Your Facebook ad copy can make or break your ad. While your ad’s visual component draws users in, the text that you include can make the difference between a click or a pass.

On this page, we’ll cover:

1. Why Facebook ad copy matters
2. How long ad copy should be
3. Facebook ad copy best practices

Keep reading to learn more about creating impactful Facebook ads! Plus, sign up for our email list to get the latest tips and tricks for social media marketing and beyond!

Does Facebook ad copy matter?

Yes.

Many companies mistakenly believe that what you write isn’t as important as the ad visual. In reality, what you write is critical to helping your audience understand the context of your ad.

Not only does your ad copy help with context, but it helps with engagement. If you write compelling Facebook ad copy, your audience is more likely to click on your ad. You can create ad copy that excites, interests, or persuades your audience to act — a picture can’t always do that!

Imagine if you saw an ad with no text except for the call to action (CTA) button, like this example we’ve modified from Chewy.

If you saw this ad, would you have any idea about the context? You might infer that it’s an ad for their dog beds, but why is it important? What’s the significance of the dog bed?

The image alone can’t provide you with context on why you should click that “shop now” button.

However, when you add in the Facebook ad copy, suddenly, the image has meaning and makes sense.

You can see that the ad is about their dog beds, but the ad’s context is that the dog beds are up to 30% off. Without that ad copy, anyone who saw the ad wouldn’t know there was a sale.

So, as you can see, Facebook ad copy is critical to providing context to your audience that compels them to engage with and click on your ad content.

How long should ad copy be?

It depends.

First, it’s important to note that Facebook offers numerous advertising format options for your business. Facebook ad options include:

1. Photo ads
2. Video ads
3. Carousel ads
4. Right column ads
5. Dynamic product ads
6. Slideshow ads
7. Collection ads
8. Instant Experiences

Each of these ad types can have varying lengths of ad copy.

In this example, from Chewy, their ad copy is short for their video ad.

In this photo ad from Target, they kept their ad copy short and said everything they needed to say in one sentence:

But in a different photo ad, Target opted to make their ad copy paragraph length to provide more details:

Some companies may opt to use bulleted lists, like in this example from Weichert Realtors:

Or, companies may use a few paragraphs, like in this carousel ad example from Lego:

Overall, despite the ad format you use, your ad copy will vary depending upon your ad’s context. You may be able to get your point across in one sentence, or it may take a few sentences.

5 Facebook ad copy best practices

Want to get the most from your Facebook ads? Follow these Facebook ad copy guidelines to create more compelling ads!

1. Write multiple ad copies for different people in your audience

If you want to create effective Facebook ads, you need to stray away from the “one size fits all” approach. Not everyone is interested in your business for the same reasons. You need to create diverse ad content to ensure you’re meeting the needs of multiple users in your target audience.

You need to create multiple versions of your copy to ensure you have successful Facebook ads. Consider your buyer personas, which are fictional representations of real customers, and use that to guide your different ad copy versions.

So, for example, Old Navy sells clothing for men, women, and children. They ran advertisements for their fleece clothing. They advertised their fleece clothing for women and children.

For the women, they used simple ad copy that highlighted the comfort and colors of the fleece.

To appeal to parents with kids, they mentioned school by talking about “getting dressed before class.”

You can see how these two sets of ad copy appeal to specific groups within Old Navy’s audience by looking at the word choice.

While you don’t need to create a brand-new ad visual for each persona group, you want to make ad copy that appeals to all groups. Don’t rely on one collective, generic message to try and engage everyone in your audience.

2. Keep your ad copy concise

If you want to know how to make a good Facebook ad, start by making your ad copy concise. Constructing straightforward ad content doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have long ad copy. It means that your ad copy gets the point across without any fluff.

Imagine that you’re a landscaping company that wants to talk about your fall clean-up services. You offer services like leaf removal, tree trimming and branch removal, as well as perennial plant maintenance.

You’re going to mention all these services in your ad, which can make your ad copy longer, but you can do it concisely.

So, for example, you may opt for a bulleted list:

“Don’t waste another Saturday afternoon raking leaves and cleaning up branches. At Lawn Care Company, we offer fall clean-up services to help keep your landscaping healthy as you transition into the winter.

We offer services such as:

1. Leaf removal and branch removal
2. Tree trimming
3. Perennial plant maintenance

Give us a call at XXX-XXX-XXXX or visit our site for a free quote!”

This ad copy is a little longer, but it gets straight to the point. There’s a hook to draw users in, brief details about the company and their offerings, and then an option to contact. There’s no added fluff that could turn users away.

You can see another example of concise ad copy from Nelson Landscaping:

Nelson Landscaping uses the hook “are you ready to create a staycation destination?” followed by information about what they can do (design and install landscape) and ends the ad with an invitation to contact the business.

Keeping your ad copy concise and to the point will keep users engaged. They won’t need to wade through sentences of fluff to get to the point of your ad. As a result, they’re more likely to click and check out your business.

3. Make sure your ad copy and visuals match

Next on our list of Facebook ad copy best practices is to make sure your visuals and ad copy match. Nothing is more confusing than seeing a visual that catches your attention, only to find out the ad copy doesn’t align with it.

Imagine seeing a photo of a cat playing and then reading the ad copy that only talks about a sale on dog toys. It’s confusing, right?

Successful Facebook ads always have matching ad copy and visuals. When you solidify these two elements, you create a more optimal ad experience.

In this example from Old Navy, their ad copy focuses on their denim collection and the image accompanying it features a man modeling their denim clothes.

When these two elements correlate, you’ll create a more cohesive ad experience that results in more clicks and conversions for your company.

4. Focus on getting your audience to click

Focusing on getting your audience to click on your ad is one of the most critical components of the Facebook ad copy guidelines.

Unless your goal is to increase brand exposure, you will focus on getting leads to click on your ads. If you don’t provide high-quality ad copy that compels your audience to click, you won’t drive the desired results.

Your ad copy plays a significant role in determining if you’ll run successful Facebook ads. If your offer isn’t clear or your audience can’t see the value, they’re less likely to engage with your ad content.

In this example from Target, you can see that they highlight numerous perks of prepaid mobile from their company. They highlight features like flexibility, skipping a contract, and saving 5% with your RedCard.

By highlighting the value, you’ll compel more people to click on your ads and learn about what you have to offer.

5. Test your ad copy

If you want to know how to make a good Facebook ad, start by testing your ad copy. Testing your ad copy is one of the most critical Facebook ad copy best practices because it ensures that you’re consistently putting out the best ad copy to engage your audience.

When you don’t test your ad copy, you leave your campaign at risk of not performing well. You may think your ad copy is great for your audience, but your audience’s engagement with it says otherwise. This example is just one of the many reasons why testing your ad copy is critical to creating compelling Facebook ads!

Create an ad and come up with a few versions of your ad copy. You’ll want to send the same message but find different ways to say it. You may even try testing other formats for your ad copy, like using a bulleted list in one or a few sentences in another.

By creating different Facebook ad copy, you’ll put out the best version of your ad to garner the most engagement for your company.

Start creating more compelling Facebook ad copy today

Now that you know how to create a Facebook ad with more compelling copy, you can start optimizing your Facebook ads to drive the best results. If you’re not sure how to make the best ad copy for your business, WebFX is here.

We have a team of over 250 social media experts that can help you create successful Facebook ads. In the past five years alone, we’ve driven over $2.4 billion in sales and over 6.3 million leads for our clients. You can feel confident that we know how to create ad copy that drives clicks and conversions.

Ready to create an advertising campaign that helps your business thrive online? Call us today at 888-601-5359 or contact us online to learn more about our Facebook advertising services!