How Mailchimp 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 aspire to create ad copy that goes viral, wins awards, or ignites lively Mad Men-style debates, the most powerful copy is typically clear, straightforward, concise, and vivid. To help your client hit their sales targets and satisfy customer needs, it's crucial to view the work from the perspective of the target audience.

Focus on Benefits, Not Features

Consumers aren’t captivated by your company's prestige—they care about how your product makes their lives better. Too often, businesses make the mistake of listing features rather than emphasizing the benefits that truly resonate with their audience.

Consider Booking.com's Paris hotel ad as a prime example of benefit-focused messaging; instead of merely advertising room availability, it spotlights ease of booking, significant 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 a stellar message can get lost if it's presented in a cluttered or disorganized ad. The way you structure your copy is just as critical as the message itself.

Lead with Your Strongest Copy

Most readers don’t go through an ad word-for-word—they simply skim. Research from the Nielsen Norman Group shows that 79% of users scan new pages while just 16% read them thoroughly.

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 why it’s essential to lead with your most compelling message. If your key selling point is tucked away in the middle or at the end, it’s likely to be missed. Whether highlighting a major benefit, offering a problem-solving insight, or boosting credibility, placing your best copy upfront maximizes both engagement and impact.

3. The Power of Word Choice

Using the right words can transform an ad into a personal, urgent, and engaging experience. The proper tone make all the difference between an advertisement that converts and one that is overlooked.

Start with action verbs

Impactful action verbs can distinguish an ad that grabs attention from one that fades into the background. Energetic verbs like 'discover', 'explore', or 'get' instill a sense of urgency and excitement, motivating your audience to act immediately.

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

Upwork’s ad smartly leverages commanding verbs such as 'Hire Experts' and 'Hire Someone for Work Today' to stress the speed and efficiency of finding freelancers. Instead of merely listing features, it prompts immediate action, making the hiring process seem effortless. The recurring use of 'Hire' reinforces the core message that Upwork swiftly connects businesses with top talent, creating momentum and clearly conveying 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.

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

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad copy clearly speaks to its intended audience—small business owners and marketers—by emphasizing the benefits of engaging, visually attractive newsletters rather than merely listing technical features. This approach directly addresses the sub tip of 'Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself' and 'Focus on Benefits, Not Features', as it shows how Mailchimp’s solution transforms communication into compelling brand storytelling. It resonates with Mailchimp's mission of empowering businesses to manage effective email campaigns, ensuring the message is customer-centric and benefit-driven.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The ad is structured to immediately capture attention with a strong call-to-action ('Sign Up Today'), aligning with the suggestion to 'Lead with Your Strongest Copy'. By placing the key benefit—creating beautiful, engaging newsletters—at the forefront, it ensures that busy readers quickly grasp the value proposition. The progression from problem to solution, along with reassurance through additional value points like customization and testing, fulfills the sub tip of ending with a strong, reassuring closing statement that builds trust and encourages action.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The ad employs dynamic and action-oriented language, starting with compelling verbs like 'Sign Up Now' and descriptive adjectives such as 'stunning' and 'beautiful'. This choice of words creates urgency and appeal while keeping the tone personal and direct. The careful selection of words not only grabs attention but also solidifies the benefits that enhance the customer’s experience, perfectly embodying the sub tips on 'The Power of Word Choice' by using action verbs and emotionally resonant terms.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

This ad copy targets marketing professionals and businesses by addressing their need for advanced, data-driven personalization. It clearly focuses on conveying customer benefits—solving real problems with AI-enhanced segmentation and content personalization—rather than simply listing features. This aligns perfectly with the tip to write for your audience and emphasize benefits that improve their marketing outcomes.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure effectively captures attention from the outset with the headline 'Take Your Marketing Further,' fulfilling the advice to lead with your strongest message. The body uses clearly segmented, parallel statements (benchmarking, segmenting, recommending, generating) to guide the reader through the process, ensuring that even skimmers quickly grasp the key benefits. To further enhance engagement, a strong and reassuring closing statement could solidify trust and guide the next step, reinforcing the guidance on impactful content structure.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The ad employs active language with compelling action verbs such as 'Use AI,' 'Benchmarking,' and 'Creating Segments.' These word choices create a sense of urgency and innovation, resonating with a modern, tech-savvy audience. The dynamic verbs ensure the message is personalized and benefit-driven, adhering to the sub tip of using powerful, action-oriented language to transform passive phrasing into an engaging call to action.

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 Mailchimp 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 Mailchimp.