Facebook has specific guidelines and best practices when it comes to the text used in Facebook ads. Following these guidelines can help increase the effectiveness of your Facebook ad campaigns.
Keep Text Short and Concise
Facebook recommends keeping ad text short, concise, and to the point. Ideal Facebook ad text length is around 125 characters or less in the ad headline, and 90 characters or less in the ad body text. Going over the character limits can cause your text to be cut off or truncated.
Here are some tips for writing short, concise ad text:
- Get straight to the point – clearly state what you are offering or promoting
- Focus on benefits and value propositions
- Use active voice and strong verbs like “Get”, “Buy”, “Learn”, etc.
- Limit descriptive adjectives and avoid filler words
- Prioritize the most important information
Writing short, concise text takes practice but helps grab attention and increase click-through rates.
Be Accurate and Avoid Exaggerated Claims
It’s important that your ad text accurately represents what you are promoting. Avoid making exaggerated or misleading claims that could get your ads disapproved. For example, don’t say your product will help users “lose weight fast” unless you can substantiate that claim.
Here are some tips for ensuring accuracy:
- Avoid broad absolute statements like “best”, “highest quality”, “guaranteed”, etc. unless they can be verified
- Be able to back up any claims about results with evidence or data
- Have a clear disclaimer if certain restrictions apply
- Describe products and services honestly focusing on real features and benefits
Following truth-in-advertising principles helps build trust with Facebook users.
Target Your Audience
Your ad text should speak directly to your target audience. Before writing anything, take the time to research and understand your ideal customer profile.
Some tips for targeting your audience include:
- Use words and phrases your audience uses and relates to
- Highlight specific benefits they care about
- Focus on solving their problems or meeting their needs
- Adjust tone and voice based on demographics and psychographics
The more relevant your text is to your audience, the better it will resonate.
Localize Your Ad Copy
If you are running Facebook ad campaigns in multiple countries or languages, be sure to localize your text for each locale.
Tips for localization include:
- Don’t just run your ads through Google Translate, have them translated properly
- Adapt examples, references, idioms, and humor
- Convert currency, units of measurement, sizes appropriately
- Adjust for cultural nuances, norms and sensitivities
Proper localization helps you connect better with international audiences.
Use Emotional Triggers and Urgency Strategically
Facebook ads allow you to include emojis and exaggerated punctuation like exclamation points to add visual emphasis. Using them sparingly can help trigger emotion.
You can also create a sense of urgency with phrases like:
- “For a limited time only”
- “Only 7 left in stock”
- “Sale ends today”
But be careful not to overdo it. If every ad sounds urgent, it becomes less effective. Use these tactics selectively for campaigns where a sense of urgency or scarcity is warranted.
Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Every Facebook ad should have a strong call-to-action that tells people what you want them to do. Some good CTA examples include:
- “Shop Now”
- “Sign Up”
- “Book Today”
- “Get Offer”
- “Start Free Trial”
Place your CTA at the end of your ad text and use action-oriented language. Needless to say, the CTA should match the landing page users are sent to if they click.
Use Images and Video to Complement Text
On Facebook, you have the option to pair ad text with images, videos, carousels, and more. Take advantage of these formats to make your ads more visually engaging.
When using:
- Images – choose ones that communicate emotions, showcase products, or depict ideal users
- Video – give a preview, demo, or overview of what you offer
- Carousels – showcase multiple products, features, or benefits
The imagery and videos you select should complement the text to convey a cohesive message.
Test Different Ad Copy
One of the great things about Facebook ads is the ability to test different versions of your ads and see which ones perform best. Here are some key things you can test:
- Ad headlines
- Ad description text
- Call-to-action wording
- Emojis and punctuation
- Message framing (emotional vs. rational)
- Urgency level
Set up A/B split tests or multi-variate tests, gradually make small changes to your ad copy, and let Facebook data guide you toward the optimal text for your campaigns.
Review Facebook’s Advertising Policies
Make sure the text across your Facebook ads adheres to Facebook’s advertising policies. Key guidelines include:
- No profanity, hate speech, or shocking content
- No misleading, false, or exaggerated claims
- No promoting illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs
- No sensationalized health claims
- No asserting user attributes without consent
Violating any of these policies can lead to Facebook rejecting or disapproving your ads. Stay compliant to avoid issues.
Use a Consistent Tone and Brand Voice
While you tailor your text to each specific ad and audience, aim to have a consistent brand voice across all your ads. This builds recognition and trust.
To develop a consistent tone:
- Identify words and phrases that embody your brand
- Craft brand style guidelines detailing dos and don’ts
- Use a syntax highlighter to catch inconsistencies
- Collaborate across teams to align on voice
Maintaining a consistent tone strengthens your brand identity over time.
Proofread Before Publishing
Before pushing your Facebook ads live, be sure to thoroughly proofread and check your ad text. Typos, grammar mistakes, and punctuation errors can undermine your credibility.
Tips for proofing ad copy:
- Read text out loud to catch errors
- Check for double words like “the the”
- Make sure punctuation marks don’t create ambiguity
- Review on multiple devices to catch issues
- Run spelling and grammar checks
- Have someone else proofread to provide a fresh perspective
Error-free ad copy looks more professional and inspires user confidence.
Refine Based on Performance Data
ITERATION!!! REVISION!! Go to excel and show data tables!!!!
| Ad Text Version | Impressions | Clicks | CTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version A | 10,000 | 100 | 1% |
| Version B | 10,000 | 200 | 2% |
Regularly analyze the performance of your live Facebook ads to identify opportunities to refine your text further. Look at metrics like impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions, and cost per result. Text changes that improve KPIs should be rolled out more broadly. Continuously test and optimize your ad copy over time.
Use Text to Complement Overall Campaign
Keep in mind your ad text is one part of your overall Facebook ad campaigns. For optimal results:
- Align text with the offer, creative and landing page
- Integrate text tightly with your targeting, placements and bidding strategy
- Ensure sufficient budget to fully test and optimize text
- Analyze text results within the context of overall campaign performance
This holistic approach allows you to determine how changes in ad text truly impact your full campaign ROI.
Conclusion
Your ad text is one of the most important elements for Facebook ad success. By following Facebook’s guidelines, targeting your audience, localizing properly, using emotional triggers, testing variations, and continuously optimizing based on data, you can create compelling text that converts.
Remember to keep text concise, accurate, consistent with landing pages, and reflective of your brand voice. Set your campaigns up for success by putting care and effort into crafting the optimal ad text.