How to Write & Create High converting Advertorial Landing Page

Creating a Shopify advertorial landing page is an art form that blends storytelling with sales strategies. The aim is to engage your reader, address their pain points, and guide them toward taking action — all while providing valuable, solution-oriented content. 

In this blog, we will explore the essential sales formulas and scripts for creating an effective Shopify advertorial landing page.

1 - Research

The foundation of any successful advertorial page starts with thorough research. To create content that resonates with your audience, you must understand both your product and your customers on a deep level.

Brandon Ham is a renowned expert in researching advertorials and has outlined the important steps to creating a successful advertisement.

Start by reading customer reviews and post-purchase surveys. These are gold mines of information that reveal the benefits and real-life use cases most frequently mentioned by your customers.

Dive into insights like what features they love, what problems the product solves, and why they chose your product over alternatives.

We also recommend reviewing client questionnaires. These provide proof points such as the number of units sold and key company facts that can add credibility to your advertorial.

For an even broader perspective, check out Facebook comments on your ads and competitor ads, as well as forums where people discuss similar products. 

This can help you understand the wider market sentiment and pinpoint any trends or concerns that your advertorial should address.

Tips:

• Read reviews on platforms like Amazon to get honest customer feedback.

• Use tools like ChatGPT to assist in gathering product research quickly and efficiently.

If I had just 60 minutes to research before writing copy, I'd spend 40 minutes reading product reviews. Why? Because reviews often tell you everything you need to know:

• The benefits and features customers care about

• What alternatives they’ve tried

• Any objections or concerns they’ve had

The next critical step is analyzing competitor advertorials. Note which campaigns have worked in the past and use them as inspiration. 

For instance, when researching seasonal products like heaters, you’ll find that multiple advertorials are used year after year, offering strong examples of effective strategies. 

Becoming familiar with both the product and its market will give you a clear advantage when crafting your own successful advertorial.

2 - Brief & Brainstorm

Crafting a successful Shopify advertorial requires a strategic focus on understanding your audience’s pain points while effectively showcasing your product's unique benefits. Getting to know your customers is not just helpful—it’s essential. 

If you focus on the wrong problem, it doesn't matter if everything else is correct.

The easiest fix to this is to do the homework on your target audience. 

Let’s dive in!

Understanding Customer Pain Points

Firstly, you must identify and empathize with your audience's challenges. Consider these guiding questions:

• Where are they currently?
  Understand their situation and the problems they face. This will help you frame your content effectively.

• Where do they want to go?
  Consider their goals and aspirations. Knowing what they seek will allow you to position your product as the solution.

• What benefits can you offer?
  Clearly articulate how your product addresses their pain points and fulfills their desires.

The AHA! Moments and Solutions

Next, focus on capturing those "AHA!" moments—insights that can lead to breakthrough understanding for your audience. 

These pivotal realizations guide them toward recognizing your product as the answer to their problems, making your advertorial more impactful. 

By strategically presenting these moments, you can create a compelling narrative that engages your audience and encourages them to take action.

Structuring Your Offer

With a solid understanding of your audience, it's time to outline your offer. Here are key components to incorporate:

• Social Proof: Use testimonials, reviews, or case studies to establish credibility. This evidence builds trust and reassures potential customers about the value of your product.

• Calls to Action: Clearly direct your readers on the next steps you want them to take. Use strong, actionable language that motivates them to engage immediately.

• Consequences of Inaction: Highlight what they miss out on if they don’t engage with your offer. Creating a sense of urgency can prompt readers to act before it's too late.

• Guarantees: Provide reassurance with a satisfaction guarantee, making your offer more appealing and less risky. This element alleviates potential concerns, allowing customers to feel confident in their decision to purchase.

Choosing Your Angle

When brainstorming content ideas, consider the three main types of advertorials that work well:

• Listicle: A straightforward format that allows for easy skimming and quick takeaways. This can effectively present multiple benefits or solutions.

• Personal Story: Sharing a relatable narrative can create a connection with your audience, primarily if it showcases the transformation that your product facilitates.

• Breaking News: Capitalizing on current events can attract attention and provide a timely context for your product. This format can be particularly engaging if tied to relevant industry developments.

Among these options, breaking news often proves to be the most impactful. However, a well-crafted personal story can resonate powerfully when presented from the right angle.

By thoroughly understanding your audience and brainstorming effective content angles, you’ll be well on your way to creating a compelling Shopify advertorial that captures attention and drives conversions. 

The right focus and approach will ensure your advertorial not only informs but also inspires action, leading to greater customer engagement and sales.

3 - Outline

When structuring your advertorial page, using proven formulas can greatly enhance its effectiveness. Two such formulas are the 3S formula (Star, Story, Solution) and the PAS formula (Problem, Agitate, Solve). 

Each framework provides a unique approach to engaging your audience and guiding them toward a solution.

The 3S Formula

 

1. Star
   Identify a key character in your narrative. This can be an individual, a business, or even the writer themselves. The star should embody the challenges and aspirations of your target audience.

2. Story
   Narrate the problems the main character has faced. Highlight the moment they recognized their struggles, including any mistakes or missteps along the way. Transition into their thoughts about the present and future, leading to a realization of the changes needed for a better life.

3. Solution
   Present a solution based on the character's challenges. Inform the audience about what the character gains and how their life improves by implementing these solutions. This structure not only captivates readers but also clearly illustrates the product's benefits.

The PAS Formula

1. Problem
   The first step in crafting a valuable advertorial is to empathize with your audience's circumstances. Highlight the external and internal factors affecting them, tapping into their fears and anxieties.

2. Agitate
   After outlining the customer’s situation, delve deeper into the core issues, heightening emotions to stir a sense of urgency. This is where you amplify the reader's pain points, making them feel the need for change.

3. Solve
   One or more proposed solutions must accompany every problem presented. Skillfully weave in your product or service's advantages as part of the resolution, emphasizing how it alleviates the identified issues.

The Strings Formula 

The Strings formula is known for its focus on sharing knowledge and experience in a particular field or industry. Sellers or service providers need to give before they can receive by flexibly adding product information or links to their products.

Essentially, it is a form of sharing, so coercive language should be avoided.

This formula employs diverse and rich content that captivates readers' attention and trust through a listing and summarizing writing style, providing valuable and useful information about the business's products or services.

ChatGPT Cheat Sheet

4 - Write & Design

When writing your advertorial, it’s essential to follow a narrative that captures your audience's attention while offering valuable insights.

Instead of focusing heavily on promoting your product, aim to solve the reader’s problems. A friendly and engaging tone makes your content relatable, which helps build trust and keeps readers interested.

To enhance the design of your advertorial, use tools like GemPages Page Builder. This allows you to easily drag and drop content elements, creating a professional and conversion-focused advertorial without requiring extensive design skills. Thoughtfully placed content elements will guide readers through the narrative and keep them engaged with your message.

Note: If writing isn’t your strong suit, consider hiring professional copywriters from platforms like Fiverr. Investing in high-quality content can dramatically improve your advertorial and help it meet industry standards. Look for freelancers who specialize in advertorials to ensure effective results.

Advertorial Content Checklist

To create a successful advertorial, aim for a length of 2000+ words. You just have to make sure: 

1. Your copy is good enough to keep the attention 

2. The text is broken up enough to make it easy to read

• Slug and Headline: Create a catchy slug and headline to attract readers and set the tone.

• Walking the Line: Balance informative content with subtle advertising, providing valuable insights while promoting your product.

• Inspiration from Major Publications: Analyze successful advertorials for effective structures and strategies, ensuring your content remains original.

• Mimicking Independent Sources: Adopt a style similar to independent sources to build trust and make your content feel less promotional.

• Incorporating Links: Use relevant in-text links to credible resources that add depth to your content.

• Visual Elements: Include high-quality images and graphics to break up text and enhance readability.

• Strategic Ads: Place ads, such as banners and call-to-action buttons, thoughtfully within the content to encourage action without being intrusive.

3. Should be very informative. 

• Write for value, not to promote.

First and foremost, focus on delivering value rather than merely promoting a product. Consider your advertorial as a blog post that provides information the reader can genuinely find useful. 

This approach resonates well because people tend to appreciate receiving valuable insights more than they do promotional content. By tapping into this mindset, you can engage your audience more effectively.

• Stick to what your title says.

Once you've established the focus on value, it's crucial to ensure that your content aligns with the promises made in your headline. 

A well-crafted title sets the expectation for the reader, and it's essential that the content delivers on that promise. This consistency builds trust and keeps readers engaged.

• Solve for the customer 

Additionally, addressing the specific problems your audience faces should be a top priority. High-quality content on your Advertorial page presents an opportunity to provide solutions that resonate with potential customers.

By brainstorming and creating content that alleviates their concerns, you not only add tangible value but also position your brand as a trusted resource.

• Inspire Action 

To inspire action effectively, instead of merely placing a call-to-action button at the end, consider intertwining an engaging narrative throughout your article. 

For example, you can include links to where readers can purchase the product, or showcase screenshots of positive customer reviews to spark their interest and build credibility.

Additionally, introducing an interactive element, like a quiz or a knowledge check related to the topic, can enhance engagement. 

After the quiz, provide a resource that allows them to explore more by accessing one of your store's special offers. 

This strategy not only informs readers but also encourages them to take action, enriching their overall experience with your content.

• Avoid only talking about the company

Refrain from focusing solely on the store's products to ensure that the advertorial page does not come across as overly promotional or filled with excessive praise for the brand. 

Even if the content includes a few lines about competitors and how they meet customer needs, this approach is not negative or concerning. 

Instead, it adds perceived value for the reader. By offering a balanced perspective, you provide readers with valuable insights rather than just pushing a product, which can foster trust and engagement.

Key Advertorial Structure for Success:

• Hook the reader in

• Hit pain points

• Introduce product

• Articulate the benefits of product

• Remove anxiety, handle objections

• Present your offer

• CTA

Advertorial Design Checklist

1. Images:

One of the common pitfalls in advertorials is the inadequate use of images, or relying too heavily on stock photos. While you may invest days crafting your text, poor image selection can severely hinder your advertorial's potential to resonate with readers. To enhance your content, ensure you include a variety of images that effectively break up the text and capture attention.

2. Design:

Readability is key to a successful advertorial. Many writers overlook the importance of font sizing and line spacing, resulting in a text that’s challenging to read. 

If you want your advertorial to be easy to read and to stand out, do this:

• Use a font size of 16 or larger.

• Bold key phrases to draw attention.

• Break up text approximately every 150 words for better flow.

3. Tone:

New advertorial writers often need to judge the appropriate tone for their content more. Depending on their background, some might write too much like a novel, while others lean too heavily into sales language.

The ideal advertorial strikes a balance—aim for a tone similar to blogs and news articles that inform and engage without being overly promotional.

4. Copying The Wrong Style:

Another advertorial mistake people make when writing their first few advertorials is copying the wrong style.

Just because a specific advertorial works for one product or company does not mean it will work for yours 

It’s essential to tailor your advertorial to match your unique product and its value proposition.

5. Lead:

The last mistake I’ll talk about is the advertorial lead.

Your lead and headline can always be better. It’s the section of your advertorial that you need to review and revisit on team trainings consistently.

Your lead should hook the reader and convince them to keep reading.

Additional Key Points

1. Attention-Grabbing Headlines: 


Headlines are a vital element of any advertorial page. A compelling headline that addresses the audience's pain points can grab attention and persuade viewers to click through to your CTA. 

Aim to write more headlines than you think necessary—sometimes, I draft over 20 before narrowing it down to 2-3 worth testing.

Remember, even the best ads can fall flat if the landing page isn’t appealing. In testing various advertorial landing pages, I found that a ‘6 reasons why’ format performed exceptionally well.

A strong title not only intrigues but also must deliver on its promise. If a headline is captivating, yet the content needs to be more relevant and quality, it can diminish the viewer's trust and impact conversion rates.

2. Building a Story: 


The primary goal of an advertorial landing page is to enhance viewer engagement and awareness about a specific issue or product by “telling a story.” T

his narrative approach encourages readers to delve deeper and ultimately click through to the main product page (such as the Product Page or Home Page). 

Statistics show that visitors who arrive via an advertorial page are more likely to convert into customers than those who come from traditional ads.

Understanding the audience's psychology is crucial. Viewers often seek novelty and fresh perspectives. 

To prevent your content from becoming monotonous or stale, consider incorporating images or videos, along with relevant emojis, instead of relying solely on plain text. 

3. A Compelling CTA: 


The content of your call-to-action (CTA) should align with your advertising strategy, product, or brand. Strategically using CTAs on the advertorial page will not only capture the audience's attention but also prompt them to take action.

For mobile users, consider implementing a sticky CTA for easier interaction. A popular approach is to use phrases like “Check Availability.”

• Irresistible Offer: 


Presenting your offer in a way that makes readers feel they are receiving the highest value for their money increases the likelihood they’ll take action. 

Techniques like sticky banner ads can enhance visibility and engagement with your offer.

• Success Story Testimonials: 


Testimonials serve as compelling evidence for potential customers. Present these through text, video, or case studies, combining multiple formats to persuade readers effectively. 

For instance, if the campaign goal is to boost awareness of a new product, the content could highlight standout competitors and elevate your store’s product.

5 - Edit & Optimize

In this stage, there are two things you should consider:

2+ writers review

After drafting your content, it’s crucial to engage at least two additional writers for a thorough review. This collaborative approach not only brings fresh perspectives but also enhances the quality and clarity of your advertorial. 

After receiving feedback, refine your content to optimize above-the-fold (ATF) visibility—the section of the webpage visible without scrolling. This area is crucial for grabbing your audience's attention. 

Start with engaging headlines that address your audience's pain points, followed by concise information that highlights your product's value.

Use bullet points, headers, and short paragraphs to enhance readability, allowing readers to scan the content easily and boosting engagement.

Image and Design

Visual elements are crucial for enhancing the reader's experience with your advertorial. The top image, especially, should be eye-catching and relevant, ideally showcasing the product or a compelling before-and-after comparison.

For breaking news or product launches, a high-quality image of the product in use is most effective, piquing curiosity and fostering a connection with potential customers.

Additionally, maintain a cohesive design with a consistent color scheme that aligns with your brand. This will enhance readability and create an inviting atmosphere. Each image should complement the text, helping to tell a captivating visual story.

By carefully editing and optimizing your advertorial, you create a compelling narrative that engages readers and drives conversions.

6- Test, test, test!

In the dynamic world of advertorials, continuous testing is paramount. The mantra of “test, test, test” is not merely a recommendation but a necessity for optimizing your content’s effectiveness. 

Quick Testing and Iteration

Advertorials allow for rapid testing compared to traditional advertising, enabling quick production and iteration with various narratives and visuals. Successful users often test over 40 advertorials monthly, highlighting the value of diversifying content angles to identify high-performing elements quickly.

Keep Testing a Winning Advertorial

It's crucial to keep testing even your best-performing advertorial. Running tests on a small portion of your traffic can reveal incremental improvements that add up over time.

Many advertisers mistakenly treat advertorials as one-size-fits-all; understanding which format suits your product and audience is essential. Focus on compelling words and images instead of complex video production.

Easily Adapt and Optimize

Once you’ve established a template for your first advertorial, you can seamlessly swap in new copy and images. This flexibility allows for rapid iteration, enabling you to keep your content fresh and engaging. 

Testing different versions is not just encouraged; it’s critical for finding the most effective combinations that drive conversions.

For instance, in our recent testing endeavors, one advertorial yielded an impressive return of $120, while another trailed behind at around $40. 

This stark contrast underscores the importance of relentless testing; when you identify a winning advertorial, its success can offset the costs of the less effective ones.

Although many of the advertorials we craft are primarily run on Meta platforms, their adaptability means they can be just as effective across other channels.

Once you’ve pinpointed a successful advertorial, consider branching out to different advertising mediums to broaden your reach.

Optimize Through Split Testing

When it comes time to optimize your advertorial, don’t shy away from split testing various formats and approaches. This strategy not only refines your existing content but also opens the door to new insights that can further enhance your performance.

How to use GemPages to build High Converting Advertorials

Now, it's time to roll up your sleeves and start using GemPages to create stunning, high-converting advertorials and listicles that captivate your audience. 

Are you ready?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create your first advertorial or listicle with GemPages: 

Step 1: Create a Landing Page

Begin by creating a new landing page. You can name it anything you like, such as “Advertorials” or “Listicles.” This will be the canvas where your ideas come to life.

Step 2: Structure Your Page

Utilize the Row element to create a two-column layout for your content. This structure should include essential components like a captivating headline, an engaging introduction, the main body of your content, and a strong call to action. 

Organizing your page in this way will help guide your readers through the information seamlessly.

Step 3: Drag and Drop Elements

Take advantage of GemPages’ drag-and-drop functionality. You can easily add various elements like images, headings, titles, countdown timers, and more.

This is your chance to incorporate images, videos, customer testimonials, and product features to enrich your content and keep it visually appealing.

Step 4: Use Persuasion Techniques

Incorporate persuasive elements to enhance your advertorial's effectiveness. 

Utilize GemPages widgets to add techniques like social proof (showing that others have enjoyed your product) and urgency (creating a sense of time limitation) to encourage readers to take action.

You can also select a template from the Template Library in GemPages that's perfectly tailored for your Advertorials.

Step 5: Create a Sticky Column (Optional)

If you want to keep important information visible as users scroll, consider making a sticky column. 

This feature allows key content, such as a call-to-action button or promotional message, to remain in view, increasing its impact.

Step 6: Optimize for Mobile

Ensure your advertorial pages look great on mobile devices. Pay attention to how elements are displayed on smaller screens, making necessary adjustments to ensure readability and usability. This will help you reach a broader audience and enhance user experience.

By following these steps, you can effectively use GemPages to create engaging and persuasive advertorials and listicles that resonate with your audience. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of advertorials thrives on experimentation. Embrace the ethos of continuous testing, keep refining your approach, and watch as small gains lead to significant results over time. 

Remember, the journey of optimization is ongoing—so keep testing!

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