Most ad copy is bad because the writer started with "what should I say about my product?" The good frameworks start with "what is my customer thinking, and how do I match them?"
1. AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
The classic. Best for cold audiences who don't know you yet.
- Attention: a hook that stops the scroll.
- Interest: a benefit they care about.
- Desire: proof or specificity that makes them want it.
- Action: tell them exactly what to do.
AIDA in 4 lines (Meta ad)
"Your Google Ads bill is 30% bigger than it should be." (attention)
You're paying for searches that never convert. (interest)
We've helped 200+ businesses cut wasted spend by an average of $2,400/mo. (desire)
Get a free audit → (action)
You're paying for searches that never convert. (interest)
We've helped 200+ businesses cut wasted spend by an average of $2,400/mo. (desire)
Get a free audit → (action)
2. PAS — Problem, Agitate, Solve
Best when the customer already feels the pain. Common in B2B and high-consideration purchases.
- Problem: name the thing they hate.
- Agitate: remind them why it sucks.
- Solve: here's the fix.
PAS for a project management tool
Problem: "Slack threads, email chains, and three different docs for one project."
Agitate: "Half your team's day is spent searching for the latest version."
Solve: "One source of truth. Free for 14 days."
Agitate: "Half your team's day is spent searching for the latest version."
Solve: "One source of truth. Free for 14 days."
3. BAB — Before, After, Bridge
Best when transformation is the value prop. Fitness, productivity, finance, education.
- Before: their current state.
- After: the desired state.
- Bridge: your product is the way to get there.
Headline formulas that almost always work
- Number + benefit + timeframe. "Get 50 leads in 30 days."
- Question they're already asking. "Why are your ad costs up 40% this year?"
- "Even if [common objection]" framing. "Run cross-platform ads — even if you've never used Google Ads."
- Social proof + outcome. "200+ agencies use SEM to cut reporting time by 80%."
- Risk reversal. "Try free for 14 days. No card required."
The phrases that consistently lift CTR
- "For [specific audience]" — "For agencies with 10+ clients."
- "Without [common drawback]" — "Without the spreadsheets."
- "In [specific timeframe]" — "In 5 minutes a week."
- "Trusted by [specific number/customer]" — "Trusted by 200+ marketing teams."
- "Stop [hated thing]" — "Stop reconciling reports at midnight."
The 5 things to never put in ad copy
- Your tagline. "Innovation, redefined." Means nothing. Cut it.
- "Welcome to [Company]." They don't know you yet, they don't care.
- Generic adjectives. "Best," "leading," "top-rated" without proof. Specifics convert; superlatives don't.
- The word "solution." Almost always lazy writing. Be specific about what you do.
- Three CTAs. One CTA per ad. The user is already overwhelmed.
How to know your copy is good
Show your ad to a friend in a different industry for 5 seconds. Cover the logo. Ask:
- What does this company do?
- Who is it for?
- What should you do next?
If they can answer all three in 5 seconds, the copy is working.
Don't write one ad — write five
Modern ad platforms test combinations of headlines and descriptions automatically. Give them 5 headlines + 4 descriptions and let the algorithm find what wins. Writing one "perfect" ad means leaving 30-50% of CTR on the table.