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The One Simple Step to Write High-Performing Ads for Your Business

  • Writer: Jacobus Steenkamp
    Jacobus Steenkamp
  • Oct 19, 2024
  • 4 min read

Updated: Nov 26, 2024


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Imagine this: you’ve just launched an ad for your new product. You wait, refreshing the analytics dashboard with hopeful anticipation...but nothing happens. No clicks, no buzz, and definitely no sales. It’s as if your ad went into a black hole. Sound familiar?


Now picture this: an ad that catches someone’s eye mid-scroll, hooks their attention, and has them clicking eagerly to learn more. They’re curious, they’re intrigued, and soon, they’re buying. What’s the difference between these two outcomes? It all comes down to one powerful approach: speaking to your audience’s deepest desires and pain points.



Why Most Ads Fall Flat (And How Yours Can Be Different)


The difference between a forgettable ad and a high-performing one isn’t fancy jargon, complicated strategies, or shiny graphics. It’s understanding who you’re talking to and why they’d care about what you’re offering. This is where many ads go wrong—they talk about the product instead of talking to the person behind the screen.


Here’s the thing: every time someone sees an ad, there’s a split-second judgment. They’re asking, Does this matter to me? And if your ad doesn’t hit on something meaningful, they’re gone. But by diving into the desires and frustrations of your audience, you can create ads that feel less like ads and more like the solution they didn’t even know they were looking for.



The Simple Step to Make Your Ads Unstoppable: Tell Their Story


When it comes to creating high-performing ads, it’s as simple as telling the story of your audience. This story revolves around their hopes, their struggles, and their goals. Your product or service isn’t the hero—they are. You’re just giving them the tools they need to win.


Here’s how to bring this to life:



1. Get Inside Their World


Let’s say you’re selling an organizational tool aimed at busy entrepreneurs. Before you even write a word, picture this person. They’re running from meeting to meeting, juggling endless tasks, with the constant pressure of deadlines breathing down their neck. Every morning, they start with a plan, and every evening, they’re left feeling that they just didn’t get enough done.


Now, you could just list out features in your ad: "Organize your day with our app." Or you could speak to them directly, tapping into what they really want:

“Imagine starting your day knowing exactly what needs to get done, no chaos, no overwhelm. Finally, a tool designed to keep you two steps ahead, so you can focus on what truly matters.”

This isn’t just a promise; it’s the relief they’ve been searching for.



2. Dig into Their Pain Points to Create Curiosity


The key to writing engaging ads is to make your audience feel like you’re reading their mind. You want them thinking, How did they know? This curiosity pulls them in and makes them eager to learn more. Here’s an example:


Let’s say you’re advertising a weight-loss coaching service for busy moms. Instead of a straightforward approach like, “Lose weight quickly and easily,” imagine framing it like this:

“No more skipping meals, no endless hours in the gym. Discover the small shifts that let you shed pounds while still keeping up with life’s endless demands. (Hint: it has nothing to do with willpower).”

This style of copy stirs curiosity—What are these ‘small shifts’? How does it work without willpower? When you build curiosity around the how, your audience is compelled to click and find out.



3. Show the Transformation—Paint a Before and After


High-performing ads are like mini-movies: they show a “before” and an “after.” Before using your product, your audience was dealing with a problem. After? They’ve got the solution, and it’s changed everything.


Let’s go back to our example of the busy entrepreneur. Here’s a way to show that transformation:

“Remember the last time you ended your day feeling accomplished? With our app, every day can feel like that. From morning to night, it’s like having a personal assistant organizing your priorities, so you can actually focus—and finally make progress.”

Here, you’re painting a mental picture of what life could be like, helping them envision the solution in action.



4. Add a Real Story for Extra Connection


Stories resonate deeply because they’re relatable. Adding a quick story of someone who’s used your product can be the magic touch that gives your ad real-life credibility.

For instance, if you’re marketing a service for new parents, you might say:

“When Sarah, a first-time mom, realized she was spending more time planning meals than enjoying time with her baby, she knew something had to change. Just weeks after using our system, she cut her planning time in half—and got back precious hours each week to spend with her little one.”

Stories like Sarah’s create instant relatability, showing how someone “just like them” achieved the outcome they want.



The Secret? It’s All About THEM


When it comes down to it, the one simple step to writing high-performing ads is centering the message around your audience’s desires and challenges. By understanding who they are and what they’re going through, you can create ads that do more than just sell—they resonate.


So next time you sit down to write an ad, remember: your job isn’t to just list features or discounts. It’s to tell a story that speaks directly to your customer’s life, sparking curiosity and making them feel understood. When you make them the hero, your ad becomes something they can’t ignore. And that’s where the magic happens. learn how we can help.


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