Guess what?

Writing to drive conversions and sales is super simple.

And you don’t have to be Don Draper to nail it.

All you have to do is follow some tried and tested formulas that advertisers and copywriters have been using successfully for years. They work!

Let’s look at some of my favorite formulas, shall we?

P-A-S

Problem-Agitator-Solution (P-A-S) is, like, the oldest formula in the book.

You find your audience’s problem
You agitate it by reminding them of all the reasons it’s annoying and bothersome
And then you solve it by presenting a super-simple solution

Empires have been built on this formula. Think of all the infomercials you’ve seen that illustrate this formula in exaggerated form: People fall and can’t get up. They dramatically spill things and cause stains. They wrestle with cords. You get it.

But then…an amazing, life-changing solution sweeps in and makes life so much easier. Boom. Sold.

You can use this setup on landing pages, long-form sales pages, emails, and basically anywhere you’re making a sales proposition. It’s as good as gold.

B-A-B

I got you (B-A-B.)

Bad joke. But seriously, Before-After-Bridge is another helpful formula you can use to make the path to action seem like a no-brainer. It works like this:

You outline the current situation (life before the solution)
You ask the reader to imagine a simpler world in which their problem is solved (after the solution)
And then you outline the path to that “after” version with a (bridge)

This is a great setup for creating value-packed blog content—especially if you’re explaining how you achieved amazing results (like a 4500% increase in conversions, subscribers, sales, etc. etc.)

Use it as a grownup ‘how-to’ template and tease it with a compelling headline that leverages a curiosity gap.

F-A-B

I’ll skip the pun on this one, mmkay?

Features-Advantages-Benefits (F-A-B) helps you write words that speak directly to your audience—and promotes features before benefits.

Lots of writers make the mistake of only touting features…but nobody really cares about those. Instead, they want to know how the benefits of those features will be advantageous to their lives. Hence, F-A-B.

It goes a little something like this:

Feature talk is restricted to explaining what your offering does
Advantages explain to the reader why those features are so wonderful
And benefits is where you drive home value and talk up the problem-solving aspect

This formula is super handy for headline writing and for crafting click-worthy email subject lines.

Write Smarter, Not Harder

Guys: These formulas work—so don’t try to reinvent the wheel when you’re writing. Use them as a template and make them your own.

Maybe you were already familiar with them, or maybe you needed a reminder. Either way, hope this helps keep them fresh in your mind. Now go craft some interesting words that do what you need them to, smartypants.

This article originally appeared in my newsletter, A Cup of Copy. Sign up and get these free tips sent right to your inbox every other Wednesday.