Writing Ads That Use Visual Elements Effectively

I have generated $400M with Meta ads. Most of these results came from a rock solid understanding of video creatives. To date, we’ve produced 1,000s of them that’ve driven millions for clients. Here’s 5 components that make up a winning video creative: COMPONENT 1: Write A+ hooks Poor quality hooks = throwing money down the drain. It’s that simple. Viewers aren’t going to stick around & watch the rest of your ad if your hook is inadequate. Your hooks should either:  - Lead with a benefit  - Agitate a pain point  - Call out the ICP & do one of the above Keep them simple. Being too clever usually backfires. COMPONENT 2: Show the product early Your product is the crown jewel of the video ad. If it’s a product that viewers genuinely want because it solves a pain point? Or using it is beneficial to the viewer? Sometimes that’s all it takes to hook & hold their attention. Burying the product too deep in the ad = it might be missed entirely. Rookie mistake. COMPONENT 3: Use the “heartbeat method” Heartbeat method = quick edits every 1-3 seconds so the viewer doesn’t get bored. The truth is that attention-spans are at an all-time low. So using retention techniques to keep your viewers engaged is essential. The change could be:  - Zoom-ins  - Pop ups  - New visuals New & novel creative elements that help to hold their attention. COMPONENT 4: Make the “problem” you’re calling relatable This one goes back to your market & customer research. Having a clearly defined list of problems makes it easy to agitate them in ads. The goal with the ad should be to amplify the pains that problem brings. Almost bringing those pains “to life” to capture your viewers’ attention. Agitate the problem using both the ad’s visuals & copywriting. Good research x relevant visuals x copywriting = a winning formula to convey pain. COMPONENT 5: Put your solution on a pedestal You’ve just gone *deep* into a big problem that your viewers face. You’ve put them in an emotional state - now it’s time to present a solution. You want to present the product like it’s the only solution on the planet… Aesthetic shots. Eye-grabbing visuals & imagery. Text that outlines key benefits & showing how it alleviates the pains you pointed out. This is how you balance agitating pains & presenting a solution to those pains. The biggest takeaway here is that a LOT of moving parts go into winning video creatives. There’s even more I could discuss. The goal being to make each component winners in their own right. So when they do come together? It leads to a *complete* video creative & outperforms other ads on the newsfeed. Video in paid ads is only becoming more integral as we approach 2025. My advice is to get a good grasp of the fundamentals sooner rather than later. You don’t want to be playing catch-up down the road!

I got served these 3 ads…. Here are my thoughts on their creative strategy & what you can learn. Top Of The Rock I was retargeted with this ad since I had been considering visiting with family and friends. However, I decided against purchasing tickets because the ad made the experience seem boring and not worth the expense. If the ad had featured a creator showcasing the experience from their point of view, it would have been much more compelling, and I would have been more likely to buy tickets. JenniBag This ad did an excellent job of using humor to grab my attention. The mix of stop-motion clips and video footage kept me engaged throughout. The pacing was perfect, showing the entire process of packing the bag, which clearly demonstrated its value. If your product requires a demonstration to showcase its benefits, this is a fantastic ad to draw inspiration from. Spari Life This ad completely sold me on the product. The first three seconds featured a great hook paired with strong visuals that caught my attention. The script was clear and concise, explaining everything I needed to know while highlighting unique value propositions that felt personalized to me. This is a great example of an ad that feels authentic while effectively telling a brand story. Key Learnings for Your Ad Strategy: Film content from the perspective of your potential customer. Use humor to relate to and hook viewers. Ensure your messaging and visual hooks are aligned with the core persona you want to reach. 4o

Just got off a strategy call with a brand spending $100k/mo on Meta ads, and here's what most brands get wrong about creative testing: They're obsessing over copy when visuals are the real game-changer 🔥 Here's what actually moves the needle in 2025: Visual differentiation is everything: ✔ ️ Varied editing approaches ✔ ️ Different thumbnail styles ✔ ️ Multiple content formats ✔ ️ Fresh shooting angles ✔ ️ Distinct visual hooks Why this matters more than copy testing: - Visual memory lasts longer than text recall - Pattern interruption happens through imagery - Scroll-stopping power comes from visuals first - Thumb-stopping moments are visual, not verbal - Our brains process images 60,000x faster than text What top brands are doing: - Testing 3-4 completely different visual directions - Mixing UGC, studio shots, and lifestyle content - Creating distinct thumbnail styles for each angle - Using varied editing paces and transitions - Testing different aspect ratios and formats Common mistakes to avoid: ❌ Only testing minor copy variations ❌ Using the same visual style across all ads ❌ Running the same creative with different headlines ❌ Focusing on word tweaks instead of visual impact The truth is, while copy matters, visual differentiation is what breaks through the noise in today's crowded feeds. Want to see your ROAS improve? Start with your visual strategy. Running Meta ads for your brand and want to dive deeper into high-converting creative strategies? DM me - let's talk about how we can make your ads stand.