Why you shouldn’t look for Shakespeare in marketing
When business owners have to write copy for their website or an ad, they often get stage fright. They try to be creative, funny or sound extremely smart. The result is sentences like: “Our company implements innovative paradigms in the field of comprehensive solutions…”
The customer doesn’t get it. They’re bored. They leave.
Yet the secret of the world’s best marketers is simple: They don’t write from inspiration. They write from templates. There are psychological formulas that have worked on the human brain for 100 years. It doesn’t matter whether you sell drills, software or pizza. These formulas work because they mirror the way we make decisions.
Formula 1: PAS (Problem – Agitation – Solution)
The most powerful weapon for B2B and services.
This is the king of conversions. It works on the principle that people are more motivated by fear of loss (or pain) than by the desire for gain.
- Problem: Name the pain the customer feels. Show them you understand.
- Agitation: Rub salt in the wound. Explain what happens if they don’t deal with the problem. Turn up the emotional pressure.
- Solution: Offer your product as the only way out.
Example (selling accounting software):
- (P) Do you spend your weekends every month buried in invoices instead of being with your family?
- (A) If you don’t change that, you’ll burn out soon, and mistakes made out of exhaustion could bring you a fine from the tax office that wipes out your annual profit.
- (S) Our software automates 90% of the paperwork, so you’re done by 2 p.m. on Friday. Try the demo for free.
Formula 2: AIDA (Attention – Interest – Desire – Action)
A classic that works great on social media.
Every marketing student knows this model, but few know how to use it properly. It’s like a slide – you have to get the customer from the top all the way to the bottom.
- Attention: A shocking headline or image. Stop the scroll.
- Interest: Give them an interesting fact or a new piece of information.
- Desire: Show them how their life will get better (benefits, not features).
- Action: Tell them exactly what to do.
Example (selling an English course):
- (A) Stop being too embarrassed to speak up on vacation!
- (I) Did you know that 300 words are enough for everyday conversation if you know how to put them together?
- (D) Imagine the feeling of ordering a coffee in London and joking with the waiter without stumbling over your words.
- (A) Click here and download a free list of the 300 key words.
Formula 3: BAB (Before – After – Bridge)
Ideal for online stores and visual products.
This formula is all about transformation. The customer is at point A (unhappy) and wants to get to point B (happy). Your product is the bridge.
- Before: Describe the customer’s current world (with the problem).
- After: Describe the ideal world where the problem is solved. Let them daydream.
- Bridge: Show them how to get there (your product).
Example (selling a robot vacuum):
- (Before) You come home from work exhausted, and the first thing you see is crumbs and dog hair on the floor. You have to get the vacuum out, even though all you want is to lie down.
- (After) Imagine opening the door to a perfectly clean floor. Every day. Without lifting a finger.
- (Bridge) RoboCleaner 3000 takes care of the dirt while you’re at work. All you have to do is put your feet up.
Which formula should you use when?
- Are you solving a boring or difficult problem (taxes, security, health)? Use PAS. You need to scare people a little.
- Are you selling a lifestyle product, beauty or an experience? Use BAB. You’re selling a dream.
- Running a quick ad on Instagram? Use AIDA. It’s dynamic.
Writing without a formula is like building a house without plans
You might build something, but it’ll probably collapse. Next time you’re writing an email to a client or copy for your website, stop. Don’t start writing right away. Pick one of these formulas and plug your information into it.
You’ll be surprised how much more persuasive your copy suddenly sounds.
