The Art Of Writing Memorable And Persuasive Ads That Sell

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Sometimes you come across an ad written so well that you can’t help but want to purchase the product it’s selling, even though you don’t need it. This is probably because the ad influenced your emotions and made an impact.

And if you’re still not convinced about the impact that advertisements have on people, then perhaps these statistics will change your mind: digital ads increase brand awareness by 80%, and as many as 27% of people look up your business after they see an ad. After someone searches up your product, the likelihood of them buying from you is 59%!

Long story short: a well-written ad is persuasive, memorable, and converts people into customers. But, before we dive into how you can write an ad that sells, let’s take a look at the different parts of a Google ad.

Anatomy of a Google Ad

The components that make up an ad can differ depending on the type of Google ad you choose to run. Let’s take a look at all of them with the below ad as an example.

• Headline. This is the most important part of an ad, as it’s the first thing users look at. So, you’re going to want to write a headline that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to know more about your products. In the above example, Yeti includes the words “insulated water bottles” when a user searches for “best water bottles for athletics.” This instantly grabs people’s attention by letting them know that Yeti’s bottles can solve their problems i.e. keeping the water cool while they exercise.
• Description. Once you capture a user’s attention through your headline, it’s time for the description part to do its job – letting the user know exactly what you have to offer. In the screenshot above, Yeti uses this part to let people know that they have a new seasonal collection with extra-durable bottles available in several new colors.
• Callout. Callouts are the tiny links that appear below the description. They help you feature important details about your products that might make users want to buy from you. For instance, Yeti uses “gifts under $50” as a callout, letting users know that they can gift someone a water bottle for under $50.
• Visuals. These are images, videos, and graphics that accompany ads. These are a great way to put your best foot forward and actually show customers what your products look like. For best results, you can combine visuals with some compelling ad copy.
• Call to Action (CTA). The CTA button comes at the very end and directs users towards performing a deliberate action after reading your ad. Some examples are: “Get 50% off now!” or  “Schedule an appointment.”

Now that you know the various parts that make up a Google ad, it’s time to learn how to create memorable ones.

5 steps to create memorable ads

Ads are one of the most important tools for an e-commerce business. Converting people into customers through ads is an art. Take a look at these tips, and you can become an artist, too.

1. Put yourself in the audience’s shoes

Writing an ad is a journey that begins with understanding your target audience. Let’s assume that you sell crib sheets for infants. Since babies can’t yet read or buy items on their own, it’s going to be the parents who are doing the purchasing. So, your target audience here is the parents of infants.

Now, it’s time for you to put yourself in their shoes and speak their language. If you were a parent shopping for crib sheets for your infant, what keywords would make you want to click on an ad and buy the product?

You’re more likely to look for words like “soft,” “non-toxic,” or “comfortable.” Here’s a great example:

Using these keywords in your ad will make it more persuasive because, this way, your ad matches the search intent of your target audience.

Another benefit of putting yourself in your audience’s shoes is that it lets you know what kind of vocabulary to use. For example, Gen Z may prefer modern lingo, while older people may not.

Bottom line: putting yourself in your audience’s shoes helps you tailor your copy to their needs.

2. Write an eye-catching headline

The headline is what makes or breaks your ad. In fact, most people never scroll past the headline. So, if you want to stand out among the sea of ads, you need to make an impact right from the get-go.

And no, this doesn’t mean you need to come up with perfectly crafted poetic sentences. You just need to understand what users want and address their needs while being perfectly clear about what you’re offering.

Here are some great strategies:

Use parts of speech such as adjectives and interjections. Don’t be modest, and go all in! The amount of trust and confidence you have in your brand reflects on your customers as well. After all, nobody wants to buy from a brand that’s just good enough, right?

Use social proof to position yourself as an industry leader. Since a headline needs to be short and sweet, vague phrases like “used by USA’s top CEOs” are enough. However, you must follow up on this and include more social proof on your landing page.

Offer direct benefits. What can your brand do for the customers?

Try to grab users’ attention with a question. This could be something related to the features you offer. For example: “Want free shipping? Shop with us!”

Highlight a limited-period discount offer to create urgency and entice customers. This implements FOMO (fear of missing out), which compels people to act fast and complete the purchase before the sale ends.

Use your wit.

In addition to the above strategies, here are some more things to keep in mind: use conversational language, address the customer directly, write in an active voice, and include your target keywords.

3. Sell the experience, not the product

In other words- focus on the benefits and not the features of your products. Think about it: why does anybody buy anything? Because they want the experience those products can give them.

People buy clothes because they want to look good, they buy a porch swing because they want to sit there and enjoy their morning coffee, and they buy coats to protect them from the cold.

So, focus on what your product can do for your customers. You need to solve the customers’ problems. This is also a good place to highlight any unique benefits that only you can offer.

A good thing to remember when highlighting your product’s benefits is to be specific. Use “next day delivery” instead of quick delivery.

4. Connect emotionally with your audience

Emotion–specifically fear, anger, guilt, disgust, and happiness–is what drives people. So, forge an emotional connection with your audience by telling them a story, and they will be more likely to buy from you.

Here are some examples of headlines that trigger emotions:

• Still paying for shipping? Yikes!
• Play like a girl – Best Tennis coaching.
• Don’t wait until it’s too late – U.S. life insurance.
• Feel your mother’s touch with our homemade bread.

Highlighting the unique experiences that your products will provide is also a great way of creating an emotional connection. However, always follow the emotion up with logical facts and be wary of having people associate your brand with a negative emotion.

5. Use a compelling CTA

The CTA is an important part of an ad because it spurs the user into action. Decide on what you want users to do. Is it shopping for your products, signing up for a newsletter, or checking out a particular page on your website? Once this is decided it’s time to write the CTA.

The CTA is another place where you need to appeal to people’s emotions and give them a reason to act immediately. If the rest of your copy is compelling enough, you could go with something classic like “buy now,” or “sign up now.”

Or you can add a little oomph by being creative. For example, you could use “save 30% now,” or “discover your style” instead of shop now. A simple “I’m in” or “get exclusive offers in your inbox” also works well for a newsletter sign up CTA.

Well, there you have it. The 5 steps to creating a memorable ad. Use these tips to create ads that sell and stand out from the crowd!