Quote from James A.Hart on July 16, 2025, 9:30 pm

When people scroll through Facebook or TikTok, their guard goes up the moment they see anything that looks like an ad. The instinct? Swipe faster.

That’s exactly why your ads need to blend in with the content your audience is already consuming — while still standing out enough to grab their attention.

Let’s break down how to do that.

Why “Native” Is No Longer Optional

Platforms like Facebook and TikTok are native ad environments, which means your ad appears right next to videos of cats, cooking tutorials, gym selfies, and memes.

If your ad screams “promotion” — with corporate branding, buzzwords, or generic stock photos — people instantly scroll past. Even worse, the platform knows this. It tracks things like:

• How long someone hovers over your ad
• Whether they click “see more”
• If they share, save, or comment

All of these signals impact your CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions). Ads that look and feel native — like something a friend might post — get rewarded. Ads that look like ads get penalized.

The Pattern Interrupt Formula

Your audience sees thousands of pieces of content every day. Most of it is noise. The human brain is wired to ignore anything it recognizes as familiar unless it breaks the pattern.

That’s why you need a pattern interrupt — something visual or verbal that breaks expectations in the first few seconds.

Here are some effective ways to do that:

• A bold visual: An unusual image, strange pose, or exaggerated expression
• A question that feels urgent or personal
• A statement that goes against conventional wisdom

The goal is simple: Interrupt the scroll long enough to spark curiosity.

Don’t Write Like a Marketer

Once you’ve hijacked attention, don’t lose it by sounding like a sales robot.

Instead:

• Write how you talk. Use simple, conversational language.
• Tell stories. Narratives are easier to follow and remember.
• Avoid “we help X do Y” lines. Speak from the user’s perspective.

Also, avoid introducing your brand in a formal way. Don’t say:

“At XYZ Inc., we specialize in…”

Instead, start with:

“Last week, one of our clients told me…”

When your ad reads like a human, people stay.

Make the Ad Valuable On Its Own

Here’s the trick most advertisers miss:

Your ad itself should be useful — even if someone never clicks.

If your copy teaches, entertains, or solves a problem in the first few lines, it earns shares and comments. That’s free reach.

More importantly, it builds trust. People think:
“If I’m getting this much value for free, imagine what’s behind the click.”

Think of your ad as a mini blog post — but shorter, sharper, and focused on one idea.

Short Sentences. Big Emotions.

You don’t need 300 words. You need clarity and punch.

Try this:

• Keep sentences to 10 words or less
• Aim to spark emotion, not just logic
• Use formatting: short paragraphs, line breaks, bold text in key phrases (if the platform allows)

Why? Because 90% of your audience is skimming on a phone.

It’s About Attention, Not Just Ad Spend

You can’t buy your way into people’s minds anymore. You have to earn their attention, one scroll at a time.

That starts by writing ads that feel human, spark curiosity, and deliver value up front — not later.

If you can do that, you’ll already be ahead of 95% of advertisers still making “rice soup” ads: bland, forgettable, and ignored.