How Intercom 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

While many copywriters long to create ad copy that goes viral or garners accolades, the most impactful writing is clear, direct, and succinct. To truly drive sales and meet customer needs, it's crucial to adopt the perspective of your target audience.

Focus on Benefits, Not Features

Consumers aren’t interested in your company’s reputation—they care about how your product makes their lives better. Too often, brands list features rather than emphasizing the benefits that truly resonate.

Consider the example of Booking.com's Paris hotel campaign, which goes beyond simply listing room availability to highlight convenience, cost savings, and a hassle-free booking process.

• "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

No matter how compelling your message, if it's lost in a cluttered or unfocused layout, it won't make an impact. The way you organize and present your copy is just as important as the message itself.

Lead with Your Strongest Copy

Most readers don’t digest an ad from beginning to end—they simply skim. Research from the Nielsen Norman Group reveals that 79% of users scan pages, with only 16% reading them in full.

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 need to front-load your most persuasive message. If your key selling point is hidden in the middle or at the end, it’s likely to be overlooked. Leading with a strong benefit, solution, or trust-builder can significantly boost engagement and impact.

3. The Power of Word Choice

Choosing the right words can transform your ad into a personal, urgent, and captivating message. The correct tone may be the key difference between an ad that converts and one that goes unnoticed.

Start with action verbs

Using strong, active verbs can elevate an ad from blending into the background to capturing immediate attention. Words like 'discover', 'explore', or 'get' inject urgency and excitement that prompt action.

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

Upwork’s campaign, for example, makes excellent use of powerful action phrases like 'Hire Experts' and 'Hire Someone for Work Today' to emphasize fast, efficient freelancer recruitment. Instead of merely listing features, it actively encourages immediate action, reinforcing the core message that Upwork swiftly connects businesses with top talent.

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.

Intercom'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 Intercom to see how these tips are applied in actual Google paid ads.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad copy is finely tuned for its target audience, addressing business decision-makers and support managers by emphasizing the key benefit of scaling customer support while reducing costs. It avoids self-centered company promotion and instead speaks directly to relatable challenges and outcomes that improve efficiencies and customer satisfaction, thus aligning with the tip 'Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself.'

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The ad features a well-organized, benefit-led structure that opens with a robust, action-driven promise ('Effortlessly scale your customer support'), ensuring the most compelling message is immediately visible. This front-loading tactic satisfies the principle that content must be structured for quick scanning, as supported by research from Nielsen Norman Group and Penn State. Additionally, the clear, reassuring closing statement reinforces trust and motivates immediate action, effectively employing the sub tip 'Content Matters, but So Does Structure.'

3. The Power of Word Choice

Strong, dynamic language is used throughout, with active verbs like 'scale' and phrases such as 'Reduce Your Support Costs' that generate urgency and excitement. This focus on action-oriented and benefit-driven word choices aligns with the 'Power of Word Choice' sub tip by highlighting improvements rather than just listing features. The ad avoids passive phrasing in favor of clear, concise terms that convey the unique advantages of an AI-first platform, making it both persuasive and engaging.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad copy is laser-focused on addressing the customer’s pain point — reducing the number of customer queries that escalate into support tickets. By highlighting an immediate benefit (resolving 50% of queries instantly), it speaks directly to support managers who need effective solutions. This approach aligns with the tip 'Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself' by centering on the customer benefit rather than just listing what the company does. The emphasis on a clear, quantifiable benefit mirrors Intercom's commitment to transformative, AI-driven customer service improvements.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure of the ad is concise, skimmable, and strategically organized. It begins with a strong headline, 'AI Built for Customer Service', ensuring that the most compelling message is upfront, satisfying the advice to 'Lead with Your Strongest Copy'. Following the headline, the inclusion of a quantifiable benefit reinforces the ad’s effectiveness. This logical and reader-friendly layout mirrors best practices by providing immediate clarity and encouraging quick engagement, which is critical in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The ad uses dynamic, action-oriented language and measurable metrics to create urgency and build credibility. Phrases like 'instantly resolve' effectively communicate speed and efficiency, while the specific reference to '50% of all customer queries' reinforces trust through quantification. This choice of words aligns with the 'Power of Word Choice' tip by starting with action verbs and ensuring the language is simple yet compelling, making it resonate with an audience that values prompt, effective issue resolution — an essential aspect of Intercom’s innovative AI support offerings.

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 Intercom 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 Intercom.