3 Copywriting Tips for Paid Social Ads That Actually Stop the Scroll

“Ten-hut! Stop right there soldier — or should I say… scroller.”

“We’ve got an unidentified social ad coming in hot!”

If only getting a doom-scroller’s attention was that easy. These days, we’re bombarded with so much content that our attention spans barely stand a change — and we’ve become immune to anything that screams advert.

So it’s not uncommon for marketers to feel like their social ads are getting lost in the sea of the Instagram feed. Not to put a downer on things, but you probably are.

To put it bluntly, bland or generic ad copy doesn’t stand a chance when it’s wedged between the junk-fuel dopamine rush that is either the Costco guys or Italian brainrot memes.

(And if you don’t know what I was just referencing, your brain thanks you for not letting it rot away in the depths of internet nonsense).

Anyway, if you want to stop scrollers’ thumbs in their tracks, your ad needs to be optimised to the highest order — and that starts with great copy.

In this blog, we’ll share practical tips on how you can craft scroll-stopping paid social ads that actually get results.

Hook, Line, and Sinker:

“You’ve only got one shot, do not miss your chance to blow… something, something — Mom’s Spaghetti”

First up on the mic is the first line of your advert. It’s the only chance to make someone stop scrolling — so make it count.

Not to give you an existential crisis, but you’ve got literally milliseconds to grab attention. This is the line you should obsess over the most, because if it’s weak, the whole house of cards comes crashing down — no matter how good the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th line are; and boy, that 4th line was a doozy.

Start with the boldest statement possible (within reason, no lying — so no, your hand soap isn’t curing male pattern baldness), or ask a question that gets the viewer thinking. The goal? Stick in their mind. Be memorable. Be scroll-stopping.

Benefits over Features

The reality is, most people don’t care about a product’s features. So there’s no point bragging in your ad copy about the specs of your latest tech release.

What they do care about is:

“How will this benefit my life?”

Or — if we’re all being honest with ourselves:

“Will other people envy me for having this?”

Focus your copy on the outcome, not the features. One of the most famous examples of this is Apple’s “1,000 songs in your pocket” campaign for the iPod back in the early 2000s.

Think about it — “1,000 songs” sounds way more exciting than “1GB of storage”, right?

By focusing on what people get — not the technical spec — and pairing it with captivating visuals, Apple was able to shift millions of iPods.

Testing, Testing – 1, 2, 3

Ahh, tests… a four-letter word that still sends shivers down your spine, dragging you back to those cold-sweat mornings of flunking your Year 11 GCSE Maths exam.

But fear not — this is the good kind of test. Not the type that keeps you up at night wondering about that final question. (Seriously, how many apples did Sarah really need? One, maybe two — but 30 ÷ 3 × 20 apples? Now that’s just greedy.)

This kind of test actually hands you the answers — directly, and in real-time. And when it comes to ad copy, A/B testing different lengths is one of the smartest moves you can make.

Some audiences love short, punchy copy that gets to the point in seconds — don’t mistake that for laziness. It’s efficient. Get in, say what needs to be said, and let them click.

Others need more context — a bit of storytelling, a stat or two, something to make them fall in love with your product or service. Nail that, and they’ll be knocking at your door.

That’s why testing different copy lengths is key to building a successful scroll-stopping ad. Try running two versions of the same ad. You might be surprised which one outperforms the other.

Test, compare, and let the data do the talking.

Conclusion

And there you have it — three simple but powerful ways to make your paid social ad copy actually stop the scroll (all without resorting to embarrassing yourself for clicks on a TikTok dance trend… unless that’s your thing — in which case, more power to you).

Trying to cut through the loud, chaotic, and borderline unhinged noise of social media can be tough, even for the best of brands — but strong copy gives you a fighting chance.

Nail that opening line, speak to what people actually care about, and don’t be afraid to experiment to find out what sticks.

Because in the wild world of social ads, if you don’t stop the scroll… you don’t stand a chance.

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