Joanna Wiebe, the founder of Copyhackers, emphasizes the true essence of copywriting: “Your job is not to write copy. Your job is to know your visitors, customers, and prospects so well, that you understand the situation they’re in right now, where they’d like to be, and exactly how your solution can and will get them to their ideal self.” You understand this perfectly.

This post is your guide to mastering ad copy. We’ll analyze 24 stellar examples across Google Search, Display, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, extracting actionable insights to transform your ads from average to extraordinary. Let’s dive into the world of compelling ad copy!

Table of contents

• Google Search ad examples
• Google Display ad examples
• Facebook ad examples
• Instagram ad examples
• LinkedIn ad examples

Google Search ad copy examples

Google Search Ads rely heavily on powerful copy. Without visuals, your words need to captivate, using keywords, features, benefits, and crucial information to entice clicks and drive conversions. Let’s explore different keyword approaches.

Competitive ad copy

Branded searches are fiercely competitive. Searching “Wrike” reveals:

• Wrike’s ad: Emphasizes authority (powerful, enterprise-level security, world’s leading, trusted).
• Smartsheet: Highlights ease of use, claiming to deliver what other tools promise (implicitly targeting Wrike).
• Monday.com: Offers an objective comparison claiming superiority with user-friendly features.
• Coordinate: Grapples with a potential technical issue. (Start holding customers accountable).

Takeaways

• Own Your Brand: Wrike’s top position demonstrates the importance of bidding on branded terms and building E-A-T.
• Highlight Uniqueness: Smartsheet and monday.com differentiate themselves by focusing on ease of use, contrasting with Wrike’s security focus.
• Embrace Boldness: Competitive landscapes allow for strong claims and direct comparisons.
• Target Pain Points: Coordinate, despite a possible error, effectively addresses user frustration with accountability.

Goal-oriented ad copy

Keywords like “holiday marketing strategies” require a different approach, focusing on user objectives:

Takeaways

• Benefits Over Features: Informational keywords thrive on highlighting benefits (outperform, secure sales, grow your sales) over technical features.
• Data Captures Attention: Incorporate compelling statistics or insights to pique interest.
• Emotion Drives Action: Words like “make or break” evoke urgency and fear, powerful motivators in copywriting.
• Verbs Ignite Engagement: Strong verbs (download, outperform, drop, win) inject energy and clarity into your copy.
• Relevance is Key: “Drop everything,” while attention-grabbing, might not resonate with the strategic nature of the keyword.

Authoritative ad copy

High-value keywords like “fraud lawyer” necessitate conveying trust and expertise:

Takeaways

• Build Trust Signals: Elements like client testimonials, quantifiable results, and star ratings establish credibility.
• Emphasize Availability and Speed: Use phrases like “available 24/7,” “experienced trial lawyers,” and “lawyer will answer in minutes.”
• Mitigate Risk: Assuage concerns with guarantees (“no fee unless you win”) and emphasize a client-centric approach.
• Actionable Verbs Build Momentum: Verbs like “find,” “skip,” and “pay” guide users towards the desired action.
• Implicit Emotion Resonates: Evoking confidence and reassurance through phrasing (“answer in minutes,” “prepared to hear your case”) can be more impactful than explicitly stating emotions.

Conversational ad copy

SpyFu’s ad, Are You Kidding? instantly grabs attention by directly addressing the reader and using casual language to highlight their value proposition:

Takeaway: Incorporate language your target audience uses daily to create an instant connection and increase engagement. For a deeper dive, explore these seven ways to write super-effective Google Ads.

Display ad copy examples

Display ads, being highly visual, demand concise and impactful copy. Let’s examine some effective strategies:

The use of “yet”

Mailchimp masterfully uses “yet” to convey the ability to achieve advanced results with ease: Advanced, yet easy tools.

Takeaway: “Yet” bridges the gap between seemingly contradictory desires. Explore variations like X without the Y or X, not Y to emphasize this balance.

Rhyming ad copy

This ad, despite minimal information, entices clicks with its catchy rhyming phrase: Keep work flowing and games going.

Takeaway: Intrigue, coupled with memorable phrasing and strong visuals, can be more effective than lengthy explanations.

Bragging ad copy

Unisys boasts about their accomplishments while keeping the focus on customer satisfaction: _It’s not easy to make 400,000 students happy. _But that’s what we did for California State University with our cloud solutions. We do cloud really well.

Takeaways:

• Center Bragging Around Customer Success: Instead of self-promotion, highlight the positive impact on your customers.
• Combine Elements for Maximum Impact: Numbers, emotional words, and clean visuals transform a simple message into a compelling one.

Plain & simple ad copy

LinkedIn demonstrates that directness can be powerful: Find new ways to connect with your buyers, virtually. Get started.

Takeaway: Clearly state your value proposition to resonate with your target audience. Sometimes, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Instagram ad copy examples

Instagram, being visually-driven, requires creative copy that complements the imagery. Let’s explore some effective approaches:

Influencer ad copy

Nike leverages the power of influencer marketing with a simple yet effective approach: _Always $100 and under _The Nike Reposto are mad versatile.”- Beija Marie Velez

Takeaway: Partnering with relevant influencers in your niche can lend instant credibility and requires minimal copy. The influencer’s name becomes the selling point.

Playful ad copy

Halos uses playful language and adorable imagery to promote its product: Image text: What’s sweeter than sweet? _Baby goats are sweet…__But not the sweetest…_Nothing’s sweeter than Halos.

Caption: Baby goats are sweet, but Halos are bursting with Vitamin C (and they won’t eat your favorite shirt). #WorldsSweetestMandarins Takeaway: Identify adjectives that describe your product and find visually appealing, shareable content on Instagram that aligns with those qualities.

Feature-benefit ad copy

This ad effectively highlights the benefit (HEALTHY, GLOWING SKIN) followed by the features that contribute to it (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, pro vitamin B5):

Takeaway: Emphasize the end benefit in a clear and compelling way, using specific features as supporting evidence, even if the technical details might not be fully understood by all viewers.

Facebook ad copy examples

Facebook ads offer more space for copy, allowing for a combination of text, image text, headlines, and descriptions. Let’s analyze some effective examples:

Eye-opening ad copy

Goodbuy uses data and storytelling to highlight a problem and position their solution: Ad text: Over 200,000 small businesses permanently closed due to the pandemic, on top of the 500,000+ that close year-over-year. All the while, the U.S. e-commerce marketplace is an $billion dollar industry where 70% of all that spending goes directly into the pockets of 15 mega-retailers

Video text:

• Crazy fact: 70% of all US online spending goes directly into the pockets of 15 mega-retailers
• Meanwhile, 2.1 million small businesses (selling those same products) end up on page 10 of your search results
• Say hello to the easy button for conscious shopping.
• Add goodbuy – it’s free!

View the full video ad here.

Takeaways

• Storytelling Simplifies Complex Issues: Present data and information in a narrative format to capture and maintain audience engagement.
• “Free” Remains a Powerful Incentive: Highlighting free offerings, even if implied, significantly increases their appeal.
• Tailor Your Language to Your Audience: Goodbuy effectively uses adjectives like “socially conscious” to resonate with their target market.

Emojional ad copy

This ad cleverly utilizes emojis to add personality and emphasize key points: Finally, a social media calendar tool that your team will ACTUALLY love Sign up for a free trial today

Takeaways

• Emojis Enhance Engagement: Incorporate emojis to make your copy more conversational and visually appealing.
• “Actually” Adds Emphasis: This word effectively conveys authenticity and differentiates your offering from competitors.

Linkedin ad copy examples

LinkedIn, with its professional audience, requires a different approach to ad copy. Let’s explore some effective strategies:

Success story ad copy

FICO uses a compelling customer success story to showcase the value of their platform: Ad copy: Mercury insurance needed smarter, more automated decisions, but their underwriters aren’t tech experts. FICO Platform was the answer.

Carousel cards:

• The FICO platform empowers business…(gets cut off)
• Users can make and tweak rules without IT.
• FICO improved Mercury’s results, freeing IT.
• Download the case study to learn more!

Takeaways

• Structure for Results: Follow a clear problem-solution-result framework when presenting success stories.
• Respect Character Limits: Craft concise copy to avoid truncation and ensure your message is fully delivered.

Compassionate ad copy

Eversource demonstrates empathy and understanding towards their customers: New England: As the temperatures drop, the increased demand for energy is driving up the cost of natural gas.

Headline: Eversource is here to help customers manage their bills.

Takeaway: Addressing current events or challenges faced by your audience shows that you understand and care about their needs, building trust and loyalty.

Inquisitive ad copy

Chargebee piques curiosity and encourages clicks with an open-ended question: Why did HubSpot list Chargebee as one of the 16 top apps for CRM customization? Read our blog to find out.

• Takeaway: Employ the “open loop” technique by introducing intriguing information that prompts users to seek further details.

Use these ad copy examples as your launchpad

With these insights and examples, you’re equipped to transform your ad copy from dull to dazzling! Embrace creativity, understand your audience, and experiment with different approaches to find what resonates best.