5 Copywriting Formulas for Better Conversion Copy (and why some Freebie opt-ins SUCK)
copywriting formulas for more sales
As I write this, I’m on minute 16 of a Freebie Opt-In “Masterclass” from one of the biggest copywriters in my niche - it promises to teach you “The 5 Must-Have copywriting formulas that will double your sales.” But I haven’t seen any formulas yet (now 20 minutes in).
I don’t want to call out another copywriter, because that’s not kind. But I am sick to death of Freebie Opt-ins that promise high value, and then wedge it into a few minutes in the middle of a LONG sales pitch.
That’s not okay!
If I wasn’t listening to this with morbid fascination (when is she going to get to an actual formula? She’s talking about her life story now!), I would have clicked off within the first ten minutes. Ten minutes of my time, wasted.
So let me just tell you five copy formulas, right here, right now, that you can use without wading through (25 minutes now) of everything-but-copy-formulas. (Note: These are not the formulas from this 'freebie' I'm listening to - these are just some good, commonly known ones that I use regularly.)
Formula 1: PASO — Problem, Agitate, Solution, Outcome
Use this for a home page or sales page.
You start with the problem your client is experiencing - from their perspective. Like:
“You’re so tired, exhausted really, burnt out. You desperately want to feel awake again. Motivated. Excited to move forward.”
Then you agitate it - and frankly, I’ll say you don’t have to agitate it. Sometimes it’s just mean to punch someone’s bruise. But, here’s how to do it if you’re going to.
“If you continue this way, you’re headed into a depth of burnout you may never recover from - you can feel it. You’re staring into the abyss, and it doesn't look like a black hole, it actually looks like a fog. Brain fog. You can’t escape to clarity when you’re in the fog.”
Then you present your solution:
“That’s why you need someone who has clarity, who has energy, to help you find yours. Hi, I’m [Coach Name], and I help tired, burnt-out women like you…
And now we squeeze in the desired outcome of your ideal client!
“...reconnect with what wakes you UP, what gives you energy, what inspires you to sprint forward (instead of dragging your feet).”
And that is your PASO intro to a sales page.
(Now we’re 30 minutes into this Masterclass - we still haven’t gotten to a formula. WTF? Bait and Switch much?)
OMG - At MINUTE 31 - SHE FINALLY GETS TO THE … Oh wait. Nope.
False alarm.
Minute THIRTY TWO. She finally starts talking about the formulas. I’m still waiting to see an actual formula…
FINALLY: MINUTE 36. She presents a formula.
Formula 2: The Before-After-Bridge
This works well for About pages (which are your ‘secret sales pages’).
Before: You talk about the before-the-solution-story. Which is another way of saying: Lead with the pain point. But this time we’re building more of a story around it. And that story can either be your ideal client’s story (in the second person, “you”), or it can be your story, which is why I like using this for About pages.
You can talk about your own before, if you’ve experienced the pain points of your target clients (which many coaches have). Talk about your own struggles before you figured it out.
After: The desired outcome. This can either be the desired outcome of your ideal client, or your own real-world desired outcome. The amazing “After” or your painful before. Now that you’ve figured it out (whatever it is), what is your life like? How is it better?
Example:
“I’ve been where you are.
Overwhelmed, brain turning to mush, doubting yourself, every choice you ever made that’s led you to this point. Wishing someone would release you from the misery of writing your own copy and just DO IT FOR YOU!”
(Heh. Little inside joke there. Now here’s the After.)
“I go through that every time I write one of my own webpages. But when they are finally written, I breathe easy. Because they work to bring me amazing clients who are perfect fits, and so much fun to work with! Now that I’ve finished my website rewrite, I’m having the best time working with awesome humans who appreciate what I do — and I don’t have to worry about ‘talking them into’ anything (because my website does that for me), or having uncomfortable pricing conversations (they’re on my services pages).”
And the Bridge - the part where I say “and you can do this too!”
“And you can enjoy your business this much too - without suffering the way I did. You don’t have to write your own copy. Let me do it for you! Then you can skip over the self-doubt, overwhelm, brain-mush stage and go straight to the working-with-awesome-humans part.”
(I seriously didn’t set out to sell copywriting here - I just needed a quick example and this is what came - sorry!).
Formula 3: BAF (FAB backwards, because FAB is the actual acronym, but it’s in the wrong order!)
Use this for headings.
The FAB acronym stands for Features, Advantages, Benefits. But, don’t do it that way. Flip the script, because BENEFITS are so much more important than features.
What is the difference between a “feature” and a “benefit?”
That firepower flower in this (my favorite) graphic is a “feature” - at least when we’re speaking about service-based businesses (not product-based businesses). It’s the process you take, the ways you work with people, that lead them to their ideal outcome.
But your clients don’t really care about how they get to throw fireballs. They just want to throw fireballs (or whatever their ideal outcome is - but that one is pretty cool).
Start by talking about how cool it is to throw fireballs (I’m speaking metaphorically, for you literalists out there). That is the BENEFIT they care about.
Then, talk about the advantages of throwing fireballs with you!
And finally, you should talk about how your client can gain the ability to throw fireballs (the “feature”/ method/ process), just briefly, so they know you’re not full of shit.
Here’s an example I wrote for the sales page of Rachel Alexandria’s Soul School: The Journey Within that follows this framework. The first two lines are the Benefits + Advantages part. And at the end is the “Flower” bit - the how (user’s manual, in this case).
Want support for these difficult times?
Looking for more calm, clarity and confidence in yourself?
Soul School: Journey Within is the User’s Manual you always wished you had for how to trust yourself and make good decisions, even when nothing is certain.
Okay, I’ve stopped listening to the “Masterclass.” She’s stopped talking about formulas and has gone on to the selling portion. Boooorrrring.
Formula 4: AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
Use for every single landing page and even ads and blog posts - I love this one.
AIDA is my favorite formula because it doesn’t necessarily rely on pain points to work. Sometimes, pain points can be negative and even damaging (not all the time, which is why I still use them when it’s appropriate).
Attention: Grab the reader’s attention with something funny, surprising, or brutally (hilariously) honest.
“My armpits smell like skunk farts. Do you know that smell?”
Interest: Introduce interesting, fresh information about that surprising statement.
“I thought it might be something in my diet — like all that roadkill I’d been eating lately… (kidding)
But it turns out, it was my natural deodorant.”
Desire: What your ideal clients really want.
“I just wanted to not smell AND not kill myself slowly with chemicals and metals. Is that too much to ask?”
Action: What to do about this issue?
“No, it’s not too much to ask. I spent the last 3 years coming up with an all-natural, no-chemical or aluminum or toxic substance deodorant that works. Choose how you’d like to smell:
I want to smell like nothing! Scentless is for you! [click to product page]
I want to smell like purdy spring flowers, without smelling like Grandma’s perfume. Matcha Jasmine may be your jam! [click to product page]
I want to smell like a field of lavender in Provence - take me away! [click to product page]
Formula 5: PPPPs — Picture, Promise, Prove, Push
Use for sales pages.
This formula starts by painting a picture - usually of a pain point, but perhaps of the desired outcome. But, if you’re just starting out, it’s easier to start with picturing the pain point.
Example:
“You’ve just walked into the produce section of the grocery store, when you get HIT with a wave of anxiety, tension, sadness. Where did that come from? You weren’t feeling that way when you ate breakfast. You were fine in the parking lot. Did staring at the wilted lettuce trigger some past trauma? No!
It’s not yours.
It’s coming from the sweet little old lady in the purple cardigan trying to decide between beets or rutabagas next to you.
If you know what I’m talking about - you’re an empath too.”
That’s a true story by the way - I’ve totally had that grocery store moment.
Then you make a promise:
“It took me years to figure out which emotions were mine, and which weren’t - and to shield myself from the latter so I could function in the world. And now, that’s what I teach other empaths how to do.
In this course, I will teach you to shield yourself from other people’s negative energies AND to harness your empathic superpowers to help you navigate your relationships, develop your intuition, and make what some of us have called a curse into a strength.”
This is no longer a true story, by the way, but I’ve worked with lots of coaches who specialize in exactly this.
Prove: Social proof. This is where you insert a testimonial.
“Oh my gosh, working with [coach name] was so great. I don’t feel stressed when my partner comes home from his stressful job at night anymore - that wasn’t mine! And now I have more energy to support him, instead of feeling dragged down with him. - Happy Client
And then you end with a “Push” - also known as a Call to Action.
“Don’t get bogged down with emotions that aren’t yours! That’s tiring and stressful!
Sign up for this workshop now and I will immediately send you my favorite Shielding technique that you can use immediately, or on your next trip to the grocery store.”
Done!