Copywriting for paid media

Learn the best practices for writing online advertising in line with your paid media strategy to ensure you make every word count

As internet users, we are exposed to thousands of advertisements every day. Our brains cannot handle this number of messages and therefore develops a natural defence mechanism known as ‘ad blindness’. This essentially means that we disregard most ads that creep into our line of sight without even realizing, but also actively block adverts that we don’t want to see or that have no relevance.

If a user scrolls past an advert, it’s unlikely that they’ll recall or attempt to find that message again, and so the opportunity to reach their consciousness is lost. For this reason, competition for eyeballs and clicks is at an all-time high.

In this Quick Win, we show how to craft copy to get cut through on your ads to make an impact, and elicit action that has a direct correlation to return on investment (ROI).

The advice covers paid media, i.e. any form of advertising that involves paid placement. We give examples from social media (Facebook and LinkedIn), Google Ads and, of course, display ads.

What will I learn?

This module focuses on online paid media and aspects involved with copywriting for these channels. It will help you to review your approach to writing content for use in paid media. It will provide a list of actionable points to help you think about style and content, gaining attention and engaging with your followers better.

How it this Quick Win structured?

In this Quick Win guide, we will step you through best practices for writing for online advertising in line with your overall marketing strategy to make every word count. You will be able to work through simple tips based on both B2B and B2C examples. You will learn how to:

• Define context and requirements for paid media
• Create personas
• Target the correct audience
• Follow the right structure
• Use power words
• Break down pre-action barriers
• Get someone to do something
• Focus on features

About the author

Rhian Harris

Rhian Harris has worked with brands of all shapes and sizes to plan, deliver and manage all aspects of their online marketing strategies since 2004. She now works as a freelance writer and blogger, regularly contributing content for Smart Insights as well as other well-known media outlets.