Hey,
If I could hand every Facebook advertiser a single book when they start running ads, it wouldn’t be about algorithms.
It wouldn’t be about funnels.
It wouldn’t even be about targeting.
It would be Ogilvy on Advertising.
Because while the platforms, formats, and targeting methods have evolved over decades, the psychology of selling has not.
David Ogilvy, often called the “Father of Advertising,” understood something most modern marketers forget:
If you respect the intelligence of your audience, you’ll win.
If you treat them like fools or manipulate them, you’ll lose – no matter how clever your hacks are.
After spending millions on Facebook ads across industries, I can tell you —
The ads that follow Ogilvy’s timeless principles still outperform the ones that chase every shiny trend.
So today, let’s go back to the fundamentals.
Here are the timeless lessons every Facebook advertiser can steal from David Ogilvy:
Do Your Homework
Know your product better than anyone else.
Insight fuels creativity.
The best ads are not created out of thin air – they’re born from deep research, customer conversations, and an obsessive understanding of what you’re selling.
Focus on Benefits
Sell what it does for them—not what it is.
Nobody buys a moisturizer because it has “Vitamin C.”
They buy it because it gives them clear, glowing skin.
Always frame your product in terms of the transformation it delivers.
Write Compelling Headlines
Your headline is your ad’s first and sometimes only shot.
Make it promise a clear benefit, deliver a piece of news, or tap into an emotion your audience already feels.
If your headline is weak, nothing else you write matters.
Use Long, Informative Copy
If you’re asking for a big commitment (money, time, belief), give big information.
Ogilvy said it best: “The more you tell, the more you sell.”
Good copy doesn’t bore. It builds desire with every line.
Grab Attention from the Start
The first paragraph needs to hit hard.
No warm-ups, no slow intros – your ad needs to punch right from line one.
Hook their attention and don’t let go.
Play It Straight
No gimmicks.
No clickbait.
No manipulation.
Respect your reader’s intelligence.
Talk to them like an adult who has a brain and can make smart choices.
Be Specific
“High quality” and “best ever” don’t mean anything.
Facts sell. Adjectives don’t.
If you have a 98.7% satisfaction rate or 5,000 happy customers, say that.
Specifics build credibility. Vagueness kills it.
Write Like They Talk
Drop the fancy vocabulary.
Drop the corporate jargon.
Write exactly how your customers think and speak.
That’s how you make your ads feel like natural conversations, not pitches.
Educate to Sell
If you can teach your audience something valuable — a shortcut, a tip, a secret — they’ll trust you.
And people buy from brands they trust.
Give value upfront. Build authority. Sell easier.
Platforms will keep changing. Targeting options will keep shrinking.
AI will write more ads.
Costs will rise.
But the brands who actually understand their customers – and talk to them with respect, intelligence, and real value – will keep winning.
Because at the end of the day, you’re not selling to pixels.
You’re selling to humans.
And humans haven’t changed nearly as much as you think.
Happy advertising!