10 tips for creating effective online ad copy

There is a mind-boggling array of different online platforms for getting your marketing message across: From classic display banners through to text-based advertorials, tweets, Facebook status updates and emails, the list goes on and on. It is very easy to get carried away with the excitement of using new technology and lose sight of basic advertising copy principles.

By Catherine Murray

14 Oct 2010

People are often quick to blame technology for the failure of their campaigns, using it as an excuse for sloppy, boring, poorly thought out and amateur copy.

You don't have to be a technical guru or professional designer to put together great, punchy copy for an online campaign. If you do your audience research, understand your chosen medium and keep referring back to the basic principles below, you will be well on your way to generating great return on investment.

1. Keep it simple

The key thing to understand is that online users scan pages very quickly, looking for keywords or specific information. Regardless of the type of advert you are running, your copy must be simple, clear and to the point. Keep headings and sentences in advertorial copy short and punchy, and don't cram banner frames or images with too much information.

2. Call to action

You must give your audience a reason to click through to your landing page, so include a clear call-to-action in your advert, along with the benefits of your product or service. Explain to the user exactly what you expect them to do when they reach your landing page with powerful phrases such as "find out more", "download now", "buy now", "sign up here", "visit our website" or "get a quote".

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About the author

Catherine Murray is a contributor on [[www.memeburn.com]].