Writing Ad Copy That People Remember
Most ad copy is boring.
It’s safe, predictable, and blends into the background like an old office carpet.
Your job?
Write something so vivid, so unexpected, that people can’t help but notice.
Sounds easy, right? Yeah, no. But that’s why you’re here.
🖼 1. Make Them See It (The Power of Visualisation)
Most ads fail because they talk in vague, corporate fluff.
❌ “We help businesses grow.” (Okay… but what does that look like?)
Great copy paints a picture. It forces the reader’s brain to create an image.
Once they see it, they feel it. And once they feel it, they act.
🔹 Example:
- Bad Copy: "Your website isn’t working for you." (Zzz…)
+ Better Copy: "Your website is like a locked shop door. Customers knock, then give up."
🔹 How to Do It:
- Use metaphors → Make it weird, make it unexpected, make it hit.
- Describe something real → If they can’t picture it, they won’t remember it.
- Avoid corporate-speak → “Scalable solutions” = instant death.
💡 Pro tip: Close your eyes and try to visualise your copy. If you can’t see it, rewrite it.
📏 2. Say Something That Can Be Proven (Falsifiability = Trust)
❌ “We’re the best.” → Are you? Prove it.
❌ “We increase sales.” → By how much?
People trust specifics. They’re allergic to vague promises.
🔹 Example:
- Weak Copy: "Our clients love us."
+ Better Copy: "143 businesses trust us to run their websites. That’s 143 businesses not waking up to broken links and 404 errors."
🔹 How to Do It:
✅ Use numbers (real ones, not ‘marketing’ ones).
✅ Make claims that can be fact-checked.
✅ Think like a skeptic. If someone could call BS, rewrite it.
💡 Pro tip: If your competitor could say the same thing, it’s useless. More on that next.
🛑 3. Make It Impossible to Copy (Uniqueness is Everything)
If your competitor could slap their name on your ad and it still makes sense, it’s trash.
🔹 Example:
- Boring Copy: "We make beautiful websites." (So does literally every agency.)
+ Better Copy: "Your website should work as hard as you do. Does it?"
🔹 How to Do It:
- Find what makes you different—then say it in a way that’s impossible to steal.
- Call out industry clichés and flip them on their head.
- Be brutally honest. People love honesty in a world full of overpromises.
💡 Pro tip: Ask yourself: Could my competitor use this? If the answer is “yes,” go deeper.
⏳ 4. Make It Feel Urgent (Because Nobody Buys ‘Later’)
People are professional procrastinators.
If your ad doesn’t push them to act right now, they won’t.
🔹 Example:
- Weak Copy: "Sign up whenever you’re ready!"
+ Better Copy: "Every day you wait is another sale lost. Let’s fix that."
🔹 How to Do It:
⏩ Make waiting feel expensive. What’s the cost of inaction?
⏩ Use time-sensitive language: “Every day you wait…” / “Right now, someone is choosing your competitor…”
⏩ Don’t just tell them to act—give them a reason.
💡 Pro tip: “Limited-time offer” is lazy urgency. Instead, frame it as a personal cost to them.
🛑 5. The First Line is Everything. (If You Lose Them Here, You Lose Them Forever.)
The internet moves fast. If your first sentence doesn’t grab them, nothing else matters.
🔹 Examples of Killer First Lines:
- “You’re burning money. And your website’s holding the match.”
- “Your website is a party with no music. People show up… then leave.”
- “Your competitor just stole your last customer. Here’s why.”
🔹 How to Do It:
- Start with a problem.
- Use a strong visual (something that shocks them awake).
- Keep it short. The longer it takes to get to the punch, the weaker it is.
💡 Pro tip: Write 10 first lines. Your first idea is rarely the best one.
✂️ 6. Cut the Fluff. Keep It Punchy.
Most ads are too wordy. Get in, hit hard, get out.
🔹 Example:
- Too Wordy: "At [Company Name], we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality web solutions tailored to the unique needs of each business."
+ Better: "We don’t build websites. We build sales machines."
🔹 How to Do It:
🎯 Trim unnecessary words. If it’s not adding power, it’s taking it away.
🎯 Write like you talk. (Would you say this out loud to a friend? If not, rewrite.)
🎯 Keep sentences short. More periods = more impact.
💡 Pro tip: After writing your copy, cut 30% of the words. It’ll be sharper.
👉 7. End With a Clear Call to Action. (People Need a Nudge.)
You’ve hooked them. You’ve sold them.
Now tell them what to do next.
🔹 Example:
- Weak CTA: "Learn more here." (Snooze.)
+ Better CTA: "Let’s turn your website into a sales machine. Book a free call."
🔹 How to Do It:
✅ Make it direct. No vague “learn more” nonsense.
✅ Make it benefit-driven. What do they get when they click?
✅ Make it sound like a no-brainer. (Free calls, free trials, zero risk.)
💡 Pro tip: Your CTA should feel as natural as finishing a conversation. Don’t leave them wondering what to do next.
🚀 Final Thoughts: Write It. Then Make It Punch Harder.
The best copy feels effortless. But the truth? It takes work.
📝 Write fast. Edit ruthlessly. Read it out loud. Cut the fluff.
Because in the world of ads, you either stop the scroll—or get scrolled past.