Copywriting Frameworks

The best copywriting taps into deep aspects of our psychology.

Things like:

• Loss Aversion: The pain of losing is significantly more than the pleasure of gaining.
• Herd Mentality: We copy the behaviour of others, particularly those whom we respect or are similar to.
• Framing Effect: How information is presented can strongly influence your perception and response.

And dozens of more psychological biases and tendencies.

Ideally, you get to a point where you effortlessly weave these into your copywriting. But that can take a lot of reading, writing, and pattern matching.

Instead, we recommend using copywriting frameworks. Think of them as fill-in-the-blank templates. Templates that were created with these psychological biases in mind and have been thoroughly battle tested by decades of copywriters.

We'll cover 7 of the most common frameworks.

As a tl;dr, here's a cheatsheet that our founder, Neal O'Grady, created:

PAS(P)

PAS is one of the most commonly used and referenced copywriting frameworks. Now that you know it, you will probably see it everywhere.

We've added the P (for Proof) as social proof strengthens any message.

Problem: Identify a problem that your audience has.

“Writing is f-ing hard”

Agitation: Make the problem more intense and visceral.

“Selling is even harder.”

Solution: Introduce your product/service as the solution to the problem.

“These frameworks help create compelling copy that sells.”

Proof: Provide evidence & examples that prove your solution works.

“Lil' Bobby increased conversion rates by 23% by switching his sales emails to follow these frameworks”

BAB

One of the simpler ones, paint the story of where they are, where they could be, and how they can get there.

Before: Show your reader's current (bad) situation.

"Constantly overwhelmed managing multiple client projects and never-ending tasks?"

After: Show how amazing their life could be.

"Imagine smoothly handling all your projects, and having a clear view of your daily tasks, boosting your productivity significantly."

Bridge: Explain how your product bridges them from "Before" to "After."

"Our productivity app will take you from overwhelmed to organized. Try it today and experience the difference."

Storytelling

Stories are extremely powerful ways to communicate complex ideas.

The story of a little girl (Ann Frank) resonates far more than the cold statistics from World War II.

Here’s a storytelling framework PIXAR uses:

Once upon a time, ___________________.

Every day, ___________________.

Until one day, ___________________.

Because of that, ___________________.

Because of that, ___________________.

Until finally, ___________________.

Example

Once upon a time, Alice, a founder of a creative agency, was on top of the world.

Every day, she'd do sales calls for inbound leads and crush her client work.

Until one day, a recession hit and cut inbound leads by 2/3rds.

Because of that, she needed to increase leads, or else she'd have to lay off staff.

Because of that, Alice started posting on LinkedIn and Twitter. Most of her posts flopped—but a few did well and brought in leads, but she had a tough time running a business and creating good content consistently.

Until finally, she joined Unignorable to learn how to systematically create content that resonates with her audience.

AIDA

This is also quite popular, and it differs from PAS and BAB by having a clear call to action to finish it off—and you’re not necessarily focusing on a problem.

Attention: Hook their attention with a bold headline, an intriguing question, or a unique fact.

"Traditional laundry detergents harm the environment."

Interest: Add fuel to the fire. Build interest with a story.

"Our eco-friendly laundry detergent is designed to provide excellent cleaning results while protecting our planet."

Desire: Amplify desire. Paint a vivid picture of life after using your product/service.

"Imagine having fresh, clean clothes, knowing that you're also doing your part to keep our air fresh."

Action: Drive to action with a clear & compelling CTA.

"Make the switch today and join us in protecting our environment."

PASTOR

This is PAS’s long-winded cousin.

It also works for multi-email sales campaigns. Each email can focus on each one of these letters.

Problem: Call out a problem that their facing.

"Frustrated with your slow and unreliable internet connection?"

Amplify: Emphasize the consequences if the problem is not solved.

"In today's work-from-home era, a slow connection can prevent you from doing your best work—and make a bad first impression with clients."

Solution: Provide your solution to the problem.

"Our high-speed internet service offers a reliable and blazing-fast connection—you'll never have a laggy video call."

Testimony: Showcase testimonials and case studies to prove that your solution works.

"Don't just take our word for it. One of our customers said, 'Switching to this service has changed my life. I used to spend 20% of every call repeating things due to my choppy connection.'"

Offer: Detail what exactly they will get when they purchase the product/service.

"Subscribe to our high-speed internet service today and receive free installation."

Response: Call to action—make it clear what they need to do to take the next step.

"Call us or visit our website to subscribe and say goodbye to slow internet."

The 4 P’s

This one is all about making them picture their improved life and pushing them towards taking action to achieve it.

Promise: Make a bold promise about what your product/service can do.

"Lose 10 pounds in just 30 days with our proven fitness program."

Picture: Help them visualize their new, improved life.

"Imagine fitting into that old pair of jeans sitting in your closet—and feeling like your old, confident self again."

Proof: Back up your promise with testimonials/data.

"Sarah, a mother of two rambunctious boys, lost 12 pounds in 30 days and says, 'This program has given me my confidence back!'"

Push: Give them a reason to take action now.

"Sign up now and start your journey to a healthier, happier you."

PRUNE

A lesser-known one. The use of an analogy makes it rather unique.

Point: Make your point in the first sentence.

“Get around the city effortlessly with our affordable bike-sharing service."

Reason: Back it up with a reason.

"Why rely on crowded public transport or expensive taxis when you can breeze through the city on a bike, avoiding traffic and saving money?"

Unveil: Present the proof or evidence.

“Our average customer cuts their commute by 7 minutes and saves $152 per year."

Nail: Use an analogy to drive your point home.

"It's like having your own bike, but without the hassle of maintenance or the worry of theft. Simply pick up a bike when you need it and drop it off when you're done."

Exit: Close with a call to action.

"Ready to make your city travels easier and more fun? Download our app today and take your first ride!"

How and where to use them

These frameworks can be used in writing projects of all sizes, from short cold emails and LinkedIn bios, to full-on webpages, email campaigns, and articles.

For webpages, the different sections of the page can map to the different parts of the framework. Highlight the problem in the hero. Agitate the problem in the next section. Present the solution in the next. Back it up with social proof in the next.

Although the examples above are presented as single sentences per point, that was purely done for simplicity. You can go far deeper on each of them.