28 October 2022

This is how you write Facebook ads that do convert

Patrick
️ Blog
19 min. reading time

Facebook ads have become an integral part of the marketing mix. With some budget and a clear goal you can actually get started fairly quickly to reach your target group. Unlike in-depth Google ads, Facebook ads are fairly simple to set up. But then you have to be able to convey your message well to that target group. Your ad goes beyond a pretty picture and stands – or falls – with strong text. 

With the campaign settings at the back, you ensure that your ad ends up with the right people on their timeline. Do you want these people to read and click through your ad? Then a strong text is indispensable. With these 6 tips you can write ad texts that do convert. 

Strategy, strategy, strategy

Before you even start writing, it is essential that you put a strategy on paper. What is your goal, with which target group and in which part of the funnel are they located? You cannot target your texts to certain users on your website, after all, you cannot target here. Something that can easily be done in Facebook ads. So make sure you have a clear picture of the wishes, needs and goals of your different target groups. This will change the approach of your ad text. 

Then. Split the customer journey into different phases. For example, take the AIDA model to start and specify a measurable conversion target per phase. If you also formulate these goals SMART, you're all right! This also helps you give direction to your ad copy. You do not have to aim for hard conversion at all if that is not your goal. 

Strategy in a nutshell. There is still a book to devote to this, but this blog is about the text. Do you want help with your advertising strategy? We can help you with that help out!

Write a creative headline!

But keep the customer goal in mind.

In the headline you state the benefits of your product or service. In fact; that is sometimes even more important than your actual product or service! After all, you offer a solution to someone's problem. Therefore, make sure that the solution to that problem can be read in your headline. 'Learn to take the best family photos' sounds like a better solution than a 'The best evening photography course'. 

Are you really not sure? Then there are always a number of fixed formulas that focus on a number buzz words – words that make a sentence impressive or striking. Be careful with this. Overuse or an irrelevant choice can make your ads come across as click-bait, leaving people wanting to stop interacting with your ads altogether. 

Examples: 

  • You can start using these tips about… today;
  • You didn't know this about…

Does your creative brain cooperate while writing and do you get that creative title on paper? Then people prefer something surprising and original. We find those standard buzzwords interesting, that has been proven. Do you really want to stand out, make an impact and make an impact with your ad? Then creative and surprising copy is the best choice for you. 

Target audience

Write for your target audience

The head is up! Now the body of your text. It's tempting to write a lot – after all, you've paid for it – or get stuck in industry jargon. This hinders the effectiveness of your text so try to avoid this. Focus on the wishes and needs of your target audience. That also means an adjustment in the tone-of-voice, the emoji use or the use of certain words. Write as personal and as simple as possible.

A Facebook ad is not higher literature. Vague suggestive words distract the reader from the goal you want to achieve with your text. Make it your mission as you write to make sure everyone understands what it says. In practice this means writing at B1 level. An ad text is also short and powerful. That does not mean that you can only write 1 or 2 lines, but try to ensure that you keep the sentences short and understandable and that there is a clear structure in the text. 

When someone reads your ad, they should immediately understand:

  • What you offer;
  • How this helps them;
  • What to do next.

Are you unable to address your target group in 1 text? Write different versions. Thanks to Facebook's targeting options, you can target different people from your target group in a very targeted way. Think of an advertising campaign for a clothing store that will sell winter clothing. Black sweaters for men are offered in one ad and black sweaters for women in the other ad. The product is not very different in terms of content, but you can imagine that these target groups have different wishes and needs that you should take into account in your text. 

Segmentation options to consider include: 

  • Geographical Location: where someone lives or where someone has been;
  • Demographics: language, age, gender, education, employers or marital status;
  • Interests: hobbies, liked pages or other interests. 

Don't underestimate the power of numbers

Numbers can enhance your text! Whether you use numbers to sum up something or to substantiate a statement. They can give your target audience that little bit of extra security to click on your ad. 

For example, when you sell a product, people want to know how much it costs. Be honest about this, so you know that the people who do click are informed and are really interested. Do you give a discount? Tell the percentage. How much time can someone save with your product or service. etc. Ads that work use the numbers behind a product/service to their advantage.  

Choose the best call to action

The last puzzle piece to complete your ad is the call-to-action (read: CTA). After all, your catchy creative headline and structured clear text guide your readers to the CTA, where they need to take action. Make sure that it is clear what is expected of your reader. Do you want the reader to buy the product now or download an e-book first? Keep it short, simple and make sure the CTA you choose aligns with the text and purpose of your ad

Choice stress? There are a few options that are always right for you. These options can be classified based on the funnel. 

Attention:

Buttons in this part of the funnel are for readers who don't know your business yet, but will after seeing the ad. The most used and best performing are: 

  • More information – learn more;
  • Apply – apply now; 
  • Download – download.

Interest/desire:

Buttons in this part of the funnel are for readers who know what you offer and are considering your products or services. You help readers at this stage decide if your company is right for them. The most commonly used and best performing CTAs in this phase are:

  • More information – learn more;
  • download – download;
  • Contact us – contact us;
  • Book now – book now. 

Action:

Ads in the last phase ensure hard conversion. At this point, leads are ready to buy/enterprise and your ad is the final push to win them over. Boost conversions with the following buttons:

  • Message us – message us;
  • Apply – apply now;
  • Subscribe – subscribe;
  • Register – subscribe;
  • Request a quote – get quote.

Test your text

Test with different texts

There are different types of texts. It differs per product and per target group which is the most effective. Sometimes a longer ad text with paragraphs works well, other times short bullet points with problems and solutions work better. Try testing with both shapes. That way you find out which is more effective. Please note: always choose 1 part of the advertisement to test. Otherwise, it's unclear what made the difference. How do you approach that? 

First, choose two different headings. One with buzzwords and one that is a bit more creative. Did you find a winner? Take care of the bread text. Add bullets, clarify your statement or solution or simplify the text. Work in this way to any link title and description. Encourage more action or clarify. Finally, play with the buttons. It is a recurring optimization process. 

So.

Writing the best ads is a process of testing, rewriting, and optimizing. No matter how much research you do, you won't really know what works until it's online. Of course you can lay the best possible foundation for yourself by knowing exactly who you are writing for and why you are doing it.

Then there's only one thing left! Take these tips and get started writing the best ads possible. Not finished yet? Check here more inspiring blog articles.

Do you need help with your advertising strategy or texts? take contact with us! Social Brothers is a Digital Agency, we work with and for our clients. As a team we are driven by the challenges of our clients. Growing together is something we get excited about. Our team of consultants, designers, marketers and developers is fully focused on online growth. We have been on a playing field that changes daily for more than a decade. With new channels, changing resources or innovative techniques.

Every day we help our clients with the foundation of their business. A little better every day, that's what we stand for. Curious about what we can do for you? Click here

PatrickContent Marketer[email protected]

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