Copywriting for social media ads: It’s not what you say that matters, it’s how you say it

Copywriting for social media ads: It’s not what you say that matters, it’s how you say it

Many might say that social media advertising in its modern form is intermittent advertising. However, there’s definitely something less aggressive about a sponsored tweet or Facebook post than a flashy TV ad.
The good news for advertisers is that the general public doesn’t shy away from these ads as much as they do TV ads.

The goal is to put something interesting and personalized in the newsfeed for the target audience so that the person stops scrolling! If they scroll through your ad and don’t even read it, that’s a sign the ad is weak.

So what does good social media ads look like?
It doesn’t matter what you say, but how you say it (and show it). Before you start with specific examples, remember two important things:

The first is to reach the right audience. I won’t get into that today, but the more precisely you define your target audience, the easier it will be to write an ad!
The second element is to prevent the person from scrolling. There are several possibilities for that. The simplest of these is using an extremely eye-catching image. Once you’ve chosen your image and audience, you can start typing your text.

How to write texts for social media – a quick guide
You already know all the basics of social media advertising, but you don’t know how to write the ad yourself. For this new ad, I’m assuming you already have an attractive image and are targeting the right audience. The next step is to enter the title (25 characters), body (90 characters), description of the feed link and the link to display. Here are some quick social media content tips to keep in mind when writing:

Text – Your text should contain at least 2 strong words, 1 highly relevant keyword and as many breakthrough points as you can think of. Also, keep in mind who you are promoting. The style of writing and the vocabulary used vary depending on the target audience.

For example, “great” might be a powerful word for a younger demographic, but if you’re addressing men in their 50s, that would be a poor choice.

Headline: Must contain a new keyword (use the most meaningful or strong one here) and another relevant keyword that is highly relevant to the person (which you should know from your targeting). Using Udemy’s first ad above as an example, I would personally go for “Your Professional Guitar Masterclass” instead of “The Professional Guitar Masterclass”. This adds personality to the ad and grabs the attention of the person who is already reading it.

Feed Link Description – This is where you should continue the conversation about the benefits of the product and more importantly, why people should try it. For example free trials, great reviews, money back guarantees or last 3 copies etc.

Display Link – This should be the address of your website, but don’t be afraid to use the parameter in your choice of expressive words. For example website.com/free-proven-strategy/.

Button – Depends on what you’re selling, but I personally always recommend any button. If your product is free, you can use the Sign Up or Learn More options. If there is a cost, I recommend the Buy Now option.

Conclusion
Long gone are the days of Don Draper and a wonderful slogan, but writing great copy for social media ads doesn’t have to be difficult. Use the checklist below and go through each step to ensure all of your ads meet these key elements.

Eye-Catching Image – Stop scrolling.
Relevant Audience: A 5% CTR doesn’t make sense if your conversion rate is 0.
First Likes: Get more than 50 first likes for your ad alone.
Words of Power – Include some Words of Power in your copy.
Break the Barriers: Add stats, prices, and numbers to break down the barriers for people thinking about clicking your ad.
Personal Association – Don’t create generic ads, add your own words and phrases.