How to Write Effective Advertising Copy that Improves Conversion Rates

If you’re trying to raise brand awareness or increase revenue for your business but find yourself challenged by resources, the best way to get the most out of your advertising budget is to optimize your ad copy.

Effective ad copy not only promotes your brand, it also helps to build a bridge between your audiences and your business. You have to do more than just tell people what your product or service is and what it does, because your ad is in constant competition, not only with other ads, but with limited attention spans, digital overload, and life in general. This is about crafting compelling copy that creates connections with your target audiences and compels them to act in a meaningful way.

Here’s how you can take your advertising copy to the next level.

Create a Compelling Message

Effective advertising copy starts with developing a compelling message. Here are four things to consider when creating your advertising message.

• Know your audience  – If you enter a room full of people and you want to get one person’s attention, you would probably call out their name. In advertising, you want to get as close to this level of intimacy as you can. You have to know your audience and target your advertising to your ideal customer. Using the right combination of words and tone will make them feel like you’re talking directly to them about something they need, want, and will ultimately love.
  • Hook them and hang on to their interest – If you know and understand your target audience, you’ll be able to tailor a message that grabs their attention—but you have to keep it. That’s where your ‘hook’ comes in. This is a short phrase, maybe a tagline or a jingle, that entices your audience to continue engaging with your advertising content. You want to avoid gimmicks here—you need a hook that aligns with your brand and creates a lasting connection with your customers.

• Engage emotional triggers – The best ads create an emotional connection and impact. Advertising copy that pulls on the heartstrings or triggers emotions tend to be more memorable and are more likely to lead your audience to action.

• Consider your advertising medium – Customize your ad copy to suit your advertising medium. Some mediums, such as mobile or social media advertising, will require short, snappy copy that gets right to the point. Others, like magazines or advertisements on a podcast, for example, might give you some room to expand on your message.

Components of Advertising Copy

Create more effective advertising copy by following a formula that includes these four elements.

• Headline – This is usually the first thing that your audience will see when looking at an ad. Make it count. Consider pulling on heartstrings or using surprise and shock if it’s appropriate for your brand. The most important thing you can do with your headline is get right to the point. A good headline grabs attention immediately and encourages people to read more.
  • Subhead –Now that you’ve generated interest, this is your opportunity to add meaning to the headline and further draw in your audience. This is a good place to use a keyword, something that reinforces your brand values, or resonates with your customers’ pain points.
  • Body –This is where you’ll deliver the bulk of your advertising message. Communicate what you want your audience to know about your brand, service, or product.
  • Call-to-Action –It’s not enough to get your brand in front of people. You need to tell them what you want them to do now that they know about your brand, product, or service. If you don’t explicitly tell them to click on a link, subscribe to a mailing list, or pop into your store, don’t expect them to do so on their own.

Setting Advertising Objectives

Just like with any effective strategy, start with the end goal in mind. With advertising, the end goal is generating action from your audience. Whether you’re driven by increasing sales or boosting brand engagement with your target audiences, you have to hone your advertising copy to achieve your specific objectives.

To learn more about maximizing your advertising budget by creating more compelling advertising copy, reach out to C-leveled.