The two most persuasive and powerful copywriting formulas you will ever need

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Want to have a proven framework to write copy that converts without having the headache of knowing where to start? Then pull up a chair to learn the two most powerful copywriting formulas of all time. But be warned, there is a caveat in using these!

The two most persuasive and powerful copywriting formulas for email that you will ever need

They’re called formulas because they’re proven ways to pull your reader in. 

You know if you add 2 and 2, you get 4.

If you insert copy piece x, then add copy piece y, you get z (which hopefully equates to customers clicking your buy button).

But it’s not that simple.

Nothing is guaranteed.

One thing for sure is that you want to keep your reader reading. And that is the secret to any copy you write, regardless of any formula you might use.

The purpose of every line is to keep the readers attention and get them to the next line, and the next, and the next.

And... throughout this journey you present different elements to entice, persuade, convince or prove that your product is the solution to their problem or that it will achieve the results they desire.

How you present these elements is where the formulas come in, and I’m about to share the two most effective formulas of all time.

The only two copywriting formulas you’ll ever need really.

Before I introduce these beauties, you need to know that when I say they’re the only ones you’ll need, what I mean is that the majority of other formulas you see out there are reworks of these two, just positioned slightly differently.

But if you only ever use these two, you can’t really go wrong.

So the first one is..

AIDA

The formula has been about since 1898 (according to my Google search) and was first devised by St Elmo Lewis, not to be confused with St Elmo’s Fire (the cult movie that was my childhood).

So whilst you may think it’s a bit old and decrepit, it’s actually one of those golden oldies that will last In Perpetuum. And it goes something like this...

• A = Attention
  Grab them with a head-turning, attention-grabbing headline.

• I = Interest
  Give them some more information that will get their juices flowing and wanting to know more.

• D = Desire
  Harness their desires by stoking the fire that’s in their heart (after all Eugene M. Schwartz once said “you cannot create desire, just harness that which is there” - not an exact quote I might add).

• A = Action
  Tell them what to do next with a call to action (CTA).

This is the perfect formula if you like to keep things positive. 

It might look like this…

The second formula is...

PAS

This one is also a classic. Whilst I have no idea who devised or put a label on this one it’s been around since the “great ad days” of the 50’s & 60’s, if not before.

This one harnesses the power of highlighting people's pain. 

This isn’t as bad as it sounds and it can be done ethically if you want to stay aligned to your values and morals. And can also be used humorously (see any Harmon Brothers’ advertising campaign).

The point though... as a genius direct-response copywriter you’ve probably never heard of once said (and I’m paraphrasing)... is that “people are more likely to take action to avoid pain than to take action towards a goal”. 

It’s what is known as a PUSH formula as opposed to a PULL formula.

Push incorporates pushing away from the thing you DON’T want, whereas Pull incorporates you pulling yourself towards the thing you DO want.

Even in this imaginary “action”, you can see that a push has more energy and urgency than a pull – this is why the PAS formula is so powerful.

What’s great about PAS is you can use it in something as small as a paragraph, with a sentence dedicated to each element, or you can use an entire sales page or blog article to take a journey through the formula.

Here’s how it goes...

• P = Problem
  You highlight the problems your customer is facing in their current situation.

• A = Agitate
  You poke at that problem to show them how it’s showing up for them and perhaps what continues to happen if they don’t do something about it soon.

• S = Solution
  Segue nicely into why your product is the perfect solution for them.

Here’s a silly example (bonus points if you read it in a sleazy car-salesman’s voice)…

If you don’t know… a) a cows lick is when your hair grows in a strange direction around your hairline, giving the effect that a cow has just given you a big lick, and b) fringe = bangs.

This is an easy go-to formula you can use in any type of copy – it works really well in emails!

The caveat with formulas…

These formulas can work a treat but ONLY if you do your foundational work first. 

Knowing your customers' problems, their desires, what their day looks like, what’s holding them back, what matters most to them… all these elements should be foundational pieces you research before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

To know more about doing customer research and using the voice of your customer in your copy, take a look at this article: How to use market research and voice of customer data to your advantage

As I mentioned before, there are hundreds of formulas out there that can help you write great copy, but with these two in your back pocket, you’ll have enough to keep you going for a long time… because why fix what ain’t broke?

Have questions about this? Don’t let them melt your brain. Send me a message through my contact form here.

See what I did there? ☝️ … a little PAS in action! 😏