How To Write Facebook Ads That Sell

I love doing podcast interviews. They are some of the best days for me in the office. My energy is always high, my brain engaged, and I get to employ my superpower: Storytelling.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with Mike Stelzner for his awesome Social Media Examiner podcast. What did we talk about? How to write Facebook Ads that sell, of course!

This is one of my favorite interviews in recent weeks and it also makes my top 10 list of favorite podcasts I've been on. It was a ton of fun. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation that can help you be a more effective digital marketer (on and off Facebook). Right now, starting today. And since podcast is a strictly auditory experience, I thought I'd add some GIF-y flavor to this reading experience.

Takeaway #1: Think of Advertising Like Dating

You don't ask to go home on the first date. You have to build rapport with your audience first. Begin with a strong awareness ad campaign that gets your brand, product, or service at the forefront of that consumer's mind in a fun, creative way. Your goal is to make them be like, "hey. who is this?"

Picture a scrolling stranger who's never heard of your brand — let's call it a fictional coffee subscription box, Roast & Ramble. You don't hit them with "SUBSCRIBE NOW, 20% OFF." That's a guy proposing marriage in the Hinge opening message. Instead, awareness ads should be all charm, no pressure — a funny video about the seven stages of running out of coffee, a satisfying close-up of beans hitting a grinder, a meme your target customer would send to their group chat. Nobody's buying yet. Nobody's supposed to be. You're just trying to get them to notice you across the room and think "okay, this brand has personality." That's the whole job of the first date. Don't blow it by asking for the check before you've even ordered.

Takeaway #2: Make Them Think You're Telepathic

Even after a few initial engagements, you still should not be trying to convert your leads. Rather, show them you understand them with content that speaks to their pain points. Great ads in this consideration phase should make people feel like you've read their mind.

This is date two and three. They know your name now, they've liked a post or watched a video, and they're quietly deciding if you're worth more of their time. So instead of another cute brand-personality ad, you switch gears and show them you get it. Back to Roast & Ramble — this is where the ad copy stops being "we sell coffee" and starts being "tired of grocery-store coffee that tastes like burnt cardboard by the time you get to cup two?" That's a pain point. That's a nerve. When you write to the specific frustration your prospect already has — the bad coffee, the forgotten reorder, the guilt of another gas station run — they don't feel marketed to. They feel understood. And understood is the only thing that gets somebody to swipe right on your brand for real.

Takeaway #3: Introduce Them to Your Friends, Then Ask for the Sale

We all want to be in good company. The final set of ads that focus on conversions should introduce your audience to your community. One way to do this is to use testimonials from people who know you, have worked with you, and are happier because of it.

This is the part where you finally bring them home to meet the family — and the family better be likable. Nobody wants to marry into a family of strangers. So this is where Roast & Ramble stops talking about itself and lets the real customers do the talking: the guy who says he canceled his coffee shop habit and saved $60 a month, the mom who says it's the only thing that gets her out of bed on time, the review with a photo of an actual kitchen counter, not a stock image. Social proof is the ad version of your friend vouching for your date — "no really, he's great, I've known him for years." Once your prospect has seen people just like them already in the relationship and happy about it, asking for the sale isn't a big scary leap. It's just the natural next step in a courtship you've been running the whole time.

There's even more great content when you listen to the full episode. You can find the Social Media Examiner podcast wherever you download (or stream) your favorite podcasts! And hey — dating's supposed to be fun. So is this. Go build a funnel people actually want to swipe right on.