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When it comes to paid advertisements online, the tiniest details can make or break the success of your ad's performance. Take your Facebook ad copy, for instance. All too often, we see marketers throw a few sentences in there and call it a day. In reality, your Facebook ad copy is crucial when it comes to creating an ad that actually delivers results.
So, what are some best practices you can follow to reach Facebook ad success? Here are 13 tips to get you started.
Give People a Reason to Click
You will almost always need an incentive of some sort. Think of it this way: People who see your ad are wondering, "What's in it for me?" They want to know what they get out of it, so your Facebook ad copy should make that clear.
This also means you need to structure the entire ad so that people who click get something — like a freebie, a downloadable PDF, a checklist, how-to, or some other kind of document, image, or video that they'll benefit from. Also, be sure to read out post on how to schedule a post on Facebook to gain even more traffic!
Pique Their Curiosity by Making Them Guess a Little
Facebook ads are kind of like dating: You want to play hard to get a little. Don't give away all your secrets in your Facebook ad copy. Leave some of the mystery there, so your copy will be more enticing and people will feel the need to click, to get more answers.
Review Your Facebook Ad Copy on Both Desktop and Mobile
Don't forget to toggle between both views to see how they look. Facebook allows you to do this as you're creating and reviewing your ad. This will help you get the most out of your Facebook ad budget!
You want to check because some ads will look great on desktop and not so great on mobile, or vice versa. Odds are that you're going to get a decent amount of ad traffic from people who are seeing you on their smartphone, so the mobile view is as important as the desktop view.
If you're having a really hard time coming up with Facebook ad copy that looks good on both devices, remember that you could always create two separate ads.
Take Advantage of Feelings of Urgency and Scarcity
FOMO: fear of missing out. Use it! When people are under the impression that something is in short supply or only available for a limited time, they're far likelier to click. Your Facebook ad copy should take this into consideration.
Whatever you're offering, you should think of offering it for a short period of time, like a few days. Don't give people too much time, because then that feeling of urgency is gone. Or, you might consider limiting the number of people who can access whatever you're giving away. Then, people will feel like they have to act now.
You don't want them to think they have all the time in the world. When you do that, they tend to think, "Well, I'll come back to this later," and — spoiler alert! - they never do.
Focus Your Facebook Ad Copy on Your CTA, *Not* Your Brand
Of course we want to use the space that Facebook gives us in our ads to talk about how fantastic our businesses are — but that probably shouldn't be the point of your ad. True, there are some scenarios when straightforward brand promotion might be the way to go, but we urge you to consider what your goal is here.
What is the ad trying to accomplish? For instance, if you want to generate leads, you'll want to stick with what we described earlier and offer people something they want. Use the Facebook ad to send them to a landing page on your website, where they'll have to put in their email address to receive your freebie. There's your lead.
A helpful trick here is to aim to use the word "you" more in your ad copy. This forces you to write more for your audience and see things from their perspective.
Speak to a Very Specific Audience
The riches are in the niches. When you try to target everyone, you end up targeting no one. When writing your Facebook ad copy, direct it to a specific audience. Who exactly are you trying to reach — stay-at-home moms, dog owners, aspiring entrepreneurs? Be precise.
On a related note, this should also be reflected in your ad targeting. While it's certainly cool that Facebook allows you to target audiences in the millions, the likelihood of finding the exact people interested in your offer – in a sea of millions — is slim to none.
You stack the odds much more in your favor if you target a smaller audience. Remember, we want conversions!
Use Simple, Easy-to-Understand Language
Any person who sees your ad should be able to immediately understand what you're offering, how they benefit from it, and how they can get it. A good rule of thumb here is KISS: Keep it simple, stupid. ;-)
The same can also be said for the length of your Facebook ad copy, although this is something you'll want to test. (More on that later.) Bear in mind how people use Facebook — specifically on mobile. They're likely scrolling very quickly. They don't often pause to stop and read something lengthy. Maybe they will if it's a post from a friend or relative.
But an ad? You've got to be extra careful not to talk on and on, or else you risk your audience simply scrolling right by you.
Be Realistic With What You Promise
Better yet, don't promise anything at all. But let's back up for a minute.
Sometimes, marketers will use their Facebook ad copy and headline space to try to "wow" their audience. This is great, except you don't want to take it too far. Very often, this won't work in the first place, because Facebook will reject ads that seem to make outrageous promises or guarantees.
Regardless, your word choice and tone should present you in a down-to-earth, relatable manner. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with your audience. Use it wisely.
Put the Best Stuff in the Beginning
So, you know you don't have much time to capture their attention. In other words, you don't have even seconds to waste. Whatever you absolutely have to say, spit it out! Put all the most important details in the beginning of your Facebook ad copy, so people will be likelier to read it.
Side note: If it's unimportant enough to leave for the end of your copy, you might consider eliminating it completely. Don't put anything in your Facebook ad copy that doesn't have to be there. You don't have the space for it!
Touch on Your Audience's Pain Points or Fears
Your audience wants to know that you understand and that you're on their side. One way to effectively do this is to make your Facebook ad copy about their pain points or fears — and then swoop in to save the day.
When you empathize with your target audience, you connect with them in a whole new way. It's genuine and organic.
Tell Your Audience Exactly What You Want Them to Do
You would be shocked by how much more successful your Facebook ad can be simply by telling people what you want them to do. Yes, Facebook gives you a CTA button — like "Learn More" or "Download." Don't rely solely on this, though. Your Facebook ad copy should include direction, like, "Click below to receive your free checklist," or, "Click below to schedule a free consultation."
Don't leave any room for (mis)interpretation. Give your audience specific directions. You want them to have to do as little work and as little thinking as possible.
Format Your Facebook Ad Copy So That It's Easy to Skim
Let's say you do decide to go with ad copy that's on the longer side. If that's the case, avoid writing in huge blocks of text. This isn't reader-friendly and will drive your clicks and conversions down.
Instead, find ways to break the text up. You can do this with:
- Bullet points, like we're doing right now!
- Shorter paragraphs.
- Emojis.
You should keep in mind that more often than not, people don't read things online word for word. They skim. So your ad should be — you guessed it — easy to skim. Even when skimming, people should be able to walk away having gathered the main points of the ad.
Test, Test, Test Everything
This might the most important tip on this list. When it comes to Facebook ads in general (heck, even social media in general), you have to throw a bunch of things against the wall and see what sticks. If something isn't working, try something else. If something is working, try something else to see if it works better.
Test variations of your Facebook ad copy: different lengths, different approaches (for example, pain points versus fears versus FOMO), various CTAs, emojis versus no emojis, single images versus carousel ads versus videos, and so on and so forth. You never know what's going to really resonate with your audience, so you need to try. You know what they say: Variety is the spice of life.
Don't forget about the headline and display URL — you'll want to split test those as well.
Hopefully it goes without saying that as you test, you should be tracking and measuring everything. Otherwise, you have no way of know what's actually working in your favor and what needs to go.
Impressions and reach might seem like a good place to start, but they don't tell the whole story — not even close. Remember, this goes back to what the goal of your ad is. For instance, if you're driving people to a landing page on your website, you care about clicks and the clickthrough rate (CTR). It doesn't matter if 10,000 people saw your ad if only three of them actually clicked on it.
You're better off with fewer impressions and more clicks, for a higher CTR.
Final Thoughts
Facebook ads can be tricky, and there is indeed a learning curve. If you're feeling frustrated by them, we can promise you this: They take some trial and error! Use the 13 tips above the next time you're crafting your Facebook ad copy, and you'll be on the right path to success.
Managing your social media presence is so much easier when you have the right tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Facebook ads copy?
Facebook Ads Copy is like a perfect cocktail mix of words, phrases and images to sell something to your target audience. It’s meant to capture their attention, generate interest and make them want to learn more about what you have to offer.
How much copy should be in a Facebook ad?
The optimal amount is 125 characters or less. Too little and you won't get your point across, but too long and you'll lose the interest of potential customers. You need to craft concise and engaging copy that will grab attention while quickly conveying the benefits of your product or service.
How long should a Facebook ad copy be?
Keep your ad copy short on Facebook! People will not take the time to read pages and pages of text! Focus on presenting the benefits of your product & service clearly. In the modern age, shorter copy is best!
