Author: Anum Afroze

Who has seen a Facebook Ad? My bet is everyone unless they’re living under a rock.

Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms used all over the world. From baby boomers to gen Z, there’s hardly any age group that hasn’t heard of or used Facebook at least once in their lifetime.

From keeping up with friends and family to building businesses online, Facebook has revolutionized the way humans interact with each other in every aspect.

With the onset of Facebook ads, digital marketing has become a force to be reckoned with. While the more conventional styles of marketing and advertising such as TV commercials, newspapers, billboards and flyers are now primarily used by big budget companies, small to medium-sized businesses rely more on Facebook ads for better outreach and cost effectiveness.

However, it can be easily argued that the world of digital marketing can be visibly divided into two distinct eras. One before the invention of language model AI tools such as ChatGPT and the other after it.

In a world where AI is free to use, it feels counterproductive not to use it for boosting your business online. It’s like refusing a free opportunity that can potentially make you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Is it wise to miss such a chance?

So today, you’ll discover the ways you can harness the power of AI to quickly generate effective Facebook ads.

But first, you need to understand.

Basic Structure Of A Facebook Ad

A Facebook ad is composed of:

• Caption: It’s the top most part of the Facebook ad that you can see above the video or image. The length varies depending upon the level of audience awareness. However, the main purpose is to convince the audience to take the next step.
• Creative: The video or image used in an ad is called the creative.
• Headline: The one line seen below the creative seen next to the link.
• Description: The limited text seen below the headline.

Proven Frameworks For Writing Effective Ads

Writing a Facebook ad is distinctly different from writing a Facebook post. The people who specialize in writing Facebook ads and other forms of copy are called copywriters and the entire field is a part of direct response marketing.

However, there are some proven frameworks that have been used by expert digital marketers and copywriters and you can use these frameworks to write compelling ads. 

Three of them are described below:

HVO Framework

This framework is popular because it’s perfect for short form copy such as Facebook and Instagram ads. Here’s the breakdown of HVO framework:

• H: Hook: Hook the audience with an attention grabbing headline, description and first few lines of the caption. The aim is to stop the audience mid-scroll and make them read the entire copy. Bonus points if your ad creative also manages to capture their attentiveness.
• V: Value: Describe the value your product or service provides and how it can transform their lives for the better. It is also useful to describe what your prospects will miss out on if they do not act urgently.
• O: Offer: State your offer and explain how it is a no-brainer and the best solution to their problem followed by a powerful Call-To-Action describing the exact steps they need to take next in order to get this offer.

PAS Framework

This framework is equally good for writing Facebook ads. Here’s how it works:

• P: Problem: State the biggest problem your target audience is facing. This could be the biggest pain point they’re trying to get rid of or the biggest desire they want to sprint towards.
• A: Agitate: Now agitate their pain point. Expand on their problem and explain what else their current problem is making them go through. Some people find this part unethical, particularly if you’re focusing on the pain points rather than building up desire by stating the dream state and additional benefits your target audience can achieve with your product.
• S: Solve: Solve your prospect’s problem by stating your product or services as the obvious solution and end it with a compelling Call-To-Action so that the audience knows what to do next.

AIDA Framework for Raising Awareness

The third framework that’s widely used by expert digital marketers is AIDA:

• A: Attention Get your ideal client’s attention with the help of a hook. The more it’s based on their biggest pain point or deepest desire, the more likely it’s able to grab their attention.
• I : Interest Pique their interest so that they read further. The more time they spend reading your copy, the more likely they are to buy.
• D: Desire Once they’re invested in what you have to say, it’s time to build up some desire. You can do this by highlighting the benefits they’ll get with the help of your product or by using scarcity to create fear of missing out. Or even use both. The choice is yours.
• A: Action Next comes the final step of a powerful Call-To-Action. It’s time to tell your audience the exact step they need to take in order to achieve their dream state.

Effective ChatGPT Prompt To Quickly Write Great Ads

Now comes the juicy part.

Here’s a template you can use for ChatGPT to write Facebook ads using proven frameworks. Just log in to a free ChatGPT account and write:

Hey ChatGPT. You’re now a world class copywriter who’s a pro at writing Facebook ads copy. I want you to write 3 different ads for *product/service* targeting *ideal customer avatar*. Use *name* framework to call out their *biggest pain point/desire*. The copy should be concise, persuasive and *any other adjective you want to use* and it should end with *Call-To-Action* 

To elaborate further, here is an example:

Hey ChatGPT. You’re now a world class copywriter who’s a pro at writing Facebook ads copy. I want you to write 3 different ads for organic hair oil targeting middle-aged women living in Canada and suffering from hair loss. Use the AIDA framework to call out their dream to have beautiful, healthy hair. The copy should be concise, persuasive and conversational and it should end with “buy now”.

Now, the purpose of asking for three different versions is because by no means, is ChatGPT the perfect copywriter. However, there is no doubt that it provides an excellent foundation for you to work on. Just keep in mind the proven elements of persuasion and with just a minor tweak, your copy is good to go.

Conclusion

The online marketing space has been changed forever with the invention of language model AI tools such as ChatGPT. However, the output is only as good as the input and it is essential to have basic copywriting knowledge to assess the results generated by ChatGPT.

Knowledge of proven frameworks including HVO, PAS and AIDA can exponentially help in writing effective Facebook ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

The online marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive every single day. Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar looking to expand your business in the online space, or a dropshipping business, here are some tried and tested strategies that can help you exponentially increase your sales online.

25 Marketing Tactics To Boost Your Sales Online

Here we go. Let’s take a bird’s eye view of marketing tactics to boost sales using internet channels.

Optimised Website For SEO

The first step is to optimise your website for SEO so that it shows on the search engine result pages (SERPs). Not only is it an effective way to generate traffic organically, if your website appears on the front page of Google or any other search engine, chances of people clicking on your link and considering you an authority also increases.

This generates trust in your potential buyer before they even open your website.

Social Proof

Humans are social animals with a strong tribal instinct and one of the best ways to persuade people into buying from you is to provide social proof. This is done with the help of testimonials, reviews and now UGC or user generated content.

Think of it this way, if you ever want to order something for yourself from an online store, who will you trust more? The product that has got reviews or the product without any all.

Social Media for Content Marketing

Having a social media account helps you reach a wider audience as they have tons of followers and several people use these websites to search for products online.

This is why having a solid content marketing strategy in place can help you multiply your sales. In fact, a lot of small businesses solely depend on organic traffic via social media websites to support them initially.

Influencer Marketing

Using social media influencers is a great way to broadcast your product to a wide audience and provide social proof.

This is why multinational companies such as Coca Cola or Pepsi have been traditionally using footballers, cricketers, singers etc. to promote their products.

Paid Advertisement Including Facebook, Instagram and Google ads

While generating traffic organically can be time consuming and dependent on the platform’s algorithms, one of the quickest methods to reach more people is through paid ads on social media websites and Google.

More audience means more leads and as long as your sales copy is on point, it can easily convert them into paying clients.

Authenticity and Honesty

Always walk the talk. The market sophistication levels are super high and people can identify false, flashy gimmicks from miles away. This is why it is essential to not create false hype in your copy. 

Be authentic and honest in providing information about your product. Even if sales go up initially because of the hype, people will get to know where your product really stands and if it does not deliver what you have promised, nobody will buy from you again. Reputation matters in the online space.

Direct Response Principles for Effective Copy

A good copy is essential for boosting your sales. It should include handling any objections your potential clients may have while explaining why people need your product and what makes it better from the other options available in the market.

A good product description focusing on benefits over features always trumps generic, boring descriptions.

A/B Testing to Maximise Results

Always split tests to optimise your sales funnel. This includes testing captions, price points, calls-to-action, opt-ins, upsells, downsells, packages and promotions.

See what attracts your customer best and then double down on it.

Optimised Website For Mobile Phone Users

This one should be obvious but for some reasons, a large number of companies do not optimise their website for mobile phone users which greatly compromises the number of sales they could have made otherwise.

Provide user friendly interface, quick upload time and have a sales representative present to answer any queries that the user may have.

A lot of companies now not only use chatbots for this purpose, but also focus on training them to make the interaction as human as possible.

Consistent Brand Image Across All Touch Points

Have you ever seen an attractive ad but when you clicked on the link, the website seemed to be completely off and irrelevant? This is exactly what you need to avoid.

Whether it’s your social media presence, website, ad or emails, your brand tone and voice needs to remain the same in order to build trust with your audience.

Voice of Customer

One of the best ways to build rapport with your target audience is to copy the way they talk. 

Using the same words and phrases as your target audience resonates with them, making them choose you over your competitors.

Decoy Pricing

Decoy pricing or price tiering is another way to push your audience towards purchasing the product or package you want them to buy most.

This is done by introducing a higher priced product in the list.

Studies have shown that when given a choice of selecting from cheap or expensive items, people usually go for choosing mid-ranged products.

Customer Experience

Enhancing customer experience can be one of the most deciding factors why people prefer your ecommerce store over others. 

This can be done by improving customer services, having a user friendly website, easy return policy, 24×7 sales representative, either human or chatbot, available etc.

Multiple Payment Options

Not everyone has a Visa card or Mastercard. Making different payment options available increases the chances of making sure that the customers buy from you before they have a chance to change their minds.

Having payment plans in place can also help if the products are mid to high ticket.

Engaging With Clients On Social Media

Engaging with potential or previous clients online on your social media posts makes them feel heard and seen and improves their overall positive experience with your business, ultimately leading to repeat buys and more sales.

Analytics Analysis

Always pay attention to data and see what helps you best. Use analytic tools to see where you get maximum conversions or where you lose your traffic and then adjust accordingly.

For example, perhaps you are getting good click through rates on your emails or ads but are not getting any sales. You need to see if you lose your potential customers on the landing page or the check out page and optimise your sales funnel accordingly.

Opt-Ins

Opt-ins can be a great tool to collect data of your potential audience and also helps in retargeting clients that showed interest in your products but did not buy from your ecommerce store.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the best cost effective ways to sell your offers online, promote new products or retarget potential clients. All you need is an email list from the opt-ins or you can buy these lists and are good to go. No expensive ads required.

Buyer Personas

One of the best ways to get more clients to buy from you, is by studying the customers you already have.

Study data to create buyer personas and try to target other people similar to your existing clients because they have the highest chances of buying your products.

Urgency

This is a part of a good copy and helps boost your sales online by giving the customers a reason to buy from you right now instead of later.

Psychology says that the more time people have to think about it, the least likely they are to take any action.

Having real urgency can help increase your sales as the clients know that your offer is for a limited time only and once the opportunity is gone, it is least likely to come back again, thus motivating them to buy on the spot.

Risk Aversion

Human beings do not like to take risks. Most of us have simply been wired this way since the caveman days.

One of the best ways to reduce this risk for your potential customers is to offer a money-back guarantee for your products.

Abandoned Cart Sequences

Have abandoned cart email sequences in place for those who shopped through your online store but did not buy.

You can offer them discounts, or handle their objections or create urgency to persuade them into buying from your ecommerce store.

Special discounts, promotions and packages

Have relevant discounts, promotions or packages in place and offer cross-sells, upsells or downsells to customers in order to maximise your sales and increase your profits.

For example, a person buying shampoo can be offered a hair conditioner at a discounted price or as a hair care package complete with a hair oil.

Professional Photos Of Products

Always get the photos of your products done professionally or use apps that help take classy and professional looking photos.
Professional looking photos always help set you apart from other businesses and build your authority leading to more trust and more sales.

Limited Choices

Surprisingly, research suggests that offering fewer choices helps more in increasing sales online as compared to overwhelming potential clients with a huge pool of offers.

Overwhelmed customers tend to delay buying and often leave without buying anything.

Conclusion

Running an online business is a difficult task but these are some proven ways that can increase online sales and have been advocated by most successful entrepreneurs in the online world.

Frequently Asked Questions