Chapter 3: How to create a successful ad quickly

Now that you understand exactly what Facebook and Instagram ads are, the different types, and how you can advertise them, let’s talk about the elements involved and how you can use them to create a successful ad.

Clear Call-To-Action (CTA)

An example of a great CTA is one that is clear about what you want your buyer to do.

So when it comes to creating a successful ad campaign, it boils down to two main goals.

1. Getting them to stop scrolling

This is key because you want your potential customers to see your ad and instantly stop their scrolling to learn more about what you are offering.

Now please keep in mind that brand awareness is incredibly valuable and helps build your business’s presence over time.

The ultimate goal when it comes to creating a clear CTA on this style of ad is to remember that content consumption is key. This means your CTA should focus on following your Facebook or Instagram page, subscribing for more content/newsletter, or collecting emails.

1. Driving action

The second half is to get your potential customers to take action through a sale, app, download, or lead.

These CTAs are great for answering objections the customer may have instead of trying to engage or entertain them.

Now that we understand the two different types of CTAs. Let’s talk about how to identify where to use them to ensure you have successful ads.

Decide On One Clear Action

Engagement: These types of people are those who actively like, comment and share posts. The best kinds of CTAs for this goal would be boosting followers, reading other pieces of content, or subscribing to your email.

Traffic: People who frequently click ads fall under this category. When it comes to writing a clear CTA for this goal we recommend using learn more, contact us, download, subscribe, etc.

Reach: This goal is all about reaching as many people as possible. We’d recommend using more engaging CTAs here.

Helpful Tip: If you are just starting off your advertising campaign we recommend that you focus on generating awareness and building out your audience first.

Audience Targeting Strategy

Many beginners are intimidated by creating an audience  — which is understandable due to the neverending options.

Here’s a simple way to make a successful ad without too much stress.

• Choose a target location.

  • If you are looking to advertise your product only in your town or across multiple countries this is where you do it — additionally, you can even target by postal code!

• Think about interests.

  • Think about the kinds of things your audience is interested in. This could range from books, movies, celebrities, hobbies, etc. An easy way to start is to think about what other things people may be interested in based on your product/service then continue from there.

• Consider the demographics.

  • You can use the demographics to help narrow down your audience. However, keep in mind that if you are using a special ad category this may affect your targeting.

• Understand their behaviours.

  • In this section, you can target specific device owners, people who are having an anniversary within the next two years, people who have made a purchase recently, etc.

Helpful Tip: You can start building your audience by testing a broader audience then add more specifics as you go/learn about them to create a better and higher converting audience.

Be Clear and Casual With Your Ad Headlines and Copy

The best way to make a headline is to write one that doesn’t annoy the audience with promotion after promotion, instead you should be using clear and casual language.

Below is an example of a successful ad from Chewy, a company that helps people connect through pets.

Their ads and social media are done in a very casual and conversational way while also tying into the audience’s pain points and answering any potential objections.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into this particular ad and dissect it.

“I scream. You scream. We all scream for KONG!”

This is a great first initial line because it is immediately tying into the image of the product designed as ice cream.

“It’s no secret that spending all this extra time at home has had an impact on our pets.”

Now it dives into the pain point the audience is facing about the impact COVID-19 is causing to the person’s pets and lets them know that Chewy understands.

“Stuff this vet-approved toy with your pets favorite sweet treats to help with separation anxiety while you’re out.”

Then it talks about how this product is “vet-approved” which is immediately answering a potential objection and letting the audience know that this is a safe product and won’t cause any harm to their pets.

Now it jumps back into the visual and ties into the image by mentioning sweet treats and how their product will help YOUR pet with separation anxiety once the audience goes back into the office.

“Now, go ‘head, dig in”

Finally, it is ending with a strong CTA that is again tied into the imagery and the theme of ice cream and treating your pet to something while you head back into the office.

Helpful Tip: Before creating your own ad we recommend that you check out competitors and other companies that have caught your attention and figure out what made it stand out to you as a buyer.

Use Visual and Playful Imagery

The image (or creative) is the most important part of your advertising.

Oftentimes beginner advertisers make the mistake of making their images predictable and lack a playful touch.

Going back to the example from Chewy above, you can see how the image of the KONG product is very playful and ties into the literal copy of the ice cream theme.

A general rule of thumb: If the copy is literal, make the visual playful. If the visual is playful, make the copy literal.

Put the Reader First

To do this effectively, you must apply research, and the magic of the word “you.”

Below is an example that strikes the nail on the head:

Answer Their Concerns in Your Description

Buyers’ anxiety affects thousands of potential customers.

In order to prevent them from backing away, use the description to answer their objections before they scare themselves away.

Below is a great example of a successful ad from Dollar Shave Club that addresses buyer objections/concerns to help them take action.

Helpful Tip: If you offer free shipping or even ship internationally you can include that in the description as well! Think about the kinds of objections someone may have that will prevent them from buying your product/price then answer them in the description.