The potential audience of 2.19 billion monthly active Facebook users suggests that it is.

Can bad social media copywriting lower your chances of reaching more potential customers across Facebook’s platform?

Yes. It can.

There’s even a big difference in how mediocre v.s. well-written social media posts perform.

Thing is, you’re probably not spending half as much time on writing copy for social media posts than you would spend on developing a print campaign’s messages.

If you’re already going to say something as a brand, why not do it well?

Tens of Facebook ads and social media posts will eventually contribute to the general perception of your brand. The messages you use across your Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns can make a big difference in your ads’ ROI. (Naturally, there are also other important factors to your campaign’s success such as design and ad bidding, but copy is liable for part of the success.)

To make a point here, compare these two (hypothetical) ads:

They both look ok. I bet the ad on the left would get the company some results.

However, by adding some small extra touches and making your copy more user-focused, you’ll have a chance to increase your click-through-rates and conversions.

I mean… Nobody cares that your tool is New and Awesome. 🙄 (This line was taken from an actual SaaS Facebook ad.)

So how can you write copy that people will care about? That they will click on? That they’ll remember?

1. Know what you want to say

Kind of obvious, isn’t it?

However, take a look at the branded posts in your Facebook newsfeed. Many of them sound like someone just wanted to fill the box with “some copy.”

Here’s what often happens: By the time you’re posting a social media post or a Facebook ad, you’ll have an image/URL ready and you just need to add the copy + hit the “publish button.”

What’s wrong with the image-first kind of approach is that…

1. You won’t have an ad/post design that delivers your messages in the most efficient way.
2. Your ad copy won’t be focused on delivering the most important message.

As I don’t want to focus on negative examples, here are a couple of GOOD Facebook ad examples that have the messaging and design in place:

Why is this Sonarworks ad good?

• It has the key value proposition right in the ad image – the first thing people will read
• It clearly states what the advertised product does
• It focuses on a benefit that people care about
• It has a clear call-to-action

Here’s one more example:

Why is this Virgin America ad good?

• It focuses on a special deal and it’s already advertised in the ad image
• This ad features an offer people care about
• It lists all relevant information about the offer

Both designing and copywriting for social media posts should start by defining your key message – that’s something that also many marketing books emphasize..

Here’s the best way to plan your social media post’s content:

• Step 1: Plan what you want to say
• Step 2: Plan the exact wording
• Step 3: Develop the post’s design
• Step 4: Upload and publish your message

I think it’s an appropriate moment to recall one more important rule…

2. If you have nothing to say, don’t say anything

If you have to choose between quality v.s. quantity, opt for quality.

Of course, in the perfect world, you would have a lot of important things to say about your brand, product, and its users.

So what should this message be? And how to make people care about it?

3. Make it about the customer, not your company

Many marketers make the mistake of writing about their product’s features.

People don’t care about your product per se.

They care about how it will benefit them.

As the marketing legend D. Ogilvy put it: “Each advertisement must say to each reader: “Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit.””

He definitely followed his own principle when writing this advertisement for Sears. Furthermore, notice that the ad focused on savings and the ad image also calls for the attention of people who are interested in monetary savings.

Once you know the value proposition that you want your ads to focus on, you’ll have a clear path for writing relevant copy.

How to find a good audience-message fit?

Interviewing your existing users can give a good overview of what people care most about your product. You can also A/B test various ad messages to uncover what resonates with your audience.

For example, we tested many different ad messages with MeetFrank until we found one that people were most interested in: potential raise on their new job position.

4. Address various audiences

Remember that you may have more than one target audience that you want to address with different messages.

For example, you could advertise/communicate in social media to potential new customers, your existing customer base, your fans, etc. All of these target groups have various interests and thereby require a different messaging strategy.

• New potential customers (a cold audience that hasn’t heard about your product before) need to be informed about your product’s main benefit to them.
• Existing customers might be more interested in how to get additional value out of your product, they’re also more prone to react to upsell and discount offers.
• Your brand’s diehard fans will engage with branded posts, even if it’s just a fun fact/post about your company.

For example, this Facebook post by Slack is not relevant to people who don’t know about their work collaboration software. However, it engages their existing users and fans.

When it comes to Facebook ads, you can set up multiple campaigns that target different audiences. Similarly, you can publish social media posts and boost them to specific audience segments.

Read more about Facebook retargeting campaigns here.

5. Include important information only

Copywriting for Facebook is different from typing an email or a blog article. You’re limited in the real-estate for copy.

A general rule applies to 99% of marketing copy (website, blog, email and ads, included: You should only focus on what’s relevant and avoid fillers lacking a real meaning.

For example, Intercom’s Facebook ad mentions their product’s benefits first thing.

How to catch people’s attention with your ad copy?

• Mention the key value proposition fast.
• Ask a question to get the reader hooked.
• Avoid long intros and get to your point fast.

And then there’s the option to get people to click on your ads/posts with clickbait.

However, do you want your brand to sound desperate or trustworthy?

6. Place your key message in the first sentence

Read this copy for a Facebook post:

As the summer’s right behind the corner, it’s time to update your wardrobe with some color! For the next 24h, everything’s 20% off in our online store. Wait no more!

Sounds legit, right?

However, what’s the key message of this post? – “The summer is near.”

That’s not what the company wanted to inform you about. So why did they place this information into the first sentence? Careless copywriting alert.

Let’s try to rephrase the ad copy:

Flash sale! Get 20% off everything in our online store! Time to bring some color to your summer wardrobe.

Now, the reader will immediately get the most important message.

7. Keep it short

One of my favourite website conversion rate optimization rules (I think it might have come from Peep Laja) is that every element on your website must contribute to the conversion. If it doesn’t, remove it.

The same rule applies to social media copywriting.

If a word/sentence doesn’t contribute anything new to your message, leave it unwritten.

As a result, you will have a clear copy that takes less time to read while delivering the key message faster. That’s pretty useful considering that people don’t have a remarkably long attention span these days.

Once you’ve written the first version of your ad/social media post copy, take a break, then review to remove any unnecessary wording. Also, reword complex sentences to make them short and easy to grasp.

The above sentence actually started as a longer version:

Another simple hack to make your copywriting more engaging is to…

8. Use active language

Intercom’s Facebook ad that you saw above had one key message that can be framed in several ways:

• Your customers can now be supported faster and smarter
• You can now support your customers faster and smarter
• Intercom helps you support your customers faster and smarter
• Support your customers faster and smarter (original)

If I had to choose, I would go with the original version. Why? Because it almost tells you to go and do it.

Using active language suggests that there is a logical action the reader should follow, nudging them to take that step.

Airbnb is using a question to get people’s attention and as they answer “yes” in their mind, they’re told to “choose from …”

This is a good formula for Facebook copywriting: Question + a logical solution.

9. Organize and format your copy

Sometimes, you’ve got a lot to tell. If you can’t cut anything out, look for ways to turn a long paragraph into well-structured copy.

For example, take this copy from a BarkBox Facebook ad:

1 day left! Get a free upgrade and get a bonus toy in every BarkBox for your entire subscription (up to a $150 value!) As a member of the Extra Toy Club, you’ll receive a monthly delivery of 3 mind-blowing toys, tailored to your dog’s size, 2 full bags of drool-worthy treats, and an all-natural chew.

That’s a looong copy to put into a single paragraph.

But then again, all of this information is potentially relevant to various readers.

What do? 🤷

Here’s how BarkBox solved the issue – by using caps lock, parentheses and a lot of numbers (easier to read than words).

Another way to accommodate more copy into the Facebook post format is to use bullet points (or emojis as bullet points) to list several benefits/services.

If MindTitan had listed all their services in a single line, separated by commas, it would be one hell of a difficult ad to read. It got a lot better as we organized the information into a formatted list.

Here are a few simple formatting-related copywriting hacks:

• Use caps lock to outline words like LIMITED TIME and FREE. (Too bad Facebook does not support bold copy in ads and posts.)
• Use line spacing to split long paragraphs into multiple text blocks.
• Use bullet points for listing several benefits or products.
• Insert emojis in Facebook ads/posts to catch more attention.

10. Write as if you were talking

Many people hear a voice in their head while reading.

If you’re one of them, know you’re not alone. According to one study, 82.5% of contributors said they did hear an inner voice when reading to themselves, 10.6% said they didn’t, and the status of the remaining contributors was unclear.

To make your copywriting easy to read, make it easy to pronounce.

You can literally read your Facebook post’s copy out loud to yourself (or use that inner voice) to see if it sounds natural in spoken word.

For example, this Facebook ad by MOO sounds natural when read out loud.

This Facebook ad by Harvest not so much.

How to make your ad copy sound more natural:

• Use short sentences that would be easy to read out loud.
• Use questions and exclamation marks to make your copywriting sound more alive.
• Use natural wording that’s not too complex (and avoid industry jargon)

Additional social media copywriting hacks

To focus on the benefit for the reader (you), to cut straight to the point, and to follow other best practices listed above, I’ll just share some small yet effective hacks as a list.

11. Make it interesting to read – use fun and irregular wording.

12. However, never sacrifice the meaning over fancy wording.

13. Avoid double meanings – your message should be straightforward.

14. Be consistent in your brand’s tone of voice across all messaging.

15. Have someone proofread your copy before you hit publish.

16. End with a strong call-to-action

Last not least, end every social media post and Facebook ad with a call-to-action. Let the reader know what’s the next step.

For example, Squarespace tells people to start a free trial. The New York Times might have benefitted from adding a “Sign up today to save 60%…” at the end of the ad copy.

Don’t leave the reader hanging there after seeing your ad.

Successful Facebook copywriting starts by knowing your audience, your message, and how to best frame it.

It ends by taking the reader one small step ahead in your marketing funnel.

The post Copywriting for Facebook and Social Media – How to Make Sentences Make Sense appeared first on Marketing Fix blog.

If you’re looking answers to these three questions, this article’s for you.

Because that’s exactly what this article’s about – how to get started with guest blogging and accelerate your way to contributing to the top publications.

But first, there’s one important question that needs to be answered:

Is guest blogging even worth your time?

Around 2 years ago, I wrote my first guest post for a small business blog.

Fast forward to 2017, I’ve become a contributor to some of the top-tier blogs that once seemed like a distant dream: Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner, and many more.

Here’s what I’ve learned about guest posting after contributing more than 50 articles to more than 15 blogs.

Part 1: The benefits of guest blogging

Believe me, I’m highly sceptical about the ROI of guest posting.

This said, I’ve seen both value and time wasted when publishing in third-party blogs.

If you want to get the maximum value out of guest blogging, you need to know your goal.

Here are some common reasons for guest blogging:

• Getting high-quality backlinks for your website
• Establishing yourself as a thought leader
• Increasing the awareness of your brand
• Finding new clients and potential partners
• Building new connections within your industry

The reason I started guest blogging was to get quality backlinks for Scoro’s website – my employer at the time. I also loved the challenge of getting accepted to some of the top blogs I had myself learned from.

Guest blogging can be a highly efficient strategy to improve your SEO results.

Ahrefs studied the correlation between the number of backlinks and keyword rankings on Google. They found that those two metrics have a high correlation between them.

While I personally believe that guest blogging didn’t contribute much to our blog’s growth, I still believe it had some effect on the rapid growth of our organic blog traffic thanks to quality backlinks.

Key takeaway #1: You need to know why you’re guest blogging.

Alright, we can say that submitting guest posts to other websites has the potential to increase your Domain Authority in the eyes of Google and bring you more website traffic in the long term.

But there’s also a caveat: not all guest blogging is equally beneficial to your SEO results.

There’s a big difference between a backlink from a popular blog and a website with low authority.

Compare this to creating your brand’s showroom in the middle of the woods or a royal castle.

Guest blogging on a low-authority site with a few readers is likely going to have a smaller impact on your long-term website traffic than writing a high-quality blog article for your own blog.

Key takeaway #2: It’s worth guest blogging on high-authority sites.

Popular blogs also get more traffic which means higher visibility for your post, you, and your brand.

P.S. If you’re looking to increase your blog traffic, check out this article: 18 Hacks for Promoting Blog Articles on Facebook

If you’re hesitating whether to write a guest post for a particular website, use an SEO tool like Mozbar to check how high Domain Authority that website has. Mozbar will show you the Domain Authority (on the scale of 1-100) of any website you’re interested in.

Try to find guest posting opportunities on websites with the DA higher than 60 points.

But what if your goal for guest blogging isn’t to improve your website’s SEO? What if you’re interested in building your personal brand?

Guest blogging is a great way of establishing yourself as a thought leader in any particular industry.

However, it’s not always as efficient as you might think.

For example, when I published an article in Entrepreneur, only nine readers looked up my profile and website.

It looks like guest blogging isn’t going to bring you much fame after all… Even a small’scale Facebook advertising campaign would bring you significantly more results.

Tim Soulo, Head of Marketing at Ahrefs, conducted an extensive analysis of 273 guest posts and their ROI.

Here’s what he had to say about referral traffic from guest posting:

Out of 239 guest articles Tim wrote, 35% generated less than 10 visits and only 15% generated more than 100 visits.

Alright, so now we have data from two marketers saying that guest blogging is a terrible way of getting more traffic to your personal or branded website.

Key takeaway #3: Guest blogging is an awfully inefficient way to increase website traffic

Does this mean you shouldn’t be guest posting at all?

Not necessarily.

Here’s another finding from Tim’s research:

If you’re able to include a relevant link to an article or research material on your website, the guest post will bring you a lot more value.

Key takeaway #4: Increase your traffic from guest posts by linking to your other articles/research.

Another cool idea is to create a content upgrade, e.g. an eBook with additional insights, and offer it to your guest post readers in exchange for their emails. This way, you can collect the readers’ emails and reach out to them in the future.

I’ve also learned that the topic of your guest post matters a lot.

For example, if you’re a marketer looking to get hired, it makes sense to write guest posts on marketing, not productivity or management.

When I wrote an article on Facebook advertising for Content Marketing Institute, it was picked up by other marketers.

Compare to the nine website visits I got from a guest post in Entrepreneur, writing for a marketing blog had a significantly higher ROI.

The guest post brought me 30+ visitors. While it’s not much, some of those people were interested in collaboration or hiring me.

Look for blogs where your potential customers hang out and write guest posts that show your expertise on the right topics.

Here’s another question people are curious about:

Can you get hired via guest blogging?

Definitely!

More than once did I write a guest post to a marketing blog and got made an offer to keep writing to them as a paid contributor.

I’ve also had several people read my guest contributions to leading marketing blogs and reach out to hire me.

Key takeaway #5: Guest blogging can be an efficient way to attract new customers.

However, don’t get too excited about writing one or two guest posts and seeing all the business to come in…

You also need to have a strong landing page / personal blog to land a job. People who love your guest post will check out your website.

Having a website to back up your expertise will help to convince people to hire you.

Key takeaway #6: You need a personal website for people to find out more about you.

For me, guest blogging has always worked hand-in-hand with my personal website. The best job offers never even came via a guest post, but thanks to people reading my blog.

However, guest posting helps to strengthen your personal brand and establish you as an expert in your field.

Here’s an example of a Twitter profile belonging to marketing influencer Aaron Orendorff – having published in so many well-known publications helps him to increase credibility.

To sum up the first half of this article, here’s how you can benefit from guest posting:

1. It’s worth guest blogging on high-authority websites and the blogs your potential clients read.
2. Guest posts do not usually bring much traffic to your website, even not the articles published on high-authority sites.
3. Sometimes, it’s worth skipping a guest posting opportunity and write an article in your own blog instead.
4. Guest blogging works best when combined with a personal blog or a branded website.
5. Look at guest posting as a way to increase credibility and connect with other people in your field.

If you find the goals above worthy of your time (it takes around 8h to write a 2000-word article or even more) and you’re willing to put in some hard work, keep reading.

In the second part of this article, we’re going to explore how you can become a guest blogger to world-class blogs like Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, and The Next Web.

Part 2: How to get started with guest blogging

I wrote my first ever blog article in 2015.

I had just joined the software startup Scoro as their Content Marketing Manager.

My first week at work, I wrote the first blog article I’d ever written in English.

Looking at it now, I feel slightly embarrassed, would like to rewrite the entire article, and prohibit my past self from publishing any more content.

However, if I hadn’t started to publish those blog articles, I never would have learned to write.

Key takeaway #7: The best way to learn to write is to write.

Your first articles are 99% sure to be poorly written and will fail to attract many readers.

But that’s just fine.

The worst thing you can do is to give up and never take on writing again. Keep blogging on a regular basis until you get better and start attracting some readers.

A good litmus test is to show your articles to your friends and ask if they’d read that.

I started to write and publish a blog article on Scoro’s blog every week. After six months, my articles started to improve and I kept learning from my colleagues that helped to edit my work.

I was super eager to start guest posting in some of my favourite marketing blogs. Yet some of my earliest outreaches got negative replies.

I still needed to grow as a writer.

Key takeaway #8: Your early pitches will be rejected. Don’t give up.

Reaching the level of expertise and writing skills demanded by top publications takes time.

If you submit the first article you’ve written in your life as a guest contribution, it probably won’t get accepted. You’ll first need to gain some credibility as a writer.

So here’s what I did next: I started by guest posting to small blogs.

Here’s how I looked at it: If I get accepted to some mid-tier blogs, I can put in hard work, publish some amazing articles, and then pitch larger blogs based on that experience.

I sent out 10+ pitches to some of the blogs I considered to be reachable, pitched them highly relevant ideas and was given a chance by a couple of editors. You must constantly improve your copywriting skills to write better pitches.

Here’s the thing: Instead of pitching your ideas to 1-2 blogs, reach out to more than 10. There’s a lot higher chance that one of your pitches will get accepted.

One of the first guest posts I wrote was for the HubSpot blog.

It even had a decent amount of social shares that made it possible to pitch myself as a guest blogger to additional blogs.

Key takeaway #9: Start guest blogging in small or mid-tier blogs and work your way up.

Don’t expect those first guest posts to bring you fame and new customers.

However, you’ve got to get your snowball-effect snowball rolling from somewhere. So look for blogs that accept articles from less-experienced writers like yourself.

Here’s one more highly important tip: Write relevant and original pitches.

Here’s how NOT to get your guest post pitch accepted:

Here’s what’s wrong with this pitch:

• The blogger did not introduce herself.
• The blogger made no pitches for articles she wanted to write.
• She didn’t refer to her previous work to prove she can write.

That’s worse than not sending any email. It’s sending an email and wasting the editor’s time.

Here’s another one: the regular guest post pitch I saw when working as the Content Marketing Manager for Scoro.

What’s wrong with that pitch?

All the three topics they pitched are generic, and there are probably 10 articles with the exact same titles already published. This pitch is a no-go.

Key takeaway #10: A bad pitch is worse than no pitch at all.

So what makes a good guest post pitch – one that gets you accepted to the leading blogs?

CopyHackers has a funny and insightful guide to writing an awesome pitch. Here’s what they suggest:

• STEP 1: Be awesome.
• STEP 2: Choose a topic you know shit-tons about.
• STEP 3: Work on that headline some more.

In fact, their guidelines make you almost too intimidated to send over a pitch.

But these guidelines also push you out of your comfort zone, nudging you to be creative and put in some hard work.

That’s exactly how writing a good pitch should feel like.

As I’d always wanted to be a guest blogger for CopyHackers, I decided to take my chance. It took me 22 minutes (instead of the 3 minutes most people put in their pitches) to write an email to the blog.

I’m still proud of myself when looking at this pitch.

A couple of hours after sending over my email, I got a reply from CopyHackers’ founder Joanna Wiebe, saying she loved the pitch and would like to see the outline or first draft. ????

In a few weeks, my article was published and got tons of positive feedback.

Which leads us to the next lesson…

Key takeaway #11: Work on your pitches like your life depends on it.

Here’s what a good guest post pitch looks like:

• It shows personality – your introduction should differentiate your from other contributors
• It’s original – the ideas you pitch have not been written about before or you’re offering a unique angle to the subject.
• It’s practical – you’ve done your research on the blog and suggest topics they haven’t published yet.
• It’s convincing – you explain to the reader why you’re the right person to write on the proposed topics and also link to some of your previous articles.
• It’s entertaining – use interesting wording and create a good flow, so that the reader will enjoy reviewing your pitch.

Yeah, that’s a lot of things you need to get right. It’s a lot harder than creating an Instagram campaign or brewing the perfect espresso.

But… The more you practice the art of writing pitches, the better you’ll get at it.

How to become a guest author in top blogs

If this question’s the reason you’re reading this article… Well… Here comes the answer!

After I had written for some notable marketing blogs, I felt ready to approach the big players – blogs I had only recently dreamed of writing for.

By this time, I had tens of articles and referrals to prove my expertise.

I had written 30+ articles for HubSpot, Kissmetrics, CopyHackers, AdEspresso, KlientBoost, InfusionSoft, Duct Tape Marketing, The Next Web, and many more blogs.

More importantly, I had set in motion the growth of my personal blog that was seeing high readership from fellow marketers.

First, you need credibility. Only then can you start pitching to the high-level blogs.

Key takeaway #12: Before pitching to top-level blogs, build up your personal brand and credibility.

Look at guest blogging like a game – you need to level up in order to get accepted to high-rank blogs. Coming up with original ideas and pitches that get accepted gets harder once you start approaching the leading business blogs.

Becoming a contributor to leading publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and the top industry blogs is not easy, but definitely a goal that you can reach.

—

Did something remain unclear? Do you have additional questions regarding guest blogging? Leave a comment and we’ll get back to you.

The post After Guest Blogging 50+ Articles to Top Blogs, Here’s What I’ve Learned appeared first on Marketing Fix blog.

That exactly why in this chapter of the Instagram Advertising Guide, we’ll be focusing on the hacks and tips for creating successful Instagram ad design and writing good ad copy.

After reading this guide, you’ll know the answer to the following questions:

• What are the latest Instagram ad and video specs?
• How to create a winning Instagram ad design?
• How to write good Instagram ad copy?
• What are some of the best Instagram ad examples?
• How to set up your Instagram ad copy?

Ready to nail your first Instagram ad design? In this case, keep reading!

A Quick Overview of Instagram Ad Specs

Like any other advertising platform, Instagram has a set of requirements for its ad creatives. If you want to find even more specific information, see the complete Instagram Ad Specs and Size Guide.

Instagram ad image specs:

• Image ratio: 1:1
• Image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Caption: Text only, 125 characters recommended
• Image ratio: Landscape (1.91:1), Square (1:1), Vertical (4:5)
• Minimum resolution: 600 x 315 pixels (1.91:1 landscape) / 600 x 600 pixels (1:1 square) / 600 x 750 pixels (4:5 vertical)
• Maximum resolution: 1936 x 1936 pixels
• File type: .jpg or .png
• Maximum size: 30MB
• Your image should include minimal text.
• Caption: Max 2200 characters

Instagram ad video specs:

• Instagram videos have to be created at 72px minimum resolution
• Minimum resolution: 600 x 315 pixels (1.9:1 landscape) / 600 x 600 pixels (square)
• Instagram videos must be between 2.5-30 seconds long
• Video aspect ratio: 1.9:1 to 1:1
• File type: .mp4.
• The recommended size limit for your Instagram videos is 50MB
• The maximum size is 4GB
• The caption length text for video ads: text only, max 2,200 characters
• Supported video codecs: H.264, VP8
• Frame Rate: 30fps max
• Supported audio codecs: AAC, Vorbis
• The thumbnail image ratio should match the aspect ratio of your video

Instagram stories specs:

• Format: Full screen vertical ad (9:16)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 1067
• File Types: .mp4 or .mov (Video) or .jpg or .png (Photo)
• Recommended Video Codecs: h.264, VP8
• Recommended Audio Codecs: AAC, Vorbis
• Maximum File Size: 4GB (Video) or 30MB (Photo)
• Video Length: Maximum 15 seconds
• Photo Content: Visible for 5 seconds
• Captions are not currently available. Any text must be part of the video of image file

Up next, we’ll share with you our top Instagram design and copywriting hacks that will help you get more conversions at a lower cost.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #1: Create Colourful Ad Images

Research has discovered that people make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interaction with either people or products (or your ads). And guess what: 62%-90% of their decision-making is based on colors alone.

Creating colourful Instagram ad images helps your ads to get noticed. You’ll get bonus points for using bright energetic colours that spark positive emotions and make people more interested in your offer.

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Staples, displaying an image that includes highly colourful details.

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Bonus tip: Learn colour psychology to find out which colours appeal to specific audiences and match with your offers.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #2: Include In-image Text

If your Instagram ad image is the first thing people notice, it makes sense to place your key message right there in the image.

However, keep in mind that Facebook doesn’t like ad images with too much copy in them and will start to limit your ads’ reach if they’re heavy on copy.

You can test whether your Instagram ads get a pass by using Facebook’s Text Overlay Tool.

Here’s a good Instagram ad example by Spring, featuring a comment from Vogue.

Bonus tip: You can also use your customer testimonials as in-image ad copy to increase people’s trust in your brand.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #3: A/B Test Your Ad Visuals

Consumer Acquisition found that images are arguably the most important part of your ads — they’re responsible for 75%-90% of ad performance.

This means that changing your Instagram promotion’s image can result in a significant change in your campaign results.

Here are 10 ad A/B testing ideas to start with:

• A/B test your Instagram ad audience – target people in multiple locations, age groups, and having various interests
• A/B test various Instagram ad types – test carousel ads and video ads in addition to regular image ads
• A/B test ad image colours – use the colour psychology to find out which colours to use
• A/B test a stock photo vs. an illustration – some people prefer photos whil others find animated images more eye-catching

• A/B test in-image text vs. no text – create ad images with some copy on it and others without any copy to see what works best
• A/B test your call-to-actions – experiment with several CTAs to know which makes your audience act upon the ad (e.g. make a purchase)
• A/B test your Facebook ad headline – write up to 5 different headlines to see which one is preferred by the most people
• A/B test ad copy with emojis vs. no emojis – some people like emojis in Facebook ads while other
• A/B test you landing pages – instead of sending all ad traffic on a single landing page, set up multiple destinations to see what works
• A/B test your Instagram ad size – You can use several image sizes in your Instagram ads

To make sure your Instagram A/B tests are a success, read this Facebook Ad Testing Guide for Beginners.

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #1: Use Short and Catchy Ad Text

People’s attention spam on Instagram is short and that’s why you need to deliver your offer as quickly and straightforwardly as possible.

While Instagram allows a long ad copy, we recommend that you keep your ad text under 200 characters.

Here’s an interesting example by Bloomberg Business. P.S. this is a Facebook App Install ad campaign, so as someone clicks on the ad, they’ll be taken to the App Store.

Bonus tip: Showcase your products in the Instagram ad image to show people exactly what they can buy.

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #2: Use Actionable Wording

The decision-making part of our brain also happens to be the most primitive, making it act on simple and actionable words.

That’s why, you should always aim to make your Instagram ad copy highly actionable.

Here’s a quick list of actionable verbs to get your started:

• Try
• Buy
• Get
• Start
• Sign up
• Learn
• Read
• Save

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Chambord that starts with the call-to-action “Buy a limited edition gift set to…”

Bonus tip: Create a sense of urgency by letting your audience know that the advertised offer’s available for a limited time only.

Try these hacks:

• Define clear dates, e.g. “Today only” or “Offer ends in 24h”
• Offer a significant discount, e.g. “Get 60% off today”
• Keep your offer simple and brief

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #3: Focus on the Benefit

To most customers, what they’re going to get out of using a product is more important than how it looks.

If your Instagram ad image’s goal is to show people how your product looks, it’s your ad copy that should communicate your product’s greatest benefit to the user.

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Livday.sf that emphasizes the app’s benefits both in the ad image and in the ad copy.

How to Set Up Your Instagram Ads

You can set up your promotions’ copy and images in the Instagram campaign setup process.

Note that when setting up a Facebook ad campaign with multiple placements including the Facebook newsfeeds and Instagram, your ads’ layout will differ according to its placement.

For example, while Facebook newsfeed ads feature a headline and link description, your Instagram ads only have one ad text per ad.

You can review how your ads will look by using the Ad Previews tool.

After you’ve set up your Instagram ad copy and added an image/video, it’s time to publish your ad campaign!

Now that you know everything about Instagram ad specs and design, it’s time to learn more about Instagram ads cost and and bidding.

Additional reading:

• 142 Best Facebook Ad Examples (2018 Edition)
• 28 Facebook Advertising Hacks for Skyrocketing Results
• 25 Facebook Ad Design Hacks to Make More People Click
• Instagram for Business – The Beginner’s Guide (2018 Edition)
• Instagram Ad Targeting – 84-point Guide for Major Success
• Instagram Ads Reporting and Optimization – Guide to 10x Results

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