#109: How I Write Facebook Ads In 30 Minutes

How times change...

Just 2 years ago, I was doing Facebook Ads the hard way.

The really hard way.

Entire mornings spent crafting a single ad, staring at a blank screen.

By lunchtime, I'd have one mediocre ad and a splitting headache.

Today?

I create 6 Facebook Ad Headlines and Primary Text in less than 30 minutes.

Here's how I do it (and why you might consider using this approach):

The Problem I Didn't Realise I Had

Like most authors, I treated Facebook Ad copy like I was writing a word-perfect manuscript.

Every word mattered.

Every phrase needed to be perfect.

I'd agonise over Headlines for hours.

Write and rewrite Primary Text over and over.

The worst part?

I'd end up recycling the same tired variations for months because creating new ones felt like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops. 

Sound familiar?

My whole process for writing Facebook Ad copy changed when I stopped seeing AI as a replacement for my creativity and started seeing it as a creative aid.

The Facebook Ads Copy Workflow

Here's my exact process for using AI to help craft Facebook Ad copy:

Step 1: Feed AI Your Foundation 

I give the AI tool the following pieces of information:

• Book Title (and Series Title if applicable)
• Genre/Category
• Book Description/Blurb
• Target Reader Demographics
• Price of Book (Optional)
• Main Benefit (Non-Fiction) / Hook (Fiction) - (Optional)
• 5-10 reader reviews (for emotional hooks and social proof)

Example prompt:

I'm writing 6 pieces of Primary Text for my [GENRE/CATEGORY] book titled '[TITLE]'. Book [#] of my [SERIES TITLE] series.

Here's my book description: [PASTE DESCRIPTION]

Step 2: Generate Primary Text Variations

I ask for completely different approaches for the Primary Text to 'pitch' the same book from a variety of different emotional angles.

This is where the magic happens. 

AI delivers angles I would have never considered myself.

I also ask for certain guidelines and restraints to be met when the AI tool is writing the Primary Text, to keep it under control.

Example Prompt:

Please create 6 Primary Text variations using these emotional triggers as follows:

Step 3: Create Headlines That Hook

90% (or more) of the impressions on your Facebook Ads will be on mobile devices.

So, everything you do with your Facebook Ads should be optimized for mobile first. Desktop second.

Speaking practically, for Headlines, each Headline needs to be 50 characters or less.

Example Prompt:

Please write 6 headline variations for these ads. Keep each one under 50 characters in length. Focus on intrigue, not information. 

I'd like to try 1 or 2 that include the genre/category and 1 or 2 that include Kindle Unlimited. 

Here's Where Most People Go Wrong

They use what AI gives them straight off the shelf.

Fatal mistake.

AI gives you the raw material.

You're the sculptor.

I filter every piece of copy AI generates through questions like this:

• Does this sound like me talking to a friend?
• Would I actually say these words?
• Does it feel authentic to my brand?

The goal isn't to sound like a robot.

It's to sound like the best, most creative version of yourself.

Real Primary Text Examples

Before (my old process):

In this gripping fantasy fiction series, set 40,000 years into our own dark and forgotten past, a female Ninkuraaja is the last hope for a world lost to the depths of time. 

Escape into a fantasy fiction series unlike anything you've read before...

After (AI-assisted with human touch):

"If you loved Clan of The Cave Bear, prepare to lose yourself in a fantasy journey that stays with you long after the journey ends." - Reader Review

Four human species maintain sacred boundaries.

One survivor carries a power that could shatter them all.

The Watchers are hunting.

And Rebaa's secret is about to change everything...

Same book. Completely different impact.

Why This Actually Matters

This isn't about efficiency for efficiency's sake.

It's about creative freedom.

When I'm not spending three hours wrestling with ad copy, I can spend those hours doing something much more productive.

Or walking our dogs.

Spending time with my family.

Or actually living my life.

AI handles the grunt work. You focus on strategy and writing.

That's the kind of author business I want to build.

One that serves my creativity, not one that consumes it.

Your Turn

Try this workflow with your next Facebook Ads.

But remember: AI is your creative partner, not your creative replacement.

Give it your voice.

Add your personality.

Make it unmistakably you.

Because at the end of the day, readers don't connect with perfect copy.

They connect with authentic humans who write books they can't put down.

That's it for this week.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

To Your Success
- Matt