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5 ways to improve your Facebook ad creatives/copy (the most common creative mistakes I see)
When it comes to Facebook ads, creatives are becoming more and more important. IOS 14 has affected targeting and we’re finding that broad is better. Creatives are the new targeting.
Unfortunately, copy and creative is still an area that is lacking in many ad accounts. The need for really solid creatives becomes more apparent when it comes to scaling.
Here are the most common mistakes I see when it comes to Facebook creatives:
1. **Creative doesn’t identify the audience’s problem**
Problem-focused creatives are immensely important. Your audience doesn’t scroll through Facebook thinking about all the problems they have and so, they aren’t actively looking for solutions.
Most copy I see leads with the solution, AKA details about their product. We always lead with identifying the problem before positioning the product as the solution.
We follow this very basic formula:
1. Identify and agitate the problem
2. Present the solution (your product and why it solves this problem)
3. Call-to-actionBy leading with problem-focused copy, you’re making your audience much more receptive to the rest of your copy as they are now in an emotional state.
Your creative should complement the copy by including an image that resonates with the audience’s problem and forces them to stop scrolling. Long-form video ads should follow the same 3-step formula listed above.
There are very few niches that this formula doesn’t apply to and will require a little more creativity and nuance. The first industry that comes to mind is fashion. However, there are many sub-niches in fashion that do solve problems and that can utilise problem-focused copy. Such as eco-friendly, plus-size, breathable etc.
I understand it is hard to tap into the psyche of your audience and touch on their pain points, it’s much easier to write a witty one-liner and slap it on an ad. However, I encourage you to think deeply about your audience and their problems, desires etc.
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**2. Testing copy with the same angle**
It’s really important that you start with the angle before you write copy. Angles are pretty much benefits. What value are you providing your audience? What problem are you solving?
For example, if I were to run ads for my advertising agency, a couple of different angles I could utilise are:
“ Stop wasting your money on ineffective and unprofitable Facebook ads”
“Automate your marketing and free up your time, allowing you to focus on growing your business”
“Remove inconsistency and scale your brand by running stable and consistent Facebook campaigns”
All the angles are selling the same service, but they address different pain points. People often test different copy that use the same angle and just change the wording. The point of testing copy is to identify what resonates with your audience and so it’s important that you start testing angles and not just copy.
**3. Using different creatives in each ad set when testing**
Every ad account should have a top of funnel testing campaign. I see many accounts that lack this campaign entirely but I also see many that are testing audiences and using different creatives in each ad set.
Say you are testing 5 different audiences in separate ad sets, it’s essential that each of these ad sets have the same creatives. This will allow for an accurate test. You should be adding and removing creatives in the same way you do with audiences.
**4. Using the same creatives throughout the whole funnel**
Your copy and creative should be adjusted with each stage of the funnel. A good funnel will have 4-5 stages. (TOF testing, TOF scaling, MOF retargeting, BOF retargeting, BOF purchasers)
Your audience’s relationship with your brand and product is quite different at each stage of the funnel. Here is how we break it down.
**TOF:**
This is where your approach should be problem-focused as discussed earlier. Sell the idea of your product and present it as a solution.
**MOF:**
This audience is already familiar with your product and its benefits. At this stage, we want to build trust. User-generated content and reviews/testimonials work really well at the MOF.
An underused and highly effective approach at this stage is product-related videos. Unboxings, product reviews, products in use etc. This is a great way to build trust and people are generally curious about such things.
**BOF:**
This is where we use heavy-hitting CTAs. The audience already knows your product, they know your brand, now they just need one last push to make the purchase. We find discount codes work well at this stage.
**5. Some more minor errors that don’t warrant their own paragraph**
* Not utilising all three variations of creative (Image, video, carousel)
* Short 1-line copy
* Incongruent copy and creative (not using the same angle)
* Not enough creatives being tested
* Budget being spread thin among too many creativesI hope this post has provided some value to you all.
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4 Replies
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As always, thanks Liam!
Do you have a blog?
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This is awesome! Thank you for taking the time / writing this up… incredibly useful.
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This is cool, thanks man.
How are you targeting MOF and BOF?
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Great, thanks for the reminder! Where can I learn more about the funnel stages?
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