Michael Mignogna

My Business Brain / Job 2 of 9

Ad Copy

Write Meta ad text a homeowner understands on the first read. Name the service, the offer, and the next step in plain words.

For contractors and agency owners9 principles7 playbook steps

Ad copy is the headline and the primary text that run with the image or video. On a phone, people read one line and decide whether to keep going. In my agency's ads, plain words that name the offer get more leads than clever words.

Every job also follows the 12 ground rules.

How to use this page: read the principles, or copy the starter prompt into ChatGPT or Claude. Other ways

Principles

  1. Name the service and the offer in every headline.

    Why
    A headline that does not say what is for sale gets scrolled past, or it gets clicks from people who wanted something else.
    How to apply
    Put the service and the offer in each headline. Write six headlines that each take a different angle. Six versions of one line with a few words swapped count as one headline.

    GoodGet a price range for your new roof before anyone visits.

    BadYour home deserves better. It names no service and no offer.

  2. Open the primary text with something the homeowner already feels.

    Why
    Most people read only the first line. A line that names a worry they already have makes them read the second line.
    How to apply
    Name one worry or doubt in the homeowner's own words. A plain line about cost works well, such as here is what a new roof should cost you in <year>. Put the offer on the second line, never the first.

    GoodMost people have no idea what a new roof should cost until a salesperson is sitting at their kitchen table.

    BadWe are a family-owned roofing company with years of experience. Nobody stops scrolling for that.

  3. Use words a homeowner would say at dinner.

    Why
    Trade words make a reader feel lost. People who feel lost do not fill out forms.
    How to apply
    Describe what the homeowner can see instead of naming the part. Spell out every abbreviation.

    GoodShingles that look wavy or lift at the edges.

    BadGranule loss and curling across the field shingles.

  4. Write one sentence per line, with a blank line between lines.

    Why
    A block of text on a phone looks like work. Short lines with space between them get read.
    How to apply
    Break after every sentence. Paste the copy into the ad and check the preview, because some tools remove blank lines.

    GoodEach sentence sits on its own line, with an empty line under it, all the way down the post.

    BadSix sentences run together in one paragraph that fills the whole phone screen.

  5. Walk from the problem to the offer to the next step.

    Why
    A homeowner needs to know why to act, what they get, and how it works before they fill out a form.
    How to apply
    Write the problem, then the offer, then how it works, then answers to the usual worries, then the next step. Long text is fine when every sentence earns its place.

    GoodThe text names the worry, says a likely price range comes by text, explains the few questions, says the price is confirmed in person, and ends with the next step.

    BadThe text lists five services the company offers and ends with call us.

  6. Tell the story of one real job and what it cost.

    Why
    A real job reads like news from down the street, not like a sales pitch. The house, the work, and the price let the homeowner picture their own home next to it.
    How to apply
    Name the house type and size, the town or area, the exact work and materials, and what that job cost, where $X in these examples stands for that job's real price. Then say your price depends on your home and is confirmed in person. Use only a real job from the offer sheet, with its real photos and its real price. Never invent a job, a photo, or a price, never round a price down to look better, and never borrow another company's photos.

    GoodThis 1,800-square-foot two-story in [town] got a new furnace and central air system for $X. Your price depends on your home, and we confirm it in person.

    BadWe just finished a beautiful home in your area for less than you would think. It names no house, no work, and no price, so it proves nothing.

  7. End with a call to action that says what the homeowner does.

    Why
    A vague ending leaves the reader unsure what happens when they tap. Unsure people do not tap.
    How to apply
    Say the action and what happens after it. Match the ad's button to the offer, such as Get Quote for a price.

    GoodTap the button and answer a few quick questions about your windows to get your price range.

    BadLet us help you with your next project.

  8. Talk to the homeowner as you.

    Why
    Copy written about homeowners reads like a report. Copy written to you reads like a person talking.
    How to apply
    Use you and your. Never call the reader homeowners or they.

    GoodYou will get a price range by text before anyone calls you.

    BadHomeowners will receive pricing information after submission.

  9. Never use financing words, invented claims, or made-up deadlines.

    Why
    Meta rejects financing language. Invented claims and fake deadlines cost the business the homeowner's trust.
    How to apply
    Check every draft against the banned phrases on the offer sheet and the ground rules before it goes to the approval step. Say no salesperson in your home only on a price report, where the price really comes before any visit.

    GoodThis starting price is good through October 31. That is true, because the promotion ends on that date.

    BadOnly three spots left this week, half off, with low monthly payments. The deadline and the discount are made up, and Meta rejects the payments line.

Agent playbook

Steps an AI agent can run in order. Each step names what it needs and what it hands to the next step.

  1. Read the offer sheet and the landing page.
    Inputs
    The offer sheet and the landing page.
    Output
    The offer, the allowed and banned phrases, the real jobs the ads may show with what each one cost, and the next step the page asks for.
  2. List the homeowner's worries.
    Inputs
    The service and the offer.
    Output
    Five worries or doubts, each written the way a homeowner would say it.
  3. Write six headlines.
    Inputs
    The offer and the allowed phrases.
    Output
    Six headlines of about 40 characters or fewer, each naming the service, each a different angle.
  4. Write the primary texts.
    Inputs
    One worry per text, the offer, and the next step.
    Output
    Three primary texts. Each opens on a worry, names the offer on line two, puts one sentence per line, and ends with the call to action.
  5. Write one short version.
    Inputs
    The strongest primary text.
    Output
    A primary text of three to five lines for placements that cut long text.
  6. Pick the button.
    Inputs
    The offer.
    Output
    One call to action button, such as Get Quote for a price or Learn More for a price page.
  7. Check every draft.
    Inputs
    The drafts, the banned phrases, and the ground rules.
    Output
    Final drafts with no banned phrases, no financing words, no invented claims, and no long dashes.

Final output

  • Six headlines
  • Three primary texts
  • One short primary text
  • One description line
  • The call to action button
  • Which image or video each text is written for
Starter prompt

Read https://byminyona.com/brain/playbook.md first and follow its Ad Copy rules and its ground rules. Write 6 headlines and 3 primary texts for a <service> offer in <city>. The offer is <offer, such as a starting-at price or a price range by text>. A recent real job the ads can show is <house type and size, town, exact work and materials, and what that job cost, or none>.

If your AI cannot open links, paste this page's principles into the chat with the prompt. You can also paste the whole playbook or download AGENTS.md.

Next job: Ad Images