Solved: How to write ad copy that works for B2B SaaS ads?

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch. I saw your question about writing ad copy for B2B SaaS and it's a really common struggle, so you're not alone. It’s one of those things that seems simple on the surface but is actually quite tricky to get right. Happy to give you some of my initial thoughts and guidance based on my experience running these exact types of campaigns for various software clients.

Honestly, a lot of the advice you see online is too generic to be useful. Getting B2B SaaS copy to work requires a specific approach because the buying process is so different from B2C. You're not selling an impulse buy; you're selling a considered solution to a complex business problem, often to multiple stakeholders. I'll try to break down how we approach it.

I'd say you first need to get the fundamentals right...

Before you even write a single word of ad copy, the most important work is in understanding your customer. I mean really understanding them. Too many SaaS companies jump straight to talking about their features, using vague buzzwords like "streamline workflows," "boost productivity," or "next-gen platform." The problem is, your potential customers don't wake up in the morning thinking, "I really need to streamline my workflow today."

Instead, they wake up worried about very specific, tangible problems. They're thinking, "We're going to miss our Q3 deadline again," or "I can't believe we lost another big lead because the details fell through the cracks," or "My boss is going to kill me if our budget overruns this month."

Your ad copy needs to enter that conversation. It needs to speak directly to their pain. I remember one Meta Ads campaign we worked on for a B2B CRM platform. Their initial ads were all about being the "The Ultimate CRM Solution." It sounded impressive, but it wasn't getting any traction. We did some research into their user base and found the number one reason people signed up was a fear of losing track of potential sales. We changed one headline in their Meta Ads campaign to "Stop Losing Leads." That one simple change, from a vague feature-based statement to a direct pain-point solution, increased their conversions by 30%. It's that powerful.

You need to identify who the decision maker is. Is it a Head of Marketing, a CTO, a founder of a small business? Each one has different pressures and priorities. A founder might be worried about cash flow, while a Head of IT might be more concerned with security and integration. Your copy needs to reflect the specific anxieties of the person you're trying to reach. Don't write one ad for everyone; tailor your messaging to the different personas you're targeting. This is teh foundation of everything else.

You probably should focus on simple, direct language...

Another common mistake is thinking that because it's B2B, the copy needs to be complex, formal, and full of technical jargon. It's the opposite, really. Decision-makers are incredibly busy people. They're scrolling through LinkedIn between meetings or checking Facebook on their commute. Your ad is an interruption. You have about two seconds to grab their attention and make them understand what you do and why they should care.

Your copy has to be brutally clear and concise. No fluff. Get straight to the point. Use simple language that anyone can understand, even if they're not an expert in your specific field. Think about it this way: the goal of the ad isn't to explain every single feature of your software. The goal is to create enough curiosity and relevance that they click to find out more.

Here's a practical example. Let's say you sell accounting software.

Bad, jargony copy: "Leverage our synergistic, cloud-native accounting paradigm to optimise fiscal reporting and unlock granular financial insights."

Good, clear copy: "Hate doing your taxes? Our accounting software saves businesses an average of 10 hours a month on bookkeeping. Get your free trial."

See the difference? The first one is a meaningless word salad. The second one identifies a pain (hating taxes), offers a specific, quantifiable benefit (saves 10 hours a month), and presents a clear, low-risk call to action. It's direct, human, and focuses entirely on the value to the customer, not on how clever your tech is. You're selling the hole, not the drill.

We'll need to look at your offer as well...

This is a point that often gets missed. The most persuasive ad copy in the world will fail if the offer it's promoting is weak. For B2B SaaS, this is absolutley critical. You're asking a business to make a significant change, to rip out a system they're already using (even if it's just spreadsheets) and adopt something new. That's a huge ask, and it comes with a lot of perceived risk and effort.

Your offer needs to de-risk that decision as much as possible. I've looked at countless SaaS websites where the only option is "Buy Now" or "Book a Demo". For a cold audience seeing your ad for the first time, "Buy Now" is almost always a non-starter. Who is going to pay for an entire accounting system without even trying it? "Book a Demo" is better, but it still requires a time commitment that a busy professional might not be willing to make just from seeing one ad.

A completely free, no-credit-card-required trial is usually the gold standard. It’s the best way to get people in the door. Your ad copy's primary job then becomes selling the trial, not the software itself. The copy can focus on the immediate benefits they'll see in the first 14 or 30 days. Once they're in the trial, your onboarding process, email sequences, and the product itself can do the heavy lifting of converting them to a paying customer. I remember one B2B client whose competition all offered generous free trials and discounts. Our client just offered a demo. It was a massive barrier, and their ad performance reflected that. Once they introduced a proper free trial, their lead costs dropped dramatically.

You'll need a solid testing framework...

You will never write the "perfect" ad on your first try. The key to success is building a system for continuous testing and optimisation. You need to treat it like a science experiment. Change one variable at a time and measure the impact.

What should you test?
-> Headlines: This is the most important element. Test a pain-point headline vs. a benefit-driven one vs. a question-based one.
-> Body Copy: Test short, punchy copy against longer, more detailed copy. Test different angles and value propositions.
-> Creative: Don't just rely on static images. We've had several SaaS clients see really good results with simple UGC-style (User-Generated Content) videos. It can be as simple as a founder talking to the camera, or a screen recording walking through a key feature that solves a major pain point. Video often builds more trust and can communicate value much faster than text alone.
-> Call to Action (CTA): Test "Start Your Free Trial" vs. "Sign Up Free" vs. "See How It Works". Small changes can have a suprising impact.

You also have to adapt your copy for the platform. An ad on LinkedIn can afford to be a bit more professional and detailed, as users are in a business mindset. An ad on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) needs to be more direct and visual to cut through the noise. It is not one-size-fits-all. What works on Google Search Ads (where you're capturing existing intent) will be very different from what works on social media (where you're creating demand).

This is the main advice I have for you:

I've detailed my main recommendations for you in a table below to give you a clearer overview. This is the framework we use when we start working on a B2B SaaS account.

Why you might want some expert help...

As you can probably tell, writing effective B2B SaaS ad copy is a real specialism. It's less about creative writing and more about psychology, strategy, and relentless testing. It sits at the intersection of understanding the customer, crafting a compelling offer, and knowing the technical ins-and-outs of each advertising platform.

Getting it wrong can mean a lot of wasted time and ad spend. Getting it right can be transformative for a business. This is often where working with an agency or a consultant can make a huge difference. We've run these kinds of campaigns countless times and can apply proven frameworks to shortcut the learning process, helping you avoid common pitfalls and scale your results much faster.

I hope this detailed breakdown has been helpful for you. If you'd like to go over you're current ads and strategy in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can give you some more specific advice. Feel free to get in touch if that sounds interesting.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh