Ad Copy and Creatives for Online Courses

Assuming you’ve completed the fundamental task of creating a strong funnel and offer for your brand, the next important element for success is your creatives and copy.

There are many people that think that simply running ad campaigns and getting exposure will be enough to make an impact for getting their product out there. The reality, however, is that the market is highly competitive.

If you just end up putting out a basic ad with a simple image letting others know that you basically have an online course you want to sell, advertising won’t be very fruitful for you.

You need to find ways to make your brand stand out and cut through the noise.

Connecting with Your Online Course Ads

Because people have constantly been exposed to advertising, they have become very good at ignoring ads that don’t resonate with them whatsoever. The ads are all around them, they’re just blind to them. This is where your creatives and copy come into play.

They are your handy tools to grab attention, resonate with your audience and draw them to your product. It stands to reason then that it’s essential to craft compelling visuals and messages for your brand to actually connect with your target audience and make them take notice.

In fact, the most successful ads are the ones that create an emotional response within the viewers, motivating them to click through and learn more about what caught their eye.

How do you create this emotional response in your ad viewers?

Align your ad content and CTA in such a way so that they feel understood and connected to what you’re communicating.

A Successful Ad for a Successful Customer Journey

The pre-frame people have before clicking through to your website can significantly boost your conversion rates. That’s because what this pre-frame is all about is the initial exposure, i.e. the first impression they get of your brand and product, a game-changer in advertising.

When people feel a strong connection to a video ad or a particularly persuasive image, it makes a lasting impression that can then further influence their engagement with your brand going forward.

Think of how different customer journeys would be initiated when someone clicks through to your website after seeing a basic image in comparison to someone who has watched an exciting reel that evoked some very strong emotions in them.

The latter will further engage with your website and products in a completely different, much more positive way.

A single successful ad can completely transform your business, so realistically you’re always just one ad away from a breakthrough. This is why continuous testing is important. Finding a few winning ads can have a massive impact, especially when targeting cold traffic.

So make sure to prioritize testing as much as possible. Test different angles, hooks, copy and visuals. The more you experiment, the more likely you are to find the ads that will drive significant success.

The Ad Copy

When it comes to copy, make sure to always test a combination of short and long-form styles. Focus on creating a strong hook and try to place it in the first sentence for the biggest impact. This opening line is critical as it determines whether people will read the rest of the ad.

Here’s an ad copy example for a street photography masterclass.

This ad copy follows a well-structured formula for grabbing attention and offering a solution.

Let’s break it down.

Hooks with Main Desire

The first line effectively captures attention by addressing the core desire of the target audience – creating breathtaking street photography.

By directly addressing their aspiration, it immediately resonates with potential customers and draws them into the rest of the ad copy.

The use of ellipses creates a sense of intrigue and encourages readers to continue reading to learn more.

Highlights Need

The second line highlights a substantial aspect of achieving the desired outcome, and that’s mastering the shooting and editing workflow. Classifying this as the #1 priority introduces a sense of urgency and importance.

This line also subtly implies that if the viewer isn’t focusing on this aspect in particular, they may be missing out on the opportunities to improve their street photography skills. It basically positions the problem statement, making the ad viewers aware of what they may be lacking.

Delivers Solution

The last line offers a clear solution, inviting the viewers to click to access the most effective method for building their street photography brand.

It provides a direct path to achieving their desired outcome, reinforcing the idea that the solution is readily available and easily accessible by taking action.

The Ad Creatives

Set out to strike a balance between using videos and images in ads. Rather than favoring one over the other, aim for a blend of the two when promoting your online course.

You may have wondered which one converts better, but there’s no definitive answer. It highly depends on factors like the product you’re promoting, audience, sales cycle and whether you’re targeting retargeted or cold traffic.

That being said, videos tend to perform better for cold traffic in general. That’s because they usually provide highly engaging visual content that can hold attention for longer periods.

On the other hand, images are excellent for retargeting campaigns.

Regardless, make sure you test both formats across different audiences and campaigns to determine what works best for your specific brand and campaign goals.

Video & Static Ads

Remember the primary objective of your ad is to grab people’s attention, so you must work with a hook that immediately captures their attention.

Let’s take video ads, for example.

While there are various ways to incorporate hooks into your video ads, it’s the first 3 seconds that are particularly important.

Use this short window to capture the attention of scrolling online users. You’re employing interruption-based advertising after all, so your goal is to interrupt their scrolling and engage them with something compelling.

Here’s a style video ad example in the style of a Masterclass preview:

And now let’s break it down:

Powerful Hook

The spoken words in the first 5 seconds of the video hook the viewers in a powerful way by connecting the interior of one’s home with their personal identity.

Since it’s tapping into their emotions and self-perception, this is something that instantly engages them. The use of visual imagery in the video only further enhances the impact of the hook, locking viewers in from the very beginning.

Instructor Intro

Introducing the instructor early in the ad is a smart move as it establishes credibility and helps the ad viewer connect with the person who will be guiding them through the lessons.

Even if it’s presented as text on the screen as with this example, it still works because it sets the stage for the upcoming content and primes the viewers to pay attention to the expert advice that follows.

Pain Points and Solutions

The instructor addresses common pain points in interior design, such as feeling overwhelmed by choices.

The promise to teach viewers how to find their style, work with patterns and use lightning offers a clear solution to these pain points.

Using B-roll footage and text overlays makes the content more engaging and memorable.

Online Course Content Previews

Pulling out specific content bits from the course, such as the advice on draping clothing to determine color preferences is a great way to provide a taste of what viewers can expect from the masterclass.

It not only demonstrates the value of the course but also gives viewers actionable tips they can implement immediately, hinting at the great volume of value they still have to discover with the course.

Now let’s have a look at some static ads:

Flaunt your Branding

When creating static ads, aim to integrate your branding seamlessly into the promotion. Create visual elements related to your product, niche or the topic of your course since they take center stage in capturing the viewer’s attention.

Show the Emotion or Mood

Incorporate images of happy individuals engaging in the actions relevant to the skills you’re teaching to evoke a sense of relatability and aspiration. Showcase what can be achieved through your course.

If you have photos of past students, even better.

Leverage Headlines

Pair your visuals with powerful and exciting headlines to elevate the impact of your ad, sparking the curiosity of your viewers.

These headlines should succinctly communicate the benefits of your course and ignite a sense of excitement, prompting viewers to take action.

Conclusion

Kickstart the advertising for your online course in a simple way by leveraging the content you already have. This could be any promo videos, organic social media posts, or course material you’ve developed.

Keep an open mind. While there are general patterns that tend to perform well, they might not necessarily suit your brand. Sometimes, a different angle entirely works best.

You could spend weeks perfecting a high-production video, only to find that a simple, unedited iPhone image or video performs far better.

Continue to test and be open to unexpected wins.