Summit Ad War Room

Q2 2026 Planning
Ad Hooks (20)
Creative Strategy
CPL Benchmarks
Budget Calculator
State Targeting
State Ad Copy
Grok Hooks (Verified)
Creative Deep Dive
$0 Video Concepts
Quiz Ad Concepts
All
Bill Shock
Quiz CTA
Social Proof
Urgency

Click hooks to select them for your campaign. Selected hooks appear at the bottom.

UGC wins — 4x higher CTR, 50% lower CPC
Homeowner filming solar install on iPhone outperforms $5K produced testimonial. Meta/TikTok algorithms prioritize native creator content. Ring-light polished videos saw CPT skyrocket in 2025.
Bill comparison is the #1 performing visual
Side-by-side "before/after" bill graphics. Show $247/mo → $35/mo. The $35 (fixed fees/taxes) makes it feel real. Works as static image or animated reveal in video.
Drone footage of real installs outperforms stock
Key: look like YOUR neighbor's house. Regional architecture matters — ranch homes in Midwest, not Mediterranean villas. Aerial shots are inherently "produced" and that's expected.
Data-driven urgency graphics work
Rate hike charts showing utility cost over 10-20 years. "Your utility raised rates 47% in 5 years" with a line graph. Simple, alarming, factual.
Text wall ads are crushing on Meta
Complete story as static image or video background. Looks native, feels organic, gets read. A homeowner's story about their first post-solar bill, written as a social post.
Calculator-look creative performs without being interactive
Graphics that LOOK like a savings calculator result (address, bill amount, projected savings). The appearance of personalization drives clicks even as a static ad.
COMPLIANCE: No federal ITC for residential
30% residential ITC expired Dec 31, 2025. Lease/PPA retains federal support via 48E business credit (sunsets end 2027). All copy must reference STATE incentives only.
ChannelCPL RangeContextRelative Cost
Meta — Best Case$0.73-$7CA/AZ, interest targeting, "ugly map" creative
Meta — Good$30-$60Typical local campaigns, home services
Meta — Average$42-$100US solar residential, competitive markets
Meta — Expensive$200+Saturated markets, poor targeting
Google LSA$24-$66Limited availability, high intent
Google Search$66-$217Higher intent, more expensive
Google — Competitive$500-$1,500Competitive markets, CPC $50-100
Industry Avg (Blended)$206First Page Sage 2026 report
Our Target$30-$50Quiz funnel + Meta, IL targeting, $50/day
Lead vendor pricing context
Shared leads sell for $5-$150. Exclusive leads: $150-$400. Verified/appointment-set: $400-$800+. If we generate exclusive leads at $30-50 CPL via quiz funnel, we're producing $150-400 value leads at 80%+ margin.
$50/day
$40/lead
$1,500
Monthly Spend
38
Leads / Month
$40
Cost Per Lead
2-4
Closed Deals (5-10%)
$30-60K
Revenue (@ $15K avg)
20-40x
ROAS

States with active incentive programs. Illinois is current target.

🟡 Illinois (ACTIVE)

Illinois Shines — upfront REC payments (15yr)
Property tax exemption — permanent, no sunset
ComEd rate hikes — strong anger hook
Current target. 12 ads live, $50/day. A2P approved.

🔵 Michigan / Detroit (NEW)

DG Program — under 20kW credited at full retail rate
DTE peak credits ~$0.14/kWh (summer 4-7pm)
Property tax exemption — full, added value exempt
Sales tax exemption on equipment
Detroit = DTE Energy territory. Rate hike anger hook works here. Strong property tax + sales tax double exemption.

Florida

Net metering at full retail (for now)
Property tax exemption
No state income tax = no state credit
High solar irradiance. FPL rate hikes strong hook.

Texas

Property tax exemption (100% of added value)
Local utility rebates vary by provider
Massive market. Grid reliability angle (ERCOT failures).

California

NEM 3.0 — reduced but still viable
SGIP battery incentives
Most saturated market. Highest CPL. Battery storage is the angle.

Arizona

25% state tax credit (up to $1,000)
APS/SRP rebate programs
Strong irradiance. Low CPL historically ($0.73 case study).

New Jersey

SREC-II program — strong recurring payments
Sales tax exemption
Property tax exemption
Small state but premium incentives. High property values.

Illinois Ad Sets (Live)

IL-1: ComEd Rate Hikes + Illinois Shines
Primary: ComEd rates have climbed every year for the past decade. Illinois homeowners still have access to the Illinois Shines program, which pays you upfront for the energy your panels produce over 15 years.
Headline: ComEd Keeps Raising Rates. Illinois Shines Pays You to Fight Back.
CTA: Free 30-second quiz.
IL-2: Property Tax Exemption
Primary: Illinois law guarantees that solar panels will never raise your property taxes — not by a single dollar. Your home value goes up, your tax bill stays the same. No expiration date.
Headline: Add $20K to Your Home Value. Pay $0 More in Taxes.
CTA: Check your savings in 30 seconds.
IL-3: Neighbor Social Proof
Primary: Solar installations in Illinois are up 300% since 2023. Your neighbors know something you don't — they locked in their rate before ComEd raised it again.
Headline: Your Neighbors Went Solar. Here's What They're Saving.

Michigan / Detroit Ad Sets (Draft)

MI-1: DTE Rate Hikes + Double Tax Exemption
Primary: DTE Energy rates keep climbing. Michigan homeowners get a deal most states don't — solar panels are exempt from both property tax AND sales tax. Your home value goes up, your tax bill stays flat, and you paid zero sales tax on the equipment.
Headline: DTE Keeps Raising Rates. Michigan Gives You Two Tax Breaks to Fight Back.
CTA: See your savings in 30 seconds.
MI-2: Full Retail Net Metering (Under 20kW)
Primary: Michigan still credits solar homeowners at the full retail electricity rate for systems under 20kW. That means every kilowatt your panels produce is worth the same as what DTE charges you. Most states have already cut this. Michigan hasn't — yet.
Headline: Your Solar Panels Earn Full Price for Every kWh. Michigan Law Says So.
CTA: Check if your roof qualifies.
MI-3: Detroit Summer Peak Earnings
Primary: DTE pays premium rates for solar energy during summer peak hours — 4 to 7 PM, when your AC is running hardest and rates are highest. Your panels earn the most exactly when electricity costs the most. Summer stops being your most expensive season and starts being your most profitable.
Headline: Summer AC Bills Hit Different When Your Roof Is Earning $0.14/kWh.
CTA: Free 30-second savings quiz.

Full copy bank: 20 universal hooks + 18 state-specific ad sets in vault (Clients/summit/ad-copy-bank-2026.md)

Source: Multi-turn Grok conversation. Pushed back on hallucinated numbers, compliance violations. These survived verification.

Rate Hike Anger

VERIFIED — DTE
DTE rates keep climbing. Solar locks in your rate. Period.
VERIFIED — COMED
ComEd raised rates again. Illinois Shines pays you to fight back.

Spring / Summer Timing

SEASONAL
Summer scorchers coming. Solar cools your bills before June peaks.
SEASONAL
Spring install = summer savings. Book now before the 6-week backlog.

Neighbor FOMO

SOCIAL PROOF
Saw panels next door? Their electric bill was $12 last month. Yours was what?
SOCIAL PROOF
500+ homes in your zip went solar this year. They know something you don't.

State Incentive Urgency

MI — VERIFIED
Michigan: property tax + sales tax both exempt on solar. Double break, no expiration.
IL — VERIFIED
Illinois Shines SREC payments = upfront cash for 15 years. Program has a cap.

Financial Anxiety

FINANCIAL
Bills crushing you? Solar pays itself back. Your utility never will.
FINANCIAL
$65,000 in electricity over 25 years. Most of that is profit for your utility.
COMPLIANCE NOTE from Grok conversation
Grok initially generated hooks referencing "30% federal tax credit" and "IRA solar rebate." Both are EXPIRED (Dec 31, 2025). Caught and corrected. ALL hooks above are state-incentive only. Always verify before publishing.

Source: Multi-turn Gemini 2.5 Pro conversation with search grounding.

First 3 Seconds — 5 Scroll-Stopping Frames
1. The Shredded Bill: Close-up of hand feeding a high-dollar energy bill into a paper shredder. Instantly relatable.

2. The Rooftop Reveal: Fast drone shot starting low, rapidly ascending to reveal solar panels on a suburban roof.

3. The Local Landmark: Recognizable Detroit/Chicago location, camera pans to nearby home with panels. Establishes local relevance.

4. Quick-Cut Testimonials: 3 different homeowners, <1 second each: "No more blackouts," "My bill is zero," "It was so easy."

5. Animated Savings Ticker: Dollar amount climbing rapidly like a gas pump in reverse — $500... $1,200... $1,800/year.
Media Split at $50/day
70% Static / 30% Video. Statics are cheaper to produce, let you test more variables. Video for proven concepts only. Add carousel when budget scales — Meta shows 30-50% lower cost per conversion with carousels.
TikTok Native Checklist
✅ UGC/creator-led, not polished production
✅ Use trending sounds
✅ Behind-the-scenes install content
✅ Real people, not actors
✅ "See if your home qualifies" CTA
✅ Use Spark Ads to boost organic posts
❌ Ring-light testimonials
❌ Corporate branding overlays
❌ "Call now" CTAs
Text Overlay Rules
First frame text: Bold question or statement. "Illinois Homeowners: Stop Overpaying for Power."
Font: Montserrat Bold, Poppins Extra Bold, or Helvetica Now. NO thin/light fonts.
Color: White with dark drop shadow. Or text in solid color block.
Placement: Upper-middle or lower-third. Avoid platform UI overlap zones.

Source: Gemini. All filmable today with an iPhone. No budget, no actors, no editing beyond basic cuts. Under 15 seconds each.

1. POV Bill Shock
Hold phone + real utility bill. Zoom in on total amount with shaky disbelief. Text: "POV: You open your DTE bill this month." → zoom on $314.22 → "There has to be a better way." → "Started with this 30-sec quiz."
2. Screen Record Satellite Scout
Screen record Google Maps. Search "Naperville, IL" or "Ann Arbor, MI." Zoom from state level to one suburban roof. Draw circle around it. Text: "Your roof is either a liability... or an asset. Find out which in 60 seconds."
3. Whiteboard Math
Top-down shot of hand writing on paper. Write "My Bill: $280" → cross out aggressively → "Solar: $170" → circle it → "SAVED: $110/mo" → point. End: "See if your numbers work."
4. Walking Rant
Selfie-style walking outside. Speak directly: "Can someone explain why I OWN my roof but RENT my electricity from a monopoly? It makes no sense." End text: "Step 1 was this eligibility quiz."
5. Sun on the Floor Timelapse
15-min timelapse of sunbeam moving across floor. Text: "Your house gets this for free all day..." → cut to light switch → "...but you're still paying for this." → "Make it make sense. Quiz below."

Source: Gemini. The ad's ONLY job: get someone to START the quiz. Psychology-driven concepts.

1. Curiosity Gap — "Your Utility Hopes You Never See This Number"
Visual: Blurred/pixelated utility bill. "Total Amount Due" redacted with black bar.
CTA: "Reveal My Number" (not "Take Quiz" — promises a specific answer)
2. Personalization — "Every Roof Has a Solar Score. What's Yours?"
Visual: Google Maps satellite view, one roof highlighted with glowing outline + question mark.
CTA: "Calculate My Score"
3. FOMO — "Your Neighbors Locked In Their Rate. Are You Still Paying Variable?"
Visual: Two houses side by side. Left: padlock + smiley. Right: arrows + worried face.
CTA: "See How I Compare"
4. Loss Aversion — "Your Roof Is Leaking Money"
Visual: Roof with dollar bills flying out like smoke. Slightly absurd but instant comprehension.
CTA: "Find the Leak"
5. Qualification Gate — "Does Your Home Qualify for the Rate Shield Program?"
Visual: Map of IL/MI with pin dropping on a house. Green checkmark appears.
CTA: "Check My Address" (lowest friction — feels like a yes/no check, not a quiz)
Key Insight: CTA Wording Matters
"Take the Quiz" is generic. Better CTAs promise a specific personal outcome: "Reveal My Number," "Calculate My Score," "Check My Address," "Find the Leak." Each one answers: what do I GET for clicking?
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