Stop Making these Money-Wasting Mistakes On Ad Marketing Copy

Ad design can captivate customer or user attention. But it’s the marketing copy that gets people clicking, visiting sites, and more. The best brands know that engaging and compelling copy will convince customers to take action. They’ve learned over time what mistakes to avoid in producing a copy that will turn away customers. So, in this article, know how to avoid writing a bad copy. And check out some examples of marketing copy to inspire yours.

But before we discuss marketing copy mistakes and examples, get an idea of ad spend for traditional and digital ads. Plus, the cost-per-click (CPC) and click-through rates (CTR) for digital ads.

Ad Marketing Costs

In a world where we can market to the target audience online and offline, ad costs vary depending on where you’ll publish it. Here are the running numbers for ad marketing costs:

Traditional Advertising

• According to Fit Small Business, billboard advertising costs range from $1,500 to $15,000. It all depends on the location, format, and demographics.
• Meanwhile, for print advertising, Indeed revealed the price depends on which print ad type you’re publishing. So, for example, in magazines and newspapers, advertising starts at $250. However, print ad placements can go up to $15,000 for a national magazine.
• Based on Indeed’s findings as well, direct mail marketing ranges from $50 to $20,000.

Digital Advertising

Ad Spend

• Similar to social media advertising, businesses can set their budget through Google ads. WebFX reveals that small to medium businesses can spend around $9,000 to $10,000 monthly.
• On average, the CPC for Google Search Network is $3.00 for all industries, while for Display Network, it’s $0.69.
• EMarketer estimates that social media ad spending would reach $49 billion by 2021.

CPC

• According to AdEspresso, the global CPC for Facebook ads is $0.35. In their study, Wordstream saw that the CTR for Facebook ads is 0.90%.
• Meanwhile, for LinkedIn ads, Adstage found that their CPC is $3.49, and their CTR is 0.26%.
• As for Twitter, CPC is $0.33, while the CTR is 1 to 3%.

Marketing Copy Mistakes

Great and effective marketing copy can boost your sales numbers. That’s all in thanks to seasoned copywriters that can craft compelling copy. But what are the no-nos that marketing experts and pros believe as you craft marketing copy? Here are the top seven mistakes you should avoid.

1. Not Including a CTA

This is a big no-no in any advertising or marketing copy. Remember, your end goal is for your customer to take action. Whether it’s to contact you, buy your product, or avail of your service, a CTA is necessary.

2. Not Discussing the Benefits

It could be easy to list down all the features of a particular product, service, or software. However, what matters most for consumers are benefits. Why do you think people should use your product, and what will your customers get out of it? The benefits are the reason people buy products. But as Copyblogger writes, do not overdo the benefits. List the main ones that are related to your features.

For example, you want to buy a skincare product. You list only the ingredients of the product. Would it be worth buying if you only include the ingredients? You could add to it and say that this certain ingredient can reduce blemishes or dark spots. Maybe, you could say it will brighten your skin.

3. Not Using the Right Keywords

If you want people flocking to your site, the marketing copy should also contain your keywords. SEO has become a big part of how we connect to customers. It’s how we learn what our customers search for and what they want. From there, we optimize it by using those keywords to our advantage.

Even if you create an impeccable copy that can convert, you should always include keywords to help you rank. And with 4.66 billion people using the internet, you want your target audience to find you. So, your copy should reflect the keywords that people can find you with.

4. Not Making it Simple

Jargon can make or break your marketing copy, and it’s best practice not to use too much. If you can, try to limit it OR use it in the proper context. You might turn away some customers if those words make up most of your copy. Always simplify, even if jargon can shorten your copy. But don’t let your marketing copy suffer because of it. Let your copy captivate, not confuse people.

5. Not Speaking to the Audience

Your audience is, first and foremost, should be in your mind at all times. You want to make sure that you’re speaking to them, not to yourself. Smart Insights points out that you probably don’t understand your audience if this is the case. To prevent this from happening, you need to research your audience and see how you could create a voice that your audience will certainly connect to.

6. Not Having a Goal

Okay, imagine saying, “so let’s publish an ad for advertising’s sake.” That doesn’t seem right, does it? You want to attain a goal when creating your marketing copy. This is why you need a solid marketing plan to guide you in crafting a copy appropriate for your advertisements and campaigns. You don’t want to publish one just because your competitor is doing so. You can probably dig deeper and evaluate your reasons for advertising.

7. Not Hiring a Copywriter

If you don’t have a copywriter on your team, you might miss out on site visits and sales opportunities. If you hire a copywriter, they can spruce up your content and make it compelling. You can find copywriters on freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr. You can even find an affordable one starting at $5/hr. However, you might not get the same quality when hiring an experienced copywriter or using a writing service like Content Fuel.

Examples of Outstanding Marketing Copy

One of the most famous advertisements was the Think Small ad. Back then, it was effective because even with a long copy, their voice and wording captured many prospective buyers’ attention. It went on to become one of the advertisements that many copywriters and designers look for inspiration.

But, with supposed eight-second attention spans, a powerful but short copy has become the norm. Get an idea of how copywriters and marketers craft compelling copy even in just a few words.

1. Apple

Many hail Apple for their copywriting, and rightly so. Aside from their minimalist designs, the way they deliver copy seems like a trademark for them. They have a consistent voice that speaks to their target audience. And it’s no surprise that the copy for their Apple Watch can make an impact on their site’s visitors.

2. Casper

Casper has become a recognizable brand because of its marketing campaigns. Many marketers and bloggers have taken notice, and the mattress brand continues to produce memorable campaigns. In one of their banner ads, the marketing copy isn’t the only thing that would catch your attention. “Meet the mattresses” was the CTA, and that makes it all the more impressive. Among the sea of “Shop Now”s and “Exclusively At”s, the CTA would stand out among the rest.

3. Headspace

Meditation app Headspace aims to make customers calm. And it translates in their marketing copy. Including the word “experts” can make you an authority on a certain topic or area of interest. It shows that being backed by experts can give you an edge over your competitors. Furthermore, the numbers are a bonus, too. Since we see text all the time, numbers can get your audience’s attention.

4. Twitter

Twitter is a great example of how you can let other people speak for you on billboards or through out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Or, in their case, use their users’ tweets and post them as a billboard or through OOH. Now while these billboards don’t use traditional marketing copy, you would be curious. 

Why use tweets instead of going for conventional marketing practices? It’s simple. At the end of the day, Twitter wants people to use its platform instead of its competitors. It’s an excellent way of raising usage numbers. 

Plus, even if they don’t have 1 billion daily users like Facebook, Twitter signals that it has millions of users worldwide. This means businesses and advertisers can go on the platform to market to their audience. It’s a win for Twitter.

5. Spotify

Spotify’s ad is similar to Twitter’s. It’s to retain its user base on their music and audio streaming platform. The one thing that Spotify has an advantage over Twitter is their ad consistency and tone in their marketing copy. As you can see on one of their campaigns, they speak to their audience. Plus, it’s a great way to make people interested in knowing data about specific songs and what they listened to over the past decade.