3 Popular Copywriting Formulas You Need in Your Toolkit

Having a set of tried-and-true copywriting formulas at your disposal can significantly enhance your ability to craft persuasive, engaging writing.

This blog post will explore three of the most popular and effective copywriting formulas. Each of them serves a specific purpose and is useful in different circumstances:

1. AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action): Perfect for quickly grabbing attention and guiding readers through a clear decision-making process.
2. BAB (before-after-bridge): The best for conveying compelling transformation stories that highlight the value of the product or service for the reader. 
3. PAS (problem-agitation-solution): Excellent for deeply connecting with your audience’s pain points and positioning the product or service as the ideal solution.

Keep reading to learn what each formula entails, why they work, and how to apply them to streamline your copywriting process.

What Are Copywriting Formulas?

Copywriting formulas provide a framework that helps you craft persuasive messages that will resonate with your target audience. These formulas are like a road map, guiding you through the process of creating compelling copy that captures attention and drives action.

The beauty of copywriting formulas lies in their efficiency and their versatility. By using a reliable structure, you can focus your creative energy on crafting unique and engaging content within each proven framework. This approach saves time, enhances clarity, and increases the likelihood of the copy’s success.

If you are juggling multiple clients or facing tight deadlines, copywriting formulas offer a dependable starting point for many projects. They provide a solid foundation that can be adapted to suit different industries, products or services, and marketing channels.

Now, let’s explore three of the most popular copywriting formulas that you should have in your tool kit.

1. The AIDA Copywriting Formula

AIDA is one of the oldest and most widely recognized copywriting formulas in the marketing world. The acronym stands for attention, interest, desire, and action, representing the four stages the reader goes through when engaging with your copy.

Here’s how these stages work:

• Attention: The first step is to grab your audience’s focus with a compelling headline or opening statement. This could be a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic, or a bold claim that piques curiosity.
• Interest: Once you have their attention, you need to maintain it by highlighting a relevant benefit or unique selling proposition. This is where you start to build a connection between the offer and the reader’s needs or desires.
• Desire: At this stage, you’re aiming to create an emotional appeal by showcasing how the product or service can solve the reader’s problem or improve their life. Use vivid language and specific details to paint a picture of the positive outcomes they can expect.
• Action: Finally, you prompt the reader to take the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a resource. Your call to action (CTA) should be clear, compelling, and easy to follow.

AIDA Example

To explore AIDA in action, imagine you’re writing copy advertising a live ethics seminar. Here’s how you might apply the formula:

• Attention: In a world of complex moral dilemmas, how do you make the right choice?
• Interest: Our Practical Ethics for Modern Life seminar will teach you how to weave ancient wisdom and contemporary philosophy into your everyday decisions.
• Desire: Learn from world-renowned ethicists, and gain the confidence to navigate ethical challenges in your personal and professional life. 
• Action: Enroll now and get 20% off with code ETHICS20. Limited spots available!

This formula is particularly effective for advertisements, landing pages, and social media posts where you need to quickly capture attention and guide the reader toward a specific action.

2. The BAB Copywriting Formula

BAB stands for before, after, and bridge, and it’s a formula that leverages the power of transformational narratives to engage readers and showcase the value of the offer.

This is how the BAB formula works:

• Before: Begin by describing the reader’s current situation, focusing on the problems or challenges they’re facing. This helps create a sense of empathy and shows that you understand their difficulties.
• After: Next, paint a clear picture of how much better the reader’s situation could be without the problem. This creates a contrast that highlights the potential for positive change.
• Bridge: Finally, explain how the product or service is the solution that will get them from the before state to the desired after state. This is where you position the offer as the key to achieving the transformation.

BAB Example

Let’s use the BAB formula to promote an online course platform:

• Before: Do you feel stuck in your career? Does it seem like you’re watching others advance while you’re left behind?
• After: Imagine a future where you’re armed with valuable, in-demand skills. Where you’re the first choice for a big promotion, and you have the confidence to pursue exciting new opportunities.
• Bridge: Our flexible, expert-led online courses will help you get there! Learn on your own schedule, and acquire the skills you need to reach your career goals. Join today and save 20% on any course of your choice.

The BAB formula is particularly effective for storytelling in blog posts, emails, and case studies. Essentially, anytime you need to demonstrate a positive transformation for the reader and position a product or service as the catalyst for that change.

3. The PAS Copywriting Formula

The PAS formula is a simple way to structure your copy so it’s concise and persuasive. The acronym stands for problem, agitation, and solution. It focuses strongly on the reader’s pain points, making it an incredibly effective way to engage emotionally with your audience.

Here’s how to structure your writing with the PAS formula:

• Problem: Start by identifying a specific issue your target audience is facing. Be clear and concise in outlining the problem to show that you understand the reader’s situation.
• Agitation: Next, amplify the emotional impact of this problem. Describe the consequences, frustrations, and negative outcomes that result from the issue. The goal is to make the problem feel urgent and pressing.
• Solution: Finally, present the product or service as the remedy to the agitated problem. Explain how the offer directly addresses the issues raised and provides relief.

PAS Example

Hypothetically, if you wanted to sell a sleep improvement program, here’s how you could use the PAS formula:

• Problem: You’re struggling with chronic insomnia that leaves you exhausted and unproductive.
• Agitation: Lack of sleep is affecting every aspect of your life. Your work performance is suffering, your relationships are strained, and your health is deteriorating. The constant fatigue makes even simple tasks feel overwhelming. If this continues, you risk serious consequences to your mental and physical health.
• Solution: Our comprehensive program combines cutting-edge sleep-tracking technology with personalized coaching to identify and address the root causes of your insomnia. Reclaim your nights and revitalize your days – because quality sleep is the foundation of a quality life.

This formula is highly effective when you want to evoke strong emotions. It’s ideal for sales letters, landing pages, and emails where you need to create a sense of urgency and present the product or service as the perfect solution.

Becoming A Copywriter

By incorporating these formulas into your copywriting tool kit, you’ll be equipped to craft engaging, persuasive copy with effective CTAs for almost any marketing channel. 

If you’d like to learn even more about copywriting, our Becoming A Copywriter course takes a deep dive into the world of writing web copy. It’s beginner friendly and will teach you everything you need to get started in this lucrative career. Why not try a couple of lessons for free?

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A Comprehensive Guide to 5 Types of Copywriting What Is Web Copywriting? 10 Psychological Principles That Will Make Your Writing More Persuasive How to Write a Call to Action (with Examples)