What are the most effective ways to write ad copy and landing pages?

Companies often write ad copies for their desired target audience without knowing whether the audience is correct and without knowing their actual pains. Even if they conduct market research, I witnessed that they often talk to people within their bubble which creates a very distorted view. Conducting interviews with a diverse set of people from their target audience is very helpful for writing better ad copies. Also understanding what tone of voice fits the audience gets you one step closer to writing engaging ad copies.

In my experience it’s a continuous cycle of learning, experimenting and going back to the drawing board for improvements. For me the process looks more or less like: > researching and understanding the target audience > drilling down on pain points and perfecting messaging/ offering > creating buyer personas > mapping out customer journey > enhancing the above using tools but more importantly via testing owned and earned media.

Absolutely. This is the starting point to research your target audience (TA) and build an initial set of proper personas. The more detailed descriptions are the more target reach our SEM will have. Initial copywriting starts with landing pages texts so that ad copy is the second step. However, both of them come from our understanding what are our TA needs and pain points.

Review mining is a helpful tool in gaining insight into your audience's preferences. Online review platforms provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn't for customers. Start by gathering all the data and creating a voice-of-customer (VOC) data file that highlights the frequently mentioned themes. These themes can be your go-to source for understanding audience’ concerns and desired benefits.

The purpose of the copy is to create curiosity and drive action. Understanding the buyer motivations of your audience will ensure you to write what they are looking for. Are they looking for leads or clients? Are they trying to lose weight? Are they frustrated with their current job role? You only have a short amount of time to captivate them, so knowing what your audience needs/wants to achieve (specifically) will help you write copy.

Strive to establish a seamless flow between your ad copy and the landing page. In my experience, when ads are disconnected from the content on the website, user conversions suffer, and the product offer becomes unclear. Ensure your landing page uses the same language, engages visitors with compelling content, and reduces bounce rates. Keep their interest alive and encourage them to explore further.

Mismatched ad copy and landing pages often result in a jarring user experience. Imagine clicking on an ad promising a discount, only to find no mention of it on the landing page. The sense of betrayal can make users bounce quickly. Consistency is key. Ensure the promise made in the ad is fulfilled on the landing page. This not only reinforces trust but also keeps users engaged and moving down the conversion funnel. The same keywords, messaging, and tone should echo from ad to landing page, creating a seamless experience. Additionally, design elements such as colors, fonts, and images should be consistent. By maintaining this alignment, you maximize the efficacy of your SEM efforts, enhancing user trust and improving conversion rates.

“Ad Scent” is the precise term to explain this scenario. It is used to describe the consistency between the ad and the post-click or landing page experience. A good match improves Conversion Rate and User Experience noticeably. Take your ads as the front display of the showroom or store and the landing page as the inside, the main store. If the things displayed at the front is not found in the store, the customers feel cheated. It’s a frustrating experience for anyone coming in to shop what saw in the display.

Your entire business copy and content must be cohesive in terms of your values, mission, and what is it that you are selling. In my experience working with Ecommerce agencies and small businesses, companies have a specific niche but they highlight something else on their website; or they make it all about the founder and not about the product or service they sell and their benefit to potential customers.

Pay attention to the quality score of your keywords to get insight into your landing page experience. Add specific landing page URLs to individual keywords in cases where this would help the user's expectation match what they find when they click. Let your data on which keywords result in conversions inform your copy on the landing page.

You can be click-baity or funny all you want, but always, ALWAYS deliver what your headline promises. If you don’t, you lose the trust of the user immediately. And there’s almost no coming back from that once the trust is breached. Try to prioritise clear, concise headlines over creative ones. You can always make up for creativity elsewhere in the ad or landing page.

We choose words wisely when meet a potential customer for the first time, don’t we? Consider your ad headlines the same. That’s the first thing your potential customers are going to see. It’s an opportunity to: - capture attention - clarify the purpose/ message - and motivate to engage/ take action Take it as the movie trailer. A bad trailer never attracts. A good trailer sets the stage for what’s coming…

Yes, your headlines have to grab your target audience attention as much as possible, but avoid being not clear and sharp enough.

Using strong and relevant visuals can significantly enhance user engagement on your landing page or ad. High-quality, pertinent imagery that aligns with your brand is essential. Avoid generic stock photos and opt for visuals that directly showcase your offer. For products, clear images showcasing the product in use work best. For services, consider before-and-after shots or genuine customer testimonials. This approach not only tells your story but also makes your value proposition tangible for your audience.

Headlines are prominently displayed at the top of your ad, and they can be the difference between success and failure in your conversion funnel. Persuasive headlines are essential to convince users to click on the ad. One effective technique I prefer is pinning the headline positions. This strategy enables me to use a strong statement or promotional offer as the first position to grab the viewer's attention, with the call to action following as the second position.

Psychology studies have already proven this - we are moved to action when some emotion is triggered. We rarely make purchase decisions based on facts, we make decisions because we "feel" understood, or because we saw the exact solution to our long-time problem (relief). Understand what emotions will trigger your audience and see what happens.

Leveraging emotions can greatly influence user behavior. Emotional triggers, like the fear of missing out or the joy of a great deal, can be powerful motivators for users to take action. Pairing these triggers with social proof further strengthens your message. When users see others benefiting from your product or service, it diminishes their uncertainty and instills trust. Integrate genuine testimonials or showcase the number of satisfied customers to boost credibility. When emotional appeal and real-world evidence work in tandem, they create a persuasive force that drives conversions.

As humans, we're all driven by our emotions, and when it comes to trust, we often rely more on people than brands. That's where social proof comes in – it's a fantastic way to build trust by showcasing real people who've had a positive experience with your product. Emotions play a crucial role in the buying process, and they can be a game-changer when it comes to converting customers.

Emotions influence all human behaviour. One key problem I see all the time is that people and thus organisations have very limited understanding of emotions. While they can be powerful motivators, most advertisers would benefit from a deeper understanding of human psychology. We all have different motivators, but these are rarely scoped out in the "know your audience" phase.

Emotional triggers can significantly influence decision-making. People make decisions based on emotions as much as logic. Use emotional triggers in your ad copy and landing pages to connect with viewers on a deeper level. Highlight common emotions: Appeal to desires like fear of missing out (FOMO), the need for security, or the drive for success. Present user testimonials: Showcase positive reviews and success stories to build trust and social proof. Use visuals that evoke emotions: Images and videos can trigger powerful emotional responses, so choose them carefully. By understanding human psychology and using emotional triggers effectively, you can create a more persuasive message that resonates with your audience.

The call to action is a vital component of every ad and landing page. Its purpose is to lead prospects and motivate them to take a specific action. Avoid confusing users with overly complex or lengthy CTAs. Keep it clear and transparent. What exactly is the action you want them to take?

Remember to use call to action (CTA) both in articles, landing page texts AND ad copies. This will significantly improve engagement of your target audience.

Your CTA needs to be simple. The most effective CTAs require very little effort on part of the prospect or customer. If your CTA is to fill in a form, for instance, keep it very very simple. Don't ask for too much information, especially since you might be able to get their address (etc) later.

The effectiveness of a CTA lies in its clarity and persuasiveness. It's not just a button or a piece of text; it's the bridge between a potential customer's interest and conversion. A well-crafted CTA removes barriers, making the decision to proceed almost automatic. Enhancing it with urgency or showcasing benefits lowers resistance. Similarly, its design plays a crucial role; it should draw the eye without appearing intrusive. By ensuring the CTA is both compelling in message and design, you drastically increase the likelihood of user engagement and conversion.

Your call to action is less important versus how you position your product and brand and how you lead the potential customer down the path to conversion. As others mention, being clear and simple is key with a CTA, but the messaging of the product and service (unique selling points) and how well your brand is positioned in a marketplace is ultimately what drives performance.

Testing is pivotal in the digital landscape. Even the most meticulously crafted ad copy or landing page can benefit from refinement through real-world feedback. While instincts and research might guide initial decisions, true optimization stems from analyzing actual user interactions. By systematically testing variations, marketers can discern what genuinely resonates with their audience. It's an ongoing process of trial, analysis, and enhancement. And beyond just increasing conversions, this continual refinement often leads to deeper insights about one's audience, allowing for ever more tailored and impactful messaging in the future.

Continual testing is key. What works best right now will now necessarily work best forever, so optimization is an ongoing task. It's easiest to evaluate your results if you only test one thing at a time, e.g., different headlines, different CTAs, etc.

Before even getting started, you should create a style guide which defines the voice of your brand. Setting a clear definition of your brand voice and tone in advance makes writing copy much simpler and helps to ensure consistency. This also allows others to contribute and makes bringing in new team members smooth.

A general mistake I see quite often, especially in the B2B sector, is that ad copies are written primarily to advertise the solution or the product, basically the "what" without highlighting the "why". At the end of the day, we're selling to other human beings who want to know how the solution benefits their work or how the product can improve their work to achieve their professional goals. So including the "why" in ad copies has proven to be a very powerful technique as this is directly targeting the desired audience and not just feature selling one's solution.

There are still discussions about that, but with a proper ChatGPT-4 (or another genAI) prompt you could significantly benefit from sharp and consistent synergy of the same style, tone of voice etc. of your ad copy AND landing page texts

One thing that I find most useful is being real and talking about the actual benefits the client will receive. I don't like hype or playing on emotions or FOMO I would rather offer the why they need what I am offering, and the top benefits they will garner...its shorter and when you imbue it with your truth..People, the right people, will respond. Clear call to action wraps it up..