Want to know how to make your PPC ads more effective?
Knowing the psychology behind what makes ad copy successful can give you the edge you may need over your competitors.
Psychology explores human nature, and why people behave the way they do. And advertising, specifically PPC ads, influence human behaviour to ultimately make a sale or purchase. So it’s no surprise that these two areas overlap- and understanding how they both work will lead you on the path to success.
“Human nature is perpetual, the principles of psychology are fixed and enduring.”
9 Psychological Ad Copywriting Tips That Work
Here are 9 psychological tips that help to make your PPC ads more effective and increase conversions and revenue.
1. Bargains
It’s no surprise that people love a good deal and bargain. However, in psychological terms, offers and discounts work best when the product is known to be worth a lot of money but is selling for a fraction of the price. This makes people feel like they are getting a much better deal, so incorporating figures into your ad copy makes this known to users. Adding reasons to someone’s purchase can also persuade them to a sale. Using the word ‘because’ in ad copy helps to make the tone more persuasive, and can also give a reason for such low prices – making the reader less dubious and more inclined to buy. (For example “all ties on sale because we accidentally ordered double the stock!
2. Surprises
The surprise element is another great tactic used to make ad copy more effective. Similarly to bargains, adding additional offers and perks into your ad copy that is directed especially for loyal customers who have already purchased from your website can help the longevity of customer relationships.
Also, by putting a ‘thank you’ in your ad copy makes customers feel acknowledged and appreciated, which in turn helps to improve sales and increase customer loyalty.
3. Personality
Adding personality to ad copy is an important trick – using a consistent tone of voice and brand persona helps to make you more memorable which improves brand awareness and likability.
People often buy on emotion – it’s also a good trick to advertise using copy that ignites emotion within people, whether that be humour, anger or sadness.
4. Inclusivity
Inclusive marketing is the key to loyalty, especially when targeting Millennials and Gen Z audiences. More than 70% of Millennials and Gen Zers will choose a brand over another if they demonstrate diversity in its promotions. Inclusivity helps to future proof your business and creates a sense of family, loyalty and trust as potential customers favour this.
Trust is the number one indicator of future revenue growth. Companies that have inclusive ads are seen as more authentic and trustworthy by every segment, not just by minorities. When writing ad copy, find the keywords and audiences that currently have no ads targeted towards them- this is where there’s room for opportunity to be inclusive.
5. Humour
One study found that 94% of respondents agreed humour is the most effective at gaining attention and spreading awareness compared to non-humorous ads.
However, this technique only works well if the humour used is within the brands guidelines. Creating ads with a humorous spin can sometimes lead to a backfire, so making sure the joke is on brand is key.
6. Appeal To The FOMO Factor Using Urgency
It’s actually in our DNA to feel FOMO – ‘Loss Aversion’ is the psychological term. People prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains – use this to instill the fear of missing out, and to result in more clicks and conversions.
The key to instilling this feeling in the searcher is inserting some form of urgency. i.e you WILL be left out of this sale if you don’t buy TODAY, or you WILL NOT get a free trial if you don’t sign up before this date. Implement ad customiser countdowns and limited time sale promos to your PPC ad campaigns to fuel this fear of loss.
7. Prioritise the Headline of Your Ad
The headline and end of the ad are the most important! Your headline needs to be the main focus of your ad copy as it is the MAIN component of an ad that searchers are most likely to read.
However, the end of the ad is also highly important and is the perfect part to highlight any critical information to entice the reader, for example discounts – “P.S. 50% off for 2 more days,” or “P.S. Order Today For Free Shipping.”
8. Create a Slogan or Catchy Call-To-Action
If you want to start using a catchy slogan within your ad copy, it must be unique and catchy. Like with many companies, a catchy slogan is often used in ad campaigns to produce a trademark that users and customers will remember. Especially with the use of retargeting ads, by using catchy slogans and calls to action your target audience will recognise your brand in no time and be much more likely to convert.
9. Use Copy That Speaks To Time
It can sometimes be more beneficial to ditch the low-cost messaging and swap it out for copy that speaks to an experience, a feeling, or a positive memory seen through the rose-colored lenses of nostalgia.
When writing copy to drive sales, think about how you can use storytelling to communicate the value of time and the experience your product creates (rather than simply shouting how affordable your product and offer is.)
By understanding the psychology behind what drives people to click on ads can help you to write more effective ad copy that elevates your campaigns and increases conversion rate.
Here at Seed, we drive transformative results for our clients by creating, optimising and managing smarter PPC campaigns. Find out about our PPC services here.
