Week 2: Facebook Ad
Welcome to Week 2 of the Momentum Builder Workshop (Lean Edition).
This week is all about creating a compelling entry point into your world using a 500 — 800 word Facebook ad.
Start by watching this one-hour presentation. Shawn explains how to think about Facebook ads from a perspective we’ve never shared publicly before.
Then he discusses a way to create an authentic, conversational Facebook ad that doesn’t ‘feel’ like an ad.
Two things before you watch the video:
First, Shawn mentions the importance of the ‘hook’ in a Facebook ad early and he forgot to mention it again. (That’s one of the dangers of recording these videos in a single take.)
You’ll find the relevant information about the importance of a Facebook hook, and how to create them, excerpted from The Traffic Engine (below).
Second, a summary of your homework appears below as well. We’ll choose selections to review and share from any homework submitted before midnight PST this Sunday, March 29.
Facebook Ad Hooks
(Excerpted from The Traffic Engine)
The hook is the first two lines of a Facebook ad. That’s my term — I’ve heard that called by many names.
My two favorite hooks are dialogue and questions (which can be combined too).
‘You’re never going to believe what my accountant told me about the Payroll Protection Loan…’
‘I’m sorry Shawn, I talked to your attorney and there’s nothing we can do to help…’
‘What if everything I believed about gaining muscle after turning 40 was wrong?’
‘Three things I wish every digital marketer knew about paid advertising on Google and Facebook…’
The opportunities are endless.
The first two lines of an ad pre-qualify, so be careful about who and how you attract. At the same time, remember that the first two lines ‘sell’ the rest of the ad. A little conversational curiosity to get a prospect’s attention is OK, in my opinion, if the ad copy is transparent.
Week 2 Homework
Write your own 500 — 800 word Facebook ad following the guidelines from the screencast.
This ad is the entry point for prospects into your world, and it has three jobs:
- Set the frame for the entire customer journey.
- Attract prospects who can become happy customers.
- Repel prospects who are unlikely to become happy customers.
Do not overthink this exercise. Your are not writing prose, and you shouldn’t be thinking about writing ‘ad copy’. We want to avoid any tone that feels like copy / advertising. Write conversationally.
Instead, we’re writing from the heart by focusing on the needs of our audience first, then setting them up for a journey into our world through the lens of the frame we’ve established.
Three suggestions to keep Facebook happy (and improve your results):
- Do not use “you”, “your”, or similar language that calls out a person as an individual.
- Do not use numbers (especially as proof points). This can be really tricky because you may want to include statements like “I’ve worked with hundreds of people who…” Use your discretion — just make sure you avoid making any outcome-based claims (in general). For example, even if it’s 100% true I would not say “I’ve helped hundreds of people grow their revenue, on average, 65%”. (Avoiding bold claims altogether is safer with Facebook.)
- Shorter sentences and shorter paragraphs are important. More white spaces makes your writing easier to read.
Post your questions below.
That’s theme.
Post your questions below.— André & Shawn
