With millions of people worldwide scrolling through advertisements any day, any moment, creating compelling and attractive marketing materials has never been more imperative. What immediately springs to mind for most people is the importance of ad copy and design, in making assets more alluring for target audiences. However, ad captions are equally as important, but exactly how can ad captions be leveraged to enhance an advertisement, tell a story, and engage the audience? Our Marketing Manager shares her insights. Read on for her top tips for writing effective ad captions. 

First, when drafting your ad copy, consider the following four steps: 

Step 1: Know your product’s key attributes

Product attributes refer to the characteristics that define a service or product, and influence customer buying decisions. Tangibles are characteristics such as size, color, smell, product design, weight, etc. Intangible characteristics refer to things like price, quality, and aesthetics. It is highly recommended that marketers know product positives and exclusive attributes that help their product stand out in a crowded market.

Consider a postgraduate program in China as an example – one of its main product attributes might be distinctive courses that are unavailable at other universities. This specific quality can be something to highlight in the ad copy.

(Online advertisement from the Postgraduate Education Institution in China, highlighting their low tuition fee in the ad copy)

Step 2: Understand your consumer base

Aside from product attributes, it is also important to understand the different parameters of your target audience. Parameters include the type of products/services they buy, frequency of purchase, geographic location of customers, and so on. Having such information enables marketers to know their customers’ favors and habits, and frame precise marketing strategies.

For example, China’s postgraduate program consumers are likely to be adults aged 25-35, of the working population, and in middle management positions looking to improve their existing qualifications or study abroad, etc. Therefore, marketers should find out what types of ad copy format and services their target customers are most interested in, and the certain keywords these customers are searching for.

Step 3: Identify clients’ pain points

Writing ad copy is about recognizing your customers’ intent and needs, and crafting clear, concise copy that addresses both these demands. But, today's business needs to be prompt and proactive in its approach. Marketers should anticipate their customers' needs and tell audiences what is on offer on all platforms, even before a requirement is placed or registered.

Again, taking the postgraduate program in China as an example, there are an infinite number of pain points potential customers may have:

1. The working population experiencing bottlenecks in job promotion;

2. The working population with no previous tertiary-level qualifications;

3. Unsure whether they are eligible for a Masters degree application; and

4. Tuition fees are relatively unaffordable. 

When we anticipate pain points according to consumer behavior and habits, and highlight them in the advertisement, this is when a business opportunity arises. 

Step 4: Summarize key messages on ad caption 

After identifying the client base, marketers can then combine their demand and product characteristics on ad captions. For shorter search queries regarding product purchases, your messages should be direct and include offers, discounts, pricing, and benefits. For longer-tail queries that are more informational, focus on the special benefits you offer.

(MBA tuition advertisement in China)

For example, similar educational programs in China can highlight different selling points on their ad copies:

1. {学校名}：我校现开放在职硕士招生，无需辞职，每年学费5折起！

    (Click to read more about MBA courses! No resignation is required, with a 50% discount. An ideal option for the working group.)

2. {省份}高薪机会来了！{名校}教育学硕士扩招，现在报名免联考！

    (Looking for a high-paying job? Consider applying for the 'Master of Education' courses. Register now for exam exemption!)

3. 管理类硕士面向{地点}招生，只考2门，双证（*毕业证和学位证）+在职都可读！

   (The Master of Management program is open to [locations], an online teaching model with only 2 exams, and we welcome both double certificates [*diploma and degree] + the working population!)

(Masters degree program advertisement in China)

Therefore, when planning your next ad caption, consider it as your first impression when meeting a new potential client. A compelling copy might just be the backbone of your business’ success.

To know more about China digital advertising, contact our marketing consultant at enquiry@so360.hk.