Let's face it: not every marketer can write copy that hooks the readers and converts them into paying customers. Not every marketer is a good copywriter. And yet, every good copywriter is also a great marketer.
Why? Because to write good copy - copy that sells - you need to understand how people make buying decisions. Contrary to what you may think, copywriting is 80% psychology and 20% writing.
Good copywriting is based on buyer psychology. Every piece of website copy, sales page copy, or email campaign copy is optimized for buyer psychology. And uses one of the many copywriting formulas.
Great copywriters use these formulas all the time to write copy that converts. But even if you're not a copywriter, learning how to use these formulas to write copy for your website, landing page, or Facebook ads will help you craft better copy and see improved conversions.
So, here are the three main copywriting formulas every marketer should implement in their marketing strategy:
The AIDA Model
The PAS Formula
The BAB Formula
Let's dive into each one of them.
The AIDA Model
If you've been in the digital marketing space for a while, you may have heard about the AIDA model. This is the fundamental formula in copywriting as it defines the four core objectives any copy must fulfill to be successful.
The AIDA model stands for attention, interest, desire, and action.
If this sounds like a complex brain teaser, don't worry! Let's dive deeper into each one of these four elements of the AIDA model.
A: Grab Your Reader's Attention
Let's be honest: grabbing your reader's attention is the most important thing when it comes to copywriting and content marketing. If you don't hook them with the first sentence on your website, Facebook ad, or Instagram post, they won't feel motivated to read any further.
That's why attention is the first element of the AIDA model. Unless you learn how to write headlines that convert, your copy will flop.
So, how do you grab attention with your writing? Here are a few tips:
Use power and emotion-filled words
Ask questions to engage your reader
Use direct and clear language
Use statements your readers can relate to
I: Pique Your Reader's Interest
Now that you've got your reader's attention, you need to pique their interest in your product or service. Getting their attention is the easy part. Keeping it is where the fun is at.
Knowing your audience and getting inside their minds is the best way to generate their interest. If you write copy that speaks directly to them and makes them feel as if you know exactly what they're going through, they'll be interested to learn more about your offer.
D: Generate a Desire to Buy
The next element in the AIDA model is "desire." In other words, how do you go from having your readers interested in your product or service to convincing them to buy?
This is where you can go all in on presenting your product or service. Here are some practical copywriting tips to help you turn your reader's interest into desire:
Lead with benefits. What's in it for them?
Use emotional language. How will your product or service improve their lives?
Show them why you're different and why they should choose you instead of your competitors.
Showcase your uniqueness! Don't try to sound like every other brand out there. Be yourself!
Use social proof to build credibility. Sprinkle your website with testimonials from happy customers and share successful case studies.
A: Inspire Your Reader to Take Action
The last - but not the least important - element of the AIDA model is "action."
Action, as in a call to action.
That's because not having a call to action at the end of your blog post, throughout your website copy, or even in your email campaign is one of the biggest copywriting mistakes you can make. It's a giant conversion killer!
If you want people to take action after reading your blog post, opening your email, or clicking through to your landing page, you must instruct them on what to do next. Don't you ever forget to include a CTA!
Take a look at how this company used the AIDA model in its Black Friday email campaign:
The PAS Formula
The PAS formula is a simple and effective way to ensure that the copy you write will engage, persuade, and sell. Along the AIDA model, this is the most effective copywriting formula as it plays upon the person's pains and fears, which are the most powerful motivators behind making purchase decisions.
The PAS formula is an acronym that stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution or Pain, Agitate, Solve. This formula follows the basic principles of buyer psychology, which are:
Pointing out the reader's pains and emphasizing them.
Agitating the pain to the point where it really hurts.
Offering the solution to get rid of the pain.
It is really powerful because we all want to get rid of our problems. And the more painful the problem, the stronger our desire to eliminate it.
P: Relate to Your Reader's Problem
The key to effective copywriting is making your readers feel like you get them. By describing their problem to them using the words and phrases they've been repeating in their minds, you show them that you truly understand them.
When you can make your readers wonder if you've been secretly reading their diary, you now have their undivided attention and trust.
A: Agitate Your Reader's Pain
The next step in the PAS formula is to pour some salt onto the wound. Now that you've got your readers thinking about their problem again, you can push their pain even further.
Here, the PAS formula plays on a myriad of negative emotions: fear, shame, anxiety, etc. Naturally, no one wants to feel this way.
The secret is to agitate the pain to the point where the reader feels an urgent need to eliminate those unpleasant emotions. Then, it's time to show them the light at the end of the tunnel.
S: Offer a Solution
This is where you offer your reader a way to get rid of their pain. A way to make things better. In this step, you're telling your customer, "I know what's going on. I get you! And I have a solution to help you."
If done right, the PAS formula makes your reader feel so sick of their problem that they're ready to take out their credit card to get rid of it. It also makes them believe that you can help them and that your offer is the right solution for them.
The BAB Formula
The Before-After-Bridge formula is yet another powerful copywriting framework. This simple formula aims to paint the picture of how your customer's life will change after purchasing your offer.
B: Show Your Reader the "Before"
This is similar to the Problem or Pain part of the PAS formula. By painting your customer's existing situation, you highlight their problem and remind them how it makes them feel.
In this part of the BAB formula, you want the reader to think, "Wow, that's exactly what I'm going through!" Not only will this make your readers trust you, but it also primes them for change.
A: Show Your Reader the "After"
The "After" part of the BAB formula gives readers insight into how much better things will get if they take action now. The goal here is to paint a vivid picture of how the reader's life will change after they make the purchase.
Creating this vision in their mind generates a strong desire for it to become a reality - and, therefore, motivates them to learn more about the life-changing solution you're about to introduce.
B: Bridge the Gap
Now that you've reminded your reader about what they're going through (agitated their pain) and made them aware of how their life can look like after they take action (generated desire), it's time to introduce your offer. This is the magic solution that bridges the gap between the before and after.
When presenting your offer, focus on highlighting the end results. How will it help your customer change their life? Leading with benefits and emotion-filled statements is the most powerful way to convince your prospects to make their final purchase decision.
Here's an example of the BAB formula on a homepage I wrote for one of my clients:
It's Time to Crash Your Copy with These Copywriting Formulas
Copywriting formulas provide you with a framework to write copy that converts based on buyer psychology.
Paired with good copywriting skills, these formulas are an extremely powerful tool to write copy that hooks the reader and makes them want to scream, "Shut up and take my money!"
So, make sure to implement them in your copy from now on!
*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through my link, I get a commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. You're just helping me keep the blog alive!
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