Write 5 Google Search ad variations for [product]. Target keyword: [keyword]. Landing page offers [offer]. Include headlines, descriptions, and which variation to test first.

---
name: ad-copy
description: Write ad copy for any platform. Headlines, descriptions, hooks, and creative briefs. Use when creating new ads, improving underperforming ads, or briefing creative assets.
---

# Ad Copy

Write effective ad copy across platforms and formats. This skill covers headlines, descriptions, hooks, and creative briefs for visual assets using principles that work across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and any other advertising platform.

## When to Use This Skill

- Writing new ad campaigns from scratch
- Creating ad variations for testing
- Improving underperforming ads
- Developing hooks for different audience segments
- Briefing designers or video creators on ad creative
- Adapting messaging across platforms

## The Promise-Proof-Push Framework

Every effective ad contains three elements:

| Element | Purpose | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| **Promise** | What outcome or benefit does the user get? | "Cut reporting time by 80%" |
| **Proof** | Why should they believe you can deliver? | "Trusted by 500+ marketing teams" |
| **Push** | What action should they take now? | "Start free trial" |

A headline carries the promise. A line of social proof adds credibility. A clear CTA creates the push. When all three are present, the ad works harder.

### Applying the Framework

**Strong ad (all three elements):**
> "Cut Your Reporting Time 80% | Trusted by 500+ Teams | Start Free Trial"

**Weak ad (missing proof):**
> "Better Reports, Faster | Try It Now"

**Weak ad (missing push):**
> "Marketing teams save 10 hours weekly with automated reports"

Audit every ad against this framework. If an element is missing or weak, strengthen it.

## Headline Principles

### Character Guidelines by Platform

These limits change over time. Use as working guidelines:

| Platform | Headline Length | Notes |
|----------|-----------------|-------|
| Google Search | ~30 chars per headline | 3 headlines available |
| Google Display | ~30 chars | Shorter performs better |
| Meta/Facebook | ~40 chars optimal | 255 max, but shorter wins |
| LinkedIn Sponsored | ~70 chars | Can go longer for B2B |
| LinkedIn Text Ads | ~25 chars | Very constrained |

### Headline Formulas

| Formula | Structure | Example | Best For |
|---------|-----------|---------|----------|
| Specific outcome | "[Verb] [specific result]" | "Cut Reporting Time 80%" | Provable, quantified results |
| Question | "[Pain point] + ?" | "Still Building Reports Manually?" | Known, urgent pain points |
| How-to | "How to [desired outcome]" | "How to Automate Weekly Reports" | Educational content, guides |
| Social proof | "Why [number] [audience] [action]" | "Why 500+ Teams Switched" | Credibility-driven angles |
| Direct offer | "[Free/New]: [asset]" | "Free Template: Marketing Dashboard" | Lead magnets, gated content |
| Comparison | "[Your solution] vs [status quo]" | "Automated vs. Manual Reports" | Differentiation |
| Urgency | "[Time constraint] + [offer]" | "Last Day: 50% Off Annual Plans" | Promotions, limited offers |

### Headline Quality Checklist

- [ ] Specific benefit stated (not vague value)
- [ ] Clear what the product/offer is
- [ ] Differentiated from competitors
- [ ] Matches the landing page headline
- [ ] Appropriate length for platform
- [ ] No jargon or insider language
- [ ] Would make sense to a cold audience

## Description and Body Copy

### Description Principles

The description continues the headline's work:

1. **First line** expands the headline's promise with specifics
2. **Middle** includes the offer clearly (free trial, demo, download)
3. **Address one objection** if space allows ("No credit card required")
4. **End** with clear CTA reinforcing desired action

### Length Strategy

| Audience Temperature | Copy Length | Rationale |
|---------------------|-------------|-----------|
| Hot (knows you) | Short, direct | Already trusts you, just needs offer |
| Warm (engaged before) | Medium | Reminder + overcome objections |
| Cold (never heard of you) | Longer | Needs education and trust-building |

Test both short and long versions rather than assuming.

### Description Templates

**Short (awareness/retargeting):**
```
[Benefit statement]. [Offer]. [CTA].
```
Example: "Automate your marketing reports in minutes. Free 14-day trial. Start now."

**Medium (consideration):**
```
[Benefit statement]. [How it works in one line]. [Proof element]. [Offer + CTA].
```
Example: "Cut reporting time by 80%. Connect your data sources and get automated dashboards instantly. Used by 500+ marketing teams. Try free for 14 days."

**Long (cold traffic):**
```
[Pain point acknowledgment]. [Solution introduction]. [Key benefit]. [Proof]. [Offer]. [Objection handler]. [CTA].
```

## Hook Development

The hook is the first thing that stops the scroll or earns the click.

### Hook Types

| Type | Structure | Example | Best For |
|------|-----------|---------|----------|
| Pain agitation | "Tired of [pain]?" | "Tired of 3-hour reporting sessions?" | Urgent, known pain points |
| Curiosity gap | "The [topic] most [audience] miss" | "The reporting trick most marketers miss" | Educational content |
| Contrarian | "Stop [common practice]" | "Stop building reports manually" | Thought leadership |
| Outcome | "We [achieved specific result]" | "We cut reporting from 10 hours to 30 minutes" | Case studies, proof |
| Direct offer | "[Free/New]: [valuable thing]" | "Free: 2025 Marketing Report Template" | Lead magnets |
| Question | "[Assumption check]?" | "Know your real marketing ROI?" | Problem awareness |
| News | "[New development] means [implication]" | "GA4 changes mean your reports need updating" | Timely hooks |

### Hook Testing Priority

Test hooks before testing other elements. The hook determines whether anyone reads the rest.

**Hook testing approach:**
1. Write 5-10 hook variations using different types
2. Test 3-4 against each other
3. Winner becomes control
4. Test new challengers against control
5. Repeat

## Creative Brief (For Visual/Video Assets)

When ads require visual or video assets, output a creative brief:

### Brief Template

```
CREATIVE BRIEF

Project: [Campaign/ad name]
Date: [Date]
Platform: [Where ad will run]

1. OBJECTIVE
What should this ad accomplish?
[Awareness / Traffic / Leads / Sales]

2. AUDIENCE
Who is this for?
- Role/title: 
- Pain points:
- What they care about:
- Awareness level: [Unaware / Problem-aware / Solution-aware / Product-aware]

3. KEY MESSAGE
One thing to communicate:
[Single sentence]

4. SUPPORTING PROOF
What validates the message?
- [Proof point 1]
- [Proof point 2]

5. OFFER & CTA
What we're offering:
What action we want:

6. FORMAT SPECS
- Dimensions: [e.g., 1080x1080, 1200x628]
- Duration: [for video]
- File requirements: [format, size limits]

7. COPY TO INCLUDE
Headlines: 
[List headlines]
Body copy:
[Body text]
CTA button text:
[CTA]

8. TONE & STYLE
- Tone: [Professional / Casual / Urgent / etc.]
- Visual style: [Minimalist / Bold / Photo-driven / etc.]
- References: [Links to examples or mood board]
- Avoid: [What not to do]

9. BRAND ELEMENTS
- Logo placement: [Where]
- Colors: [Which to use]
- Fonts: [If specified]
```

## Platform-Specific Considerations

### Principles That Apply Everywhere

- Clarity beats cleverness
- Specific beats vague
- Benefit beats feature
- Proof beats claims
- One message beats many

### Platform Nuances

| Platform | Key Consideration |
|----------|------------------|
| Google Search | Intent is high—match the search query |
| Google Display | Interrupting—need strong hook |
| Meta/Facebook | Social context—conversational tone works |
| Instagram | Visual-first—copy supports image |
| LinkedIn | Professional context—credibility matters more |
| YouTube | Competing with content—entertainment value helps |

## Red Flags

Issues that typically hurt ad performance:

- [ ] Headline promises something the landing page doesn't deliver
- [ ] No clear offer or CTA
- [ ] Feature-focused instead of benefit-focused
- [ ] Same copy for different audience segments
- [ ] Clever wordplay that obscures the message
- [ ] No proof element anywhere in the ad
- [ ] Copy that could apply to any competitor
- [ ] Jargon or insider language for cold audiences
- [ ] Multiple messages competing for attention
- [ ] CTA doesn't match the funnel stage
- [ ] No urgency or reason to act now
- [ ] Headline and description repeat same information

## Output Format

When writing ad copy:

```
## Ad Copy: [Campaign/Product Name]

### Campaign Context
- Platform: [Where ads will run]
- Objective: [Awareness / Traffic / Leads / Sales]
- Audience: [Who we're targeting]
- Offer: [What we're promoting]
- Landing page: [Where traffic goes]

### Headlines

| # | Headline | Chars | Formula Used |
|---|----------|-------|--------------|
| 1 | [Headline] | [Count] | [Formula] |
| 2 | [Headline] | [Count] | [Formula] |
| 3 | [Headline] | [Count] | [Formula] |
| 4 | [Headline] | [Count] | [Formula] |
| 5 | [Headline] | [Count] | [Formula] |

### Descriptions

**Version A (Short):**
[Description]

**Version B (Medium):**
[Description]

**Version C (Long, if applicable):**
[Description]

### Recommended Primary Combination
Headline: [Which headline]
Description: [Which description]
Rationale: [Why this combination]

### Test Plan
1. Test [Headline A] vs [Headline B] with [Description X]
2. Winner vs [Headline C]
3. Then test description variations

### Creative Brief (if visual assets needed)
[Include full brief template]

### Landing Page Alignment Check
- Headline echoes: [Yes/No]
- Offer matches: [Yes/No]
- Proof continues: [Yes/No]
```

## Chaining to Other Skills

Ad copy connects to the full ad-to-page system:

- **Need landing page for this ad** → Chain to `ad-landing-page`
- **Need to verify ad-page connection** → Chain to `ad-page-alignment`
- **Need campaign structure** → Chain to `campaign-structure`
- **Page exists, need CRO audit** → Chain to `page-cro` (Issue #2)

When chaining, pass along: the ad copy, offer details, audience definition, and any proof elements to use.

Design a campaign structure for [product] targeting [audience]. Monthly budget: $[X]. Goal: [awareness/leads/sales]. Include campaigns, ad sets, audiences, and budget allocation.

---
name: campaign-structure
description: Design ad campaign architecture. Account organization, audience segmentation, budget allocation, naming conventions. Use when setting up new accounts or restructuring existing campaigns.
---

# Campaign Structure

Design campaign architecture that scales. This skill covers account organization, audience segmentation, budget allocation, naming conventions, and testing frameworks using principles that apply across advertising platforms.

## When to Use This Skill

- Setting up a new advertising account
- Restructuring an existing account that's become messy
- Planning audience segmentation strategy
- Allocating budget across campaigns
- Creating naming conventions for clarity
- Designing a testing framework
- Preparing to scale successful campaigns

## Account Architecture

### The Universal Hierarchy

Most platforms follow this structure:

```
Account
└── Campaign (budget level, objective)
    └── Ad Set / Ad Group (audience, targeting)
        └── Ad (creative, copy)
```

**Platform terminology:**

| Level | Google Ads | Meta Ads | LinkedIn |
|-------|-----------|----------|----------|
| Campaign | Campaign | Campaign | Campaign Group |
| Ad Set | Ad Group | Ad Set | Campaign |
| Ad | Ad | Ad | Ad |

### Organization Principles

| Principle | Implementation | Why It Matters |
|-----------|---------------|----------------|
| One objective per campaign | Don't mix awareness and conversion in same campaign | Algorithms optimize for one goal |
| Distinct audiences per ad set | No overlap between ad sets in same campaign | Prevents self-competition |
| 3-5 ads per ad set | Not 1, not 20 | Enough for testing, concentrated enough for data |
| Clear naming conventions | Systematic names with key info | You'll remember what worked |

### Campaign Organization Models

**By objective:**
```
Account
├── Awareness Campaigns
│   └── [Brand awareness, reach campaigns]
├── Consideration Campaigns
│   └── [Traffic, engagement, video views]
└── Conversion Campaigns
    └── [Leads, sales, app installs]
```

**By funnel stage:**
```
Account
├── Top of Funnel (Cold)
│   └── [Prospecting to new audiences]
├── Middle of Funnel (Warm)
│   └── [Retargeting engaged visitors]
└── Bottom of Funnel (Hot)
    └── [Retargeting high-intent actions]
```

**By product/service:**
```
Account
├── Product A Campaigns
│   ├── [Prospecting]
│   └── [Retargeting]
├── Product B Campaigns
│   ├── [Prospecting]
│   └── [Retargeting]
└── Brand Campaigns
    └── [General awareness]
```

Choose the model that matches how you think about your business and how you'll analyze results.

## Naming Conventions

### Why Naming Matters

Six months from now, you need to know:
- What was the objective?
- Who was the audience?
- What was the offer?
- When did it run?

"Campaign 7 - Copy B" tells you nothing. Systematic naming is documentation.

### Naming Template

**Campaign level:**
`[Objective]_[Audience]_[Offer]_[Date]`

**Ad set level:**
`[Audience Detail]_[Targeting Type]`

**Ad level:**
`[Creative Type]_[Hook/Angle]_[Version]`

### Examples

**Campaigns:**
- `LEAD_Marketers_FreeTrial_2025Q1`
- `CONV_Retarget30Day_Demo_2025Feb`
- `AWARE_Lookalike_Whitepaper_2025Q1`
- `SALE_Customers_Upsell_2025Mar`

**Ad sets:**
- `SeniorMarketers_Interest`
- `WebVisitors_30Day`
- `Lookalike_Converters_1pct`
- `JobTitle_CMO_Director`

**Ads:**
- `Static_PainHook_v1`
- `Video_Testimonial_v2`
- `Carousel_Features_v1`
- `Static_OutcomeHook_v3`

### Naming Convention Checklist

- [ ] Objective clear from campaign name
- [ ] Audience identifiable from ad set name
- [ ] Date/period included for time-based analysis
- [ ] Version numbers on ad creative
- [ ] Consistent format across all campaigns
- [ ] No spaces (use underscores or hyphens)
- [ ] Abbreviations are standardized

## Audience Strategy

### Audience Temperature Framework

| Temperature | Who They Are | What They Need | Strategy |
|-------------|--------------|----------------|----------|
| **Hot** | Know you, engaged recently | Reason to act now | Direct offer, short copy, urgency |
| **Warm** | Visited site, consumed content | Reminder, objection handling | Retarget with proof, overcome hesitation |
| **Cold** | Never heard of you | Education, trust | Lead with value, build credibility first |

### Audience Segmentation Principles

**Segment by intent, not just demographics:**
- Someone who visited your pricing page has different intent than someone who read a blog post
- Job title alone doesn't indicate buying readiness

**Keep audiences large enough to optimize:**
- Platform minimums vary (Meta ~1,000, Google varies by campaign type)
- Too small = erratic performance, slow learning
- If audience is too small, broaden targeting or combine segments

**Avoid overlap between ad sets:**
- Use exclusions to prevent audiences from competing
- Exclude converters from prospecting campaigns
- Exclude retargeting audiences from prospecting

**Build audiences around landing pages:**
- Each audience segment may need different messaging
- If messaging differs significantly, the landing page should too

### Audience Types

| Type | Definition | Use For |
|------|------------|---------|
| **Custom audiences** | Your data (email lists, site visitors) | Retargeting, exclusions |
| **Lookalike/Similar** | Platform finds similar users | Scaling prospecting |
| **Interest-based** | Platform's interest categories | Cold prospecting |
| **Behavioral** | Based on actions (purchases, app usage) | Intent targeting |
| **Demographic** | Age, location, job title, etc. | Narrowing other audiences |

### Retargeting Windows

| Window | Who | Strategy |
|--------|-----|----------|
| 1-7 days | Very recent visitors | Urgent, direct offer |
| 8-30 days | Recent visitors | Reminder, overcome objections |
| 31-90 days | Older visitors | Re-educate, new angle |
| 90+ days | Stale audience | Treat more like cold |

Segment retargeting by recency. Someone who visited yesterday needs different messaging than someone who visited two months ago.

## Budget Allocation

### Allocation Frameworks

**70/20/10 (Established accounts):**
- 70% to proven campaigns and audiences
- 20% to testing new variations
- 10% to experimental/new ideas

**Equal split (New accounts):**
- Divide budget equally across campaigns
- Let data determine winners
- Shift budget based on results after learning phase

**Objective-based:**
- More budget to higher-intent campaigns
- Conversion campaigns may warrant more than awareness
- Align spend with business priorities

### Budget Principles

| Principle | Implementation |
|-----------|---------------|
| Meet learning thresholds | Each ad set needs enough budget to exit learning phase |
| Don't spread too thin | Better to fund fewer campaigns well than many poorly |
| Shift based on results | Move budget from underperformers to winners |
| Test budget levels | Sometimes higher budget improves delivery efficiency |

### Learning Phase Considerations

Most platforms have a "learning phase" where algorithms optimize delivery:

- Typically requires 50 optimization events per week per ad set
- Performance is volatile during learning
- Major changes reset learning

**If you can't meet learning thresholds:**
- Consolidate ad sets
- Use broader audiences
- Optimize for upper-funnel events (clicks vs. conversions)
- Increase budget or decrease ad set count

### Budget Pacing

| Pacing Type | How It Works | Best For |
|-------------|--------------|----------|
| Daily budget | Fixed spend per day | Consistent, controlled spend |
| Lifetime budget | Total over campaign duration | Flexibility for algorithm |
| Accelerated | Spend as fast as possible | Time-sensitive promotions |

## Bidding Strategy

### Bidding Principles (Platform-Agnostic)

| Goal | Bid Strategy | When to Use |
|------|--------------|-------------|
| Maximize reach | Optimize for impressions | Brand awareness only |
| Drive traffic | Optimize for link clicks | When landing page does the work |
| Get conversions | Optimize for conversions | When you have conversion data |
| Control costs | Manual/max CPC bids | When you have strict cost targets |
| Maximize value | Optimize for conversion value | When conversion values vary |

### The Data Requirement

Automated bidding needs data to work:

| Conversion Volume | Recommendation |
|-------------------|----------------|
| <30/month | Use manual bidding or optimize for clicks |
| 30-50/month | Can try automated, but may be unstable |
| 50+/month | Automated bidding should work well |
| 100+/month | Full optimization, consider value-based |

If you're not getting enough conversions for automated bidding, either:
- Optimize for an earlier funnel event (add to cart vs. purchase)
- Use manual bidding
- Increase budget to generate more volume

## Testing Framework

### What to Test (Priority Order)

| Priority | Element | Impact Level | Why |
|----------|---------|--------------|-----|
| 1 | Audiences | Highest | Wrong audience = nothing else matters |
| 2 | Offers | High | What you're promising drives response |
| 3 | Creative/copy | High | How you communicate the offer |
| 4 | Landing pages | High | Where conversion happens |
| 5 | Bidding/budget | Medium | Optimization mechanics |

### Testing Rules

| Rule | Implementation |
|------|---------------|
| One variable at a time | Don't change audience AND creative simultaneously |
| Statistical significance | Wait for enough data before calling winners |
| Define success criteria upfront | Know what "better" means before test starts |
| Document everything | Track what you tested and what you learned |
| Kill losers quickly | Don't let underperformers drain budget |
| Scale winners deliberately | Increase budget gradually (20% increments) |

### Test Documentation Template

```
TEST LOG

Test name: _______________
Start date: _______________
Variable tested: [Audience / Creative / Offer / Landing page]

CONTROL:
Description: _______________
Performance (baseline): _______________

CHALLENGER:
Description: _______________
Hypothesis: _______________

RESULTS:
Sample size: _______________
Duration: _______________
Control result: _______________
Challenger result: _______________
Winner: _______________
Confidence level: _______________

LEARNINGS:
[What we learned, what to test next]
```

## Red Flags

Issues that commonly hurt campaign performance:

- [ ] Audiences overlapping across ad sets (competing with yourself)
- [ ] Too many campaigns spreading budget thin
- [ ] No naming convention or inconsistent naming
- [ ] Same creative for hot and cold audiences
- [ ] Budget below platform's learning threshold
- [ ] No clear test plan (random changes)
- [ ] Optimizing for clicks when you want conversions
- [ ] Restructuring too often (resets learning)
- [ ] No exclusions (showing ads to converters)
- [ ] Mixing objectives in one campaign
- [ ] Too many ads per ad set (dilutes data)
- [ ] Not documenting test results

## Output Format

When designing campaign structure:

```
## Campaign Structure: [Account/Product Name]

### Account Overview
- Platform: [Google / Meta / LinkedIn / etc.]
- Monthly budget: $[Amount]
- Primary objective: [Awareness / Leads / Sales]
- Products/services: [What's being advertised]

### Campaign Architecture

[Visual hierarchy or description of structure]

### Campaign Details

**Campaign 1: [Name]**
- Objective: [Campaign objective]
- Budget: $[Amount] / [daily/lifetime]
- Bid strategy: [Strategy]

| Ad Set | Audience | Budget | Notes |
|--------|----------|--------|-------|
| [Name] | [Audience description] | $[Amount] | [Notes] |

**Campaign 2: [Name]**
[Repeat structure]

### Naming Convention
- Campaign format: [Template]
- Ad set format: [Template]
- Ad format: [Template]

### Audience Definitions

| Audience Name | Definition | Temperature | Size Est. |
|---------------|------------|-------------|-----------|
| [Name] | [How defined] | Hot/Warm/Cold | [Size] |

### Budget Allocation

| Campaign | % of Budget | Monthly $ | Rationale |
|----------|-------------|-----------|-----------|
| [Campaign] | [%] | $[Amount] | [Why] |

### Testing Plan (First 30 Days)

Week 1-2: [What to test]
Week 3-4: [What to test based on results]

### Exclusions
- [What audiences to exclude from what campaigns]

### Success Metrics
- Primary KPI: [Metric]
- Target: [Goal]
- Secondary KPIs: [Metrics]
```

## Chaining to Other Skills

Campaign structure connects to the full ad-to-page system:

- **Need ad copy for campaigns** → Chain to `ad-copy`
- **Need landing pages for campaigns** → Chain to `ad-landing-page`
- **Need to verify ad-page alignment** → Chain to `ad-page-alignment`
- **Need measurement setup** → Chain to Issue #5 measurement skills

When chaining, pass along: campaign objectives, audience definitions, budget parameters, and testing priorities.

Create a landing page outline for this ad: [paste ad]. Offer: [offer]. Audience: [audience]. Include headline, structure, CTA, and proof elements.

Audit alignment between this ad and landing page. Ad: [paste ad]. Page: [paste or describe]. Score message match, scent trail, and friction. Identify gaps and how to fix them.

OFFER DEFINITION

What is the offer?
[Free trial / Demo / Lead magnet / Purchase]

Who is the audience?
[Job title, pain point, awareness level]

What's the one promise?
[Single benefit the ad will focus on]

What proof exists?
[Testimonials, results, logos]

What's the goal?
[Lead / Trial signup / Purchase]

Write ad copy for [platform].

Offer: [Your offer]
Audience: [Target audience]
Key promise: [Main benefit]
Proof available: [Credibility elements]

Create:
- 5 headline variations
- 3 description variations
- Recommended primary combination
- Creative brief if visual assets needed

Create a landing page for this ad:

[Paste your ad copy]

Offer: [Your offer]
Audience: [Target audience]
Proof available: [Testimonials, logos, results]
Goal: [Signup / Lead / Purchase]

Create:
- Headline and subhead matching ad
- Page structure with all sections
- CTA copy and placement
- Proof elements to include
- FAQ content

Audit alignment between this ad and page:

AD:
[Paste final ad copy]

LANDING PAGE:
[Paste page content]

Score:
1. Message match (headline, offer, CTA)
2. Scent trail (visual and intent continuity)
3. Friction (path to conversion)

Identify any gaps and how to fix them.

Design campaign structure for:

Ad: [Your ad]
Landing page: [URL]
Budget: [Monthly amount]
Platform: [Google / Meta / LinkedIn]
Goal: [Leads / Trials / Purchases]

Include:
- Campaign and ad set structure
- Naming conventions
- Audience targeting
- Budget allocation
- Test plan for first 30 days

AD + PAGE TRACKING

Campaign: _______________
Launched: [date]

WEEKLY METRICS:
- Impressions: _______________
- Clicks: _______________
- CTR: _______________%
- CPC: $_______________
- Conversions: _______________
- Conversion rate: _______________%
- Cost per conversion: $_______________

ALIGNMENT CHECK (bi-weekly):
- Quality Score / Relevance: _______________
- Bounce rate: _______________%
- Issues identified: _______________

TESTS RUNNING:
- [Test 1]: _______________
- [Test 2]: _______________