Best Practices for Writing Engaging Social Media Ads

What Parenting Twins Taught Me About Writing Copy That Grabs Attention POV: It’s 7 AM. One twin’s crying over socks. The other just dumped cereal on the floor. Coffee? Still untouched. Parenting twins is the ultimate communication boot camp. If I can hold their attention (and sanity), writing engaging copy is a breeze. Here are 8 copywriting tricks inspired by navigating twin dad chaos—with a side of wisdom from legends like Ogilvy and Halbert. 1. Trust Comes from Credibility If I tell my kids, “We’re going to the park,” and then drag them to the grocery store instead? Trust = gone. Your audience feels the same. Research. Know your stuff. Show up as reliable. Because if you break their trust, they won’t stick around. 2. Interest Sparks Engagement Parenting hack: You don’t get them to pick up toys by saying, “Clean up.” You say, “Let’s see who can clean up faster—ready, set, go!” Your copy needs that same energy. Truth sells, but only when it’s fascinating. Make your words fun, bold, and irresistible. 3. Your Personality Is the Secret Sauce Parenting is messy, chaotic, and sometimes hilarious. And that’s what makes it relatable. In copy, don’t hide your quirks. Be YOU. Personality isn’t just memorable; it’s magnetic. People don’t connect with robots—they connect with real, flawed, funny humans. 4. Your Headline Should Scream Clarity Imagine this: “Breakfast!” versus “Pancakes with extra syrup, ready now!” Guess which one gets their attention? Headlines matter—80% of readers decide whether to keep scrolling based on your headline. Use the 4 U’s: Urgent, Unique, Useful, Ultra-Specific. 5. Beauty Lies in Simplicity “Go put on your shoes” is better than “Locate your footwear and adorn your feet.” Keep it clear. Write for the chimp (thanks, Eugene Schwartz). Simplicity isn’t dumbing it down—it’s making it accessible. 6. Leverage Your Audience’s Needs Want happy twins? Always have snacks. Want happy readers? Give them what they’re hungry for. Whether it’s solutions, entertainment, or inspiration, tailor your content to their cravings. 7. Make Your Copy Skimmable My twins skim every plate of food before deciding what’s worth eating. Readers do the same with content. Use: - Headlines - Bullet points - Short paragraphs - A mix of fonts or formats Make it digestible. Nobody wants a wall of text. 8. Learn the Rules—Then Break Them Parenting isn’t about strict rule-following. It’s about adapting on the fly. The same goes for copywriting. Speak your audience’s language. Break rules when it makes your message sharper, clearer, and more engaging. Bottom line: Parenting twins is wild, unpredictable, and full of lessons. And one of the biggest? If you can make a toddler listen, you can make anyone listen. What’s one “copywriting rule” you’ve learned from real life? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your stories!

In the last 4 years, I've driven $10M+ in bookings for Directive with a single LinkedIn Conversation Ad. Here’s the exact ad copy (and a step-by-step breakdown of why it works): BACKGROUND: Yes, InMail Ads are dead. They never actually worked. But Conversation Ads are a different story… They are THE MOST efficient ad unit in B2B SaaS today. If you're a marketer and not seeing success, it's likely because of bad copy. Here’s the 4-step framework that inspired the copy of our best ad: 1. Shock Timing & Pricing We have all seen studies that show the impact of charging $2.99 instead of $3.00. What if we applied the same logic to timing? We tested it and it worked. We call this shock timing and try to use it in our copy to force our reader to consume the information. Thus... "29 mins and $105 gift card." 2. Emojis Guide You We use emojis in B2B copy. It works because humans are not B2B, they are human. We want to communicate with them in a way that builds trust. We don’t want our audience to feel sold, we want them to feel spoken to. The other use for emojis is directional and psychological. You can associate your words with an outcome: “wring every drop of ROI from the money they put into marketing 💰” Or, you can use to influence an action: “Interested? 👇” which points to a scheduling link. 3. No More Than 3 Lines Before a Paragraph Break Here's a quick (often painful) experiment. Pull up your latest marketing email or piece of content. Now, close your eyes, before you read it. Then, open your eyes, and pay attention to whether you ACTUALLY read the words. Almost everyone catches themselves SCANNING and scrolling through the blocks of text, you are thinking fast, not slow. Your mind perceives big blocks of text as WORK and opts out.  That’s why you break up your text with a purpose. You want your audience to think slow when they read your copy. Paragraphs break force them to do this. 4. We use a Skip Action, not a Call to Action A Skip Action is a call to action that skips a step in the sales process. A Call to Action is a prompt that encourages a next step. For example, a traditional call to action in SaaS is “Schedule a Demo”. During this process, you submit your information and then a sales professional follows up with you to schedule. The Skip Action leverages scheduling technology to skip a step (scheduling with sales via email) and drastically improve your pipeline efficiency by increasing the % of people who fill out a form and attend a demo. TAKEAWAY: Copy matters. Treat it like art and be rewarded. You can copy me, but it won’t work as well. Remember, it’s art and YOU have a different audience. But principles live forever. Develop your own. Mine aren’t unique or special. I am trying to be creative and have fun. Just care about the copy. If you pay attention… All your marketing will improve. 

Nobody’s attention span has magically shrunk to goldfish levels. That’s just an excuse bad marketers use to justify their uninspired ideas. People binge entire seasons of Netflix in one sitting. They’ll watch a 3-hour YouTube breakdown of why The Matrix is the greatest movie of all time. Attention isn’t the issue. Consideration is. Here’s the truth: People don’t owe you their time. They’re ruthless with what they let into their mental real estate. And if your content, pitch, or ad isn’t immediately worth considering? Swipe. Scroll. Bye. So how do you win the consideration game? 1️⃣ Hook Hard, Hook Fast If you don’t grab them in the first 3 seconds, you’re toast. Nobody’s waiting around to see if your post, ad, or email might get good. ➝ Example: Start with a bold statement, a jaw-dropping stat, or a relatable pain point. “Lost $100K in one day? Here’s what I learned.” Now they’re hooked. 2️⃣ Say More with Less Your audience doesn’t have time for fluff. They’re busy dodging a thousand other pieces of content competing for their attention. ➝ Tip: Kill every word that doesn’t add value. Then kill the ones that don’t spark curiosity. Write like Hemingway, not a textbook. 3️⃣ Make It About Them Nobody cares about your product or service. They care about what it can do for them. Every word you write should scream, “Here’s how I’m solving your problem.” ➝ Question: Are you showing them why this matters to them, or just talking about yourself? Be honest. 4️⃣ Earn the Right to Keep Them If you get someone’s attention, congrats. Now earn it. Whether it’s your ad, email, or video, make sure every second builds on the last. No dead zones. ➝ Pro Tip: Build in micro-hooks throughout your content. Make them think, “I need to see what’s next.” The Bottom Line: People don’t have short attention spans—they just have options. Respect their time, hook their interest, and make them want to stick around. If you can do that? You don’t just win their attention. You win their trust. And trust is where the magic happens. So, what are you doing to earn their consideration today? 👇 Let’s hear it.

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.

Copywriting Hacks for Meta Ads That Convert in 2025 Writing Meta ad copy that stops the scroll is both an art and a science. But let’s be real—nailing it consistently can feel like hitting a moving target. Here are my top 5 copywriting hacks to make your Meta ads stand out and drive results this year: 1️⃣ Speak to ONE Person Your audience doesn’t want to feel like just another sale. Write your copy as if you’re talking directly to one person. Instead of: “Our customers love this product!” Try: “You’ll love how easy this product makes your life.” 2️⃣ The 5-Second Hook If your opening line doesn’t grab attention, nothing else will. Questions are powerful: “Struggling to find a skincare routine that actually works?” Bold statements work too: “95% of skincare hacks on TikTok? They’re ruining your skin.” The goal is to spark curiosity instantly. 3️⃣ Pain → Agitation → Solution (PAS Framework) This classic formula never fails: 1. Pain: Call out the problem: “Tired of ads that get clicks but no sales?” 2. Agitate: Make them feel the frustration: “It’s like burning money.” 3. Solution: Offer the fix: “Here’s how to create ads that convert, every time.” 4️⃣ Use Numbers & Specifics General claims fall flat. Specific numbers build trust and credibility. “Boost your sales” → “Boost your ROAS by 3.84x in 30 days.” “Hundreds of happy customers” → “843 customers rated us 4.9/5.” 5️⃣ End With a Strong CTA Don’t assume your audience will know what to do. Guide them. Instead of: “Learn more.” Try: “Tap below to see how we can help you scale.” Meta ads aren’t just about visuals—your copy is just as critical. Master these hacks, and you’ll turn your ads will convert. Which copy hack are you already using? Or do you have one to add? Let me know in the comments! 👇 Enjoy this? Repost it to your network and follow Chris Marrano for more. Want to improve your Shopify results? Join our newsletter of thousands of subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/eqzi5mtV