It’s said that there’s no single formula for success, but there are a few copywriting formulas that can help you achieve your communications goals.
Copywriting is an essential element of any digital marketing campaign — and its goal is to compel our audience to do something… to take action after consuming our content.
Whether the goal of that copy is to get a member of the target audience to:
- sign up for an email list
- subscribe to a company’s blog
- visit a website or
- purchase your products/services,
copywriters ultimately aim to draw the reader into the piece of content and drive more engagement. But how can you craft content that draws readers in and persuades them to feel, think or respond favorably to your organization’s story?
With copywriting formulas — that’s how! With the worlds of copywriting and content marketing evolving and increasingly crossing paths, marketers, storytellers and copywriters alike have crafted different methods and procedures for communicating the right message to the right audience at the right time.
Whether you’re drafting a blog post, providing thought leadership via a contributed article, updating your social media followers or sending a note to your email list, some simple copywriting formulas help increase your chances that a reader takes your desired action. Let’s take a quick look at some of our favorite copywriting formulas that actually work.
1-2-3-4 Formula for Copywriting
Shout out to Copyblogger for one of my favorite — and easy-to-remember — copywriting formulas.
- What I’ve got for you
- What it’s going to do for you
- Who I am
- What you need to do next
What I’ve got for you
The offering itself. What is it? What does it do? Who is it for? Explain your product or service and its features.
What it’s going to do for you
Talk about the benefits of the offering and how your readers’ lives will improve by taking the action you want them to take. Remember: A feature is not a benefit, so think about the result or problem solved.
Who I am
This is not always literally explaining who you are but instead about how your offering helps members of your target audience solve the problem they’re facing. Establish authority, trust and the sense that you know what you’re talking about.
What you need to do next
Ah, yes. The call to action. After consuming that content, someone needs to know precisely what to do next. Be specific and crystal clear with your CTA.
Like all good copywriting formulas, the 1-2-3-4 formula isn’t just about selling products or services — it’s about motivating readers to take a specific action.
The AIDA Copywriting Formula
A classic copywriting formula, AIDA stands for:
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
Grab the reader’s attention. Only 20% of readers read beyond the headline, so it is essential to make an impression on your prospective reader. Attract interest in your offering by detailing what your product or service contains. Create desire in your offering by explaining the benefits of your reader taking the action you want them to take. Finally, call on the reader to take that action.
The Problem, Agitate, Solution (PAS) Formula
An old-school approach that is both simple to remember and can result in convincing copy, the PAS formula introduces the reader to a problem they experience, agitates them using emotional language to drive home the pain the problem a reader is experiencing creates and then provides a beneficial solution to that challenge.
By tackling a fundamental problem your audience faces and providing painful examples, the PAS formula engages readers’ attention so they’re eager to discover the solution.
What is the Best Copywriting Formula?
That’s a complicated answer. Our advice? Find a formula that works for you and your audience — and leverage it as often as possible. We understand how hard it can be to nail down the right formula, but the three described above — 1-2-3-4, AIDA and PAS — can help you find and even enhance your voice.
If you need help finding the copywriting formula that will empower you to craft high-quality, engaging content that meets your communications goals, give us a shout!
