I want to ask you a question. Promise you’ll be honest when you answer?
The last time you ran an ad on Facebook how long did you spend writing the copy, the text that accompanied it?
Was it an afterthought or did you spend time crafting it?
I’m guessing, but I’m imagining that as a time-starved business owner it’s something you put little time and effort into. I know I’ve been guilty of that in the past.
The thing is, you’re paying Facebook to show this ad to people. You have to spend time making sure you’ve got everything optimised so you’re not wasting money.
I’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you create better copy for your Facebook ads that will deliver better results.
9 Facebook ad copy tips to boost your results
Before I share those Facebook ad copy tips let’s just take a quick look at the basics
What do you want people to do when they see your ad?
Depending what you are advertising you’ll have different objectives.
Are you:
- Trying to get people to read a blog post?
- Watch a video?
- Sign up for a freebie?
- Buy?
Your objective needs to be at the heart of your copy.
3 text placements
There are three key areas of an ad that can include text.
Text overlay
The first place to add text is your image. Yes, it’s true, Facebook doesn’t want you using too much text on your image but a few words or even a headline can work. It’s the image that will grab your audience’s attention afterall.
Last week I showed you the carousel ad from United. The text overlay was enough to tell me their destinations without a big chunk of text.
If you’ve got a strong offer or a hot headline consider adding it to your image.
Body text
This is the text you traditionally think of when you are creating your Facebook ad. It appears above the image on the Facebook newsfeed, Audience Network and below the image on Instagram ads.
When you’ve captured your audience’s attention with your image it’s this text that will encourage them to take action.
Your body text should reinforce the text overlay you’ve included on the images.
Link preview text
If you are sharing a link you can change the text that appears in the link description. At the very least you should review it and make sure it enforces and enhances the key message of your ad. Make it interesting enough that people will want to click to find out more.
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Depending on the objective of your ad you will use a mixture of the copy tips below.
1. Urgency
There’s a lot been written about urgency and if you are selling something there’s nothing like a deadline for making sales.
That doesn’t just apply to your ad copy but every part of your sales process. When we promoted courses for We Teach Social it was the email that told people they only had 24 hours left to book that got the highest sales.
It’s harder when you are creating Facebook ads as you’ll be running them over a number of days or weeks. You can either create new versions of your ads counting down the days or hours until an offer ends or you can simply add a date to your copy letting people know when the deal expires.
But urgency isn’t always about time. It could be that you only have a limited number of a product or seats on a course to sell. Adding this to the copy (and updating it regularly) can help push the sale.
One note, be honest with your countdown. You’ll lose your audiences trust if you continue to change the deadlines or your number of spaces available looks unrealistic.
2. Consistency
You don’t have to write the exact same copy in each of the three text areas but make sure the tone and the offer match.
Again, it’s all about trust, if your ad looks suspect people are less likely to click.
3. Make is short
You need to get your message over quickly on Facebook. Make it simple and to the point.
This doesn’t just apply to ads, it applies to all your Facebook content.
Shorter text = better engagement (Although there are always exceptions to this rule).
Or make it long…
There’s always an exception to the rule. Eleanor Goold who runs the amazing The Copywriter Facebook group suggests longer stories but don’t give it all away at the beginning, reel them in from the beginning and they’ll keep reading.
“Too many people are in a hurry to get to the benefits and forget they are telling a story, what’s more, that they are telling their target audience’s story back to them.
Make sure there is a hook to entice your audience in and curiosity to move people forward to get them to read the whole ad. A well told story will trump a hackneyed FB copywriting script when done right.”
4. Use CAPS and Emoji
There’s no text styling within Facebook ad copy. No bold, no italic, no differing text sizes. If you want specific words to stand out you’ll need to use capital letters. It can be an effective way to draw attention to the important words in your text.
Emoji also work well, adding that little bit of colour to a bland space.
If you do choose to use either of these in your copy use a light touch. Too many capital letters give the impression of shouting. Too many emoji can confuse your key message.
5. Use words and a tone that matches your audience
I don’t know what happens to businesses. I’ve seen pages that have been writing successful Facebook posts seem to lose the knack when they start advertising.
Just because you are paying for an ad it doesn’t mean you should slip back into an old-fashioned writing style.
Write copy in a tone that matches your ideal audience. You want to make users feel comfortable when they see your ad. Comfortable enough to click or buy.
I recommend reading your copy out loud before hitting publish on an ad. Does it sound natural? Are you using language you’d use if you were having a conversation with a customer?
6. Tell me why
If you want your audience to take action on an ad be tell them what’s in it for them. What are they going to get in return for clicking?
- Will they get a special offer or deal?
- Will they find the answer to their question?
- Will they save time if they invest in what you are selling?
If you answer a customer need with your product or service make sure you communicate that in your ad.
7. One CTA to rule them all
Your ad should be there to serve one purpose and one purpose only. Don’t purchase an ad to get people to Like your page and then try and sell an offer at the same time. It will dilute the effectiveness of your ad and you could end up getting nether the like or the sale.
8. Mention price
Facebook’s own guide to writing ad copy recommends mentioning your price (where appropriate).
Doing this will mean that when people click they are ready to spend. It also means more people will click. I’m often reluctant to click the link and wait for a site to load just to find out if the product is within my budget.
9. Ask a question
There’s something about seeing a simple question on Facebook that grabs attention. Make it something that resonates with your audience and you’ll pique their interest.
Go back to point 6 and find the question that you are answering for your customer. Make that question part of your copy and you’ll attract the right eyes to your ad.
What’s next?
If you are creating ads for your business it’s well worth setting some time aside to polish your copy. Experiment with some of the tips above and let me know if you see better results.
What are your top ad copy tips? What works for you? I’d love to hear your ideas.
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