Marketer Crew - ⚡ MC - Copywriting Formulas

Continuing last week's discussion on copywriting, we will analyse today different formulas for structuring your content to capture attentio and drive engagement.

Copywriting Formulas

1. Before – After – Bridge

Before – Here’s your world …
After – Imagine what it’d be like, having Problem A solved …
Bridge – Here’s how to get there.

Describe a problem, describe a world where that problem doesn’t exist, then explain how to get there. It’s a super simple setup, and it can work for blogpost intros, social media updates, email, and anywhere else that you write (or speak, for that matter).

Example: Creating social media images takes time. Imagine cutting 1hr into 15mins. Here's how: ...

2. Features – Advantages – Benefits (FAB)

Features – What you or your product can do
Advantages – Why this is helpful
Benefits – What it means for the person reading

This copywriting formula highlights one of my favorite bits of advice on writing: Focus on benefits, not features. 

I also like the way that copywriter Joe Vitale phrases this one: You get this…and the product does this…so that you get this….

Examples: Complete social media management to help you schedule updates and get more clicks.

3. The 4 C’s

Clear
Concise
Compelling
Credible

Here’s one of my favorite formulas because it reminds me to stay focused on the goals of the copy and the benefits to the reader. Keep the writing clear, keep it concise, find a compelling angle to write from, and write with credibility that what you’re promising can be trusted to happen.

Example: Remember everything. Even your nephew's birthday. Try the web's most popular to-do list.

4. Attention – Interest – Desire – Action (AIDA)

Attention – Get the reader’s attention
Interest – Interesting and fresh information that appeals to the reader
Desire – Benefits of your product/service/idea and proof that it does what you say
Action – Ask for a response

AIDA is one of the most standard copywriting formulas for most any type of marketing copy. It’s been used for direct mail, television and radio, sales pages, landing pages, and so much more. 

Example: Sneak peek! The alpha version of our new project: concierge music service! Want in?

5. The 5 basic objections

1. I don’t have enough time.
2. I don’t have enough money.
3. It won’t work for me.
4. I don’t believe you.
5. I don’t need it.

Chances are that a reader can easily come up with reasons not to read or click or share. Those reasons will likely fall into one of these five basic buckets. Keep these in mind as you’re writing. If you can solve all of them, wonderful. If you can solve even one, great.

Example: The best way to spend your next 5 minutes: easy grammar fixes for your website.

More info and other formulas in the above link.

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Snippets

• Wizen Guides — Strategy guides for startup founders.
• Email Health Report — Analyse your emails and get actionable insights for free.
  
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• Ali Abdaal — 4 years of learning YouTube distilled into 15+ lessons.
• Dickie Bush  — 3 dead-simple steps to edit your writing in 10 minutes or less (that you'll actually use).

Worth Reading

1. State of search: discover how the Web changed in 2021.

2. What to make of Elon Musk's buy-up of Twitter Shares.

3. Internal linking: the SEO superpower.

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