When writing ad copy, one of the most common questions is: Do I start by poking at the pain, or do I paint the dream?
The truth: it depends on how aware your audience is of their problem, their options, and your solution. If you misjudge this, even a well-written ad will fall flat. Let’s break it down.
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The Spectrum of Audience Awareness
Marketing legend Eugene Schwartz described five stages of awareness:
- Unaware – They do not know they have a problem.
- Problem-Aware – They feel the pain but do not know what fixes it.
- Solution-Aware – They know solutions exist but not yours.
- Product-Aware – They know your product but need convincing.
- Most Aware – They know, like, and trust you, they just need an offer.
Where your audience falls on this spectrum should dictate whether you lead with pain or benefits. For a refresher on ad fundamentals, see what paid advertising is and how it works.
When to Lead With a Problem
Lead with pain points if your audience:
- Is not actively looking for a solution yet
- Knows something is wrong but cannot name it
- Is stuck in old ways of doing things
Why it works: Calling out the problem makes them nod and say, “That’s me.” It builds instant relevance.
Example:
“Still wasting hours every week manually tracking your expenses?”
This is also where frameworks like PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution) shine. Learn more about A/B testing in paid ads so you can validate if problem-first messaging resonates.
When to Lead With a Benefit
Lead with benefits if your audience:
- Already knows the problem exists
- Is actively comparing solutions
- Just needs to see what is in it for them
Why it works: They do not need convincing that there is a problem, they need proof your solution creates real outcomes.
Example:
“Cut your bookkeeping time in half with our smart automation tool.”
This works especially well in retargeting campaigns where your audience has already seen your offer but has not taken action.
Blending Both Approaches
The best ads often weave pain and benefit together:
- Open with a relatable pain point
- Quickly pivot to the promised benefit
Example:
“Hate losing leads to slow follow-up? Our automated system replies instantly so you never miss a sale.”
This approach captures attention with empathy, then shifts to value-driven reassurance. See also how to write scroll-stopping ad copy for practical frameworks.
Final Thoughts
There is no universal rule. Problem-first copy works best with colder audiences, benefit-first copy wins with warmer ones.
If you are unsure, test both. Use A/B testing in paid ads to see which message resonates.
Want to sharpen your copy further? Check out:
- How to write scroll-stopping ad copy
- Why your ads get clicks but not sales
- How to measure paid ad performance
Because the right lead-in can be the difference between being ignored and being remembered.