Writing copy for online advertising that appeals to searchers and makes them want to click through can be a hard task. But here’s the secret: make it all about them.

Searchers don’t care how many products you have in stock or that you were the first to market your product, all they want to know is “what’s in it for me?”

This is where your advertising copy can excel. The way you tell your prospects, what’s in it for them is crucial to making the sale.

There are 7 key copy drivers that you should use in your ad copy:

• Fear
• Greed
• Guilt
• Anger
• Exclusivity
• Salvation
• Flattery

Let’s look at each in more detail:

Fear: one of our most powerful motivators. Insurance sellers have been using fear to sell their products for years!

Greed: most of us want more: money, time, holidays, luxury items, technology devices, food – by appealing to people’s sense of greed you can increase your chances of making a sale.

Guilt: key messages such as ‘doesn’t your website deserve the best?’ and ‘Are you giving your baby the best start in life?’ are classic examples of guilt in action.

Anger: messages such as ‘you’re tired of banks charging exorbitant fees’ and ‘waiting on hold is so time-consuming’ may very well hit the target.

Exclusivity: give your searchers something that your competitors cant.

Salvation: how is your product going to help “save the customer”? i.e. Save your time with automated submission to 300+ search engines.

Flattery: Many weight-loss programs, beauty creams, therapies and other health products and services use self-esteem as a key ingredient of their campaigns. i.e. Imagine walking past a mirror and checking out your new, toned figure.

Of these seven drivers, the most overused is exclusivity. While you, as the advertiser, see promoting your hotel as on a secluded island but part of the worlds largest hotel chain. The searcher might not care about these benefits. All they are likely to care is where it is located and the price.

Next time you sit down to write your advertising copy, make sure you choose at least one of these drivers so that your ad appeals to searchers.

Related posts:

• How Paid Search Advertising Can Boost Your Holiday Sales
• ineedhits launches Google Mid Year Sale
• 7 Quick Tips to Improve Your Online Advertising
• 10 Tips for DIY SEO Copywriting
• What to Expect for the 2010 Holiday Shopping Season