Enter personalization.

We can change our targeting or our bids as many times as we see fit, but we need ad copy that resonates with a user to get someone to click on it at the end of the day. Imagine seeing an ad on the SERP that makes you feel like they are speaking to you directly, whether it be to solve a problem or offer a service that you need. You’d click on that right? I thought so. Here is how to accomplish that.

The Persona

First things first, you need to know your audience. Who is the person you are trying to speak to with your ad? Do they range from a C-Suite level executive to an entry-level person? Those two people are completely different and have different goals to accomplish. Why do we think the same ad copy would apply to them? It isn’t always true. Different people have different problems that can potentially be solved by the same product, but it is up to us to tailor our solution to speak directly to them.

After you have done your audience research, make sure you apply your findings to your ad copy. Create ad copy that speaks directly to the individual. Let’s say you sell computers and other tech devices. Should you use the same ad to sell a computer to a student as you would to a senior-level business executive? Nope. For the student, you may want to highlight a discount or a feature that would appeal to a student. For the executive, you may want to highlight productivity or speed metrics. Tap into your customer’s pain points or challenges and highlight your solution. These are perfect examples of what to include in your ad copy tests.

This goes for both search and social ads. In social, it is easier to target personas and apply ad copy tests. On the search side, try doing a search campaign that is targeting a specific audience. This will allow you to be a bit broader with your keywords and focus on generating traffic to that specific audience only and use ad copy geared towards their persona.

Headlines vs. Descriptions

Typically in search, we focus on our keywords when writing ad copy, a brand name, or a call to action. I prefer to use the descriptions to add more detail to the copy. In my own experience, when searching around online, I rely on the headlines to get my attention, not the descriptions. So it is time to put that into practice. 

Try incorporating more customization in your headlines. Ask a question. Answer a question. Use customizers for price, location, countdown, etc. Think of your audience when you are writing your copy and make the most of those 30 characters in all 3 headline spots. I recommend testing your headlines outside of just which spot you should put your CTA. Remember that tech company you sell devices for, as mentioned above? Here is an example of an ad from a fake company that asks a question and offers a solution.

Addressing the searcher as “you” and solving a problem offers some reassurance and trust. The idea here is to create a compelling combination of headlines that are relevant to the user/search.

Remarketing Audiences

The way you speak to someone that has visited your page or interacted with your brand should be different from most top-of-funnel tactics. 

This is a great time to drive some urgency or test some of those ad customizers. Trying to get people to sign up for a webinar? Use the countdown timer. Using dynamic remarketing in Facebook for your products? Use “Pick up where you left off” language in your ad copy. The combined approach of using multiple platforms together is a winner. Reminding the user why they visited you in the first place while they are scrolling through a feed can be rewarding. Just make sure you are using creative and ad copy designed to speak to past users.  

When it comes to ad copy, the best tool we have is our ability to test different things. What works today for your ad, will not necessarily work next month. Make sure you differentiate your ad copy to the audience, goal, or if they already know your brand. Add ad copy testing to your regular PPC task list. 

Have you been testing any personalization tactics or ad copy that have you excited or have produced stellar results? Let us know!