How Slack 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

Numerous copywriters aspire to create flawless ad copy that goes viral, earns accolades, or ignites the kind of debates reminiscent of a Mad Men boardroom. Yet, the most effective copy is clear, direct, succinct, and vividly descriptive. To help your client hit their sales targets and meet customer expectations, it's crucial to see things from the perspective of their target audience.

Understand and Address Your Audience's Needs

Since consumers are constantly overwhelmed by ads, the secret to standing out is to directly address the real challenges they encounter and tailor your message to their objectives.

Consider Shopify Plus' advertisement, which appears when users search for 'ecommerce platform enterprise.' This ad smartly reflects the searcher's intent by addressing the key concerns of large-scale businesses looking for a scalable eCommerce solution.

The headline instantly signals that Shopify Plus is designed for enterprises, while the description acknowledges core business challenges:

• Custom Design Your Online Store and Checkout Experience →Highlights the complexity of enterprise eCommerce and the need for customization.
• Get Up to 18% Higher Conversion Rates →Speaks to a key objective: improving performance and efficiency.
• Unlimited Bandwidth, Flexible Integrations, Unlimited Staff Accounts →Recognizes the need for scalability and operational flexibility.

Rather than just listing features, this ad aligns its message with enterprise-level priorities—ensuring it speaks directly to the user's needs.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

Even the strongest message can fall flat if it's hidden within a cluttered or poorly organized ad. The way you present your copy is just as important as the message itself.

Lead with Your Strongest Copy

Most people don't read ads word-for-word—they skim. The Nielsen Norman Group found that 79% of users scan new pages, with only 16% reading every detail.

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 tendency underscores why it's crucial to feature your most compelling message at the beginning. If your primary selling point is buried in the middle or at the end, it's likely to be overlooked. Front-loading your best copy—whether it highlights a key benefit, offers a solution, or builds credibility—maximizes engagement and impact.

3. The Power of Word Choice

Choosing the right words can imbue your ad with a personal, urgent, and engaging feel. The tone you select might be the deciding factor between an ad that converts and one that goes unnoticed.

Use Words That Resonate with Your Audience

To capture attention, it's best to speak in the language of your audience. Mirroring the exact words and phrases they use allows you to address their needs directly and makes your ad copy more relatable.

Keyword research is an excellent way to implement word mirroring. By analyzing actual search queries, you can identify common language patterns and naturally weave them into your ads.

Here's how you can do it:

• Leverage Customer Data →Analyze customer reviews, feedback, and support inquiries to identify recurring phrases and concerns.
• Study Competitor Keywords →Find out what terms your competitors are using to attract traffic, and incorporate those insights into your own ad copy.

If you want to see what keywords your competitors are targeting, tools like Ahrefs, Similarweb, Inpages can help you analyze their traffic sources and identify high-performing keywords.

By using familiar words and phrases, you can make your message feel more authentic and relevant, increasing the chances of capturing your audience's attention and driving meaningful engagement.

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

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad’s focus is finely tuned to speak directly to the target audience—sales teams—by acknowledging their specific challenges like time management and workflow inefficiencies. This approach reflects the sub tip of writing for your audience and not yourself, as it precisely addresses the real pain points and daily obstacles that sales professionals face, thereby highlighting how the product directly resolves these issues.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure of the ad copy is built in line with effective content strategy tips. It begins with a powerful benefit ('Give sales teams time back!') that immediately grabs attention, ensuring that busy readers quickly recognize the relevance and value of the solution. Furthermore, the concise explanation following this hook is designed to guide the reader effortlessly through understanding how the product simplifies their tasks, mirroring the approach of ending with a strong, reassuring closing statement that reinforces trust and encourages further engagement.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The ad employs dynamic and personalized word choices that make the message feel like a direct conversation with the reader. By using active verbs such as 'automate' coupled with industry-specific terms like 'approvals' and 'deal support', the language not only creates a sense of urgency but also resonates well with sales professionals. This mirrors the sub tip on the power of word choice, where starting with action verbs and using language that matches the audience's own vocabulary is crucial for effective communication.

1. Writing for the Audience, Not Yourself

The ad copy effectively mirrors the sub tip ‘Write for Your Audience, Not Yourself’ by directly addressing the secure communication needs of businesses—underscoring safety, productivity, and streamlined team interactions. This focus is particularly aligned with Slack’s mission to enhance team collaboration, ensuring that the messaging targets the real challenges and objectives of its users.

2. Content Matters, but So Does Structure

The structure is purposefully designed to capture attention quickly, in line with the advice to 'Lead with Your Strongest Copy'. The powerful headline ‘Secure & Reliable Messaging’ immediately establishes trust, and the succinct, benefit-driven layout makes it easy to scan. Although the ad copy already starts strong, incorporating a conclusive, reassuring closing statement could further reinforce trust and encourage next-step action, ensuring the message wraps up with a compelling call to action.

3. The Power of Word Choice

The choice of words such as 'secure', 'reliable', and 'built for productivity' resonates with business audiences by speaking directly to their expectations and needs. By using action verbs and terms that mirror the audience's language, the ad fulfills the sub tip of 'Using Words That Resonate with Your Audience.' Furthermore, the phrase 'Made for people,' adds an approachable touch to the technical benefits, emphasizing how Slack not only solves technical problems but also supports human-centered workplace collaboration.

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 Slack 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 Slack.