Welcome to London: it is pouring with rain and the tube doesn’t work. When the district line does reluctantly grinds to a halt at Fulham Broadway it only takes minutes to reach SMX London which is taking place in the home of Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge. Luckily my lack of knowledge of the offsite rule doesn’t matter today as we’re in the company of international search specialists instead off blue-shirted sportsmen.
The first session we attend to cover with a blog post is ‘Winning the click, creating great paid search ads’. If you like writing composing search ads (or tweets!) could be seen as the ultimate challenge. Here are some tips on how to write compelling ad copy so alluring one has to click!
We’re in the home of targeting today, albeit of a different kind
Great PPC ad copy basics
- Use tried and tested phrases such as ‘official site’ (only when you are) and ‘ free delivery’
- Think about what makes your business unique and reflect this in your ad copy.
- Make sure your keywords are mentioned in the ad text or title (you can try dynamic text).
- This one may sound odd: do use language that can turn people away. If (for example) you are selling insurance to drivers over a certain age mention this in your add so that you don’t pay for clicks from people that would not qualify to buy from you anyway.
- Match the language of your ads to your products. There is a book full of words and phrases that sell on my desk that is great for writing ads with matching words. If you sell soft throws think of using words such as comfy, luxurious, soft. Offering legal advice? Use words such as trust worthy, acclaimed, accredited etc. If in doubt tweet us for inspiration @adCenter!
- Be aware of who is competing with you in bidding on your most important keywords. Think about how you can differentiate yourself from those competitors.
The seven searchers
The more you understand your potential customer the more likely you are to be able to target them effectively with your ads. According to Pamela Olson, marketing manager at Kings Schools, there are different kinds of buyers that can be seduced and reassured in different ways.
- The survivalist buyer: they like to see a basic need fulfilled. Be factual and informative with your copy.
- The scarcity buyer: this buyer is worried that there may not be endless quantities of what he wants. Create a sense of urgency in your ad copy.
- The convenience buyer: the shopper that wants to save time. Emphasize ease of use, free and fast delivery etc.
- The prestige buyer: we saw a scare crow in the weekend wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt and Levi’s jeans. Really. Changes are the owners are prestige buyers. Emphasize uniqueness, style quality.
- The social buyer: these people want to be part of a community. Vespa ‘engage in the Vespa lifestyle’ is given as an example; make them feel part of something.
- The value buyer: what can we say, they want things cheap, value for money. Let them know you’re the cheapest or the best price/quality buy.
- The fearful buyer: don’t we all know someone who endlessly researches everything before they commit to buy? Reassure them they are making the right choice, offer the info they are likely to be looking for.
If you like to find out more about writing targeted ad copy you can also have a look at our video.
We’re back tomorrow with more from SMX London!
Simone Schuurer – EMEA Community Site Manager
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