Social ads do not all need to close a sale immediately. Sarah Levinger argues that advertising also needs to make a brand memorable, so it is still considered when a customer is ready to buy. Applying behavioral science can help marketers understand why creative works and repeat those choices instead of relying on guesswork.
Levinger’s approach reflects how platforms distribute content through interest-based feeds. Rather than relying only on who someone follows or what they search for, these systems use actions such as watching, liking, commenting, sharing and saving to predict what may interest them. That makes it important to build creative around audience interests and tastes, not just topics and keywords.
Her framework starts with a brand’s core message and makes three decisions: how to deliver it emotionally, which version of the customer to address, and where the ad belongs in the customer journey.
The first decision uses the valence and intensity model. Valence describes whether a message feels positive or negative, while intensity captures how strongly it is expressed. Both can affect how people interpret and remember an ad. Levinger recommends choosing valence according to the product category, while intensity should fit the brand’s identity. A supportive brand may use a softer tone, for example, while a provocative brand can sustain more intense messaging.
She also suggests reviewing customer feedback and existing marketing with an AI tool. Marketers can gather both positive and negative reviews, along with current ads and posts, and ask a large language model to sort them by emotional tone and intensity. Comparing the results can show whether successful creative shares a pattern and whether the brand’s messaging matches how customers feel.
The second decision is who the message addresses. Instead of relying on a single customer avatar, Levinger uses three versions of the self: the ideal self, focused on future aspirations; the actual self, which seeks validation of present identity; and the ought self, shaped by guilt about what someone feels they should have done.
Marketers can use AI to classify their own and competitors’ messages according to these three mindsets. If a brand and its competitors repeatedly target the same one, their messaging may become less distinctive. Levinger recommends considering another mindset when the market is crowded. The ad and its landing page can address different selves, she says, as long as the landing page responds to what the customer wants.
The third decision is where an ad fits in the buying process. Levinger uses Google’s “Messy Middle” framework, which identifies four behaviors: trigger, exploration, evaluation and purchase. Trigger content addresses the moment a problem becomes noticeable. Exploration content explains an industry or product category, while evaluation content helps shoppers compare options using facts, evidence and a brand’s unique selling point. Purchase-stage creative gives someone who is already considering a brand a reason to buy.
Levinger recommends beginning with a fairly even mix of content across the four stages, then adjusting it to the goal. A brand seeking broader reach can emphasize trigger content; one trying to move shoppers through the decision process can add exploration and evaluation material; and a campaign focused on immediate sales can prioritize purchase-stage ads.
To organize ideas, she advises building a library of ads and posts with strong hooks or stories, then reviewing it regularly with AI to categorize the material by emotional tone, customer mindset and journey stage. The resulting framework is intended to help marketers understand what their creative is doing and identify where new content may be needed.
Sources: Social Media Examiner.