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    18 Copywriting Formulas (Plus Examples of Each)

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    Copywriting Formulas help you approach a problem with a fresh angle. 

    Here's 20 of the top copywriting formulas to help you get jumpstarted.

    #1.) AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

    This formula is widely used in advertising and sales copy. It starts by grabbing attention, generating interest, creating desire, and finally, prompting action from the reader or viewer.

    Attention: Hey do you workout?

    Interest: If you drink 1 liter of water before working out, you increase muscle production by 30%.

    Desire: So if you drank more water before working out, you could see bigger gains for the same work.

    Action: Grab a bottle of water and chug it before working out!

    Read more about the AIDA Formula → 

    #2.) PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution

    This formula addresses the reader's problem, agitates their pain points, and presents a solution to alleviate their issues.

    Problem: Do you try to find meeting times over email, but it ends up being 5+ back-n-forth emails?

    Agitate: I bet you do this all the time and it's made you miss out on huge deals because you didn't respond to some emails quick enough.

    Solution: Use Calendly instead, and it'll show your availability to the other person, and they can just pick a time to meet!

    #3.) PASCA: Problem Agitate Solution Call to Action

    Building upon the PAS formula, PASCA adds a Call to Action (CTA) at the end to prompt the reader to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.

    Problem: Do you try to find meeting times over email, but it ends up being 5+ back-n-forth emails?

    Agitate: I bet you do this all the time and it's made you miss out on huge deals because you didn't respond to some emails quick enough.

    Solution: Use Calendly instead, and it'll show your availability to the other person, and they can just pick a time to meet!

    Call To Action: Click here to signup for Calendly, and use coupon code MEOWMEOW for 20% off. 

     

    #4.) 4 Ps: Promise, Picture, Proof, Push

    This formula starts with a promise or benefit, creates a vivid picture of the desired outcome, provides proof or testimonials to back up the claims, and ends with a push to take action.

    Promise: Do you want a suit that fits perfectly, so you don't look all frumpy and lame?

    Picture: Like this:
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    Proof: We only create suits with tapered cuts, so you don't look like a little boy wearing his dads coat.

    Push: Go to our website and select your normal suit size and we'll send you a well-tailored suit.

    #5.) FAB: Features, Advantages, Benefits

    FAB formula highlights the features of a product or service, explains their advantages, and ultimately communicates the benefits to the customer.

    Features: The Copywriting Course transforms you from a mediocre & scared writer, to confident and high-output writer who knows how to sell.

    Advantages: Learning the skill of copywriting can make you better at:
    - Writing cold emails
    - Writing on social media
    - Selling people on ideas or products
    - Knowing how to communicate with high-level people

    Benefits: My amping up your copywriting muscle, you'll be able to communicate at least 50% to 200% better on every piece of marketing material you help create, or every communication you have with other humans! 

    #6.) The Before-After-Bridge

    This describes the customer's current situation (Before), paints a vivid picture of how their life could be improved (After), and bridges the gap by explaining how the product or service can make that transformation happen.

    Does your house look like it was built in the 1920's and has been growing moss ever since?

    Let us powerwash your house and make it look brand new!

    Power washing is quick, affordable, and makes a huge transformation on your home!

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    #7.) 5W’s and H: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

    This formula involves answering the essential questions to provide a complete picture of the product or service.

    Who? Santa and his Reindeers.

    What? Are hosting a webinar on building toys.

    Where? Live broadcast on Zoom from The North Pole.

    When? December 31st at 1pm

    Why? To show you how to make your own toys.

    How? Click this link to register your spot.

     

     

    #8.) Tell A Story

    This formula uses storytelling techniques to engage the reader, create an emotional connection, and present the product or service as the solution to the protagonist's problem.

    There was a boy named Neville, he ran businesses for years but didn't understand the importance of "writing good copy" on emails. 

    He would send out an email newsletter every week and make zero sales 😞

    Then he read some copywriting books like The Gary Halbert Letters, and overnight started understanding some principles of great copy! 

    He went on to create many treasure chests full of loot after learning copywriting! You can learn too here →

    #9.) PAPA: Problem, Agitation, Provide, Action

    PAPA formula addresses the problem, agitates it to increase the pain, provides a solution, and prompts the reader to take action.

    Problem: Do you try to find meeting times over email, but it ends up being 5+ back-n-forth emails?

    Agitatation: I bet you do this all the time and it's made you miss out on huge deals because you didn't respond to some emails quick enough.

    Provide: Use Calendly instead, and it'll show your availability to the other person, and they can just pick a time to meet!

    Action: Click here to signup for Calendly, and use coupon code MEOWMEOW for 20% off. 

    #10.) The 7 Steps

    This formula consists of seven steps: Attention, Problem, Solution, Benefits, Proof, Credibility, and Action. It follows a logical flow to capture attention, address the problem, present the solution and its benefits, offer proof and credibility, and conclude with a call to action. This is great for sales pages.

    Attention: Clean your house without getting tired.

    Problem: Most vacuums are heavy, have a big cord, and make a lot of noise.

    Solution: The Dyson Digital Slim Vacuum is lightweight, cordless, and you can still listen to a podcast because it's so quiet.

    Benefits: It can clean your whole house on one charge, and be lifted or taken anywhere unlike traditional heavy vacuums.

    Proof: Anyone can lift this vacuum with no problem. Try THAT on a traditional vacuum!
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    Credibility: We have 10,000+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings on Amazon.

    Action: Go to Amazon and buy the Dyson Digital Slim Vacuum 

     

    #11.) 4U's: Urgent, Unique, Ultra-specific, Useful

    This formula emphasizes crafting copy that conveys a sense of urgency, highlights unique selling points, provides specific details, and offers useful information to the reader.

    Urgent: Our Black Friday Sale ends TONIGHT at 11:59pm.

    Unique: We're giving you 75% off the best selling rug in the world.

    Ultra-specific: If you buy our Abstract Woven Rug today, you'll get 75% off. 
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    Useful: This is the best selling rug we've ever had, and also the most durable. Just throw it in the washer and it comes out like brand new. Buy it now at an insane 75% off discount, only a few hours left!

    #12.) APP Formula: Agree, Promise, Preview

    This formula aims to establish agreement with the reader, make a promise or offer a benefit, and then provide a preview of what they can expect or experience.

    #13.) FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

    This technique leverages the fear of missing out on something valuable or exclusive. It emphasizes limited-time offers, scarcity, or unique opportunities to compel readers to take immediate action.

    It's Thanksgiving, and we're thankful for YOU, so for one-day only enjoy 40% off our entire site. 

    Any Category.
    Any Product.
    Any Item.

    It's ALL 40% off for the new few hours.

    This deal expires tonight, so hop on this deal immediately, this offer will not come back:
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    Don't miss this deal!

    #14.) PSR: Problem, Solution, Result

    This formula begins by identifying a problem the reader faces, presents a solution that solves the problem, and highlights the positive results or outcomes they can achieve by using the product or service.

    Problem: Your wallet is a big fat cow bulking up the back of your pants.

    Solution: Get a slim wallet.

    Result: Less junk in the trunk to carry, quick access, looks great.
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    #15.) 4 Ps of Persuasion

    This formula focuses on four key elements: Problem, Promise, Proof, and Push. It addresses the reader's problem, makes a compelling promise, offers proof or evidence to support the claims, and concludes with a strong push to take action.

    Problem: Do your suits fit like a crappy Halloween costume that's way too big?

    Promise: We can make you an awesome suit that fits perfectly and make you look awesome, like this:
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    Proof: Checkout our 10,000+ before/after pics on our site of guys going from baggy-to-braggy with our suits.

    Push: Go to our website and select your normal suit size and we'll send you a well-tailored suit.

     

    #16.) STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

    This formula is often used in case studies or testimonials. It presents the situation or problem, describes the task or challenge, explains the action taken to overcome it, and highlights the positive result achieved.

    Situation: You have no idea what to get your kid as a gift this year.

    Task: You can search around random social media list ideas if you want.

    Action: But the answer to your kids prayers this year is a big ole' box of Crayons!
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    Result: Your kid will be so happy with this box of Crayons, and will be able to unleash their imagination and develop their motor skills on the page!

     

    #17.) PASTOR Formula: Pain, Agitate, Solution, Testimonial, Offer, Response

    This formula starts by addressing the reader's pain points, agitates the problem to increase its significance, provides a solution, includes a testimonial or social proof, presents an offer, and encourages a response or action.

    Pain: Do you login to 7 different social networks and have to manage each?

    Agitate: All you want to do is market your business, but now you have to be on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube all day to manage interactions.

    Solution: Try HeroPost instead, and manage all your social media from one place.
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    Testimonial: "We login to ONE place to answer comments across all 7 social media platforms we manage."

    Offer: Get a Lifetime Plan right now for $197 only. Offer expires tomorrow.

    Response: Respond "YES" to this email if you want us to send you the offer.

    #18.) FAPE: Feature, Advantage, Proof, Evidence

    This formula breaks down the copy into four parts. It starts by highlighting the features of the product or service, explains the advantages or benefits derived from those features, provides proof or evidence to back up the claims, and supports it with further evidence.

    Feature: One of the cheapest ways to transform your brick house to a modern look is painting White with Black trim around windows.

    Advantage: This updates your house to a "modern" style popular in new custom houses.

    Proof: We've painted hundreds of houses with lasting results.

    Evidence: You can see hundreds of happy customer results here:
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    #19.) Download all these formulas



    • Keep them in your own files. • Share with your colleagues. • Download PDF, Word, Doc.

    Hope you enjoyed and learned from this post!
    Sincerely,
    Neville Medhora

     

    8 Comments

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    • Administrator
    Neville Grand Master

    Neville

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    Posted

    Thank you @Hitesh Rana! I can't help but think while I was making all the examples that there's really only 2 formulas, and everything else is just a modification:

    AIDA
    -and-
    PAS

    !

    Link to comment
    Hitesh Rana Enthusiast

    Hitesh Rana

    Posted
    Posted

    @Neville I realized that as long as you talk about your customer pain points.  Then talk about how your product will solve that pain point in a new and better way.  You will always win.

    It's like you are building a bridge from their pain points to your product.  

    Not the other way around.

    The best way to get into their world is through research. 

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    • Administrator
    Neville Grand Master

    Neville

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    Totally! I was reviewing @noahkagan's new book and here were some notes I took from a chapter that talks about solving a problem for your customers (and maybe even yourself):

    Go customer first. What to THEY want?
    1. What is one thing this morning that irritated me?
    2. What is one thing on my to-do list that’s been there over a week?
    3. What is one thing that I regularly fail to do well?
    4. What is one thing I wanted to buy recently only to find out that no one made it?

     

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    Hitesh Rana Enthusiast

    Hitesh Rana

    Posted
    Posted (edited)

    @Neville Thanks for sharing.  If you can answer any of those questions.  

    The reader starts to think...

    "Oh he/she get's me"

    You start to build that bridge from them to your product.  

    Sometimes when I write emails.  I think about the product and how great it is.  That can work.

    But if you start with the customer first and their wants and needs.  You are better off. 

    Edited by Hitesh Rana
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    kathchalmers Enthusiast

    kathchalmers

    Posted
    Posted (edited)

    Wow - so helpful! Squirreling this away to my folder of favorite copy resources. THANK YOU!

    Just wondering if anyone has tried including these formulae in their prompts on Jasper? I use their AIDA template - haven't tried the others yet.

    Edited by kathchalmers
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    Neville Grand Master

    Neville

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    Thank you @kathchalmers! 

    I mentioned this in my newsletter today:

    Quote

    The funny thing is after writing examples for each of these copywriting formulas, it seemed like almost every formulas was just a slight variation of either A.I.D.A. or P.A.S.

     

     

    I pretty much end up exclusively using some version of AIDA or PAS every time (mainly AIDA)!

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