Which Ad Copy Works? Find Out from Ads You've Already Run
No single formula works for every shop. Copy that performs well for one business may fail for another. The most reliable approach is to review ads you've already run, find the text with the lowest cost per chat for the same objective, then write new versions that keep what worked and change one element at a time.
Most online sellers write new captions based on instinct: try one, and if it doesn't work, try another. A few months later, the shop has dozens of ads, but nobody knows which type of message brings in the most chats, even though the answer is already in the ad account.
Why other people's formulas may not work for you
Rules like “start with the problem” or “put the price in the first line” are useful starting points, but actual results depend on the product, its price and who sees the ad. A clothing shop selling items for a few hundred baht and a skincare brand that needs to explain its products before selling may get opposite results from the same style of copy. Results from your own ads are a much better guide.
What to measure when judging ad copy
If you sell through chat, the key metric is cost per chat: total ad spend divided by messaging conversations started (shown in Ads Manager under Cost per messaging conversation started). Text with a cost per chat clearly below your shop's average is worth building on.
- Compare within the same objective. Don't compare an ad with a Messages objective against one with a video-views objective.
- Group ads with the same text. If the same text appears in several ads, add up the spend and chats before dividing.
- Don't judge too early. Two or three chats aren't enough to draw conclusions. We wait for roughly 10 chats before comparing results.
How to check your results in Ads Manager
- Open Ads Manager at the Ads level and select a date range with enough data, such as 30–90 days.
- Add the columns Amount spent, Messaging conversations started and Cost per messaging conversation started.
- Sort by cost per chat, then read the text of the best- and worst-performing ads.
- Look for differences between the best and worst performers: the opening line, whether they show a price and how they invite people to message.
The challenge is that when you have many ads, grouping identical text and calculating the results manually takes time. Kulshot automates this step using read-only access to a connected ad account.
Write new copy based on what worked
Once you know which text performs best, don't rewrite everything. Keep the element most likely responsible for its success and change one thing at a time, such as the opening line or the call to message, so you can see whether each change improves or worsens results.
A cheap chat doesn't always lead to a sale
Copy that brings in cheap chats may attract people who are just curious. Check what happens in those conversations too: did they ask about the price? Did they buy? Cost per chat helps you identify which text deserves further testing, but it doesn't tell the whole story.
Sources
- Meta Business Help Center: Messaging conversations started
- Meta Business Help Center: About attribution models and attribution settings
See which of your ad texts gets the cheapest chats
Connect your Meta ad account read-only. Kulshot ranks your ad text by real cost per chat, then drafts new copy from what worked. Free to start.
Start for freeFAQ
Is short or long ad copy better?
There's no fixed answer. It depends on the product. Products that need more explanation may benefit from longer copy. Compare the cost per chat of short and long versions using your own shop's results.
How many ads do I need before comparing results?
The number of chats matters more than the number of ads. Each text should generate roughly 10 chats or more. With fewer chats, results can vary considerably.
Should I include the price in my ad?
Some shops get better-quality chats by showing the price, as it filters out people who can't afford the product. Others receive fewer chats. Test both approaches and compare the cost per chat and what happens in the conversations.