Copywriting for Meta Ads: A Simple Guide

With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Meta AI, Gemini, Jasper, and Copy.ai, you can now easily create excellent sales copy for Meta Ads. These tools can help write primary text, captions, templates, and headlines that suit your needs.

But before diving into the tools, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of copywriting.

What is Copywriting?

Copywriting is writing designed to make people take action. It could be to click a link, buy something, or fill out a form.

In other words, it’s how you convince someone to do something using words. Whether you want someone to visit a website or make a purchase, copywriting is key to guiding them.

Copywriting is Like a Conversation

Good copywriting feels like you’re talking to a friend. You address their needs, desires, and even their fears.

It’s not just about selling. It’s about making people feel understood and heard.

When you write, imagine speaking directly to someone who’s interested in what you offer.

People Love to Buy

People enjoy buying things that solve their problems or make them feel better.

Think of how you feel when you buy something that makes your life easier.

Good sales copy taps into that feeling, showing people how your product or service will benefit them.

Grab Attention with Curiosity

In today’s world, there are countless things competing for attention—social media, games, texts, and more.

That’s why your copy needs to stand out. Use curiosity to make people stop and pay attention to what you have to say.

Make your first sentence or headline so interesting that they can’t help but continue reading.

Know Your Audience (Niche)

To write effective copy, you need to understand your audience.

What are their hopes, dreams, and worries? What do they want in life?

When you know these things, you can write in a way that speaks directly to them. It’s like having a conversation about what they care about most.

Copywriting is About the Results

The goal of copywriting is simple: to get people to take action.

It’s not just about sounding nice or getting compliments on your writing. It’s about getting real results, like people clicking a link, signing up for something, or making a purchase.

Remember, an effective copy gets people to act.

Understand Meta’s Advertising Standards

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has rules about the ads you can run.

These rules protect people from unsafe practices, fraud, and scams.

Before creating your ad, review Meta’s Ad Standards here. This page will help you understand what’s allowed and what isn’t.

Ad Specs for Meta Ads

Meta provides recommended standards for both image and video ads.

It also gives character limits for the text in your ad. For example, here’s a quick reference to remember:

Primary Text: 150 characters (or longer if needed)
Headline: 55 characters

These are useful limits to keep in mind when crafting your ad. Click Ad Specs for more details.

Meta Ad Copy Cheat Sheet

Meta has a useful cheat sheet for writing ad copy. Here are some key takeaways:

Tie Your Text to Your Visual: The image or video in your ad should complement your text. Both should tell the same story.
Create Different Ads for Different People: Customize your message for different audience segments. For example, you might want to show different ads to younger and older people.
Speak to Your Audience: Write as if you’re speaking to one person who represents your audience.
Keep it Short and Sweet: Decide what’s most important for your audience to know and say that clearly. No fluff.
Use One Call-to-Action (CTA): Tell people exactly what to do next. Whether it’s “Shop Now” or “Learn More,” stick to just one CTA.

Best Practices for Meta Ads Copywriting

Here’s how to make your Meta Ads copy effective:

Write to One Person: Focus on one reader or viewer. Make it personal.
Grab Attention Quickly: Use curiosity to get them interested right away.
Be Clear: No confusion. Tell them exactly what to do next.
Use Emojis (But Not Too Many): Emojis can add personality to your copy. Just don’t overdo it.
Create Urgency: Use phrases like “limited time” or “only today” to make them act fast.
Style: Use contemporary styles used in recently published websites, reviews and comments.
Use a structure/format: Use the Hook, Story, Offers formula. You can also write in AIDA (Attention, Interest Desire, Action or PAS (Problem, Agitation, Solution) format.

Know Your Angles

When writing your ad, think about the following angles:

Pain: What problem does your audience have that you can solve?
Benefits: What makes your product or service unique? Why should they choose you over someone else?
Price: Are you offering a good deal? How does your price compare to others?

Understanding these angles helps you craft a more persuasive message.

Get AI Help

Now that you know the basics, let AI tools like ChatGPT help you write better copy.

You can give it specific instructions, like asking it to write in a way an 8th grader can understand.

You can also ask it to create multiple headlines, primary text, and ad concepts for you. Then, you can review and fine-tune the copy until it’s perfect.

Review and Edit

Once the AI gives you copy ideas, make sure to review and edit them.

This is important to ensure the copy matches your brand and serves its purpose. After tweaking everything, you’re ready to set up your Meta Ad.

Conclusion

Copywriting for Meta Ads may seem challenging at first, but with a good understanding of the basics, it’s simple.

Remember to grab attention, write clearly, and always keep your audience in mind. AI tools can help you along the way, but the real magic happens when you know your message and your audience. Happy writing!