How GitHub improves Ad Copywriting: 3 Proven Tips With Examples

How to Write Great Copy: 3 Copywriting Tips

Many copywriters dream of creating viral or award-winning ads, but the most successful copy isn't about creativity for creativity's sake—it's about clarity, directness, and impact. The best ad copy puts the audience's needs first, speaking directly to their challenges and guiding them toward a solution.

1. Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself

Countless copywriters aim to design flawless ad copy—one that becomes viral, earns accolades, or sparks vigorous debate in a boardroom reminiscent of Mad Men. Yet, the truly effective copy is straightforward, succinct, and richly descriptive. To meet your client’s sales goals and satisfy customer expectations, it’s imperative to view the message from your target audience’s perspective.

Focus on Benefits, Not Features

Consumers aren’t interested in your company’s prestige; they care about how your product makes life better. Too often, businesses mistakenly list features rather than spotlight the benefits that resonate most with their audience.

Consider Booking.com’s ad for Paris hotels: it doesn’t merely note availability, but accentuates the ease of booking, cost savings, and overall convenience.

• "Quick, Easy Booking. No Reservation Costs." →Emphasizes convenience and cost savings.
• "Save 10% with Genius." →Offers a tangible financial incentive.
• "24/7 Customer Service. We speak your language." →Builds trust and reduces barriers.
• "Read Real Guest Reviews." →Helps users make informed decisions.

By focusing on ease of booking, affordability, and customer support, Booking.com ensures its ad aligns with what travelers care about most—a hassle-free, reliable experience.

In contrast, David Yurman's ad for men's jewelry prioritizes features over benefits, failing to connect with the audience on an emotional level:

• Lists product types but doesn't explain why they're unique or valuable.
• Fails to highlight customer benefits like craftsmanship, exclusivity, or personalization.
• Misses emotional connection—jewelry purchases are often tied to special occasions, yet the ad doesn't evoke sentiment.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

Even the most brilliant message can fall flat if it’s hidden within a cluttered or disorganized ad layout. The way you structure your copy is just as crucial as the words themselves.

Lead with Your Strongest Copy

Most people don’t read ads word-for-word—they skim. Research by the Nielsen Norman Group indicates that 79% of users scan new pages while only 16% digest them completely.

Similarly, Penn State research found that over 75% of people share links on social media without even clicking on them. (Source: Penn State Study)

This behavior underscores the importance of front-loading your most compelling message. If your key selling point is tucked away in the middle or end, chances are it will go unnoticed. Whether it’s a major benefit, a solution-oriented statement, or a boost to credibility, starting strong maximizes engagement and impact.

3. The Power of Word Choice

Choosing the right words transforms your ad into a personal, engaging, and urgent invitation. The proper tone can be the defining factor between an ad that converts and one that’s overlooked.

Start with action verbs

Using robust action words distinguishes an ad that stands out from one that simply blends into the background. Verbs like 'discover', 'explore', or 'get' generate urgency and excitement, prompting your audience to act immediately.

Take a look at this Upwork ad, which effectively uses action verbs to drive engagement:

Upwork’s ad leverages energetic commands such as 'Hire Experts' and 'Hire Someone for Work Today' to emphasize rapid, efficient freelancer recruitment. Instead of merely listing features, it directly calls for action, streamlining the hiring process. The repeated emphasis on 'Hire' reinforces the message that Upwork enables businesses to quickly connect with top talent; by starting with dynamic language, the ad builds momentum and clearly communicates the platform’s value.

If you want your ad copy to feel more compelling, start by replacing passive phrasing with action-driven alternatives. Instead of "We provide expert freelancers for your project", use "Find expert freelancers to bring your project to life". Instead of "Upwork connects businesses with professionals", use "Connect with top professionals and get your job done faster". By leading with clear, action-driven language, your ad instantly feels more engaging and encourages higher conversion rates.

GitHub's Ad Copy: Tips in Action

We've covered key tips to keep in mind. Now, let's take a look at real examples from GitHub to see how these tips are applied in actual Google paid ads.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad copy effectively writes for the audience—developers—by highlighting direct benefits like increased productivity, accelerated development pace, and enhanced security. Instead of merely listing features, it explains how GitHub’s platform improves the coding experience, thereby addressing the real needs of developers. This aligns perfectly with the tip of focusing on benefits and speaking to what matters most to the audience, ensuring that the message resonates with those looking for reliable and efficient tools.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure of the ad copy is strong and strategic. It leads with a compelling header, 'Build with Confidence,' which immediately grabs the audience's attention. The subsequent bullet-point style listing of benefits not only organizes the information for skimmers but also ensures that key selling points are quickly accessible. This ordering prioritizes the most compelling messages first, adhering to best practices that recommend front-loading strong, impactful content for maximum engagement.

3. The Power of Word Choice

Action-oriented language is central to the ad copy’s effectiveness. Dynamic words such as 'build,' 'increase,' 'accelerate,' and 'automate' create a sense of urgency and reliability. This choice of words reinforces the benefits message and propels the audience towards action. While the copy could further personalize the call by directly incorporating phrases like 'you' or 'your,' its current focus remains benefit-driven and perfectly aligned with GitHub's mission to empower software development through practical, outcome-focused language.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad targets enterprise clients and development teams by speaking directly to their needs for enhanced collaboration and secure, scalable solutions. This aligns with the tip to 'Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself,' ensuring that the message is benefits-driven and addresses the day-to-day challenges of collaborative environments. By focusing on how GitHub empowers teams to work together seamlessly, it emphasizes improvements in productivity and security—key benefits over mere feature listings.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure starts with a compelling, benefit-driven headline ('Enable Greater Collaboration') that captures attention immediately, a strategy recommended by research. It presents clear, prioritized benefits, mirroring the advice to lead with the strongest copy. In doing so, it makes the ad easy to skim while ensuring that the critical benefits—such as scalability and security—are clearly visible, which builds trust and encourages further engagement.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The ad employs strong, action-oriented language with words like 'accelerate' and 'proven,' which create a sense of urgency and confidence. This use of dynamic verbs aligns with the tip to 'start with action verbs' and emphasizes the value of GitHub’s enterprise solutions. Additionally, terms like 'collaborative' and 'Developer-Led Learning' underscore a commitment to effective, secure, and educational development environments, further resonating with the target audience's needs and reinforcing GitHub’s credibility.

Conclusion

Great ad copy isn't just about being clever—it's about understanding your audience, structuring your message effectively, and using the right words to drive action. The examples from GitHub demonstrate how well-crafted copy can make an ad more engaging, easy to understand, and conversion-focused.

Key Takeaways:

• ✅Write for Your Audience

  Focus on their needs, not features. Align with their goals and search intent.

• ✅Structure Matters

  Lead with your strongest copy. Keep it short, scannable, and benefit-focused.

• ✅Use the Right Words

  Start with action verbs, personalize with "you", and keep language simple.

By applying these principles, you can craft ad copy that grabs attention, builds trust, and drives higher conversions—just like GitHub.