As a Facebook partner agency, we’ve had the opportunity to invest around $5 million in Facebook ads over the past few years. Facebook has become the backbone of our advertising strategy, and one of its standout features, in my opinion, is the unlimited text space available for ads. It’s fascinating to observe that many advertisers, around 90%, fail to utilize this vast potential and end up writing short, one or two-liner ads.
When I questioned some of these businesses about their approach, most cited the short attention spans of their audience as the reason for keeping their ads brief. However, my follow-up question would be, have they ever split-tested long ad copy versus short ad copy to determine which performs better? Surprisingly, the answer is almost always ‘No.’
Investing in Facebook ads is akin to investing in the stock market. You cannot rely solely on hearsay and rumors; you must test and verify strategies yourself. At our agency, we manage over 100 Facebook ad accounts, and the data we’ve accumulated shows that whether to use long or short ad copy depends on several factors, such as the product or service being offered and the level of interest generated by the ad copy.
In my experience, all things being equal, I am inclined towards using long copy. Just like spending more time with a salesperson builds trust and rapport, longer ad copy allows you to communicate more effectively with your audience, leading to higher quality leads and better customers.
You can think of your Facebook ad copies as digital salespeople, working around the clock to sell your products or services. When your target audience spends more time engaging with longer ad copy, it translates to more understanding of your offerings, clearer objections addressed, and stronger rapport, which naturally leads to higher conversion rates.
It’s perplexing that many businesses avoid writing long sales copy when there’s no additional cost involved. Facebook doesn’t charge extra for longer ads, and by investing more in copy, you gain the advantage of capturing your audience’s attention for a more extended period without any added expenses.
While short ad copies can still be effective, I highly recommend running both long and short ads to gauge their performance in your specific market. Facebook advertising requires a careful balance of art and science, and it’s essential to base your strategies on actual data rather than blindly following trends or assumptions.
Some argue that successful brands like Apple use short and sweet copy, but we mustn’t forget that Apple has invested considerable time and money to build its brand reputation. When introducing new products, Steve Jobs used to spend hours presenting and selling each feature because he understood the power of salesmanship, especially when the brand or product was relatively unknown.
Remember, every product or service requires selling, and you cannot effectively convey your message with just a few lines of text. The more you sell, the better you can overcome objections and persuade your audience. So, don’t shy away from writing long copy in your Facebook ads—it’s essential for your success.
If we look back at classic ads written by advertising legends, they were primarily long-form sales letters. These ads achieved remarkable results, generating billions of dollars in sales and significant increases in brand performance. The key to long copy’s success lies in its ability to be engaging and interesting—length alone doesn’t matter as long as it captures and sustains attention.
The notion of a short attention span is a myth. People still watch lengthy movies and TV series, proving that attention can be held with captivating content. Many avoid writing long copies due to fear of making mistakes, but that should not deter you. In the words of David Ogilvy, “Advertising is a business of words,” and if you master the art of writing compelling long sales copies, you can truly dominate Facebook ads. Embrace the unlimited text space offered by Facebook, and you’ll be on the path to success.
Ted is the co-founder of Ice Cube Marketing, a digital marketing agency in Singapore that has been operating since 2015 and has helped more than 500 SMEs grow their business through Facebook and Google ads.
