There are over 4.39 billion internet users around the world, according to We Are Social’s 2019 global internet use report. That’s over 57% of the global population!
Internet usage is also at a high in large countries like the U.S., with over 81% of adults accessing the internet at least once a day. Your customers are active internet users. They use the internet for everything, from connecting with their loved ones to finding the best restaurants in their area.
Therefore, if your business isn’t on the web, it may be missing out on engagement and sales from online shoppers. And apart from having a website, one of the best ways to increase your online presence is through online advertisements.
The Science of Online Ads
Everyone who’s been on the internet has seen or clicked an online ad. It’s almost always linked to their interests or needs. So how do these blocks of texts and images know how to find you? An article by tech news outlet Gizmodo found that with every website you visit, a profile containing your interests and demographics is updated.
If you’ve been hunting for shoe deals on an online store for days, your profile may show that you’re interested in buying a pair. Advertising publishers provide you with ads for shoe brands and stores on websites you visit, even if those sites aren’t footwear-related. Your Facebook and Google ads may also show the same content. This process of showing ads to an audience with a specific interest and demographics is called targeting, and it’s an effective way to grow sales. What’s great is that an online advertising firm can do this for you. However, it’s your job to create engaging headlines and taglines that convert visitors into customers. Here’s how to do it.
Audience and Voice
Creating a profile for your audience helps you create content for people who may actually be interested in buying your products and services, instead of wasting your budget on advertising to the general public.
- Look Into Your Product or Service’s Benefits – Enumerate your product or service’s benefits and think of who could make great use of them. If you’re offering luxury car restoration services, you may want to target middle-aged car owners who have at least a management-level job, as they’re often the ones who can afford to buy a Benz or BMW. And it’s backed by research too, as a recent study by vehicle marketplace CarMax found that luxury car owners have an average age of 40 and above.
- Check Your Current Customers – If your business has been open for a while, try to gain information about your current customers.
- Add a form on your homepage asking for your customers’ demographic information like their age, location, and occupation; as well as their psychographics like hobbies and interests. Give your customers a reason to fill out this form like a discount or free shipping on their next purchase. You can also apply this to your brick and mortar locations. Train your sales staff or cashiers to ask for a short survey in exchange for freebies or store credit.
- If you have a social media page for your business, access its analytics section to see the age group, location, and interests of the people who frequently like and comment on your posts.
- Analyze Your Competition – Look at your competitors’ marketing materials and see who’s interacting with them. If they’re successful in their campaign, you may want to consider targetting the people they’re catering to. You could also list down strategies they may use to gain customers.
Now that you have enough data, it’s time to create your profile. List down the most common age range, location, interests, occupation, and even gender of your target audience. From here, you can figure out the kind of voice you’re brand will have using two to three qualities.
If you’re a fashion brand that has a customer base of 16 to 25-year-olds, you can get away with a casual and laid-back tone with your ads. If you’re running a meal planning business with busy 30 to 40-year-old customers, you may want to have a straightforward and serious voice. Create a brand voice chart that explains the dos and don’ts of writing for each characteristic. Use your newfound voice as a guide to writing your copy.
Solve Their Problems With a Headline
Your headline is the first thing that people will see in your ad. As such, it should be short and attention-grabbing, yet truthful to your brand’s voice. Here are some headline techniques to get your writing juices flowing.
- Pinch Their Pain Points – Write down a problem your business solves and write it in a short question or statement. If you’re running a logistics company that promises fast turnaround times, use “Tired of slow fulfillments?” If you have a coffee startup that’s focused on energizing your customers, go along the lines of “Say Goodbye to the Afternoon Slump.”
- Be the Solution – You could also go straight to identifying your business’ benefits. Going back to the logistics example, you could use “A Logistics Provider that Prioritizes Your Deadlines.” For the coffee example, try something like “Coffee that Keeps You Sharp.”
- Irresistible Deals – Do you have a sale going on? How about buy-one-get-one offers? Use them as a headline to attract your customers. After all, no one can resist a good deal!
Unique Selling Proposition as a Tagline
The first line of your ad should feature your unique selling proposition or USP). Your customers have probably seen countless advertisements from a variety of companies, including your competitors. An ad that lists your products and services won’t get their attention at all. Think about what sets your business apart from competitors. Here are some great examples for inspiration.
- Domino’s Pizza – “Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.
- Saddleback Leather Co. – “They’ll fight over it when you’re dead.”
- FedEx – “The World on Time.”
Both FedEx and Domino’s Pizza highlighted the speed of their deliveries. The former promises to keep shipments around the world on time, while the latter guarantees that their food will make it to their customers as soon as possible. Saddleback Leather, on the other hand, sells everyday use items like bags, wallets, and belts. As such, its USP focuses on style and durability. Its products also have a 100-year warranty, which tells customers that the goods they’ll get are premium and will last a lifetime.
With your brand voice in mind, use one to two unique qualities your company has. Do you offer anything for free? Does your business use environmentally-friendly or locally made products? Is your company taking pride in using ethically-made goods? Condense them into one simple statement and you’ll have an honest and easy-to-understand tagline.
Creative Calls to Action
The last part of your advertisement is a call to action, which should provoke your viewer to check out your sale, download your demo, or get your free coupon. Be as concise as possible and start with a verb. If you’re offering free consultations, try “Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation” or “Email us today to consult with our expert team.” Selling stuff online? Go with “order a pair today.” or “browse through our catalog today” If your headline features a limited sale, tell them how they’ll miss it if they don’t act now with statements like “Shop for your goods today, while supplies last!” or “Get your discounted items today. This deal ends after Christmas!”
Online advertisements offer an accessible yet effective way to reach your customers. However, creating one involves a deep understanding of your audience and how your company benefits them. With these techniques, you’ll be able to write ads that understand your customers’ problems and frame your business as an effective solution. And with a reputable online advertising company to help you target your ads, you’ll see improvements in your conversions in no time.
An Innovative Display Marketing Solution
Need an advertising company to help you get the most out of your display ads? Let Sievers Creative assist in creating an effective online marketing strategy for your business. We provide programmatic online advertising, which involves using the latest technology to find your target customers based on their demographics, online behavior, psychographics, and even their physical location. Once we identify your audience, we’ll place your ads natively on the sites they visit, whether they’re on their phone, computer, or other devices they use to browse the web.
Contact us today to start growing your online presence.
