6 Silly Mistakes You’re Making with Your Facebook Ad Copy

You’ve probably heard 10 million ways to optimize your Facebook ads by now. So have I. Yet, clearly none of them clicked because I still struggled to see any of those great results everyone was talking about. And then, I started doing my own testing, with the ad copy in particular – in addition to a TON of Facebook ad training from some of the best in the industry, then the results started pouring in.

Facebook ads are hot in the social media marketing realm right now, and for good reason. They help get your message to an extremely targeted audience, giving you the opportunity to reach thousands of prospects and customers in one day. With Facebook having more than 2 BILLION active users, it should play a significant role in your overall social media strategy.

When it comes to writing effective Facebook ad copy, there are tons of tricks, tips and templates that will work. However, I’m here to take you back to the basics and outline what your Facebook ad copy strategy must start with BEFORE you dive into the nitty gritty. The following list includes 6 mistakes I made with my Facebook ads for years until I finally woke up and smelled the lower CPLs and the higher CTRs.

1. It’s too short

Gone are the days where Facebook ad copy was like a tweet and you could just say something like “How to lose weight in 10 days” or “Read this 3-step guide to blah your blah…” People want context. They want a story. And most important, they want to know why they should give you their contact information in exchange for your offer. Try adding more content – not fluff, that adds value to your audience.

Ways you can do this:

• Give specific examples
• Use testimonials
• Tell them why your offer is critical for them

2. It’s all about you

I’ll be the first to admit that I like talking about myself. However, your Facebook ad copy should be tailored to your target audience’s needs, not used as an opportunity to rant about yourself. It’s perfectly fine to give your introduction and tell your story, but try to focus the majority of the ad copy on how your offering is beneficial to your audience.

When writing your Facebook ad copy, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this relevant to my audience?
• How does this tie in with my overall message?
• Am I being empathetic to my audience’s wants and needs?

3. You talk about a product, but not its benefits

I realize that we’re talking about Facebook “ads”, but that doesn’t mean yours should be set up like an infomercial. Focus on the educating, not the selling. If your content doesn’t prove valuable, you will quickly start to see an increase in the numbers you don’t want (CPM, CPL, CPC). You are not a product. Your business is not a product. In order to build that connection, your Facebook ad copy must highlight how your product or service will make your reader’s life easier.

Use these questions as a starting point:

• What does someone gain by using my product or service?
• How will their life or job be easier once they take advantage of my offer?
• What is the ultimate goal they are trying to achieve?

4. You’re not talking to a particular audience

If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one. Sure your product could be good for all the female business owners in the world, but which type of female business owner would you like to work with? And more important which one will yield the most benefits? The more niche you can get your audience, the more likely they are to know, like and trust you, which will ultimately lead to them buying from you. The same rules apply for writing great Facebook ad copy that converts. Dig up that social media strategy you wrote a few years ago and redefine your target audience.

Take a minute to really think about who your audience is. Once you have a broad description in mind, consider the following questions to narrow it down.

• Where do they live?
• What / who are their associations?
• Which Facebook pages are they most likely to engage with?

5. You have typos

I wish this wasn’t something that needed to be addressed but here we are. There is (almost) nothing more disappointing than when a Facebook ad is seconds away from converting me to a lead and then I see they used the wrong form of “you’re.” It’s like reading someone’s perfect dating profile then getting to the bottom and realizing you two didn’t vote for the same presidential candidate. Tragic. And while we all make mistakes – being human and all, it is CRITICAL that you proofread several times, as well as have someone else read it for you to avoid simple mistakes like this. It’s matter of looking professional, being trustworthy and showing that you put effort into your work.

Here are three ways to avoid typos in your Facebook ad copy:

• Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.
• Read the entire post out loud, slowly.
• Use a tool like Grammarly.

6. You’re trying to be perfect

At least eighty percent of the clients I work with worry about “looking bad” on social media. This sometimes makes me laugh because eighty percent of the time, hardly anyone is seeing their social media content. This can be for various reasons like the algorithm changes, lack of a social media strategy or irrelevant social media posts. Regardless, your focus should always be on how you can engage your audience, not how you can create flawless Facebook ad copy that meets all the criteria given from seven different Facebook ad “experts.” Your audience wants authenticity, not perfection. And while it is extremely important to watch for grammatical errors, if your message is genuine and it addresses the pain points of your audience, you are more than halfway there.

Here are 3 ways to stop obsessing over your Facebook ad copy:

• Make a Facebook ad copy criteria checklist with no more than 3 demands.
• Once you’ve read over the copy twice, step away then come back, reread and make one last round of edits.
• Press “Launch.”

The art of great Facebook ad copy that converts will always depend on the person, the business, the objective and the offering. However, making sure you do not fall into the six traps I listed above is a great starting point.

Are you ready to take a deeper dive into your Facebook ad strategy? Schedule your 30-minute discovery call with me to jump start your social media success.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for fresh social media insights delivered to your inbox.