Creating Engaging Ad Copy

Want your words to actually sell? Here’s a simple roadmap I've found incredibly helpful: Think of crafting your message like taking someone on a mini-journey: 1. Hook them with curiosity: Your headline is the first "hello."  Make it intriguing enough to stop the scroll.  Instead of just saying "Email Marketing Tips," try something like "Want a 20% revenue jump in the next 60 days? (Here's the email secret)."  See the difference? Promise + Specificity = Attention. 2. Tell a story with a villain: This might sound dramatic, but hear me out.  What's the problem your audience is facing?  What's the frustration, the obstacle, the "enemy" they're battling?  For the email example, maybe it's "wasting hours on emails that no one opens."  Giving that problem a name creates an instant connection and a sense of purpose for your solution. 3. Handle the "yeah, but..." in their head: We all have those internal objections.  "I don't have time," "It costs too much," "Will it even work for me?"  Great copy anticipates these doubts and addresses them head-on within the message. 4. Show, don't just tell (Proof!): People are naturally skeptical.  Instead of just saying "it works," show them.  Even a simple "Join thousands of others who've seen real results" adds weight. Testimonials, even short ones, are gold. 5. Make it crystal clear what you want them to do (CTA):   Don't leave them guessing!  "Learn the exact steps in my latest guide" or "Grab your free checklist now" are direct and tell them exactly what to do and what they'll get.  Notice the benefit in the CTA example: "Get sculpted abs in just 4 weeks without dieting." And when you're thinking about where you're sharing this (LinkedIn post, email, etc.), there are different ways to structure your message. The P-A-S (Problem-Agitate-Solution) or A-I-D-A (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) frameworks are classics for a reason. The core difference I've learned? Good copywriting isn't about shouting about your amazing product. It's about understanding them – their challenges, their desires – and positioning your solution as the answer in a way that feels like a conversation, not a sales pitch.

Don’t write another headline before reading this: “No sentence can be effective if it contains facts alone,” said copywriting great, Eugene Schwartz. “It must also contain emotion, image, logic, and promise.” Headlines are sentences too, of course. They’re actually the most important sentences. Because if you write a bad one, nobody will care enough to keep reading. Nobody will give a damn. If you write a bad headline, you fail. So don’t write flat, invisible headlines, like white paper on a white desk. Write compelling headlines. Headlines containing emotion and imagery and logic and promise. Here’s how to make your most important sentence: 1/ Emotional ↴ Make it dramatic, like this famous headline by John Caples: “They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano — But When I Started to Play!” It’s among the most successful headlines of the 20th century because it tells a story — and so efficiently. Dramatizing the claim (or its result) is storytelling, pure and simple. It’s making the prospect visualize a clear narrative in as few words as possible. And if she can relate to this narrative — if she can understand it — you now have her attention. 2/ Vivid ↴ Make it appeal to the senses, like this headline from The United Fruit Company: “Tastes Like You Just Picked It!” Sensitizing the claim by making the prospect feel it, smell it, touch it, see it, or hear it will transport the prospect to a moment, consciously or otherwise. In this headline, it’s a hungry moment: you’ve just bitten into a fresh apple, it’s delicious, and you’re craving another bite. 3/ Logical ↴ Make it a question, like this headline by Gary Bencivenga: “Has This Man Really Discovered the Secret of Inevitable Wealth?” If you want to make someone think, ask them a question. A good question can change someone’s perspective, which can change everything: “A change in perspective,” said Alan Kay, “is worth 80 IQ points.” 4/ Hopeful ↴ Make it inspirational, like this classic headline from Rolls Royce: “To The Man Who Is Afraid To Let His Dreams Come True” This ad was featured in Julian Watkins’ book, The 100 Greatest Advertisements, because despite running during the Great Depression, it sold more cars than any Rolls Royce ad before it. An inspirational headline can challenge any limiting beliefs the prospect may have, forcing her to think critically about what she deeply, genuinely wants. Life, after all, is a battle between what we want and what’s expected of us. It’s our perennial dilemma, omnipresent and omnipotent. If appropriate, write a headline that helps the prospect cope with this. Write a headline that bolsters hope. Onward. #copywriting #marketing #creativity Psst... coming soon ↴ 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 → www.verygoodcopy.com/book

Remember when we feared AI would flood B2B with robotic content? The delicious irony is it’s doing the exact opposite. For decades, B2B marketing’s unwritten rule was to strip away every trace of human emotion, leaving behind sterile facts and features. Just be rational, they said. Emotion is for consumer brands. As a result, we built jargon-filled spec sheets masquerading as ads, “Solution-driven” copy that solved nothing, and content so robotic it may as well have been written by a calculator. Now, AI holds up a mirror and shows us the truth: We forgot B2B buyers are human, too. We forgot that heartstrings loosen purse strings. Even when research showed ads tapping into emotion outperform rational B2B ads by 3× (LinkedIn B2B Institute, 2025). Humans created robotic B2B content. Now AI is helping us humanize it. Let’s look at a couple of success stories: 1. Zendesk’s "Frustration-First" Campaign - AI’s Role: Analyzed 5,000 support tickets for real human pain points. - Human Twist: Turned raw venting into relatable ads: "‘Why does every support tool feel like a maze with no exit?’ – Actual customer, 2024. Here’s the escape route." - Result: 41% more sign-ups vs. their standard "Efficient ticketing!" ads (G2 Case Study, 2024). 2. Atlassian’s "Overwhelmed Developers" LinkedIn Series - AI’s Role: Mined Reddit/developer forums for emotional pain points (e.g., "Jira makes me want to scream into the void"). - Human Twist: Created memes and confessional-style posts: "Raise your hand if your backlog feels like a horror movie sequel. 🙋♂️ We fixed that." - Result: 28% higher engagement, 2x more qualified leads (Atlassian Growth Report, Q3 2024). 3. Dropbox’s "Creative Guilt" Video Ads - AI’s Role: Identified a hidden emotion in user interviews: guilt about unused files. - Human Twist: Produced a tearjerker spot showing a father rediscovering old family photos: “Remember when ‘someday’ was a promise, not a folder?" - Result: 57% increase in premium upgrades (AdAge 2025). Instead of erasing humanity from B2B marketing, AI is helping restore it. Put this into action in 3 steps: 1️⃣ Feed AI raw customer voices (reviews, calls, LinkedIn posts). 2️⃣ Ask: "What emotions dominate? Give me exact quotes." 3️⃣ Rewrite your blandest/lowest-performing ad using those words. Your buyers want to be seen. And they’re rewarding the brands that see them. The brands winning 2025 will be those using AI to listen hardest and infuse in the right emotions. #hicm #AI #b2bmarketing

10 Copywriting Rules (From a Dad of Twin Teenagers Who Knows a Thing or Two About Persuasion) Growing up with twin teenage daughters has been the ultimate crash course in persuasive communication. If I can get two teenagers to agree on dinner plans without an eye roll, selling anything to anyone becomes a breeze. Crafting a compelling copy? Surprisingly similar. It’s all about: • The right tone • Catchy phrasing • Knowing exactly what they want (even when they don’t). Here’s how these lessons translate to copywriting: 1/ Strong CTA = More Conversions Convincing teens to choose one restaurant? Like a CTA, it needs a “what’s in it for me” factor. “Click Here” works if paired with why they should care. Example: “Click Here for Mouthwatering Dinner Ideas.” 2/ Highlight What Matters In family debates, shouting the best option works (sometimes). In copy, highlight with: ✔️ Bold text ✔️ Visual cues ✔️ Testimonials Give readers reasons to trust—and choose—your offer. 3/ Symbols Speak Louder Than Words Teenagers scan for emojis. Readers? Scanning for key symbols. Use: ✔️ $ for discounts ✔️ ❌ to show what they’re missing without you. 4/ Numbers > Words “Be home at 1” is clearer than “Be home at one.” Numbers grab attention. Use them in headlines, discounts, or stats. 5/ Follow the “Goldilocks” Rule Too many options = indecision (or teenage rebellion). Limit choices to make decisions easier—group into 3-4 options. 6/ Meaningful Hooks “Dinner options” sounds boring. “Let’s try sushi tonight!” sparks curiosity. Same with copy: Your “Plans & Pricing” page? Rename it. Try “Find Your Perfect Plan.” 7/ Picture It Like a Conversation Persuading teens means sitting down and talking face-to-face. Write your copy like you’re chatting across the table with your audience. 8/ Explore Layers of Benefits Teens need more than “it’s good for you.” They want specifics: “You’ll feel great and your friends will love it.” Your copy needs the same. Features are nice, but benefits sell. 9/ Showcase Your Best Dinner debate strategy? Start with the best suggestion first. Your copy should, too: Feature best-sellers or top reviews upfront—don’t bury them. 10/ First & Last Impressions Matter In family arguments, what you say first and last is what gets remembered. Structure your bullets the same way: • Strongest point first • Close with a powerful takeaway Master these rules, and whether you're selling products or settling family debates, you'll win every time.

Why Salespeople Struggle to Create URGENCY: Urgency gets buyers to act now. But most salespeople create urgency that feels like a gimmick.   “We will no longer be offering this type of package." “Prices go up next week.” “Buy now, and I’ll throw in a discount.”   That’s not urgency. That’s an enticement wrapped in a ticking clock.   It’s price-driven. Not purpose-driven.   Real urgency doesn’t sell pressure. It sells impact.   Urgency isn’t about what they’ll save. It’s about what they’ll miss.   Challenge them to self-reflect. To feel the cost of inaction. To ignite urgency and create ownership of the consequences and impact, ask: 1. What are your biggest challenges in X-area that you'd regret not solving six months from now? 2. Who is impacted by this, and how? 3. What happens if nothing changes? 4. If you could achieve these results now, how would it impact you, your coworkers, company and customers? 5. What’s the long-term cost of waiting?   These aren’t scripts. They’re implication based questions.   They turn your buyer from passive to proactive. From “maybe later” to, “I need this now.” Don’t tell them to act now. Help them see why they need to.   That’s not pressure. That’s salesmanship.   It’s not manipulation. It’s motivation.   Let them sell themselves on why now matters.   Urgency isn’t yours to push. It’s theirs to discover.   When customers articulate their urgency, rather than being told, you’ll never need to, “drop your price” again. #sales #selling

About 20 years ago, I started doing something simple yet incredibly powerful: I picked up the phone and asked my clients’ customers a few honest questions. No fancy research firms. No complicated surveys. Just real conversations. Fast forward to today—I’ve done over 1,000 of these interviews. And I can confidently say this: Talking to your customers is the single most important thing you can do to shape your marketing. But here’s the catch: you have to keep probing. If you ask, “Why did you choose this company?” most people will say things like: ~ They had great service. ~ They were professional. ~ Their pricing was fair. That’s surface-level. It’s not the real reason. So, I always ask, as a follow-up, something like, “Tell me a story about a time when they provided great service.” That’s when the gold comes out. 👉 “I was in total panic because my system went down before a big presentation, and they picked up the phone on the first ring. I didn’t feel like just another customer—I felt like they actually cared.” 👉 “We were struggling to figure this out, and they didn’t just fix the problem—they walked us through it step by step, so we felt in control again.” This is what they are not getting anywhere else in their life. When you listen for emotional words and themes, you uncover what really matters. It’s rarely about product, price, or features—it’s about trust, confidence, relief, and peace of mind. And when you use the exact words your customers use to describe their problems (instead of industry jargon), your messaging becomes clearer. Your website resonates more. Your ads perform better. So here’s my challenge to you: Go talk to your customers. But don’t stop at the first answer. Keep asking. Dig deeper. Make them tell you a story. "Tell me more about that" is your best tool; keep asking it over and over. You might be surprised at what you hear. And it just might change the way you do marketing forever.

Why Your LinkedIn Ads Are Flatlining 📉 You’re not 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. You’re 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜. I’ve reviewed hundreds of campaigns. And I can tell within 60 seconds whether it’s being run by someone who builds systems… Or someone throwing things at the wall hoping for pipeline. Here’s what I mean: ❌ Running one campaign with one audience and one ad isn’t a test. ❌ Launching a “lead gen” campaign without retargeting isn’t a strategy. ❌ Optimizing based on CTR without knowing lead quality is a trap. Want to actually test? Do this instead: ✅ Launch separate campaigns by objective (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU) ✅ Segment audiences by seniority, role, or geo ✅ Run multiple ad variations: different formats, tones, lengths, designs ✅ Create matched audiences + build 30/60/90 day retargeting buckets ✅ Analyze results beyond CTR: look at CPL, demo rate, deal value When I run campaigns, I don’t just test ads. I test messaging frameworks. Audience behavior. Funnel architecture. Every campaign is an experiment. And experiments produce insights, not just metrics. Stop launching “ads.” Start launching hypotheses. #linkedinads #b2bmarketing #linkedincowboy

One of the most underappreciated data points Google Ads gives is the "Quality Score." I’ve audited MULTIPLE enterprise B2B SaaS port-cos that neglected it, burning hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in wasted spend. >> What It Is Quality Score << Google's 1-10 rating of the quality and relevance of your keywords and PPC ads. It's made up of: — Expected clickthrough rate — Ad relevance — Landing page experience >> What’s a Good Quality Score << A score of 7-10 is considered good, 5-6 is average, and 1-4 sucks. Anything under a 7 is wasted money. >> Why It's Important << Quality Score directly affects your ad rank and cost per click (CPC). Higher scores = better ad positions and lower costs. Lower scores: crappy ad positions and higher costs. Think about it as Google's way of rewarding relevant, well-crafted ads. Per SEMRush, improving your Quality Score from 5 to 7 can reduce your CPC by up to 28%. And a 10 can decrease CPC compared to the average by 30-50%. >> Where to Check It << 1. Sign in to your Google Ads account. 2. Navigate to the "Keywords" section 3. Add the “Columns” Quality Score, Landing page exp., Ad relevance, Exp. CTR 4. Gasp when you see shitty scores and the words “Below average” >> Ignore It At Your Own Risk << I've seen companies waste millions because of low Quality Scores. One B2B SaaS company was spending $100K/week on ads with scores of 1-3. Google was charging them $42 per click for some keywords. They might as well have been throwing money around like confetti. >> How to Optimize Quality Scores << 1. Ensure your keyword, ad copy, and landing page all align on language & value prop/s. 2. Use your target keywords in your ad copy (seems obvious, but you'd be surprised). 3. Make sure your landing page is relevant to the keyword (make sure the keyword’s in there a few times). 4. Use exact instead of broad-match keywords. 5. Review and optimize underperforming keywords weekly if not more P.S. Fellow marketers, let's have at it. What are your thoughts on Quality Score: good, bad, ugly, and badass?

So you want to do brand advertising to increase awareness and consideration... what's the best way? Turns out 81% of B2B video ads are burning your budget. Zero brand recall. That's what happened when researchers tracked 770 professionals watching 109 real LinkedIn video ads in a lab setting. The reality? Your ad stays in feed for 12.3 seconds, but gets looked at for only 3.7 seconds — in short micro-bursts, not continuous attention. Here's what actually works (backed by 350 hours of eye-tracking and neurometric data): • Brand in the FIRST SECOND. The first 4 seconds determine everything, but cognitive load peaks immediately. After that window closes, the brain checks out. • Keep logo on screen at all times. Let there be no confusion who the advertiser it. • Repeat your brand name 3+ times. This lifted correct brand ID from 32% to 48% with NO drop in likeability. • Keep videos under 10 seconds. Shorter spots generated higher recognition than 18+ second ones. Extra seconds dilute rather than deepen. • Your brand color isn't enough. Dell's signature blue triggered Microsoft recall twice as often as Dell. Cloudflare's orange cued Amazon more than Cloudflare. • Sound matters more than you think. Only 8% of sessions were sound-on, yet those moments produced the sharpest spikes in neurometric engagement. The most counterintuitive finding? "Over-branding" doesn't exist. More branding actually RAISED likeability scores (5.5 vs 4.9) while cementing brand recall. Don't overthink this. Brand early. Brand often. Keep it short. Add a sonic cue.

Ads that sell aren’t born, they’re built. Here’s how top copywriters do it. 💡 Great copywriting isn’t luck—it’s structure. Here are 7 timeless copywriting formulas to transform your ads into conversion machines: 1️⃣ AIDA: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action 🔑 Start strong to grab attention, build curiosity, create emotional desire, and finish with a compelling call-to-action (CTA). 💬 Example: "Struggling with slow mornings? Our coffee gives you 20 minutes back each day. That’s time for your kids, your workout, or just you. Start your day smarter—try it today!" 2️⃣ PAS: Problem → Agitation → Solution 🔑 Spotlight your customer’s pain point, intensify the discomfort, then swoop in with your solution. 💬 Example: "Can’t sleep through the night? Tossing and turning drains your energy and focus. Our mattress is clinically proven to help you sleep better—starting tonight." 3️⃣ 4Cs: Clear → Concise → Compelling → Credible 🔑 Deliver a simple, emotionally engaging, and evidence-backed message. 💬 Example: "Fast delivery. Free next-day shipping. Shop today, get it tomorrow. Rated 5 stars by 1M+ happy customers." 4️⃣ FAB: Features → Advantages → Benefits 🔑 Show what your product does, why it’s superior, and how it changes your customer’s life. 💬 Example: "Noise-canceling headphones → Blocks 95% of background noise → Enjoy focus like never before, even in the busiest spaces." 5️⃣ Before-After-Bridge 🔑 Paint the "before" struggle, highlight the "after" transformation, and position your product as the bridge to success. 💬 Example: "Before: Hours wasted planning social media content. After: Daily posts driving consistent engagement and leads. Bridge: With our AI-powered scheduler, posting is stress-free." 6️⃣ Problem-Solution Formula 🔑 Keep it ultra-simple—present the problem, then solve it. 💬 Example: "Finding healthy snacks is hard. Our organic snack box delivers guilt-free treats right to your door." 7️⃣ The “So What?” Test 🔑 Answer "Why does this matter?" until your copy resonates deeply with your audience. 💬 Example: "Feature: Waterproof jacket. So what? You stay dry. So what? You can enjoy every outdoor adventure without worry." Don’t just write ads. Create impact. Start using these formulas today. 🚀 Take Action Now: 1️⃣ Save this post to master these frameworks whenever you need. 2️⃣ Share it with your team to elevate your marketing game together. 3️⃣ Follow Tom Wanek for more strategies that turn words into results.