Ad Copy and Creative Elements Driving Results For CBD Leaders

Key Findings

The majority of top performing ad copy for display:

• Conveyed a neutral sentiment
• Included a short and concise CTA
• Included a number
• Had an average reading level of 7-8 (can be easily understood by 12-14 year olds)
  

Best practices that are not currently being utilized by the majority of display ads are:

• Including specific health benefits in the copy
• Including a question in the copy

What Brands Should Be Thinking About:

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Consider applying these best practices to display, paid search, and organic social posts: Although CBD products are geared towards adults, keep in mind that 1 in 5 adults in Europe have literacy difficulties, therefore it is important to keep the copy simple and easy to read.‍

Consider A/B testing various versions of ad copy: Keep the creative, landing page, and audience parameters the same for A/B testing. For the copy, isolate the variable in question such as the punctuation or the CTA button.

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The majority (71%) of top display ads conveyed a neutral sentiment.

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Almost all top performing ads (96%) contained a CTA, with the “Shop Now” CTA being the most popular, followed by “Use Code: ___”.

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Only 18% of top performing ads posed a question to the audience. Charlotte’s Web ads focused on questions related to having an active lifestyle. 

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37% of top performing ads included a number in the copy, usually referring to a sale (20% off) or making a claim (#1 trusted brand, 100% legal).

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The average reading level* of top performing ads is level 7/8, which means the copy can easily be understood by 12 to 14 year olds.

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Only 18% of top performing ads included a specific health benefit for CBD products in the copy, despite these ads having a 60% lower CPM.

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Top health benefits advertised for CBD products include pain relief and sleep enhancement. Copy that includes health benefits provide a solution to a problem for a specific target audience (i.e: “Pain Relief for Golfers”).

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