If you’ve been in any type of advertising for any length of time, you know the importance of writing quality, compelling ad copy. The same is also true for online marketing.
Many people in the traditional marketing sphere have a bit of a learning curve when transitioning to online marketing because of the technological aspect, website coding, and measurements of success. However, we should not neglect the continuing importance of advertising copy or creative material that will interest our prospective customers enough to click, sign up, get more information, or make a purchase. Here are some of the most important tips to write compelling ad copy to ensure your online creative generates the leads or sales you need to increase your bottom line:
- Get to the point. We live in a fast-food, fast internet, and fast decision-making age. Most people cement their first impressions within seconds. If you are an online advertiser, your challenge is to emotionally connect with your target audience, describe why your product or service is the one to meet their need, and create a quick method for that customer to take the action you want them to take – and you’ve got to get all that across quickly, before they click the “back” button. Use images where applicable to drive your point home, and be compelling enough so that even if they don’t take the action you want immediately, your message will stay with them.
- Use a Call-to-Action. Don’t underestimate the power of suggestion. We all recognize the effectiveness of peer pressure; well, advertiser, turn that negative into a positive. End your ad copy with simple, but persuasive language. Phrases like “Click here for more information”, “Free shipping, limited time only”, or “Reserve online!” tell consumers there is value in taking action then and there. These phrases also convey the message that someone else knows what they want, and is willing to help them along.
- Don’t Play Hard to Get. For Pete’s sake, make it easy for the potential customer to take the action you want them to take! If they are interested enough to get to your website, help them complete the desired action within one or two clicks using easy to understand messages, bright colors, and a logical organizational structure. The longer your navigational funnel is, the more likely visitors are to leave your site before taking an action.
- Test, Test, Test. No advertiser knows what works best the first time around, and no one knows for sure what effects market and technology changes will have on searchers. For that reason, A/B testing is vital and should be done regularly. Test your creative, your images, your layout, and your landing pages. For assistance, free programs such as Google’s Website Optimizer can help you track your testing.
- Use a Tracking Mechanism. Use an analytics platform (one of the many free platforms, such as Google Analytics, will work well for most websites). You will need to add a bit of tracking code to your web pages, but that will be well worth the ability to track which type of advertising and ad copy is most effective, and what web pages are most preferred among your visitors. After all, if you’re not using a tracking mechanism, you’re missing out on one of the major advantages of online advertising.
There are many types of advertising available, but one of the aspects common to them all is the need for compelling creative. Don’t neglect this vital piece of your advertising puzzle in your online advertising campaigns; contact a creative or SEO agency to assist you in determining what type of ad copy drives the most traffic with online audiences.