Writing Clear and Persuasive Copy for Ads

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.

Most people think copywriting is about “sounding smart.” It’s not. The brutal truth? Nobody buys when they’re confused. Nobody buys when they’re neutral. Nobody buys when they don’t see themselves. If your copy isn’t converting, check 3 things: 1. Are you clear in the first 3 seconds? If a 12-year-old can’t explain your offer, it’s too complicated. (Good copy is simple, specific, emotional.) 2. Are you solving an urgent problem? People don’t want solutions to “important problems.” They want solutions to painful, annoying, urgent problems. Example: • Not “improve your digital presence.” • Say “Get 3 clients this month using content you already have.” 3. Are you making them FEEL something? Logic convinces. Emotion sells. Storytelling > Features. Benefits > Technicalities. Connection > Cleverness. Mini Framework you can steal: Pain — Paint the current struggle Dream — Describe the life after solving it Bridge — Offer the roadmap (your solution) Example: • Pain: “Tired of posting content that even your best friend ignores?” • Dream: “Imagine waking up to 15 leads saying, ‘Hey, can we work together?’” • Bridge: “That’s exactly what my B2B storytelling framework creates for you.” Lesson Reinforcement: Good copy isn’t about adding more words. It’s about removing more doubt. Which part do you struggle with the most..clarity, urgency, or emotion? #linkedin

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.

The gap between good and great copywriting is wider than you think. Here are 7 tips on how I craft copy that falls on the greater side: 1. Personality is important It's the "how you say" of the writing world. Bland copy: Buy our comfortable shoes. Personality-driven copy: Slip into comfort. 2. Humor is the best salesman If you make them laugh, they will like you. If they like you, they are more likely to buy from you. Boring copy: Durable socks Copy with a sense of humor: The only hole that'll ever be in our socks is the one you wear them from. 3. Contrarian angles work Go against the norm and you might just create your own cult. Common angle: Join the hustle culture. Contrarian angle: Reject the hustle. Embrace balance with our wellness app. 4. Tap into emotions People buy with emotions but justify with logic.  So lead with what and how they feel. Logical: Save time with our app. Emotional: Get an extra hour daily and reclaim your week. 5. Narratives over facts Stories help people make sense of data. Fact: Our car has a 300-mile range. Story: Imagine driving from New York to Boston on a single charge without spending a dime on petrol. 6. Contrast is memorable Opposites are attractive. We understand better when presented with extremes. No contrast: Our jeans are comfortable. With contrast: Say goodbye to stiff denim. Step into a comfy pair with our jeans. 7. End with a punch More often than not, people remember how things end. So make sure you end it on a memorable note or you might not be read again. Weak ending: Adopt a pet from our shelter. Strong ending: "Open your heart, change a life. Adopt your new best friend today! Which tip do you like the most? Let me know in the comments! Follow #OKCreative for more. #copywriting #writing

This one change to your ad copy can 3x your engagement. I've been noticing a pattern across the accounts I manage. The ads that perform best are the ones that name a specific moment. Here's what I mean. Most B2B ad copy describes pain at the category level. "Phishing attacks are a growing threat to enterprise security." "Pipeline forecasting is unreliable for most revenue teams." "Production outages cost engineering teams time and money." "New rep onboarding is broken at most SaaS companies." All technically true. All technically a pain point. All scroll-by material. Now compare those to the same pain points framed as a specific moment: "It's Tuesday morning and your CFO just forwarded an email asking if the wire transfer he 'approved' was real." "It's the last day of the quarter and three deals you forecasted as commit just slipped to next." "It's 2 AM, PagerDuty is going off, and nobody knows which of the 14 deploys today broke checkout." "Your new AE is in week 6 and still asking Slack where the pricing deck lives." Same problems. Wildly different reactions. The category-level version makes a prospect nod. The specific-moment version makes them stop scrolling because they lived it last week. That's the difference between "this is relevant to my role" and "this is happening to me right now." Recognition beats relevance. A few things I've noticed when this approach works: 👉 The pain is concrete enough that the prospect can picture the room they were in when it happened 👉 It names the time, the trigger, or the artifact (the email, the slipped deal, the Slack message) 👉 It doesn't try to be clever, it just describes the moment honestly And one warning - this only works if you actually understand your audience's day-to-day. If you don't know what your buyer's bad Tuesday looks like, you can't write the ad that captures it. That's usually where the homework needs to happen first. Customer interviews. Win/loss calls. Support tickets. Sales call recordings. The specifics are sitting in there. Most teams just never extract them and turn them into ad copy. When they do, the ads start to feel less like marketing and more like a solution that truly understands their pain.. And how to solve it. #linkedinads #b2bmarketing

Reddit user tend to ROAST LinkedIn content...calling it "totally cringe" - Here's what to avoid...and what to do different 👇 The feed is packed with “I failed. Then I didn’t.” posts and dramatic “One mindset changed everything” stories...and don't forget the AI agents are taking over everything posts... They get engagement, sure. But here’s the truth: likes don’t build pipeline. Most of that content drives attention, not action. And that’s the difference between vanity content and real demand generation. If you’re serious about growing a B2B brand, your goal isn’t to go viral. It’s to build trust, shape perception, and get remembered when buyers enter an active cycle. Cringe content leads with ego. Effective demand gen leads with value. That starts with: A clear unique value proposition that actually means something to your market A deep understanding of your competitors and how you can position differently A unique point of view that simplifies complex problems in your buyer’s language Step 1: Find your message through organic testing Before you spend a dollar on ads, validate what resonates organically. Create 10–15 short posts or 2–3 videos exploring your POV, pain points, and differentiators. Watch which ones get real engagement from ICPs (not just coworkers and marketers). Pay attention to: Comment quality (Are people asking follow-up questions?) Profile views and inbound DMs Company follower increases The content that hits organically becomes your creative testing lab. Step 2: Scale winning content with paid thought leadership ads Take your best-performing post and turn it into a thought leadership ad. Don’t reword it to sound “ad-like.” Keep the authentic tone that worked. Use single image or video formats and target high-fit audiences built from: Job titles and functions of your ICP Matched audiences from your CRM or website visitors Step 3: Build engagement loops with Conversation Ads Target people who engaged with your thought leadership content using Conversation Ads. The goal isn’t to hard-sell but to guide them deeper. Step 4: Use LinkedIn’s Company Engagement Hub You can now see exactly which companies are engaging with your ads and organic content. Go to Campaign Manager → Company Engagement Report → sort by “Engagement Level.” You’ll see which accounts are warming up. Export that list and: Hand it to your SDR team for warm outbound Upload it to other platforms or into your outbound engine to run cross-platform retargeting Step 5: Close the loop with creative iteration Every 2–3 weeks, analyze which messages and visuals perform best. Ask yourself: What narrative got the most video completions? Which CTA drove the most demos or guide downloads? Which posts created real dialogue in the comments? Double down on those angles, and use your next round of content to build upon what resonated. This is how you compound demand instead of chasing fleeting attention.

The fastest way to stop a scroll isn’t shock, it’s the 1 second moment right after it. Something I’ve learned from making scroll-stopping ads is this: You don’t need a complicated idea. You just need a moment the brain can’t ignore. We tested this recently in a video that used a trend you’ve probably seen before; a normal situation that suddenly takes a sharp, shocking turn. In our version, the video opens with a girl getting a relaxing neck massage. Soft lighting. Calm vibes. Exactly the kind of content people swipe past without thinking. Then the masseuse cracks her head like a chiropractor does. Not a violent crack. Not graphic. But just painful-looking enough that your brain instantly goes: “Did that just… HURT?” It’s that tiny jolt; the mix of curiosity, concern, and confusion that freezes the scroll. And right at that peak moment, before the viewer finishes reacting, we cut straight into the actual ad. One second: “Ow, what happened??” Next second: the message we want them to see. And it worked better than any polished creative we storyboarded. Because that’s how attention works online: The brain is wired to react faster than it can rationalise. It doesn’t wait. It doesn’t process. It just stops. Most brands misunderstand this. They try to invent something wildly original. Meanwhile, some of the best-performing creatives simply borrow patterns people already recognise, and twist them at the exact right moment. It’s not the crack that works. It’s the interruption of expectation. The brain expected a relaxing massage. It got a sudden jolt. Then the ad takes over. That split-second disruption buys you attention you can’t purchase with production value. At Omni Digital, we see this across the campaigns we run. We manage 7-figure ad budgets across Meta, Google, and TikTok… and again and again, the ads that perform aren’t the ones with the highest polish. They’re the ones built around tiny, human moments: tension, surprise, curiosity, contrast. Attention isn’t won by shouting. It’s won by interrupting the script someone assumed they were watching. And in a world where people scroll at the speed of instinct, that interruption is everything. 👉 Have you noticed any trends or video styles that instantly make you stop scrolling?

Your hook is great… but your third line sucks. Everyone says, 𝘍𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘛𝘈. But what about everything in between? If your hook grabs attention but the next lines bore your audience... ...they’ll 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 make it to the CTA. And if your CTA isn’t clear? Your post achieves 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵? Write as if 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 is a hook. Every sentence must pull the reader into the next. If one line feels out of place, the flow breaks and they stop reading. Want to keep your audience hooked until the end? Here’s how: 1. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽. Make them need to keep reading. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 90% 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭... 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬?” 2. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄. Break your copy into short, skimmable lines. 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: Each line must connect naturally to the one before. 𝗕𝗮𝗱: “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘛𝘈 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵.” 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘛𝘈 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯?” 3. 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁. Show them what’s at stake. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵? 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘵.” 4. 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Speak to their frustrations and desires. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?” 5. 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗧𝗔. Guide them with precision. 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘉2𝘉 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥𝘐𝘯? 𝘋𝘔 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 '𝘓𝘌𝘈𝘋𝘚' 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴." Now look at this post. Every line flowed so smoothly, you didn’t realize you’d read it all. That’s how your audience should feel too. P.s. what's your best strategy to keep the audience hooked until the end?

“Someone viewed your profile or you’re getting noticed…but you have to pay before I show you who.😅 Sound familiar? That little tease is classic #LinkedIn marketing and it works because it taps into our biggest emotion: curiosity. As a social media manager, I’ve learned that curiosity is your secret weapon in marketing. But how do you spark it so people actually stop scrolling and take action? 📌Nail your hook Whether it’s video or text, the first 5–10 seconds or 1–2 lines are make-or-break. If you don’t grab attention there, your message gets skipped. When I managed a furniture company’s social ads, fancy edits didn’t win, hooks did. The top-performing video started with someone walking toward a sleek, smart-lock door in slow motion. Instead of a normal handle, they tried to enter with their face and thumb. Viewers couldn’t help but pause: How does that even work? After the introduction, we demonstrated the lock’s setup, the app pairing process, and the moment when the door clicked open which proofs the door only opens with the right face or key. Curiosity turned into clicks, and clicks turned into leads. Next time you plan a post or ad, ask yourself: 🔥How can I pique curiosity in the first 5 seconds or 60 characters? 📌 What’s the value hook that makes them think, ‘I need to stop scrolling (or click “Buy now”)? Remember, you’re not selling a product, you’re selling a mystery that’s begging to be solved. Unlock curiosity, and you’ll unlock results. #SocialMediaManager #MarketingTips #HookStrategy #ContentTips

I've been writing copy (that converts) for 10 years. Save my 7-part checklist for your next copywriting session: 1. ALWAYS start from these 5 strategic questions: - Who is the target audience? - What is the key messaging? - What arguments am I using? - What action should the reader take? - Where will this content be distributed? 2. Get READY for your copywriting session - Research the audience paint' points/needs - Highlight the dream outcome - List the most common objections - Select the main page's message - Choose the 3 benefits of the offer Pro tip: if the research is properly done, the copy writes itself. 3. Make sure you master these 6 key skills: - Research - Industry knowledge - Psychology - Writing and editing - Interviews - Strategic Thinking 4. Use the 1-1-3-1 Rule: 1 audience, 1 message, 3 benefits, 1 CTA to prepare the copy. 5. Use the SCCP Rule: Specific, Clear, Coherent, Provable when writing the copy. 6. Here are the 7 copy parts to focus on: - Write a headline on the value proposition - Name the solution with a USP - Show the outcome after using the offer - Explain how you deliver the value - State the core benefits and features - Write a specific call to action - Add social proof with testimonials - Build trust with logos, data, case studies 7. Follow this copywriting process: - Research and interviews with ICP (40% of the time spent) - Strategy, ideation and planning (15%) - Writing and editing (30%) - Analysis of results (15%) That's how you write great copy. Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.