5 Essential Rules for Writing Ad Content
Ads might just be a few square inches or a page depending on your budget, but for them to be effective, you have to put a lot of thought and planning into those few inches. You may not need much written copy in your ads but finding the perfect wording is easier said than done. That is why we hire experienced content writers at McCauley Marketing Services who specialize in writing for marketing purposes. While it’s a skill that takes years to cultivate, these essential tips can be a start.
Start With a Bang
No matter where your ad appears, you’re competing against plenty of distractions for your reader’s attention. The first thing your readers see needs to grab their attention. Much like the title of a blog article, the first line of your ad needs to be a showstopper. You also need to make that powerful line a prominent part of your ad design.
Always Give a Next Step
You might think your goal is to tell a reader about your product or service. In truth, your goal is for them to reach out to you and eventually make a purchase. It’s easy to forget this part of the equation. As you write your ad, make sure you lay out the next step clearly for your reader. Encourage them to call you, visit your website, or whatever the next step in your sales funnel may be. It can also be helpful to offer an incentive for them to take that step soon, like a special offer that will expire. This helps them avoid the black hole of saying, “What a great idea! I’ll do that sometime.”
Find a Happy Medium with the Reading Level
One of the most common mistakes in writing marketing copy is to try so hard to sound like an expert that you end up sounding pretentious or losing your readers’ attention. At the same time, you don’t want to “dumb down” your writing so much that it sounds like you’re talking to a child. This can either make your reader confused and think that children are your target audience or it can sound insulting to them. Ultimately, you should aim to write at around an 8th-grade reading level. It is also best to avoid industry jargon unless you are a B2B company who is trying to reach a specialized, knowledgeable customer.
Make It About Your Audience
Your audience should be the key focus of your ad. There’s a valued principle in marketing and advertising that instead of telling the reader what your product or service is, tell them what it can do for them. Call attention to the benefit you can offer and paint a picture for the customer of how much better their life or business could be with your service or product. For the reader, your ad needs to offer not only a “what” and a “how” but a “why” as well.
Keep It Concise
You might think that the more information you can offer to your readers, the better your chances are of convincing them to make a purchase. That’s not necessarily true. The more copy your ad has, the less likely a customer is to read it at all. They’re more likely to say, “I don’t have time to read all this,” and move on. Keep your copy short, to-the-point, and persuasive. Remember that you don’t need to give customers all the information they could ever want about your business. All you need to do is interest them enough for them to take the next step.
Whether you’re creating an ad for a website or a printed medium, your written content plays a vital role in how successful your ad will be. Putting some extra thought into and following the rules above may take more time but it’s a powerful way to get more bang for your buck and ultimately better results. If, on the other hand, you’d like to improve your odds even more by leaving the writing and the design to experienced professionals, call McCauley Marketing Services to set up a meeting with our team. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well for more tips.