You, like most of us, have probably internalized the idea that ads are annoying and your browsing experience would be much better off without them. Even if you are a digital marketing professional, when you get home you probably use an ad-blocker and might even pay extra for interruption free YouTube, Hulu, or Spotify. Perhaps even all three.
However, there’s no need to have mixed feelings about moonlighting as an ad-dodger because most ads can be crude sales pitches that aren’t actually designed to speak to you. With this blog, we’ll be exploring the importance of ad copy for your digital marketing campaigns.
How Data Informs Advertising Copy
Data has helped you optimize your targeting, but how well do you really know your audience? Before you write your ad copy you ought to know your audience well enough to know what they want to have, how they want to feel or what problems they want solved.
Think of the headline and description of your ads like a hand-written letter to a friend. If you’re taking the time to write a letter, put it in an envelope, and take it to the post office, then you probably have a personal relationship with the recipient. Likewise, if you are spending money and time optimizing your campaigns, then you should know how to communicate with your audience in a way that makes them feel like you actually know them.
Your ads are bait for conversions and what makes “good” bait wholly depends on the type of fish you’re trying to catch.
It’s important to remember there are real people on the other side of your targeting parameters. Include humanity in your ad copy. Conversions aren’t often won by simply listing the rational reasons why your product is high-quality and worth the asking price. Most of us don’t make online purchases based on reason alone.
What Should You Think About When Writing Ad Copy?
Consider Maslow’s hierarchy.
The individuals targeted by your ads are probably not immediately concerned about their physiological or safety needs. You might be able to influence them based on their sense of belonging, self-esteem, love or ideas of self-actualization. Ask yourself: If I ran a dating app, would I rather advertise the statistics of relationship success on my app or show a photo of loving couple and use “You could be a swipe away from #relationshipgoals”?
Or take the Hinge approach: “This app was meant to be deleted.” That copy is strong and self aware. If we’re doing our job right, you’ll no longer need our service.
Test these ideas for yourself and see how well you know your audience and their needs & desires.
Use Data To Make Copy Decisions
It’s still very important to analyze the performance data while you are revitalizing your ad copy. Just because we are exploring ideas like love, hope and fulfillment, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to use data as the foundation of every marketing decision we make. At Untitled, we typically spend the first few weeks of a marketing project A/B testing copywriting and creatives. Based on the data insights, we’ll have a much better understanding of what performs best.
With considerations of emotional and personal needs combined with a critical exploration of what problems your product or service solves for your audience, you can begin writing ad copy that is powerful enough to cut through all of the white noise and produce conversions.
How Untitled Can Help
As a data-driven marketing firm, Untitled helps dozens of eCommerce companies identify and capitalize on their voice. Our digital account team explores your value proposition in real-time and pulls snippets from customer reviews to help gauge what the market may find attractive.
Contact Untitled today to get started on your very first 45-day marketing sprint! Our team is standing by.
