Ad copywriting helps your brand connect with prospective customers. It’s a crucial part of the lead generation process, and great ad copy is required in pretty much every aspect of advertising and marketing.

Copy helps you communicate what you do, who you are, and why leads should care. Besides describing your products and services, it inspires your audiences to work with you. 

Because ad copywriting has such an important role in the ongoing success of businesses, you need to know best practices to keep improving. This guide will cover what ad copywriting means and five rules to follow when learning how to write ad copy.

What Is Ad Copywriting? 

Ad copywriting — also known as advertising copywriting or ad copy — is content specific to a brand that intends to reach a target audience. It will ideally encourage the reader to trust the brand, make a purchase, or take a step that is beneficial to the brand. This could be signing up for a newsletter or reaching out to the company for more information.

Successful ad copywriting will:

• Inspire the reader
• Catch their attention
• Invoke an emotional response
• Communicate value
• Motivate them to take a desired action

The purpose of ad copywriting is to convert leads for a business into paying, happy customers. If the writing is able to do what’s listed above, the reader is more likely to convert.

Ad copywriting is used in a variety of formats, both on- and offline. You may use it on social media to advertise a product or service, or you may run a traditional print ad in a printed publication. You’ll also need sales copy for your website and for your email campaigns.

Writing ad copy is a crucial part of the advertising process. Without high-quality, well-written content, it’s hard to build trust with consumers or give them relevant information that relates to their interests or pain points. 

What Are Important Ad Copywriting Techniques to Follow? 

Ad copywriting has evolved over the years. In today’s digital environment, some of the most important considerations have to do with pleasing search engines using SEO best practices. But today’s online users also want to see clear value in what they’re reading, and it needs to be easily accessible. Otherwise, they’ll move on fast.

Here are the five most important principles to follow when writing ad copy:

1.  Match Headline With Keywords People Type in Google 

Keywords are crucial to improving SEO. These are words or phrases that people type into the search bar on Google. They could be looking for a specific product, asking a question, or trying to find general information about a topic.

To appear high on the search engine results page (SERP), make sure your powerful headlines include keywords that people will actually type into Google. Do plenty of keyword research before you start writing so that you know what people commonly search for. You can do this using a tool like the Keyword Planner within Google Analytics to instantly improve your headline format.

2. Provide a Clear, Concise Product Description in Advertisements 

When advertising your products, make sure that it is completely clear what the product does, how it works, and who it’s for. Think about what problem it solves and how. 

Always lean towards writing clear and direct language in product descriptions. Too much text may lead people to another brand or product. They want to be able to have a firm understanding of a product quickly and how it relates to them.

Many users will be reading on a mobile device, so the shorter and clearer your language, the better.

3. Create Calls to Action With a Solution and Sense of Urgency 

The CTA, or call to action, should appear with each piece of ad copy you release. It should be clear:

• How your product provides a solution to a problem your audience faces
• What they can do to take the next step, like contact you or find more information

Your CTA can also be time-sensitive to create a sense of urgency. For example, maybe you’re offering a limited-time deal that only lasts a few days or weeks. Make it clear in the ad copy that people need to act now to take advantage of something special.

4. Use at Least One Search Term in the Display and Destination URL 

Your display URL is the link that appears under your ad copy on a Google SERP. It is often the homepage URL, and if a lead clicks on it, it actually takes them to a destination URL, which is a bit more specific on your website. For example, your display URL could be your homepage (www.yourbrand.com), and the destination URL could be a specific product page (www.yourbrand.com/productname).

Both your display and destination URLs need to have at least one keyword. This ensures that your content performs better on Google. So, you may want to consider making both of these links the same so that those specific keywords are present in both.

5. Include Real Product Benefits That Attract Potential Customers 

Finally, make sure your ad copywriting includes the specific and actual benefits of the product. Think about the issues leads may be facing and how your solution solves those problems. Clearly outline every benefit and advantage of using your product, including how it is different than that of your competitors.

Getting to know your audience a bit better will help you come up with a list of quick benefits that will matter most to them.

Improve Your Ad Copywriting With a Growth Marketing Agency

Ad copy is your brand’s secret weapon for attracting and converting leads. Make sure you incorporate these five writing techniques that will help your content perform better online and inspire your audience members to take your desired action.

Sometimes the best way to get access to great ad copy is to outsource ad copywriting. Ad copy needs to be error-free, engaging, and catered to your targets, so it’s not always easy to do it yourself. 

At GrowthHit, we know how important ad copy is to business success and growth. We provide ad copywriting services and conversion rate optimization solutions to help you connect with people more effectively. We also provide services for social ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, as well as Google ads, email and SMS marketing, and design services.

Check out all of GrowthHit’s services today to learn about how we can help you improve your advertising ROI.