• Find out what the best practices are for display ad copy
• Learn what advertising principles you should never compromise on
• Find out how empathy can be your best friend in advertising

Display ads have been around for almost thirty years. In that time they have become so commonplace that you’d be forgiven for thinking that display ad copy doesn’t really matter anymore. Truthfully, it's never mattered more. Great display ads give companies awareness and reach that many companies can only dream of otherwise. A great campaign can give your company a great reputation and a bad one can make your company seem out of touch or worse.  Read on to find out the best practices in display ad copy for your business. 

What is display ad copy?

When we say display ad copy, we mean the words on your advertisement that compel the viewer into action. Without it customers would not understand what the product is and how it will benefit them. It is crucial to your display ads success. 

However, your other assets such as your images matter just as much if not more. Display advertising is a visual medium and needs to be treated as such. In this article will also briefly touch on the combination of the ad copy with the visual assets as well.

What are the best practices of display ad copy?

Let's look at the best practices in display ad copy:

1. Consider the medium to which you are advertising

This is the Golden Rule that must be considered each and every time.

If you are wanting to exclusively use banner ads then consider all of your assets and messaging in a banner layout.

If you are going to use automatic placements in a responsive format you need to look at your ad in the most popular sizes.  By using the Google Display Network, responsive advertising will show you the most common layouts and sizes. Use this feature often to ensure a successful ad. 

If it's native display advertising you are after, this golden rule is even more crucial. You must make your ad blend into its surrounding environment.  It can make or break your ad if you do not consider the environment to which you are advertising. Native ads in particular are designed to look like a similar article to the area that you are advertising. 

2. Identify your goals in what you want to achieve

Now that you have considered the medium and audience you are catering to, what do you want out of your display advertising? Awareness?Conversions? Retargeting?

Awareness will be a great metric to focus on for a new product with a display campaign. Your ad copy should say ‘Hello! This is a fantastic new product that would be perfect for you!’ (although don’t use that as ad copy, there are much better ways of saying that!). The overall aim should be to educate and inform. Your copy should state what the product is, how it is used (possibly through your images or rich text video) and where to find out more. Keeping it simple is crucial in awareness display ad copy. 

(source: Apple)

Conversion is a little tricker to execute. You need to take into account that some of your audience will know what your product is but some will not. You still need to educate your audience but let them know why buying your product is the best choice. For example: ‘Our rich moisturising cream hydrates, protects and leaves your skin luminous. Find out why everyone is switching to (your brand)’. Testimonials are a great addition for conversion display ads. 

(source: Clarisonic)

Retargeting: when you are retargeting you can be relatively certain that your customer knows your product. You can let the customer know that your product is still around and available. Let them know the fantastic value your customer will get and any special deals that you are offering, this is a fantastic strategy that will get customers to convert. 

(source: Zogics)

3. Be empathetic to your audience

This is an aspect that isn’t often talked about, but is crucial to your success. Understand your customer, their concerns, their day to day life and what may make them click on your ad and potentially buy your product. You need to walk a mile in your customers shoes so you can effectively target their issues. Underestimate this at your own peril. There have been many examples of tone deaf marketing in recent years and it can cause a backlash in worst case scenarios. A basic rule of thumb is, could it potentially offend anybody? Then perhaps think twice. 

Below is a great example of empathetic advertising:

(source: Home Depot)

4. Be catchy but avoid ‘buzzwords’

Your CTA needs to inspire action but in a delicate balancing act. The old tried and true words usually work. ‘Limited time only’ ‘Last chance at 50% off’ ‘Exclusive offer’ ‘Fantastic value’. Try to avoid popular lingo unless it's a core part of the promotion itself. Your social media strategy can get away with a little more buzzword action, as your followers will already know you. When you are advertising to a larger audience of potential buyers, keeping your CTA simple will work wonders. 

5. Keep the messaging short

The combination of your visual assets and your messaging should be kept to a minimum. You know the saying a picture is worth a thousand words? Well in display advertising that definitely rings true. Your ad should be eye catching and your words effective but kept to a minimum.Make sure you highlight the benefit to the customer. It’s best to do a combination of action and benefit in your ad copy. 

No passive phrasing should be used. Active words and adjectives in combination are usually quite effective. Don’t be afraid to be a little cheeky or bold, however as previously mentioned not at the expense of your customers. 

6. Eye catching visuals

Now that you know what platform and goals your display ad will achieve, think about the visual message you want to send. In many cases stock photos are not going to deliver success. Generic images that are not relevant to your message or brand aren’t going to work. However in certain fields such as medical, stock photos will be fine to use as patient confidentiality prohibits using photos of patients and products. Investing in quality photography of your products or graphics might be a great idea. Also be aware that photos that are slightly more close up are going to work better in all formats of display advertising. 

(source: Adobe)

7. Make A/B testing your best friend

When delving into display ads you won't always know what ad copy is going to work straight away. A/B testing is a fantastic way of experimenting with different versions of your ad copy and visuals to get the best results. It’s also fun to see what your target market responds to. 

What should I avoid when writing display ad copy?

Now that we have explored the best practices let’s look at what NOT to do. 

A confusing or vague call to action- if your customer is left wondering what your product is then they will very likely not click on your ad. Your customers need to understand that clicking on your ad will benefit them. By letting them know what the product or service is and how it will help them, you are letting them know. If you do this then you should have a higher click through rate and conversions. Mystery can work sometimes but not in display advertising. 

Not listening to social movements and the socio-economic issues of your customers- This is a crucial aspect as a tone deaf ad won’t just tank your product, it can cause irreparable damage to your company as a whole. Anything racist, homophobic or sexist is never ok.  Being witty or cheeky should never be at the expense of your customers' trust.

(source: Bloomingdales) Also….just no. This is never ok. 

If you are going to be witty make sure that people understand the joke- this is basically the equivalent of telling a joke at a dinner party and no-one laughs. Except on a much larger scale. If it's a joke or another type of witty banter, test it out on colleagues and friends first. They will likely give you honest feedback. 

Writing great ad copy is a delicate balancing act and many factors are involved in making a great ad. By making sure you have a clear message, highlight the benefits and entice the customer with a clear CTA you are well on your way to becoming a pro at writing successful ad copy!

If you aren’t sure how to create a successful ad copy or would like some help there are several service providers that thrive on writing ad copy that will increase conversions and clicks.