Writing ad copy that people actually read
Most people only read the first line of your ad. That line has to do the work. The rest is for people who already want to be convinced.
The AdSweet teamFor every businessThe first sentence decides
On Facebook and Instagram you first see a short piece of text, then ‘See more’. Meta recommends putting the most important message in the first 125 characters. Start with what your customer recognises: a problem, a question or something concrete.
- ‘Leaking roof after the storm? We’ll come by this week.’
- ‘Candles that burn for 60 hours, hand-poured in Ghent.’
- ‘One slot left for a cut on Saturday.’
One ad, one message
Whoever tries to say everything in one text says nothing. Choose one reason per ad why someone buys from you. If it doesn’t work, test another reason in a new ad.
Write the way you talk
Speak to one person, with ‘you’. Use words your customers use themselves. A sentence you can say out loud without stumbling is a good sentence.
Be concrete
‘Fast delivery’ says little. ‘Ordered before 10 pm, at your door tomorrow’ says it all. The same goes for quality, service and experience: replace them with a number, a place or an example.
Finish with one step
Say what someone should do now: order, make an appointment, ask for a quote. One button, one action.
Frequently asked questions
How long can ad copy be?
Short often works well, but not always. Above all make sure the first sentence works on its own. A longer text can help with a more expensive product, where people want more explanation.
Do I advertise in Dutch and in French?
Speak to your customers in their language. Then make separate ads per language, and target the region or the language of the people you want to reach.