Copywriting isn’t about sounding fancy. It’s about making people act. If your words don’t grab attention, make them care, and push them to do something, you’re losing sales.

Here’s the truth: the best copywriters don’t start from scratch. They use proven formulas that guide the reader through a psychological journey—from awareness to desire to action. These formulas work because they match how humans naturally process information and make decisions.

And the good news? You don’t need to be a pro writer to use them. You just need to follow the structures.

Here are 5 copywriting formulas that will instantly boost your conversions.

1. Problem → Agitate → Solve (PAS) 🚨

This formula is simple but brutal: highlight the pain, make it hurt more, then offer relief.

Problem: “You’re working 12-hour days and still not growing.”
Agitate: “The harder you push, the closer you get to burnout.”
Solve: “Our system frees up 20 hours a week while doubling your output.”

💥 Why it works: People are more motivated to avoid pain than to chase pleasure. If you show them the pain clearly—and intensify it—they’ll feel urgency to solve it now.

💡 Smart Play: Use PAS for direct-response copy: emails, sales pages, or ads. It works best when the goal is immediate action.

2. Attention → Interest → Desire → Action (AIDA) 👀

This is the OG copywriting formula, and it hasn’t died because it still works. It’s a structured way to walk someone from stranger to buyer.

Attention: “97% of businesses waste money on ads.”
Interest: “Here’s why most campaigns fail…”
Desire: “Imagine cutting your ad spend in half while getting better results.”
Action: “Click here to start your free trial.”

🧲 Why it works: AIDA follows the natural flow of decision-making: first you need to be seen, then you need to be relevant, then you spark desire, and finally you direct action. Skip one step and you lose them.

💡 Smart Play: Perfect for Facebook/Google ads, landing pages, or sales presentations where you must grab attention fast and hold it long enough to close.

3. Before → After → Bridge (BAB) 🌉

People don’t actually care about your product. They care about how their life changes because of it. BAB makes that transformation crystal clear.

Before: “You’re buried in admin tasks.”
After: “You’re free to focus on sales and growth.”
Bridge: “Our automation software takes care of everything in between.”

🚪 Why it works: Humans think in contrasts. When you show the pain of “before” and the dream of “after,” your offer becomes the obvious bridge. You’re not selling features—you’re selling a better life.

💡 Smart Play: Use BAB for storytelling in social media, pitches, and presentations. It’s especially powerful for offers where the outcome is highly visual (weight loss, time saved, revenue gained).

4. Features → Advantages → Benefits (FAB) 💎

Most businesses get stuck bragging about features: “It has 10GB of storage.” Customers don’t care. They care about what those features mean for them.

Feature: “Our app has built-in scheduling.”
Advantage: “It saves you from using multiple tools.”
Benefit: “You’ll spend less time managing calendars and more time closing deals.”

💡 Why it works: Features are boring. Benefits create desire. FAB forces you to translate tech-speak into human-speak that answers the real question: “What’s in it for me?”

💡 Smart Play: Use FAB for product pages, demos, or onboarding flows. It’s the best formula for turning dry specs into compelling reasons to buy.

5. Hook → Story → Offer (HSO) 🎬

Stories sell because they bypass logic and connect emotionally. HSO uses narrative to build trust before presenting your offer.

Hook: “Last year, I almost shut down my business.”
Story: “I was drowning in debt until I discovered a new way to close clients.”
Offer: “That’s why I created this program—to help others escape the same trap.”

❤️ Why it works: Stories lower skepticism. They draw people in, make your message relatable, and allow you to position your offer as the natural solution to the story’s conflict.

💡 Smart Play: Use HSO for webinars, video sales letters, and long-form posts where emotion drives conversions. It’s perfect when people need to feel before they buy.

Final Thoughts ⚡

Copywriting doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to invent clever slogans or chase inspiration. You need frameworks that work.

If you want higher conversions, stop guessing and start structuring:

• PAS triggers urgency.
  
• AIDA guides the decision-making path.
  
• BAB sells transformation.
  
• FAB turns features into desire.
  
• HSO builds trust through stories.
  

These aren’t hacks. They’re timeless principles. And when you use them, your copy won’t just sound better—it will sell better.

🔑 Clarity beats creativity. Formulas turn words into revenue.