How To Improve Your Click-Through-Rate (CTR) Using Copywriting For Advertising Techniques

What is click-through-rate (CTR), and why is it so important?

Often the underrated sibling of the all-important CPA and ROI in paid and digital marketing, click-through-rate (CTR) is arguably the most important marketing metric in the game.

But what exactly is CTR and why should you want to improve it?

It might sound obvious given that name, but click-through-rate is essentially the percentage of people who click on something (an ad or an organic post or listing) compared to those who see it. Increasing your CTR is the goal with any digital marketing discipline as without a strong CTR, it’s clear a huge percentage of your client base are:

• Not resonating with your ad (or product)
• Likely not landing on your site page
• Not converting when it comes to your product or service

So, it’s safe to say that your copywriting for advertising skills really are make or break.

Too often when it comes to paid marketing, marketers and brand owners fall short with the expectation that bidding on the correct keywords or targeting the appropriate audiences is a sure-fire way to get the clientele rolling in. Oh no, that’s just half the battle. It’s crucial not to overlook the power of persuasive ad copy for your advertising efforts.

Mastering your copywriting for Meta ads, Google ads or Programmatic advertising campaigns is the key to unlocking an increase in your CTR, and in this blog, we’re here to explore how to improve your CTR using the Talking Stick team’s favourite copywriting techniques.

Why is a high CTR important?

An improved CTR doesn’t just mean increased traffic to your site. At the very least, a higher CTR means a wealth of improvements for both traffic levels and ad efficiency, including but not limited to:

• Lower cost-per-click (CPC)
• Higher engagement levels
• For those Google ads and PPC users out there – an increase in that all-important quality score

If we haven’t convinced you yet, the bottom line is this: copywriting for advertising is crucial, and it’s all about persuasion. The likelihood is you’re operating in a highly saturated product or service market, so the key thing to communicate to your potential customers is not just that your product or service exists, but why your product or service is the best option available for them. Period.

One more key element to remember: attention spans. With platforms such as TikTok dominating the market, our attention spans are shorter than ever, with 50% of adults reporting that videos longer than a minute are actually ‘stressful’. What does this mean for your ad copy, you ask? How can I use this information to increase my CTR?

It’s simple, really. And we’re sure you’ll like the answer. Keep things short and sweet.

Copywriting for advertising: mention benefits, not uses 

One of the most effective strategies in crafting successful and persuasive ad copy is by leveraging people’s desires, fears and motivations. Emotionally charged ad copy that focuses on key benefits and not only tells but shows potential customers how a product or service can help them are the most effective in the market, and one of the most fool-proof tools in your arsenal in ensuring you garner an improvement in your CTR, and an impactful refresh for that all-important ad copy.

Increasing CTR using our top headline hacks 

Headlines are some of the trickiest ad copy features to master. Grappling with ad copy limits imposed by platforms such as StackAdapt and Google is no easy feat, but this is where short attention spans are actually going to work to your advantage.

Some of our favourite tips and tricks to navigate the pesky character count limits include focusing on:

• Key USPs, i.e. “Free Next Day Delivery”
• Asking a question, i.e. “Struggling To Sleep?”
• Demonstrating key trust signals, i.e. “4.9* TrustPilot Rating”

Just before you forget, though, when considering the above, don’t forget the basics. Always ensure to include your keyword or core ‘message’ where possible in your ad copy, and don’t fall victim to wanting to provide the platform with as many headline variations as possible if they aren’t truly relevant. Whilst it’s important to achieve strong quality scores when using platforms such as Google, it’s even more important to ensure your headlines are relevant for your searchers queries.

Think about it; whilst it’s great that your travel agency client has over 15 years’ experience, when searching for a ‘Maldives package holiday’, is that headline about your length of service going to ensure that your ad is clicked if it was the only one showing on that given auction, above your competitors who opted for clear, package holiday and Maldives oriented ad copy?

We don’t think so. And we’ve tested it. It doesn’t.

Make sure to get those kinds of USPs added to your ad extensions to ensure they’re still seen, though!

Increasing CTR through copywriting formulas 

If you’re still struggling; don’t stress. When in doubt, to increase your CTR, you can always rely on a formula method. Whilst there are a huge variety of methods you can turn to, the Talking Stick team are particular favourites of the below three advertising and copywriting methods, including:

• Attention, Interest, Desire, Action (AIDA)

Grab the reader’s attention, earn their interest by presenting a solution, spark their desire by including a benefit, and always include a call-to-action (CTA) to finally persuade them to make their move (conversion). A strong increase in CTR, here you come.

• Problem, Agitate, Solve (PAS)

Identify a problem for the reader (your potential customer), remind them how frustrating this problem is, and seamlessly present them with a solution. Sorted.

• Features, Advantages, Benefits (FAB) 

Present your product or service features clearly and concisely, outline the advantages that you could provide, and list a couple of benefits that ensure you stand out from the crowd.

Ready to test? Or in need of some further advice?

If you’ve made it this far, we’re sure you’d agree that the overarching ideology when it comes to increasing your CTR, is that great copywriting equals a great CTR. And hopefully as a result, that all-important conversion.

If you’re looking for some assistance when it comes to your copywriting for advertising tactics, content writing as a whole, or think you’d appreciate a helping hand across your digital ecosystem, don’t hesitate to reach out to the expert team at Talking Stick Digital today. We offer a free digital audit of your channels of choice, and would love to assist you and your business across any of our digital marketing services.