7 AdCopy Tips That Make Your Ads Convert Like Hotcakes

David Ogilvy is a legend of the advertising game and has been credited as one of the true kings of ads. Being a researcher by trade, the secret to Ogilvy’s success was the meticulous and extensive research into consumer habits and the human psyche.

If you have some spare time, type his name into Youtube. You’ll see various interviews, documentaries and other chats with him, which will challenge how you see copywriting.

In the meantime (and to save you several hours), I’m going to highlight some of his best work and how you can use it to your advantage. You can apply these learnings not just to Tyviso but to any other ad platform you run, such as Facebook Ads, Google Ads or Instagram.

1) The Headline is 80%

On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. -David Ogilvy

I really can’t stress how important this is. If you are going to be perfect in one area, then this is the place to achieve it.

Most consumers are looking for value – by this, I don’t mean a discount (although that helps), but instead, they are looking to solve a particular issue or drive a benefit.

This article from CopyBloggers highlights some of the tried and tested greats.

When trialling headlines, right a few and use testing to work out which style works best in particular to you. Then, hone in further on those and create further sub-variations.

2) Explain why they should buy

The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be. -David Ogilvy

So you’ve managed to get the prospect’s attention with a crafty headline, now’s the time to seal the deal. You do this by answering one question; why.

Why is the product important? Why is it a good deal? Why should they be interested? Why should they buy it from you? Why should they buy it now rather than later? Why should they trust you?

Consciously or subconsciously, all of those questions are going through a customer’s head. If you want them to act, you need to answer them, which means making your copy informative.

3) Don’t get distracted from making the sale

If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative. -David Ogilvy

All of the best salespeople in the world are pushy. This doesn’t mean that they are rude, but they know what they want to achieve and aren’t afraid to ask for your money to achieve it. The same goes with writing ads.

Of course, we all remember the beautifully written ads that are also visually attractive. However, you need to ensure that people aren’t voyeurs of your ads but are clickers instead. If you can impress people with your words, great, but this should always be secondary to pushing for a sale.

4) Never talk down to your customers

A consumer is not a moron. She’s your wife. Don’t insult her intelligence, and don’t shock her. -David Ogilvy

You may have the best product in the world, but if you belittle your customers, they will simply be turned off or go to a competitor.

Treat your customer with the respect that they deserve. At the end of the day, it’s you requesting their money, so you are in a lower position, if anything.

5) Do your homework

Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals. -David Ogilvy

Research, research, research. Who is my ideal customer, why are they my perfect customer, am I sure they are my perfect customer?

Once you have a good idea of the above, then there are three things you need to take into consideration:

–   Who you are writing to

–   How that person thinks

–   What that person needs

We’ve all been hit with a message that doesn’t make sense to us – be honest, you press delete instantly if it’s in email form.

Know what it is that your audience is looking for so you know what to provide them. Don’t do this at your peril.

6) Go Big or Go Home

Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ballpark. Aim for the company of immortals. -David Ogilvy

If a football team keeps passing the ball to each other and not going for the goal, then it’s a pretty dull match for the spectator. The same can be said about writing ad copy.

You present a less compelling argument if you scratch around the surface without picking your way to the goal. If you offer a less compelling idea, then you significantly lower your chances of selling something.

Don’t take shortcuts and aim for the hills – if you feel you don’t have the skills to achieve this, hire someone to help you.

7) Your copy is essential. Treat it that way

Like a midwife, I make my living by bringing new babies into the world, except mine is new advertising campaigns. -David Ogilvy

Too often, advertising copy is underthought and just cobbled together last minute before being thrown out into the world of Facebook & Google Ad Servers. Sure, someone may have checked it’s grammatically correct, but it isn’t necessarily advertising correct, considering the points before this one.

Writing excellent copy takes time and energy. Some of the best copywriters will spend weeks just crafting the headline, then there’s the rest to do after that.

If anything, I hope this guide has shown you that even a few words in a headline written correctly can be the difference between a highly successful ad campaign and tying your money into a brown paper bag before setting it on fire.

Take your time and consider who your audience is – your end of year financial results will thank you for it.

What more ad tips? Check out these ad copy ideas.