Breaking Bad Copy

You're trying to break away from writing long, overwritten copy that your readers don't seem to care about. But how?

Is there a copywriting formula, a simple concoction that will grab readers right away and move them to action?

Yes – and not just one.

There’s an abundance of them, assembled into clever acronyms and initialisms (*see below) designed to make them easy to remember.

Here are three, with some hypothetical examples I've thrown in. You can flesh them out a bit but beware of slipping back into overwriting. (And for the record, I do not actually have a book about saving money for college).

1. AIDA: Attention – Interest – Desire – Action

Grab ATTENTION with a dramatic headline:

Broke? You can still pay for college

Hold INTEREST with an opener that states their problem:

College is coming, but your tuition fund is behind schedule – WAY behind. 

Create DESIRE for your solution:

You don't have to drown in debt. Get a better plan in my new book, “Proven Strategies for Paying for College Even If You Start Late.”

Inspire ACTION (and make it urgent):

Click here to get your copy; save 10% if you order in the next 12 hours.

2. BAB: Before – After – Bridge

This is similar to AIDA, but I find it more engaging and empathetic. After writing your compelling headline:

Describe their world BEFORE:

Your child's almost ready for college, but you haven’t saved a penny. Now you’re panicking.

Present their life AFTER a solution:

Imagine how relaxed and proud you’ll be when you pay that first tuition bill and know you can cover the next ones, too.

Take them across the BRIDGE that gets them there:

Start now with my new book, “Proven Strategies for Paying for College Even If You Start Late.”

3. PAS: Problem – Agitation – Solution

This formula shows a consequence of NOT taking action. It’s short and dramatic, perfect for a quick-hit text:

Identify the PROBLEM:

College fund running on empty?

Make it worse with AGITATION:

You could take out loans and drown in debt.

Rescue the reader with a SOLUTION:

OR you could get to work with my new book, “Proven Strategies for Paying for College Even If You Start Late.”

Ease Their Pain

These are all variations on a single idea: Show your reader you understand their problem on a gut level and have a solution.