Copywriting Basics for Display Advertising
This article was written by Ted Dhanik
Copywriting is not a primary concern for display advertising, but it should be. Effective copywriting can be as simple as choosing two words to adorn your banner, or it can involve more complex messaging. Banner advertising makes this practice tricky because it’s difficult to tell when your writing is too much. With a text ad, you know how many characters to work with, but banner ads rely much more on visual aspects.
Here are some of the basics of copywriting for display advertising. Use them to improve your messaging and increase your conversions.
Headline Tips
Because the headline is the first thing the user is likely to see, it’s important that you pack it full of the essentials. Your headline should, at minimum, include the keywords that you used and a brief proposition or sales pitch. Typically, the pitch comes in the form of a question that is on the user’s mind. If you were gathering leads for a hardware store, for instance, you might want to include a question about reliability or price.
You should also include the keywords that you’re bidding on. The idea is that a customer searching for those keywords would probably be more drawn towards your ad if the text featured that keyword.
Body Copy
Banner advertising also has body copy, although this might be the most minimal effect. On the banner itself, you only have so much space to work with. You must fit only the most important keywords into your ad text, arranging that text around the colors in your image. Design know-how will come in handy as you position your text. Remember that a banner is not a text ad, and too much text can make the picture feel cluttered. Less is more with banners, so don’t scare your users off with a complex sales proposition. If it’s more than a few words, save it for your landing page.
Facts and Figures
If you can, include some facts to bolster your point. A good place to start might be the national average in savings that a new client can expect when using your product. If you have figures handy that suggest that number, you should use them in your ad. You can also quote the number of users you have or some other relevant statistic.
Final Thoughts
The most important thing to remember when you’re practicing good copywriting is to keep it relevant and enticing. You should always try to get your point across in the fewest possible words, but it’s important that you include keywords that entice the user to click your ad for more information.
Bio: Ted Dhanik has helped big brands like MySpace to launch online. With over fifteen years of sales experience, Ted Dhanik understands direct marketing. To learn more about copywriting for direct marketing, contact Ted Dhanik.