There’s no secret formula to nailing social media advertising but some practices are better than others in grabbing attention and garnering those precious clicks.
If your brainstorming sessions are leaving you without good ideas for your next ad campaign, this list will save you from mental drain. Spend less time finding the next big idea and learn from how other ecommerce brands promote themselves on social media.
We’ve come across hundreds of social media ads and email campaigns and have compiled the top templates that several brands use.
In this post, we’ll go over each template and explain why they work for ecommerce brands. Let’s dive in.
- Feature your founder
- Show them the before-and-after transformation
- Offer a bundle
- What I ordered vs. What I got
- Leverage user-generated content
- Single review
- Multiple people
- I just discovered _______
- Here’s why___________
- ___ mistakes you’re making with/on ____
- The truth about ___
- 5 ways to ___
Ad Template 1: Feature your founder
When trying to humanize your brand while showing your expertise, use the “Founder speaks” template. It’s a powerful approach to incorporate because it allows the founder of a company to directly communicate with the audience.
By featuring the founder's voice, expertise, and passion, this hook adds a personal touch to the advertisement while adding authority and authenticity.
This direct communication builds trust, which usually improves viewer engagement, draws interest and brand recall, and overall makes the ad more memorable.
Amongst the shared examples, the one from Broya is really interesting because it shows that the founder uses the product himself and created it because he felt there was a need for good quality bone broth in the market.
He recounts the story of where he discovered the ingredients for his broth, the effects it had on his health, and why he decided to sell the product after his discovery.
Ad Template 2: Show them a before-and-after transformation
Everyone loves a glow-up. In ads, it’s a surefire way to grab attention and make people stop scrolling to view your ad.
The before-and-after comparison template is a compelling approach to incorporate because it showcases the transformative power of a product or service.
It allows viewers to visualize the positive impact and benefits that your offering can provide.
People are able to see the results of the product right away, which usually makes a proposition value way clearer (if the effects are visible, you don't even have to explain -- show, don't tell!).
As a bonus, there are some industries where this leads to higher conversion rates instantly.
Among the examples, Bobbi Brown stands out as a brand that executes this template well.
In the example we have, an influencer shows the discoloration around her mouth before applying her makeup. With a few swipes of Bobbi Brown’s corrector and concealer, the discoloration disappears right before our eyes.
It’s a powerful image but the ad doesn’t end there. The influencer does the rest of her makeup routine using Bobbi Brown products.
Ad Template 3: Offer a bundle
People want to get products for less and reduce decision-making time. The "Show a Bundle" is a great ad template that succeeds on both counts.
It offers viewers the opportunity to access a combination of products or services at a discounted or bundled price. Bundling products that go together while allowing your audience to save will engage viewers who are looking for convenience and value.
And sometimes, it's the best way to explain your brand proposition value, as you can show a whole range of products at the same time.
It also captures attention by showcasing the variety and depth of offerings available within the bundle.
Our Place is the best example of a brand that uses this template in its ad, which also incorporates the hook “3 reasons why”.
The ad captures attention by proclaiming that they’re having a big sale and that they recommend the bundle as the number one thing to get.
They go on to tell the 3 reasons to support this claim and communicate the benefits of each item in the bundle, emphasizing the savings the customer will enjoy.
Ad Template 4: What I Ordered vs. What I Got
Incorporating the "What I ordered vs. what I got" trend into your paid social media ad can be a powerful way to engage your audience.
This is a MAJOR social trend across social networks, with a lot of native UGC content, so you'll fit right in if you're using this kind of ad on social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
This allows your audience to have an idea of what they can expect from your product or service, creating anticipation and curiosity. Usually, people use this video to express their disappointment in a product since it shows that their expectations don’t match up with the real product.
This is why this kind of video has a lot higher viewer ratio and more engagement: people are looking for what's wrong, but of course, in your ad, everything will be perfect!
The underwear brand Parade's "what I ordered vs. what I got" ad stands out among the others due to its effective use of side-by-side comparisons.
This approach showcases both the product as presented on the website and its real-life appearance when worn.
Parade not only engages the audience's curiosity but also offers a comprehensive review of the items.
Ad Template 5: Leverage user-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) is content that is made by customers or users and can come in the form of videos, images, reviews, and text. It’s an organic form of social proof because it doesn’t come from your brand and therefore, looks more trustworthy.
You can use the widely-used review format for your UGC ads. There are two ways to do this: the single review and the multiple people review.
a. Single review
The UGC single review is a review featuring one person and their experience with your product or brand. It’s a persuasive approach to incorporate into your advertising mix because it focuses on a real story of how your brand benefited an individual.
This template showcases the satisfaction of the user with the product being promoted.
But you shouldn’t stop there. The goal is to pick the right review to share. Our tip: Your chosen review should remove doubts about your product and answer the usual questions your customers can have such as"Does this product work?" or "Can I use this if I'm _____ ?".
Amongst the shared examples, the one from The INKEY List stood out the most, as they target a persona through the copy 'watch this if you have a breakout.'
It immediately connects with the target audience or those who have this common skincare concern.
The ad also delivers value by highlighting the benefits and ingredients of the product and showing how the user applies it.
b. Multiple people
Take the UGC review a step further by featuring multiple people in a single ad.
It’s another way to build social proof and add credibility to the product you want to promote.
This testimonial format showcases the collective experiences and opinions of multiple individuals, which can significantly influence viewer perception and decision-making.
When using this ad template, make sure to pick people of different ages or personas, each addressing different doubts your target audience can have. That's when this kind of ad is most effective: when it builds social proof across several niches of your audience.
A brand that stands out in the list is Beam, which is promoting its healthy cocoa. Its benefit to customers is helping them fall and stay asleep.
The video features 3 people who share their experiences with the product and the results they had. It starts by addressing its target audience of people who have trouble sleeping.
One by one, the women explain what goes into the products and their personal stories. It’s effective because it emphasizes how the users genuinely endorse the product to the viewers.
Ad Template 6: I just discovered _______
Starting an ad with "I just discovered" instantly creates a sense of intrigue and entices the audience to continue watching to find out the full story.
This hook is effective because people are eager to learn something new on social media, whether it’s facts or lifestyle hacks.
When using this ad hook, make sure to plug your product correctly: don't overdo it or insert it randomly in the video. Your product should fulfill the premise of the video, which is to introduce a discovery or tell a story.
Among the ads we’ve found using this ad hook, Goop's ad stands out.
It captures attention by exclaiming in the intro “I discovered this is is the reason why Gwyneth’s skin looks so good.” This celebrity namedrop makes viewers keep watching because many are interested in the beauty secrets of celebrities.
The exaggeration “This is overnight skin sorcery” also heightens interest because people are always on the hunt for magical solutions to beauty problems.
The ad keeps its promise of revealing the “reason” and even features the product in use and backs it with social proof from real-life users and a famous magazine.
Plus, there are before-and-after clips that show the product’s effects so viewers can decide for themselves.
The ad is light but informative and tells a narrative effectively by leading with a good ad hook.
Ad Template 7: Here’s why___________
The "Here's why ____" template is an effective one to add to your advertising mix because a why-question followed by a surprising statement will make a viewer stop to hear your point of view.
In short, it piques curiosity and keeps viewers interested, things a successful social media ad should do.
This template doesn’t do a hard sell of a product. Instead, it aims to inform the viewers and give them a fresh perspective on an issue associated with the product being promoted.
People are eager to learn and understand new things while browsing on social media so “Here’s why___” is the kind of intro that will give you at least three seconds of people's attention.
To make this work, make sure your product fits nicely into your story. Don't try to plug it as an unrelated thing because that breaks the viewer’s trust and will make them less likely to buy.
Brightland is a great brand to follow when using this social media ad template. Their video leads with the surprising statement “Here’s why I stopped buying olive oil”.
It’s surprising because olive oil is a staple product for many and is even deemed healthy.
The speaker reveals a lesser-known fact about olive oil and lists the subpar qualities of most olive oil brands.
He then quickly transitions to why he loves Brightland’s products and why they’re a good alternative to most olive oils. He mentions its benefits, contrasting it with the disadvantages of other olive oil.
This comparison quickly emphasizes the good qualities of Brightland olive oils and it ends with a strong statement about the speaker’s satisfaction with the product.
While the ad starts off with a simple template, it covers a lot of ground that will let your product shine.
Ad Template 8: ___ mistakes you’re making with/on ____
The "___ Mistakes You're Making With/On ____" social media ad template leverages the desire for self-improvement and identifies common errors or misconceptions.
When done well, this type of ad triggers emotional engagement, encourages learning from others' experiences, and provides actionable insights.
Think about it: people are browsing social media and seeing lifestyle content all day long. When you're offering the possibility to improve parts of their lifestyle by highlighting common mistakes and how to fix them, they’ll stop and watch.
But to make this hook work with your ad and drive conversion, make sure your product is highlighted as the second or third point or as a solution to fix the mistake.
Of all the examples we’ve come across, Harry's ad stands out for several reasons.
Firstly, the first few seconds of the video grab the audience's attention by stating “Beware of these 3 shaving mistakes”. It identifies the target audience (people who shave) and appeals to the fear of doing something wrong.
Secondly, the ad explains the three common mistakes succinctly and tells the audience what they should do instead.
Third, they present their product as the solution to these three mistakes. However, it doesn’t sound pushy when used in tandem with the tips. It feels more like a recommendation rather than a hard sell.
It also helps that they end the ad with a tempting offer with a sizeable discount, making the viewer more likely to buy after seeing the ad.
Ad Template 9: The truth about ___
Another must-try social media ad template is one you might have encountered before. "The truth about ___" hooks viewers by suggesting that you’re revealing a secret or hidden information that not many people know about.
The hook creates mystery and makes your audience wonder what the secret is. This curiosity then motivates them to continue watching the ad to find out more.
The effectiveness of this hook lies in its ability to raise questions in the minds of viewers. As the ad unfolds, it's crucial to deliver on the promise made by the hook, ensuring that the information surprises or impresses the audience.
The most interesting of all the examples we’ve collected was Absolute Collagen's ad that compares collagen against rosemary oil for hair growth and why the former is the better choice.
The ad’s effectiveness is enhanced by the presence of an expert who explains the difference between the two ingredients and why she recommends Absolute Collagen.
The expert's insights provide valuable information that educates viewers about how collagen works to promote the growth of skin, hair, and nails. Since it’s coming from someone with extensive knowledge of the topic, the ad has a lot of credibility. In turn, the product becomes appealing to the viewer.
Ad Template 10: 5 ways to ___
The "5 ways ..." hook is an effective ad template that presents five specific ways your product or service can be used, some of which may not be obvious.
It allows you to show the product can positively impact the lives of your target audience in multiple ways.
This ad hook or template capitalizes on the human desire for practical solutions and valuable benefits, making viewers curious about the transformative potential of your offering.
It encourages them to keep watching to learn more and understand how your product can address their needs or improve their lives.
Five is also a great number that’s short enough to hold attention but comprehensive enough to show the wide-ranging benefits of your product.
To make this work, showcase meaningful ways your product or service can bring change or improvement to your audience's lives.
Utilize visuals effectively to convey the impact of your product or service. Let the viewer see the product in action so the benefit is concretized and they see what it’s like to use the product.
Jackery does this by creating a video around a user’s “favorite ways to use the Jackery”. What sets this Jackery ad apart from the others is its emphasis on practical ways to use the product.
Instead of just showcasing features or benefits, the ad focuses on demonstrating real-life applications and scenarios in which the product can be utilized.
The ad also lists these use cases in the caption to give a sneak peek of the video’s contents. The information presented becomes more digestible for the viewer.
The ad is short but effectively gets the point across, that their product can cater to a variety of problems, use cases, and needs.
Wrapping Up
We hope this article gives you ideas you can execute on your next social media ad campaign. Have you tried a template from this list? If you want more templates and best practices like this, make sure to check out Panoramata!
