07 // IMAGE AD COPY
Image ads live or die in 3 seconds.
Your primary text stops the scroll. Your headline closes the curiosity gap. Your description pushes to click.
All three need to work together. Here's the framework.
The Three Components
Every image ad on Facebook/Meta has three text fields. Each one has a different job.
Primary text (above the image): This is the scroll-stopper. 1-3 sentences that make someone pause. It does the heaviest lifting. Most of your testing should focus here.
Headline (below the image, bold): This closes the loop the primary text opened. It answers the implicit question or deepens the curiosity. Keep it under 10 words.
Description (below the headline, lighter text): This pushes the click. One sentence. Often a CTA or qualifying statement. Many people skip writing this. Don't.
The mistake most affiliates make: Writing all three to say the same thing. Your primary text, headline, and description should each do a different job. If they're all saying "GLP-1 is great for weight loss," you wasted two out of three slots.
Primary Text: Scroll-Stoppers
The primary text has to earn a pause in a feed full of noise. You've got the first line (before the "See more" truncation) to hook them.
Three Patterns That Work
Pattern 1: Controversial Statement
Open with something the reader doesn't expect. Challenge a belief. Name an enemy.
"Your diets keep failing because your body is literally designed to
fight weight loss. It's not a discipline problem. It's a biology
problem. And there's a reason your doctor hasn't told you about the
fix."
Why it works: "Literally designed to fight weight loss" is surprising. "Your doctor hasn't told you" creates a curiosity gap. The reader needs to know more.
Pattern 2: Specific Personal Story (Third Person)
Tell a micro-story in 2-3 sentences. Specificity is everything.
"Sarah tried keto for 8 months, Whole30 twice, and lost the same
15 pounds three times. Her doctor told her something that changed
everything she thought she knew about weight loss."
Why it works: Specific names, specific timelines, specific numbers. The reader sees themselves in Sarah. "Changed everything she thought she knew" creates the gap.
Pattern 3: Statistic + Reframe
Lead with a number that validates the reader's experience. Then reframe it.
"95% of diets fail within 5 years. Not because people lack willpower.
Because human biology actively reverses caloric restriction. There's
now a way to work with your biology instead of against it."
Why it works: The statistic validates ("it's not just me"). The reframe removes shame. The last sentence teases the solution without naming it.
The Truncation Rule
On mobile, Facebook truncates primary text after roughly 125 characters. Everything after that gets hidden behind "See more."
This means your first sentence is your entire hook for most viewers.
Write your primary text in two layers:
- Layer 1 (first sentence): Must work completely on its own. This is your scroll-stopper.
- Layer 2 (everything after "See more"): Deeper context for people who clicked to expand. This is where you build the story and push toward the click.
If your first sentence doesn't stop the scroll by itself, nothing after it matters.
Headlines: Close the Gap
The headline sits below the image in bold. Most people write throwaway headlines. That's a mistake.
Your headline should do one of two things:
Option 1: Answer the curiosity gap from the primary text.
If your primary text asks an implicit question ("why does this keep happening?"), the headline answers it.
Primary text: "Your diets keep failing because your body fights weight loss at the hormonal level." Headline: "The Biology Fix Doctors Are Now Prescribing"
Option 2: Deepen the curiosity gap.
If your primary text opens a loop, the headline makes it bigger.
Primary text: "95% of diets fail within 5 years. Not because of willpower." Headline: "What Your Hunger Hormones Have Been Hiding"
Headlines That Work (GLP-1)
"Why Doctors Are Recommending This Instead of Diets"
"The Biological Reason Your Diets Keep Failing"
"What 95% of Dieters Were Never Told"
"The Weight Loss Approach That Doesn't Fight Your Body"
"Why This Is Different from Every Diet You've Tried"
Headlines That Don't Work
"Lose Weight Now!" (generic, pushy, compliance risk)
"The #1 Weight Loss Solution" (unsubstantiated, AI cliche)
"Transform Your Body Today" (AI cliche, zero specificity)
"Game-Changing Weight Loss" (literally the #1 AI tell)
"Amazing Results Guaranteed" (compliance violation)
The test: Read your headline out loud. If it sounds like something you'd see on a late-night infomercial, scrap it.
Description: Push the Click
The description is the smallest text field. One sentence. Its job is to either qualify the reader or give them a reason to click right now.
Qualification descriptions:
"For adults who've tried 2+ diets and keep regaining the weight."
"If calorie counting hasn't worked long-term, this might be why."
"Not for everyone. For chronic dieters ready to try something different."
Action descriptions:
"See if you qualify for a telehealth consultation."
"Learn why doctors are recommending this over traditional diets."
"Find out what your hunger hormones have to do with it."
What not to write:
"Click here to learn more!" (generic, waste of space)
"Sign up now!" (too aggressive for cold traffic)
"" (leaving it blank is worse than a mediocre description)
Compliance-Conscious Angles
Image ads get more scrutiny than video because the text is static and scannable. Reviewers can read it in 3 seconds. You need to be sharper with compliance here.
Safe angles for regulated verticals:
| Angle | Example | Why It's Safe | |-------|---------|---------------| | Biology reframe | "It's not willpower. It's hormones." | Mechanism statement, not a claim | | Doctor authority | "What doctors are now recommending" | Defers to medical authority | | Statistical validation | "95% of diets fail within 5 years" | Published research, not your claim | | Personal experience | "I tried 4 diets in 6 years" | Individual story, not promise | | Qualification | "Not for everyone" | Self-selecting, shows restraint |
Risky angles (proceed with caution):
| Angle | Example | Risk | |-------|---------|------| | Specific weight claims | "Lose 30 pounds" | Guarantee, compliance violation | | Before/after framing | "Before GLP-1 vs. after" | Facebook restricted this format | | Fear-based urgency | "Your health is at risk" | Medical claim territory | | Comparative claims | "Better than any diet" | Unsubstantiated superlative |
The safe angles still convert. You don't need to make risky claims to get clicks. A well-framed biology reframe with doctor authority will outperform a risky "lose 30 pounds" claim that gets your ad pulled in 4 hours.
GLP-1 Example: 5 Variations for A/B Testing
Here are five complete ad copy sets ready to test against each other. Same offer, different angles.
Variation 1: Biology Reframe
PRIMARY TEXT:
"Your body has a biological set point that it actively defends. When
you cut calories, your hunger hormones increase and your metabolism
slows. That's why the weight comes back every time. GLP-1 medications
work by regulating those hormones directly. Not through willpower.
Through biology."
HEADLINE: "The Biological Reason Diets Don't Stick"
DESCRIPTION: "See if you qualify for a physician consultation."
Variation 2: Doctor Authority
PRIMARY TEXT:
"A growing number of primary care doctors are now prescribing GLP-1
medications before recommending another diet. The reason: new research
shows that chronic dieting actually makes weight regain worse. For
patients who've cycled through multiple diets, the medical approach
is shifting."
HEADLINE: "Why Doctors Are Moving Beyond 'Eat Less, Move More'"
DESCRIPTION: "For adults who've tried 2+ diets without lasting results."
Variation 3: Personal Story
PRIMARY TEXT:
"I lost the same 20 pounds four different times. Keto, Whole30,
calorie counting, intermittent fasting. Every time it came back. My
doctor told me it wasn't a discipline issue. She said my body was
doing exactly what it's designed to do. Then she told me about GLP-1."
HEADLINE: "What My Doctor Told Me After My 4th Diet Failed"
DESCRIPTION: "Learn what changed after 6 years of yo-yo dieting."
Variation 4: Statistic Lead
PRIMARY TEXT:
"95% of people who lose weight through dieting gain it back within
5 years. That's not a willpower statistic. That's a biology statistic.
Your body increases hunger hormones and slows metabolism after caloric
restriction. It's a survival mechanism. And there's now a medical
approach that works with it instead of against it."
HEADLINE: "The 95% Statistic Every Dieter Should Know"
DESCRIPTION: "Not a diet. A different biological approach."
Variation 5: Curiosity Gap
PRIMARY TEXT:
"There's a reason every diet you've tried has eventually stopped
working. And it's not the reason you think. A new class of medication
is changing how doctors approach weight management for patients with
chronic diet cycling. The science behind it might surprise you."
HEADLINE: "What Nobody Told You About Why Diets Stop Working"
DESCRIPTION: "Talk to a licensed physician about your options."
How to Test These
Don't test all five at once against the same audience. Run them in pairs.
- Start with Variation 1 vs. Variation 3 (biology reframe vs. personal story). These are the two strongest patterns for health.
- Winner goes against Variation 4 (statistic lead).
- Final winner goes against Variation 2 (doctor authority).
- Keep Variation 5 (curiosity gap) as a backup when your winner fatigues.
Test primary text first. Once you have a winning primary text angle, start testing headline variations against it. Then descriptions. One variable at a time.
Template Prompts for Image Ads
Template 1: Scroll-Stoppers (Primary Text)
You are a performance marketer writing Facebook ad primary text
for [vertical].
Write 5 primary text variations for:
- Offer: [product + mechanism]
- Audience: [demographics, psychographic, awareness level]
- Compliance: Cannot say [X]. Can say [Y].
Each variation should use a different angle:
1. Biology/mechanism reframe
2. Doctor/expert authority
3. Personal story (third person, specific details)
4. Statistic + reframe
5. Curiosity gap
Rules for each:
- First sentence must work as a standalone hook (truncation rule)
- Include at least one specific number
- 3-5 sentences total
- No questions as openers
- No AI cliches ("game-changing", "transform", "real results")
- Compliant: no guarantees, no medical claims
Tone: Informational, direct, slightly editorial. Not salesy.
Template 2: Headline + Description Combos
You are a conversion copywriter writing Facebook ad headlines and
descriptions for [vertical].
For each of these 5 primary text angles, write a headline and
description:
[Paste your 5 primary text variations here]
Headlines:
- Under 10 words
- Either answer the curiosity gap OR deepen it
- No exclamation points
- No superlatives ("best", "#1", "most")
Descriptions:
- One sentence
- Either qualify the reader OR give a reason to click
- Specific, not generic
- No "click here" or "learn more" (these are the default and
add nothing)
Tone: Match the primary text angle. If the primary text is
editorial, the headline should be editorial. If personal story,
the headline should be personal.
Template 3: Rapid Variation (One Angle, Many Versions)
Use this once you've found a winning angle and need to scale variations to fight creative fatigue.
You are a media buyer generating creative variations for Facebook
ads in [vertical].
I have a winning primary text angle: [paste your winner]
Write 8 variations of this angle. Same core message, different:
- Opening sentence (new hook each time)
- Specific details (different numbers, names, timelines)
- Framing (slightly different emotional angle)
- Length (mix of short 2-sentence and longer 4-sentence versions)
Keep the same:
- Core angle (biology reframe / doctor authority / etc)
- Compliance boundaries
- Tone
- Target audience
Each variation should feel fresh enough that the same person
seeing them a week apart wouldn't immediately think "I've seen
this before."
Avoid: Repeating the exact same statistic or phrase across
variations. Find different ways to express the same core idea.
Image ads are where volume and speed matter most. You need dozens of variations to test, and they need to be different enough to fight creative fatigue.
Use the templates. Generate batches. Test in pairs. Scale your winners. Kill your losers fast.
Next up: compliance grey areas.