How I Write Viral Video Ads That Actually Convert

What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.

This newsletter is about leveling up your paid growth marketing skills by analyzing the best brands' paid strategy, tactics, positioning, and value props.

This newsletter is divided into:

• Sharing what I've learned (this issue)

• Sometimes sharing some other performance marketers’ lessons with you

• And I analyze & compare the best ads on the internet

🚨 Announcement 🚨 

So, I’m launching something that’s very close to my heart i.e. a creategy strategy bootcamp.

It’s a 4-week live training where I’ll show you how to consistently come up with winning ad creatives at scale—using the exact systems we use across DTC, lead gen, info, and apps.

No fluff. No theory. No recycled decks.

Just hands-on learning, real assignments, and frameworks you can actually use.

What makes it different?

✅ 100% Live — Ask questions, get feedback, workshop ideas together

✅ Real accounts — Learn from actual campaigns (what worked and what flopped)

✅ Ops Scalability — Create systems, and process to immediately apply

✅ All verticals — Between Ani and me, we’ve built systems that work across industries such DTC, SaaS, App and Lead Gen.

What you'll build each week:

Week 1: AI Research, Image & Video Ads + Ideation & Roadmapping

Week 2: Ad Brief & Script Writing + Content Production Workflows

Week 3: Creative Reporting, Analysis & Iterations and Media Buying with All Basic + AdvancedTactics

Week 4: Modular templates + AI-enhanced testing system

If you're a founder, media buyer, or creative strategist managing $5K+/mo (or have the experience)—this is for you.

It’s not passive watching. It’s doing.

We’re capping this round at just 40 people so we can go deep with everyone. It’s for people who are at least spending above $5K/month and want to scale it beyond $100K per month.

👇 Join the early-access list here

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BEST LINKS OF THE WEEK (on popular demand)

My favorite finds

• Test THIS ad format in July

• The New Way 8 Figure Brands are Lowering their Meta CPA (1 Simple AI Strategy)

• We just grew an account from $350k/month in spent to $900k/month.

Most marketers start with a script.

I don’t.

I start with a feeling.

A conversation.

For instance, if my audience is elderly people, I’ll assume I’m talking to my father-in-law, who’s 65, and literally think about how I can solve his problem and convince him.

That’s where the script begins.

But let me show you the full process.

I’ve used these ideas to create winning ads like this one:

Step 1: Start with the Format (Not the script)

Before writing anything, I pick the video format.

Because the format defines the vibe. The energy. The entry point.

Some go-to options:

• Testimonial – real people, real pain, real payoff

• Talking Head – direct talk, raw delivery

• Street Style – spontaneous, man-on-the-street feel

• POV or Green Screen – fast-paced, meme-ready

Each format works better for a different funnel stage.

When you’re targeting TOFU. Go broad and fun.

When you’re targeting BOFU. Get straight to the product.

Step 2: Don’t Start With AI. Start With Homework.

I know it’s tempting to ask ChatGPT for a hook.
But great scripts are emotional, not generic.

So I always do this first:

• Gather 3–5 messages that already work

• Look at winning ads in my niche (I use Atria for this)

• Ask: “If my ideal customer was right in front of me, what would I say to them?”

That conversation becomes my voice note.
I speak out loud.

Then transcribe that into a raw script.
It’s messy. But it’s honest.

For example, I used the following ads to find messaging that works.

Another Ad with a similar messaging

Step 3: Turn Your Voice Note Into a Script (Block by Block)

Once I have that raw, messy transcript, it’s time to shape it.

By block, I mean modules i.e., Hook > Follow Up sentence > Product > Benefits > Answer objections > CTA

Here’s how I break it down:

Hook

You only get 3 seconds. Maybe less. So I close my eyes and imagine the scroll.

What frame would make me stop?
What sentence would punch through the noise?

Examples:

• “This is the only thing that helped me sleep.”

• “Doctors say this won’t work. But it does.”

• “You’ve been lied to about inflammation.”

Make it feel like a friend confessing something they shouldn’t.

Follow-Up

Once you’ve got attention, keep the tension.
Use an open loop. Raise a new question.
Make them curious about the solution.

The Product (Soft Entry)

Don’t yell. Introduce it like a recommendation.
“This isn’t medicine. It’s a tea my grandma swears by.”

Benefits & Value Boost

Stack real outcomes:

• Sleep better

• Reduce inflammation

• No side effects

• But also: Make it feel safe and low risk

Address objections

Mention money-back guarantees, free shipping, natural ingredients—whatever helps the viewer say: 

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot.”

CTA

Be direct, but keep the tone casual.

“Tap below and try it today. It takes 2 minutes to make.”

Step 4: Think Visually (Text, Faces, Objects, Movement)

Now that I have the script, I ask:

“How can I make the first frame say everything… without saying anything?”

This is where scroll-stopping visuals come in.

Some tricks:

• If I'm trying to promote a solution for stress, I might show hands shaking while holding a teacup. Which will act as a signal of stress

• Show an unexpected and shocking contrast. 

• If my product is solving joint pain, showing someone rubbing their joints = instant relatability

The frame ticks depend on which generation you are speaking to, but if I really want attention, I’ll find viral (or scroll-stopping) ideas on Reddit or TikTok.

For example, when searching delicious ASMR visual of Chai popping out of the screen

I use the teaporn subreddit to check those images.

Some examples:

Since Ashton Hall is getting popular these days, I look at his thumbnail and reels for beauty, gym and other products.

All of these images are telling a story. This is how I think about the first frame. 

Another example of TikTok first frame:

Don’t underestimate text overlays.
Most people scroll with sound off.

So your first 5–7 words on-screen must burn into memory.

Step 5: Study Viral Content in the Wild (Then Borrow Its Magic)

Before finalizing the script, I go digging.

I search Instagram Reels, TikTok, Meta ads library, not for inspiration, but for proof of virality in my category.

I ask:

• What are people watching till the end?

• What are they commenting on?

• What’s the pattern that made this go viral?

Then I reverse-engineer:

“How can I steal the structure but use my message?”

Sometimes it’s:

• A sentence that triggers a strong reaction

• A visual transition or cut that catches the eye

• A tone that feels unusually honest or funny

And I bring that element into my own script—matched with my product, my audience, and my message.

This step often gives my ad the spark it was missing.

For example, I was impressed by this Organic Social guy going viral on LI. Check his post, he makes good jokes.

Here’s another link to a great video by Ian, where breaks down how he steals like an artist.

Step 6: Use AI to tighten the script

Once my script is 80% done, that’s when I bring in Poppy AI.

What I feed into it:

• My rough script

• Winning ad examples (from Atria)

• A voice note, if needed

• Notes on tone, emotion, and pain points

Poppy helps me:

• Spot flat lines in my script

• Suggest alternate phrasings

• Speed up creative iterations

But AI never writes the story.
It just helps me tighten it.

Side note: All my viral videos and ads are created using Poppy’s AI board. Share your ideas in this way, and you'll end up with a great script. Poppy is my client, and I'm sharing their affiliate link and code if you'd like to give it a try. Use code AAZAR to get $25 off. They don’t offer a trial, but there is a money-back guarantee.

Step 7: Iterate, Test, and Multiply the Winners

Once I write and launch an ad, the real work begins.

I don’t treat any ad as “done.”
I treat it like a tube.
Let it run.
Watch the data.
Then iterate it.

Here’s how:

Iterate Winning Ads

I’ll often take a proven script.
And reformat it into my own version

• Same message, different face or hook.

• Different format, same emotional trigger.

• Or Same format, different hook.

And it works.

Test Multiple Formats

If the message is strong, I repurpose it across:

• Talking head

• Testimonial

• Green screen

• Voiceover + B-roll

• Even image-based ads with strong captions

Let the audience choose what works.

Iterate Based on Watch Patterns

I study the drop-off points.
Where people pause. Rewind. Comment.

If 70% drop before 10 seconds?
I rewrite the hook.

If comments are about the tea’s taste or how to brew it?
I add that in the next edit.

One Message = Many Ads

I can turn one strong message into 5–7 versions.

Same base.
Different clothes. Different visual backgrounds.
That’s how you get volume without burnout.

TL;DR – If You Want to Write Ads That Work

• Don’t start with ChatGPT. Start with conversation

• Pick the right format before the first word

• Write it like they’re sitting in front of you

• Turn voice notes into honest scripts

• Break it into blocks: hook → follow-up → solution → value → CTA

• Think in frames and overlays

• Use AI to tighten, not to replace

• Iterate, test, and repeat your winners

The goal isn’t to be perfect.
It’s to connect. And then convert.

Thanks to our partners who support this newsletter.

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

Since this newsletter is free, I do it to follow my curiosity. But I’d love it if you could leave some feedback so I know if I am helping you or not.

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