writing ad copy certificate

1. rules of ad copy writing

writing for web readers

• the F pattern is how most people tend to read a website

  • start at the top then go right, down the line to the right and so on

• whats good about the F pattern?

  • its familiar, lets you write and then read a website copy as if it were a novel

  • increased speed of readability

• drawbacks?

  • users read it to quickly

  • 50% of users tend to not scroll beyond the first few paragraphs

  • holds a lower attention span that other patterns

• Z pattern, in which copy jumps position and forces the user to focus on the content directly in their face

• which layout is better for an ad copy?

  • a good rule to follow is if you feel like a viewer is equipped to make a purchase by just remembering one key piece of your proposition, one feature, one benefit. use the Z pattern since it forces focus

  • if telling a story or want to build a case in more than one paragraph, the F pattern is preferable

keep content fresh

• a newer page that doesnt feature relevant content to a search query will still rank lower than an older one thats on point

• in an ad copy, theres a tendancy to set it and forget it, but regularly examining your on-page content and pages is important

• every page you publish should be examined within 90 days or sooner

• youll always want to leave your older content life to capitalize on incoming links that also matter to google algorithm, but creating new pages and avenues to publish updated content and copy, can be a very satisfying way of consistently ranking higher in search engines position

language and tone

• the first mission of an ad copy should be to convey your value proposition to the reader in as concise and objective a way as possible

• consider that the words you write under a companys umbrella could end up impacting their search engine optimization efforts

• for a small compny, using consistent terminology can help ranking. for larger enterprises, going off message can have a negative impact on branding

• knowing what terms to use, when to use them, and how to speak directly to your target audience is an important part of being an ad copy professional

• if a small organization, its recommendd to create a brand language guidline that can be filled with anything your organization needs to craft a consistent message.

  • this will help employees amplify your companys message with a consistent tone and voice every time

chapter quiz

• when should you use z-pattern instead of an f-pattern?

  • the z-pattern allows one to hold focu to emphasize on one major point

2. ad copy goals

micro vs. macro goals

• by setting interest goals for your ads in addition to monetary goals, you can understand what levers might eventually lead to more revenue down the road in addition to immediately

• revenue driving or macro goals, these are goals that have been identified as leading directly to revenue

• a macro goals advantage should be pretty clear, money

• micro goals suffer from the disadvantage of not putting money in your pocket, they do have the advantage, namely the ability to retain customer interest as a direct result of a less painful ask

• teach a man to click an ad and hell buy your product and then go about his day. teach a man to sign up for your emails, and hell see every ad you ever create, potentially leading to a much higher revenue per customer

acquisition goals

• values of proposition, a thing you have that custimers want that the competition cant offer

• once properly identitied and inserted in your ad, the rest of your ad should have the goal of making that value proposition clear, understandable, and attainable

• value proposition is a way of asking:

  • who are you?

  • what are you offering me?

  • why should i care?

• loss aversion, thi smeans people are more afriad of making the wrong decision than they are excited to make the right decision. people are worried they’re going to get taken advantage of

• put yourself in the customers shoes and answer these key question and also make sure you address that voice of doubt that every customer faces

retention goals

• in a rentention ad, the first thing you want to do is to acknowledge the relationship and then present customer offer

• acknowledging that you have a relationship with the customer instantly increases the sense of relevance a customer feels, and in marketing, generating a feeling can be the hardest thing to do

• a fair deal of retention marketing tends to have a conversational writing style, as if youre having a discussion with the customer since their is an air of familiarity

  • this can be done by mentioning the previous purchase or account activity, using their name in the introduction or even customizing the offer to include at least one factor that excludes new customers

chapter quiz

• macro goals drive revenue and micro goals drive interest

  • true

• how would you begin a new customer retention campaign

  • by acknowledging a relationship

    • the retention campaign should build upon existing or past interactions

3. writing ad copy for different media

website ad copy

• get to the point quickly, present what youre offering, its benefots to the customer and then remove as much distractions as possible

• ensure your copy works with the ad design

• a key benefit of online writing is that you can easily track how your words are laid out and presented through the use of a/b testing, eye tracking tools, heat maps, and click maps

• while you may have longer than eight seconds to create an impression, there are many other stimuli trying to pry your readers attention away. be bold, be concise, and dont let them get away

email ad copy

• make your email responsive on all devices

• plan how your email will look on a mobile device first, then add in sales copy and elements as needed for desktop resolution.

• when people see copy only emails they think its going to be dry, account update type of message. so keep your copy to an absolute minimum

• make your subject line weird. the ore original and relevant, the better; the higher the likelihood theyll open it

• email is a low involvement medium communication. instead of asking them to buy now or join now, why not say to check it out or take a tour. keep it light

• use only conversational style. avoid big businessy words when simple, common speech terms work

• just try different stuff. email marketing is low cost, low risk, and with the right strategy, it can be a big moneymaker

direct email ad copy

• the goal of any mailed piece of information, usefulness, branding, positivity, and the delight the recipient

• information:

  • tell them about a new product

  • why your company rocks, who you are, what you do ect.

• unefulness and branding, your mission for direct mail advertising should be to create something that lasts a long time

  • you want to read it, use it, then come back to it later

• delight the customer, create an incentive for reading your direct piece of mail

• direct mail has a lot of barriers to entry, its expensive, its hard to do right. and its effectiveness can be hard to track given the lag in time between sending arrival

social media ad copy

• the first tip for writing for social media, saying one thing, and then linking somewhere unexpected is a big no. examine each of the fore pieces of your post and ask yourself if they’re related

• remember your place, stay true to your brand

• always be aware that eveyr single post you would make available can get instant feedback

  • always stay on tone and on brand

• adopting a comprehensive social media campaign strategy is simply a must in todays digital marketplace

chapter quiz

• images in social media copy should feature

  • people

• the subject line of an email ad is the place to be

  • experimental and odd

4. understanding your audience

how psychology affects ad copy

• the relatively new field of marketing psychology has risen out of questions, purchasing ones, not the camel, and seeks to give marketers insights into not only how our decisions made, but how people differentiate between competing products, and how much information they need

• consumer behavior is a wide ranging discipline, seeking to understand everything from the mindset of early adopters, to how items on a shelf can best be positioned for maximum exposure

• every sucessful company has, at some point, use psychological marketing concepts in their ad copy

• if youre not trying to understand how people think and act the way they do, youre basically just hoping ads will work because youre a better writer

psychological triggers: priming

• priming, its using stimulus to effect a later stimulus

• an experiment involving priming, psychologists found that people were faster to recognize words when familiar or related words were given first

• first way to priming readers is with conditions or situation

• you could also prime readers for your ads by using homophone priming

  • youre using the sound of words to set up the reader for action

• the key to priming is to think of both the initial stimulus and the ultimate action stimulus

• priming is one psychological trigger that can be be used whenever applicable but reserved for when its appriopriate

psychological triggers: social proof

• the power of conformity can pay off for ad copywriters when it comes time to making purchase decisions

• the first part of using social proof in your ad copy is for it to be honest and believable

• second feature, is that social proof needs to be relevant to the reader

• social proof should be used as a way to reduce anxiety or doubt in a potential user

• used correctly, social proof can be one of the biggest tools youll ever use in an ad campaign and push it to new heights

• keep it believable, relevant and only used when there is the potential doubt or risk. whether you lead with it or whether its a minor call-out, should be directly related to the level of risk the customer is going to feel. dont hesitate to test out different positions and let the data tell you whatll work best with your audience

psychological triggers: price

• make your price seem lower in an ad without actually changing a thing. introduce a lower divided price of what youre offering

• no matter the priceof your product or service, for some customers, its going to be too much

  • focus on how the product or service relates to time. reinforcing the relationship between time as opposed to the monetary investment can make the decision a more desireable one

  • focus on the time benefits someone can spend with your product as opposed to its affordability

• introduce a bigger price before yours.

  • simply exposing subjects to a higher number at some point before the price, leads subjects to perceive that price is smaller

• no matter the tactics you take, make sure you address the presentation of the price and how it relates to the users perception of pain

loss aversion and the endowment effect

• endowment effect, states that people place a higher value on an item simply because they own it, tends to work well

• maximizing on the endowment effect then is a simple matter of how you present the thing youre offering, presented as simething the customer already owns

• low aversion is a real concern that taps into the deep insecurities of the human condition

• ads should always aim to address a pain point. think about how you can turn that pain point into a joyful experience. your ad has a great chance of resonating with your target audience

chapter quiz

• losing money is generally oerceiveed as less painful than finding money is perceived as great

  • false

• how might you use priming to advertise a roadway automobile service

  • show an image of a dark, rainy, deserted road

    • the priming here is setting the stage for the scenario of being stranded on the highway

5. personas and tone

customer personas

• defining personas requires boiling a group down to no more than two or three specific people who represent your audience

• you dont need to know everything about them just what their pain points are and what about your product or service can make their life better

• instead of just throwing ideas at a wall, speak directly to your audience and their needs, thats just good ad copy

why tone matters

• big results follow from using an original tone thats conversational that resonates with your audience

• the point of any ad is to create an emotional response. most purchasing decisions are type one decisions, which means their origin resonates with the emotional part of our brains

• if your ads are primarily online, test different approaches and themes in your ad campaigns via a/b testing tools

• injecting terms organically into your ad not only increases your page rank, but also greater reflects the readers desired expectations

• by following the tone formula, your tone should be reflective, authentic, and restrained, you can communicate with your potential customers as they like to be talked to, and hopefully, create lasting emotions that will keep them back to your ads time and time again

chapter quiz

• changes in tone should be made

  • gradually

6. dos and dont

eliminate the passive voice

• passive voice makes thoughts, especially complex ones, hard to follow as you wonder who is doing what

• if you use a passive tone, you increase the readers cognitive load, where they actually spend time thinking about what you mean, as opposed to actually acting on what youre selling

• to make matters worse, passive ad copy tends to run longer than active ad copy

• from a design perspective, passive voice use means that scanners of your ads, as in readers who will never go beyond the first words, sont see the actual thing being offered or solde, just the entry words

• create a straight line to the conversion, by using active tone throughout your ad copy. the difference in tone is subtle, but it can be the difference between a confused reader and a motivated customer

write effective headlines

• consistently better headlines feature four traits

  • it grabs their attention, then lets them go. your headline should be interesting. use creative and imaginative ways of introducing the ad

  • meets their entry expectation, reflect the entry keywords or terms in your headline

  • addresses a pain point, understanding the motivations and needs of your clientel is crucial in ad copywriting, and nowhere is this more important than the main headline

  • your headline should make sense, use simple and easy to understand language. a headline isnt a time to persuade someone, its a time to be clear about what youre selling them on

• try writing your next ad headline last, if you look at your ad as a conversation with your customer, knowing what you say later on might help you figure out the best approach in the beginning

• if your ads have a headline and a sub-headline, switch them. most imes when we write the headline and subline, we naturally gravitate towards making the headliine our big moment when we show how clever we are, but then bring it back down to earth in the subheadline by connecting it to the customers needs and desires in a way that flows to the main copy

• a headline should grab you, be clear, meet an expectation and address a pain point, not be something you need to pull out of the air to save a company

master the call to action (CTA)

• CTA is just the link that gets your visitor from point a to point b in your sales funnel

• endowment effect states that people attribute a higher value to something just because they own it

• attributing ownsership to what youre selling can be that slight motivational push that ends up increasing your bottom line

• the only thing you can hope to find is the CTA thats perfect for your ad and the one that acts as a conclusion to your awesome ad copy

chapter quiz

• which of the following statements would probably make the best headline in an ad for a scarce christmas toy?

  • flyovers in stock now

    • the message is concise, meets the customer expectation, addresses a pain point, and makes sense