Creating Engaging Ad Copy

The easiest way to boost clicks that almost nobody tests? 1st-person CTA buttons. What would you click first? ➡️ “Register” or “Save My Spot”? - here is the details for Consumer and Business marketers... Stop telling people what to do. Start letting them step into the action. When the CTA sounds like the user talking to themselves, friction drops and momentum goes up. (Click-Throughs increase by over 20% for both Business and Consumer when CTA's are written in first person) [Source: Worldata Research Performance Report 2026] This works because first-person CTAs trigger ownership + emotional commitment before the click even happens. Here are simple flips that consistently outperform generic buttons: Consumer examples (instead of “Buy Now”): • Yes, I Want 25% Off • Claim My Limited-Time Deal • Get My Exclusive Discount • Unlock My Special Offer • Redeem My Gift • Snag My Immediate Discount • Hurry, Claim My Discount • I Want to Save • Claim My Flash Offer • Secure My 30% Off B2B / business examples (instead of “Register” or “Download”): • Save My Spot • Start My Free Trial • Send Me the Guide • Give Me Access • Reserve My Seat • Count Me In • I Want In • Send Me the Sample • Give Me the Insights • Show Me the Deals • Send Me the Coupon • Let Me Start Saving Small wording change. Big psychological shift. You’re no longer giving instructions. You’re helping someone take a step they already want to take. If your conversion rates feel stuck, this is one of the fastest tests you can run across: landing pages email buttons paid social popups event registrations Most marketers overthink design and underthink button language. The button is the decision moment. Make it feel personal.

This supermarket own-brand chocolate ad beats most I've seen When private-label gets this good, brands should worry. Mr Bean is at his best in this new campaign from Swiss supermarket chain Migros Ticaret's own-brand chocolate, Frey. We've tested it to understand what makes this a brand-building masterclass that should strike fear into the Excel sheets of premium and global megabrands. I've made System1's Test Your Ad report free in the comments but here's 5 things it can teach all marketers. 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Imagine all the other own-brand ads talking about functional, rational and cost reasons to trade down. This ad scores nearly double the Emotional Intensity of our Swiss TV average. It gets actual attention for the brand, which will capture in-market sales. 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - Brands comparing themselves to others brands have got it wrong. Your ads are competing with Netflix and TikTok content. Instead of assuming attention, entertaining earns it. Using a story, character, clear sense of place and humour is a sure fire way achieve this. 𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 & 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐭 - I've never seen anything like it, this ad left 80% of viewers feeling positive. You can see it below as it builds second-by-second. Usually advertising leaves HALF of viewers feeling nothing. This plays into the affect heuristic. If a brand feels good, it will feel like the right choice when it comes to mind for years to come. 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 - Strategy needs the three C's. Consumer: Wants delicious chocolate. Competitor: Premium, fancy, complicated. Company: Migro can deliver brilliant basics. Output? Chocolate without the fuss. It's a realistic, true, ownable positioning. It makes the work more emotional and salience-building. Viewers recall 'Chocolate' (71%) and 'Delicious' (19%). That's job done. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 - Brands waste millions on celebs that don't bring anything to the table, replace a proper idea and distract from the brand. Here, Mr Bean is doing what he's known best for to make the idea stronger. He's earned his cash. My one build? Marketers seem shy to brand, especially early. In a skippable, three-screen world, using your most unique and famous assets early and often in all channels is usually best practice. Full System1 research linked in the comments. I share the world's best #advertising and #marketing insights daily, stuff you won't see anywhere else. Hit follow to get more.

Let's talk about the emotional algorithm of B2B decision-making. At the core of every buying decision—whether it's enterprise software or sneakers—lies the same human truth: Logic justifies. Emotion decides. Heartstrings loosen purse strings. We've spent decades pretending B2B decisions are purely rational. The data tells a different story: - Kantar research reveals emotionally-driven digital ads are *4X more likely* to build brand equity than their rational counterparts. - LinkedIn x Magna research shows *39% of B2B buyers* prioritize emotional connection when selecting vendors. (Yes, even for those six-figure contracts!) Yet I see most marketers make one of two fundamental mistakes: 1. They ignore emotion entirely, clinging to sterile "professional" content that feels safe but fails to connect. 2. They treat emotion as a blunt instrument, defaulting to generic inspiration that could apply to any brand in any category. There's a smarter, more nuanced approach. Our Creative Labs team at LinkedIn for Marketing decoded an emotional blueprint that maps precisely to the buyer's journey. I'm breaking it down in today's #PurnasProTip because it's too good not to share. After analyzing top-performing tech brands on our platform, we discovered distinct emotional patterns: - Awareness Stage: Winning content sparks celebration and love, mirroring the optimism of discovery. This is where possibility lives. - Consideration Stage: Reactions shift dramatically to insightful, reflecting the brain's need for evaluation and validation. Depth matters here. - Decision Stage: Top performers blend insightful + love, proving final choices require both confidence and emotional resonance. The head and heart must align. What this means for you: LinkedIn isn't a "suit and tie" network where emotions get checked at the door. It's where professionals come to solve problems, feel understood, and align with brands they genuinely like. The most successful B2B marketers are those who understand the emotional journey behind every seemingly "rational" decision. Infuse the right emotion at the right stage, and watch your impact multiply. Because heartstrings loosen purse strings. #HICM #CreativeLabs #B2BEmotion #HeartstringsLoosenPurseStrings

If your copy “sound good” but doesn’t convert… This is exactly why. Great copy isn’t random. It follows patterns that guide how people think and decide. Here are 6 simple frameworks I keep coming back to 👇 1. AIDA (Attention → Interest → Desire → Action) Hook them → pull them in → make them want it → tell them what to do → perfect for posts, ads, landing pages 2. PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution) Show the pain → make it real → offer relief → works when your audience already feels the problem 3. 4Cs (Clear → Concise → Compelling → Credible) If it’s confusing, it won’t convert → simplicity beats cleverness every time 4. FAB (Features → Advantages → Benefits) Don’t just say what it is Explain why it matters → benefits sell, not features 5. ACC (Awareness → Comprehension → Conversion) Meet people where they are → don’t sell before they understand 6. SLAP (Stop → Look → Act → Purchase) Pattern interrupt → capture attention → drive action → especially powerful in ads Here’s the shift most people miss: You don’t need more ideas. You need better packaging. Because how you say it matters just as much as what you say.

Ads that sell aren’t born, they’re built. Here’s how top copywriters do it. 💡 Great copywriting isn’t luck—it’s structure. Here are 7 timeless copywriting formulas to transform your ads into conversion machines: 1️⃣ AIDA: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action 🔑 Start strong to grab attention, build curiosity, create emotional desire, and finish with a compelling call-to-action (CTA). 💬 Example: "Struggling with slow mornings? Our coffee gives you 20 minutes back each day. That’s time for your kids, your workout, or just you. Start your day smarter—try it today!" 2️⃣ PAS: Problem → Agitation → Solution 🔑 Spotlight your customer’s pain point, intensify the discomfort, then swoop in with your solution. 💬 Example: "Can’t sleep through the night? Tossing and turning drains your energy and focus. Our mattress is clinically proven to help you sleep better—starting tonight." 3️⃣ 4Cs: Clear → Concise → Compelling → Credible 🔑 Deliver a simple, emotionally engaging, and evidence-backed message. 💬 Example: "Fast delivery. Free next-day shipping. Shop today, get it tomorrow. Rated 5 stars by 1M+ happy customers." 4️⃣ FAB: Features → Advantages → Benefits 🔑 Show what your product does, why it’s superior, and how it changes your customer’s life. 💬 Example: "Noise-canceling headphones → Blocks 95% of background noise → Enjoy focus like never before, even in the busiest spaces." 5️⃣ Before-After-Bridge 🔑 Paint the "before" struggle, highlight the "after" transformation, and position your product as the bridge to success. 💬 Example: "Before: Hours wasted planning social media content. After: Daily posts driving consistent engagement and leads. Bridge: With our AI-powered scheduler, posting is stress-free." 6️⃣ Problem-Solution Formula 🔑 Keep it ultra-simple—present the problem, then solve it. 💬 Example: "Finding healthy snacks is hard. Our organic snack box delivers guilt-free treats right to your door." 7️⃣ The “So What?” Test 🔑 Answer "Why does this matter?" until your copy resonates deeply with your audience. 💬 Example: "Feature: Waterproof jacket. So what? You stay dry. So what? You can enjoy every outdoor adventure without worry." Don’t just write ads. Create impact. Start using these formulas today. 🚀 Take Action Now: 1️⃣ Save this post to master these frameworks whenever you need. 2️⃣ Share it with your team to elevate your marketing game together. 3️⃣ Follow Tom Wanek for more strategies that turn words into results.

I spent 10+ hours learning to write stronger calls to action this week. 14 concepts I plan to use: 👉 1. Call to Action vs. Call to Value A call to action is for people ready to buy - keep it as simple as possible. A call to value reminds the prospect of the great outcome they're going to get. 👉 2. Use the phrase "I want to ____" in your button or link copy. Fill in the blank with a desired outcome. THIS: "I want to grow my business" NOT: "Download it now" 👉 3. Use the word "show" THIS: "Show me outfits I'll love" NOT: "Sign up now" That's a real example where the change resulted in 123% more clicks. 👉 4. Use first person language on buttons. THIS: "I want to double my revenue" NOT: "Double your revenue" 👉 5. Think of links as a door. People don't know what's on the other side so it's scary to click. Make it less scary for them. 👉 6. Focus on ONE action. Don't compete with your own CTA by making multiple asks. 👉 7. Lead with action verbs. THIS: "Unlock your marketing potential and download our free strategy guide" NOT: "Download our guide" 👉 8. Use an "If" statement. Weave a specific problem and solution into your CTA. Example: "If you're ready to maximize your profit and grow to 50k months working part-time hours, book a call with me to discuss what next steps would look like for you." 👉 9. Avoid generic phrases. Your CTA should work even if there was no other copy around it. Don't settle for "Click here," "Download now," "Submit," etc. 👉 10. Avoid hesitant language. Be more confident than "Let me know if you want it" or "If you need me..." 👉 11. No jargon or vague language. Address a specific problem using language your target audience uses. Don't say stuff like: "If you want to live your best life and step into your full potential..." 👉 12. No negative language. THIS: "Are you ready to lose 10-25 pounds of that menopause weight?" NOT: "Are you struggling to lose weight with menopause?" 👉 13. Write your CTA before you write anything else. It gives you a north star to guide the rest of your writing. 👉 14. Make sure your CTA includes two things: ✅ Why they should act ✅ Why they should do it NOW Want more useful tips like these? This week on LinkedIn I'll share: • How I turn newsletter subscribers into buyers • A formula you can use to strengthen your niche • How I'm growing my LinkedIn following 👉 Follow me and hit the 🔔 at the top right of my profile to turn on notifications so you don't miss those posts. Thanks for your interest!

👁️ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. Have you ever noticed how you suddenly see more ads for something you just discussed? Or how do you start spotting the same model everywhere after buying a new car? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣? In today’s #marketing world, there’s much focus on the #attentioneconomy. The idea is simple: grab attention first, and everything else will follow. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮? Not quite. Here’s where the brain comes in. Let’s look at how information flows from the senses to the brain: you’d think it starts in the sensory areas (like your eyes or ears), then gets processed, and finally reaches the emotional regions of the brain, like the amygdala. But that’s not what happens. Research shows that the amygdala (your brain’s emotional hub) actually sends way more information back to the sensory areas than it receives—possibly 300-500% more! There’s also a “fast and crude” pathway that allows emotional processing to happen almost simultaneously with sensory input. 𝙊𝙆, 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨? It means that 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. When something feels relevant or important, your emotional brain kicks into gear and demands more attention to whatever caught your interest. Think about it: if you’re considering buying toothpaste, suddenly, you start noticing Colgate’s iconic red packaging everywhere. Or if you’ve been talking with a friend about taking a vacation, you’ll start spotting travel ads that seem oddly well-timed. Has the matrix tapped into your brain? I'd say it's more likely that your brain gets finely tuned to notice these things. So, how can we design campaigns that align with this brain science? Here are three ideas: • 𝗧𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Speak directly to your audience’s current needs, interests, or concerns. Make it feel personal. • 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Use storytelling, visuals, and messaging that resonate emotionally—because emotions drive attention. Also, strong brands evoke stronger emotions and more attention. • 𝗕𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Create campaigns that stick in people’s minds by connecting emotionally and standing out visually. The power of #neuromarketing isn’t just about cool brain facts—it’s about actionable insights you can use to create campaigns that truly connect.

New Research from the The B2B Institute and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute on the category of #GenAI has revealed some very interesting findings. Here are some of the biggest takeaways I found: 1. Most GenAI Ads Are Indistinguishable — and Ineffective - 42% of buyers only recall vague “AI is the future” messaging. - Only 18% remembered business benefits. So What?: Generic messaging equals wasted spend. If your ad looks like everyone else’s, it disappears into the wallpaper. Distinctiveness is survival. 2. The Biggest Growth Opportunities For Brands Are in the Whitespace - Most GenAI brands cluster in low mindshare zones. - High-potential #CEPs (Category Entry Points) like “makes me feel smarter” or “reduces stress” are currently unclaimed. So What?: Stop chasing 'productivity' clichés. Own an underleveraged emotional or workflow-based entry point and repeat it until you’re remembered for it. 3. Ads On GenAI Should Solve Problems, Not Just Pitch Capabilities - Buyers cited “useful information” and “relatable situations” as key drivers of relevance. - Only 7% found relevance in product details; just 3% in “new information.” So What?: Tell stories about today’s headaches, not tomorrow’s features. Align with real, recognizable pain points. 4. Winning GenAI Brands Translate Features Into Identity - The best brands help users feel more creative, capable, prepared. So What?: Position your product not just as a tool, but as a mirror for who your buyer wants to become. 5. Emotion Is the Differentiator. Memory Is the Moat. - What makes GenAI sticky isn’t just speed or capability — it’s how it makes people feel: more confident, more capable, more in control. So What?: B2B marketers must build emotional resonance, not just rational relevance. GenAI brands that ignore identity, anxiety, and empowerment will fail to connect. Download the research on "How Brands Grow Mindshare in the GenAI Race" here: https://lnkd.in/gjj-B3G4 Derek Yueh, Jenni Romaniuk

You can double CTR on Meta without a new photoshoot. Most marketers won’t like that. Here’s the twist: CTR is not just creative quality. It is a behavior you can engineer. Stop begging for clicks. Start building a click path that feels natural. 1️⃣ Engineer curiosity, not clarity ↳ Use weirdly specific hooks that imply a payoff. Example: "Why this $12 habit beats $200 supplements" beats "Buy our supplement" 3x for first-second attention. 2️⃣ Micro-commitments first ↳ Ask for tiny actions that train the algorithm: tap to reveal, swipe to see proof, short poll. Those low-friction signals boost delivery and prime users to click. 3️⃣ Personalize the first 100ms ↳ Text overlay that names the persona, not the product. "For busy moms who skip breakfast" beats generic brand lines. Meta optimizes for resonance, not brand poetry. 4️⃣ Sequence engagement to conversion ↳ Run a 2-ad funnel: Ad A = curiosity + engagement. Ad B = product + CTA. Let Meta learn who responds before you ask for a purchase. 5️⃣ Velocity over perfection ↳ Launch 8 small variations per winner weekly. Change copy hooks, not just images. Consistent novelty keeps CTR high and costs down. Last note: a high CTR that brings the wrong people is worthless. Use CTR as a filter, not a trophy. Want my 30-hook swipe file for Meta? DM "CTR". Like, follow, and repost ♻️ if this helped.

Your customers are not lab rats. Today a lot of marketing is boiled down to just marketing communications. And even sophisticated voices reduce consumers down to mindless zombies, upright incarnations of B. F. Skinner's lab rats. See, it isn't just about making people "remember the brand in purchase situations". That is the desired outcome, not the road there. It isn't just that "one effective exposure is enough". There is a lot more to the story, including: Emotional and narrative elements can create peaks in experience that anchor an ad in memory. According to the peak-end rule, people judge and remember experiences (ads included) largely by the most intense emotion (peak) and the ending. Campaign analytics confirm that ads generating strong emotional peaks are more likely to be recognized and recalled later. (e.g. System1) But there is more. Memory is not a file cabinet. British psychologist Frederic Bartlett forcefully argued against the prevailing "storehouse" model, which posited memories as static, retrievable things. Instead, he showed that memories are actively reconstructed, built anew each time they are brought to mind. This is almost 100 year old knowledge, but people still think of the brain as a file cabinet. In this way, a vivid ad (or story) can make consumers believe they experienced something in childhood that in fact was fictional. In one experiment, adults shown a Disneyland advertisement featuring Mickey Mouse became more confident they had personally shaken Mickey’s hand as a child; another ad even made people “remember” meeting Bugs Bunny at Disney (impossible, since Bugs is not a Disney character). And multiple exposures told in different ways will of course built richer, stronger associative networks. A brand that is recalled for a purchase situation in under 5 seconds will be "mentally available", yes, but what if another brand is recalled in 0.5 seconds and from more diverse cues to boot? Mental Availability isn't a binary 0 or 1 thing. So while making sure the ads are emotional, it is not enough. You have to care about story and meaning - as the memory is remade (not retrieved) it is shaped to fit what we think we need. So emotion is a step along the way - but the real core is that of utility. Does the new brand memory give me a better way of navigating the world to get what I need and want? We see that creative ads are 40 times and more effective than lackluster ones, and we see brands like Netflix, Tesla, Spotify, Uber and others grow at a pace that far outpaced their ad budgets - because they made people want to remember them, rather than forcing it. The irony is that when marketing started obsessing over evidence and scientific proof, it started ignoring most of the science of how people actually think and remember things, often dumbed down to classical conditioning. But people are not rats.