Every impactful display campaign is distinguished by its ad copy. Essentially, words have the power to determine whether your advertisement flops or soars.
Every impactful display campaign is distinguished by its ad copy. Essentially, words have the power to determine whether your advertisement flops or soars.
We can all agree that horrible ad copies don’t convert. They make your brand look less professional and polished, and no business owner or marketer wants that!
You can argue that a good design or graphic can be integral because it’s what your target demographics first see. However, without a compelling ad copy, you won’t be able to convert those viewers into leads and get good click-through rates (CTR).
In this piece, we’ll break down everything you need to know about how you can write effective ad copy for your display campaigns.
Looking for the best partner for your display campaigns? Hire the top PPC agencies on Visual Objects.
What’s a Display Campaign?
Display campaigns, otherwise known as Google Display Network, are among the many forms of pay-per-click advertising available on Google Ads. They appear on third-party websites, showcasing videos, images, or even gifs, allowing brands to reach more people on sites with heavier traffic and Google-owned platforms.
Source: Instapage
A display campaign can appear anywhere, from landing pages to social media platforms. It’s becoming increasingly popular in digital marketing because of its scalability and trackability.
Google is undeniably the biggest search engine in the world with a market share of about 80% of the total internet users. So with millions of daily users, knowing how to write effective ad copy for your display campaigns can be the key to helping you reach more potential customers.
Running display ads will require you to allocate resources. Know how to create a budget for your PPC ad campaigns here.
How to Write Effective Ad Copy for Display
Having a compelling copy for your display campaign can serve as the hook, line, and sinker you need to convince target customers to purchase your product or services. Here are some tips to apply when writing ad copies:
- Understand and define your goal
- Know your target audience
- Write concisely
- Be catchy
- Invest in mobile-friendliness
- Use strong calls to action
- Add variety
Understand and Define Your Goal
Setting your goal in ad copywriting lays the foundation for strong copy. Whether you’re introducing a new product or offering a limited promo, you should immediately let your target audience understand your objective.
Remember, you’re trying to convert sales and boost revenue, not just improve brand awareness and visibility.
When you sit down to start writing an ad copy for your display ad, keep in mind that you’re not creating branding content — you’re creating a guide that will prompt your audience to make a buying decision and invoke an emotional response.
Know Your Target Audience
Display ads aren’t for everybody; they’re aimed at specific audiences that have the highest likelihood of buying your product. Thus, your ad copies don’t necessarily have to speak to everybody.
Understanding what the objective of your potential customers is, their vernacular, and their interests can help you customize your online advertising copy. Start by asking questions that can help you have a clearer grasp of their profile. What is their age bracket? Do they use internet slang? Do they prefer a more professional approach? What are their pain points?
Internet users see tons of PPC ads all the time, that’s why knowing what makes them click can help you write a copy that connects with them.
Read this: “Gen Z Marketing: How to Target Young Audiences”
Write Concisely
No one likes reading lengthy ads. Period.
Display campaigns require concise, punchy, and insightful copies. Again, you’re not writing a blog or a long-winded paragraph. Since we only view ads for a limited time, most, if not all of us, are guilty of skipping over those long and boring ads.
Avoid writing boring and wordy copies. As much as possible, only write something that brings value to your target audience. Add the necessary keywords and search terms that your target audience will most likely look out for.
Be Catchy
In line with writing concisely, leave the buzzwords in the past. Internet users and potential customers are smart, they know when it’s just fancy or important-sounding phrases that are just there to impress them.
There’s a difference between using catchy phrases or words and buzzwords. Catchy words should pique the interest of your target customers and give them the motive to continue reading or clicking on the ad. Here's an example:
Source: lineardesign
Buzzwords, on the other hand, don’t hold any power at all. They’re just technical words that don’t have significance and are just used to amaze people without extensive knowledge about the product or service.
Invest in Mobile-Friendliness
Display ad campaigns can also span across the mobile world through popular apps and such. Optimize your ad copy to accommodate mobile users because they make up a significant portion of your conversion rate.
If you don’t account for mobile users for your digital ad, you may be alienating a big audience. Considering the screen they use, it’s not as spacious as desktop display ads. The tip here is to imagine a character limit and think about how many words you can fit there without looking too cluttered.
According to a report published by Insider Intelligence, the number of adult mobile users in the United States is expected to continue growing this 2023. The figures are forecasted to jump from 250.7 million in 2022 to around 253.3 million in 2023.
The massive growth of the mobile ecosystem should make any marketer consider optimizing their copies and campaigns to achieve high-quality results.
Use Strong Calls-To-Action
Display campaigns aren’t meant to be lowkey, so why have a lowkey call to action? Subtle is not the way to go. Wrap it all up by immediately presenting an enticing and explicit call to action.
In this case, the cliche “click here for more information” may not cut it. A lazy, generic CTA can give off the impression that you’re not exerting enough effort to really sell your product or service to them.
A great ad CTA can arguably give the sense of urgency and the feeling of FOMO, or fear of missing out. Try changing things up using CTAs like “Start playing the new hero today”, “Let’s schedule a consultation”, and “Don’t miss the promo”. Check this out:
Source: wordstream
Ultimately, the call to action you include should never mislead or fool your target audience. If you do that, you not only let them down but also damage their trust and the credibility of your display campaigns.
Add Variety
Bringing in variety and then testing your ad copies are ways to spice up your display campaigns. You can ask people who aren’t involved in the creative process what they think about it, and if they fit the profile of your target audience, that’s better.
Creating different ad copies with distinct approaches allows you to see which type best connects with your prospects. Don’t forget to conduct A/B testing to see which ad copies generate better results and which don’t get the engagement you initially thought would get.
Increase Your Conversions With Effective Display Ads
Display advertising and campaigns are proven to be one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers. Even if there are countless ad blockers out there, there are still ways you can go around them and get your display ads
A good display campaign with effective ad copy can generate an ROI higher than 400%! Don’t miss out on the massive opportunity to connect with your customers and pour more attention to every aspect of your display campaign to see those sky-high figures.
For optimal results, partner with the leading PPC agencies on Visual Objects right away. These firms have the expertise and experience to help you write effective ad copies and create stunning visuals for your display campaigns and other online advertising efforts.
Additional readings: