Key takeaways
- Format: Customer testimonial Story with a photo, name label and question headline.
- Best for: Adding social proof to a complex or high-trust topic.
- Hook: A relatable peer plus a question about your own salary.
- Reuse it: Pair a real customer's photo and job title with the question they had before using your product.
Available sizes
What is a testimonial ad?
A testimonial ad uses a real customer's words, such as a review, quote or comment, as the main message. It answers a buyer's doubts with social proof rather than brand claims, and works especially well when the testimonial is specific about who the customer is and what changed for them.
See all testimonial ads →Why this testimonial ad works
- 01
A real peer builds trust
Seeing a named owner with a specific business makes the message more credible than a brand claim, especially on a financial topic.
- 02
Same hook, new proof
Reusing the illustrated ad's question keeps the campaign consistent while adding a human face for viewers who need social proof.
- 03
Italic emphasis guides the eye
Italicising "salary" highlights the exact problem and makes the headline feel conversational, as if spoken aloud.
- 04
Duotone keeps it on-brand
The coral-tinted photo blends real footage with Gusto's palette, so the testimonial still reads instantly as Gusto.
Full creative breakdown
Who this ad targets
The ad targets US S-Corp owners, particularly modern service businesses like consultants, marketers, coaches and creative freelancers who identify with Stacy's profile. They elected S-Corp status to save on taxes but are unsure what counts as a reasonable salary. Seeing someone like them, running an AI marketing consultancy, makes the problem relatable and Gusto feel like a tool built for people in their situation, not just for larger companies.
Copywriting analysis
The headline is the same question as the illustrated version, a proven hook reused for consistency. The small change, italicising "salary", adds a spoken, slightly knowing tone that fits a testimonial. The name label works as a caption, giving the viewer a real person and a specific, modern profession, "AI Marketing consulting", that adds relatability for knowledge workers. The copy doesn't need product claims because the video and the customer's story carry the persuasion. The question invites viewers to watch and find out how Stacy answered it.
Visual design
The layout is asymmetric: the rounded, coral-duotone photo sits top right, the name label to its left, and the large serif headline anchors the lower half. Pastel squares in mint, pink and coral float at varying sizes for depth, with a blush pink background. The coral Gusto wordmark sits bottom centre. Keeping the photo tinted ensures the person feels integrated into the brand system rather than pasted on.
How to adapt this template for your brand
- Record a short video with a real customer whose business matches your target segment.
- Use a framed still of them as the cover, tinted in your brand colour.
- Add a small label with their name and business type.
- Write the headline as the question the customer had before they found you, and italicise the key word.
- Keep layout and colours consistent with your illustrated version so both ads run as one campaign.
Tips for payroll ads on Meta
Run this as a Reel or Story video with captions, using this frame as the first second or cover. On Meta, A/B test it against the illustrated S-Corp ad and use the testimonial for retargeting, where social proof matters most. Keep the video under 30 seconds and put the answer to the question in the first 10 seconds. Add the customer's quote in the primary text to reinforce trust.
About this creative
This 9:16 Gusto ad reuses the headline from Gusto's illustrated S-Corp ad but swaps the drawing for a real customer. In the upper right, a rounded photo shows Stacy Tarver, smiling in her workspace with curly hair, a black tank top and visible tattoos. The photo has a warm coral duotone treatment that ties it to Gusto's palette. To the left, a small label names her and her business: "Stacy Tarver, AI Marketing consulting". Below, the serif headline asks, "S-Corps: have you set your salary right?" with "S-Corps:" in coral and "salary" in italics for emphasis. Soft pastel squares in pink, mint and coral float around the frame, and the coral Gusto wordmark sits at the bottom. The layout suggests this is the opening frame of a short testimonial video in which Stacy explains how she worked out her reasonable S-Corp salary and runs payroll through Gusto.
Meta ad · 338 × 600 · Payroll
Gusto S-Corp Salary Testimonial Ad with Stacy Tarver
This vertical Gusto ad combines a real customer, AI marketing consultant Stacy Tarver, with the question "S-Corps: have you set your salary right?". It's a 9:16 testimonial-style Story ad, likely the cover of a short video, showing how a recognisable peer can make a technical tax topic feel personal and credible.
Added
All brand names and logos are property of their owners. Adplaylist is not affiliated with or endorsed by these brands.
Details
Ad copy
Primary text
"I wasn't sure what to pay myself as an S-Corp." Stacy Tarver runs an AI marketing consultancy and uses Gusto to set a reasonable salary, run payroll automatically and stay on the right side of the IRS. Hear how she did it.
Description
Real owners, real payroll with Gusto
On-image text
Stacy Tarver | AI Marketing consulting | S-Corps: have you set your salary right? | gusto
Headline ideas for this template
- 1How one consultant got her S-Corp salary right
- 2Real S-Corp owners trust Gusto with payroll
- 3Stacy stopped guessing her salary. You can too.
- 4What should an S-Corp owner pay themselves?
- 5From salary confusion to payroll on autopilot
Meta image ad specs
| Placement | Ratio | Size (px) |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080×1080 / 1080×1350 |
| Marketplace | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Messenger inbox | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Stories & Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
This template is 1:1. Request 4:5 or 9:16 to cover all placements.
