -David Ogilvy
Headlines are like a magic bullet towards targeting your customers and drawing their attention. The headline should be strong and perfect, if you want it to make an impact.
Here’s how:
- Use headline templates, which are based on headlines that have worked in the past
- Lead with a strong benefit, making them want to read more
- If you can, split test different headlines to see what works best
Don’t Get Distracted from Making the Sale
If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative. -David Ogilvy
Advertisers usually love to be witty, cute and funny. They focus on originality and innovation, and while that’s a good thing, it is also dangerous.
People don’t set aside time to read ads. They are probably in a hurry, just taking a quick glance, before moving on. If you don’t make your point immediately obvious, chances are you will lose that potential sale.
If you want to people to buy your product, you need them to see your product in their hands and to be able to envision how much better off they will be with your product in their lives. Everything else, even being exceptionally charming, is secondary.
If you awe them with your words in the process, so much the better. But don’t do it at the expense of the sale.
Explain Why They Should Buy
The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be. -David Ogilvy
Imagine, you have hooked the customer in with your headlines, you are telling them about the product, fine, but before they decide to buy from you, they want to know one thing: Why?
The customers want to know why is your product important? Why should they buy it? Why should they buy it from you?
Consciously or subconsciously, all of these questions are going through a customer’s head. If you want them to act, you need to answer these queries. You have to be informative about your product or service.
Your Copy Is Important
Like a midwife, I make my living bringing new babies into the world, except that mine are new advertising campaigns. -David Ogilvy
All too often, businesses may treat their sales copy like an afterthought. They scribble down a few notes, have someone to check its grammar, and send it out.
And then, they wonder why they are not getting any results.
You need to nurture your copies and develop them well to produce some of the best-selling campaigns. You need to recognize its importance and put in the required effort.
Writing a great copy that will produce the intended results is hard work. It takes time and energy. Some of the best copywriters might spend weeks just crafting the headline, and then months to write the body copy. It’s because they know the importance of getting it just right.
You need to be committed to that type of excellence. If you are not, then you really don’t have a right to be complaining about the ineffectiveness of your copies.