marketer sending email campaign

Advertising has been and will always be the lifeblood of the media industry. And with digital media slowly becoming the more convenient source of information and entertainment for people on the go, digital advertising is a field of practice many marketers aspire to master. Implementing an effective campaign entails, first and foremost, knowing how to write an ad. Aside from compelling images and excellent design, a well-written copy makes all the difference in catching the audience’s attention.

Just how important is it for a business to learn the basics of digital advertising? According to statistics, digital ad spending in the US is expected to reach $129.34 this year. This figure accounts for 54.2% of total media ad spending, proving that most ventures focus their resources on digital advertising instead of traditional media like television, radio, and print.

Advertising tycoon David Ogilvy once said, “What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.” It’s undeniably crucial to come up with great content, an excellent offer, and structure it in the best way possible for optimum ad results.

 

How to Write an Ad: The Basics

 

Create a Compelling Headline

Just like in news writing, a compelling headline is a vital element in catching the audience’s attention. Plus, it convinces them that paying attention to the advertisement is worth their time. This is especially significant in digital advertising, where consumers can easily scroll down or tap the close window box if they’re not interested.

 

Offer Something Customers Can’t Resist

If you want your audience to opt-in, you must make an offer they can’t resist. It doesn’t have to be a considerable discount. Or a big freebie that would drive your business to bankruptcy in a week. Sometimes, it’s all about wording the copy to present all the benefits. How could the product or service improve certain aspects of their life?

 

Talk to Your Audience

Ogilvy offered helpful advice on how to write an ad in a way that could best get through to your audience. “If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language,” he said.

The advertising tycoon’s piece of advice applies to not only advertising but also other promotion strategies such as content marketing. It’s imperative to provide value to the audience. But the information should also be expressed in a way that they could easily digest depending on demographics and psychographics.

 

Take Risk Out of the Picture

Sometimes, laying out all the benefits of a product or service is not enough. Prospects could still feel the need to pit the benefits against the risks, delaying the purchase until they eventually forget about it. To help them get through the dilemma, take the risk out of the picture. Do this by offering money-back guarantees and “cancel anytime” policies.

 

7 Examples of Excellent Ad Writing 

Below are examples of advertisements, digital or traditional, that show excellent copywriting.

 

1. Adidas

adidas marketing

This advertisement by the international sportswear manufacturer uses a combination of a creative image and compelling copy. Headlined “time to change up,” the ad is for Adidas’ promotional offer of giving discounts for customers who would bring in their old shoes. 

The copy is concise and direct to the point. The splashes of paint can be unsettling at first, especially for shoe lovers who are always careful about dirtying their pair. But this image only makes the ad more compelling.

 

2. Uniqlo

Uniqlo marketing

The Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer prides itself on offering essential pieces that are functional, minimalist, and would work well with any capsule wardrobe. This advertisement uses the tagline, “LifeWear. Simple made better.” It catches the attention of anyone interested in versatile but uncomplicated clothing. 

 

3. Netflix

Netflix marketing

The term “Netflix and chill” only shows how popular this media-services provider and production company has become. Simple as it is, their advertisement nailed it by using the best of four advertising elements. These factors are a compelling headline (see what’s next), a significant benefit (watch anywhere), taking out the risk (cancel anytime), and a simple call to action (join free for a month). 

 

4. Pepsi

Pepsi marketing

Atlanta, Georgia, is known to be the hometown of Coca-Cola. The city hosted Superbowl 2018 and was co-sponsored by Pepsi. The soft drink company must have had a dilemma about the best approach to use in their marketing campaign. 

Instead of avoiding the fact that Atlanta is their competitor’s territory, they use it to craft a humorous ad campaign. One of their copies, “Pepsi in Atlanta. How refreshing” would tickle the funny bone of anyone who loves drinking soda.

 

5. Lacoste

Lacoste marketing

This French company is famous for its classic collared shirts, sleek garments, and sporty but elegant accessories. Founded by tennis player René Lacoste and André Gillier in 1933, the brand still employs sports personalities as endorsers up to this day. 

This advertisement features the Association of Tennis Professionals top-ranking player, Novak Djokovic. He also has a shirt and shorts collection under the brand. The ad aptly uses the tagline, “Life is a beautiful sport.” 

 

6. Audible

Audible marketing

Selling digital audiobooks, Audible knows it has to up its content strategy game to appeal to its target market of bookworms. Using their audience’s language, they played around book genres and what could best attract readers of each segment. Their campaign included an ad that says, “Thousands of science fiction novels for your teleporting to work.” 

This copy is compelling because it paints a picture of how consumers could use the product. Other copies in their campaign include “thousands of fantasy novels for when you’re cleaning your castle.” Another copy is “thousands of romance novels to get your heart racing at the gym.”

 

7. Burger King

Burger_King marketing

This marketing visual from the multinational fast-food chain is an excellent illustration of how to write an ad that presents all the pros of a product in the most concise way. A few years ago, Burger King launched Satisfries as a menu option healthier than its traditional counterpart. 

The advertisement, which shows an image of the product on one side, offers quick but impressive information. It said 40% less fat, 30% less calories, big taste. It has a call to action button that says “Get Satisfried.”  

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