Ad copy is ruthless — you have one second and twenty words to make someone stop scrolling. AI can generate dozens of headline variants in minutes, but only if you give it the constraints that make ad copy work: character limits, platform rules, audience pain points, and a specific offer.
Writing ads without prompt engineering guidance tends to produce two failure modes: ad copy that is too long (ignoring platform character limits) or ad copy that is too vague (missing the specific pain point that makes someone click). Both problems are solved by a well-structured prompt. This tutorial shows you how to brief AI for Facebook, Google, and Instagram with the same rigour a senior performance marketer would apply.
Every platform has different constraints and user intent. On Google Search, users are already looking for something — your headline should match their query language. On Facebook and Instagram, users are in leisure mode — your copy needs to interrupt a scroll by speaking to a felt pain or desire. On Instagram especially, the visual carries most of the weight, and the caption reinforces the emotion.
Professional copywriters use formulas to structure ad copy quickly. The most reliable ones are:
When you name one of these formulas in your prompt, you get structured, purposeful copy rather than a random paragraph. Think of it like telling a builder which load-bearing wall to keep — the formula is the architecture, and the AI fills in the details.
Weak prompt
Write a Facebook ad for my online fitness course.No audience. No pain point. No offer. No character limit. No CTA. The output will be something generic like "Join our amazing fitness course today! Transform your body!" — copy that could belong to any of a thousand competitors and converts no one.
Facebook ad prompt (PAS formula)
Act as a direct-response Facebook ad copywriter.
Write 3 variations of a Facebook ad using the
PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution) formula.
Product: 8-week online fitness programme for
working parents who have less than 30 minutes
per day to exercise.
Audience: Parents aged 28–42, feeling guilty
about not exercising, frustrated by gym
schedules that don't fit family life.
Offer: First week free, no credit card required.
Constraints:
- Primary text: max 125 characters per variation
- Headline: max 40 characters
- Each variation should lead with a different pain
(time, guilt, energy)
- CTA button: "Try Free"
- Avoid words: "amazing", "transform", "journey"This prompt would produce three distinct ad variations, each leading with a different emotional hook. For example: "Primary text: No time to exercise? 30 minutes is enough when you have the right plan. Headline: Fitness that fits your schedule." — ready to paste into Ads Manager.
Google Search ad prompt
Act as a Google Ads specialist.
Write 5 responsive search ad headlines and
3 descriptions for a Google Search campaign.
Business: A local plumbing company in Manchester
offering 24/7 emergency plumber services.
Target keywords: "emergency plumber Manchester",
"24 hour plumber near me", "burst pipe repair"
Headline rules: max 30 characters each, include
the keyword naturally in at least 2 headlines.
Description rules: max 90 characters each, include
a USP (24/7 availability), a trust signal (15 years
experience), and a CTA in at least one.The output will give you a complete set of headlines and descriptions formatted for Google's responsive ad format, with character counts that you can verify immediately.
Pick a real product or service you know well. Write a Facebook ad prompt using the PAS formula with the character limits above. Then rewrite the same prompt using the BAB formula instead. Compare which version feels more compelling for your offer.
Take one of the headlines the AI produces and ask it to rewrite it in three different emotional tones: urgent, curious, and empathetic. This gives you A/B test variations without a full new brief.
Ask the AI: "Which of the 3 ad variations you just wrote would likely have the highest CTR and why?" It will often give useful reasoning about which pain point is sharpest — and that reasoning helps you make a better judgement about which to test first.
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