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7 Email Copywriting Formulas that Really Work

Madison Breaux
Reading time 4 min
Ad Copywriting

The marketing and business worlds are full of acronyms – so let’s invent one right now. CBPS, or Copywriter’s Blank Page Syndrome, is a marketing malady whereby, after too much creativity, a copywriter is out of ideas. Unlike writer’s block, which even gets its own Wikipedia page, CBPS can’t wait for all kinds of therapies. That email copy needs to be done, now. 

Your salvation lies in copywriting formulas. They give you all kinds of ways to put your USPs, value propositions, persona factors, and CTAs on the email page where they belong, instead of floating around in your mind disorganized. Here are seven copywriting formulas that we at Anyword leverage all the time – and some even appear on our platform.  

1. PAS 

Pain Agitate Solve is a true mainstay. If you read other writers’ copy – and you definitely should – you’ll probably notice how often it shows up. PAS is a great formula because you can apply it to a paragraph or a whole page. Here’s the breakdown:

Problem: describe the pain point that the consumer has

Agitate: discuss how it will only get worse without a solution

Solve: provide the solution

An example:

Email marketing is a winner, but only if your copy can cut it. What’s more - seeing low conversion rates might mean that those valuable leads are getting tired of bland, ho hum texts. Click the link below for a five-minute refresher on writing emails that rock it. 

2. FAB 

This is a great one for featuring rich products or services with simple value propositions. It strikes a balance between the techno-babble that writers hear at meetings every day, and the things that the consumer understands and wants. ‘FAB’ stands for:

Features: the aspects of the product/service that you are promoting (preferably something unique)

Advantage: the valuable function that that the feature provides

Benefit: the relevance of the advantage to the audience

An example:

Only Anyword offers the unique Predictive Performance Score. For every line of copy that you create, Anyword tells you its potential to convert. With Anyword, you’ll spend more time marketing and less time writing, testing, and reiterating.

3. BAB

In contrast to FAB, we have BAB (enjoying the acronyms yet?). Whereas FAB starts off with features, BAB is all about feelings. 

Can’t think of a feeling that your product evokes? Shame on you! At some point, every sale is based on an emotion. Even a product that is indistinguishable from its competitors can be presented as something special – Absolut Vodka is a famous example of this. So, what is BAB?

Before: presents a problem that the target market has

After: describes how the problem has somehow gone away

Bridge: explains what solution was applied

An example:

Your email conversion rates are, um, sad. But there’s a way to work less and convert more, and all it takes is one click – to learn how AI copy generation makes your emails stronger than ever. 

4. AIDA

AIDA might just be the oldest copywriting formula. It’s been around since the turn of the last century, when an advertising trailbreaker named Elmo Lewis invented it. AIDA has many versions, such as IDCA and PPPP. This is what it means:

Attention: draw in the attention of the reader with an interesting statement

Interest: keep them going with a supporting statement 

Desire: explain how the product solves their problems or gives them an advantage

Action: tell them how to grab what you are offering

An example:

A better alternative to email marketing!

…Well, not really. Email provides amazing ROI – but why do it the hard way?

Build better emails in minutes with Anyword’s AI-powered copy generator. Click the link below for immediate access to our free trial!

5. ACCA

This is a well-known variant of AIDA. ACCA is a favorite of copywriters who are looking to create a sense of empathy in the audience, for example, in the case of a charitable cause. Here is an SPCA video ad with captions that generally follow the ACCA concept. ACCA stands for:

Awareness of the problem 

Comprehension of the problem enabled by an explanation 

Conviction to do something to resolve the issue

Action that will lead to resolution 

An example:

Emails should be one of your most successful channels. But many marketers are missing some essential ingredients to reach that incredible 42:1 ROI. The thing is, we can help you improve conversions – while you put in less effort! Take five minutes to explore the tool that will turn your emails around by clicking this link.  

  

6. Storytelling

Everyone’s got a story to tell, so it comes naturally to both write and read them. One of the most famous (and successful) storytelling ads of all time is the 97 lb. Weakling spot for the Charles Atlas bodybuilding course (please excuse the toxic masculinity of it). 

Obviously, we’re not looking for War and Peace here. Like all good copy, your story needs to be compelling and to the point. In general, a storytelling format goes something like this:

Identifying with the reader by sharing a problem

Discovering the solution and enjoying the benefits

Telling the reader how they can enjoy the solution as well

An example:

Swamped with writing email texts? I was too. But then I found out about AI-powered copy generation. It takes me only minutes to give the platform the information it needs to build all sorts of interesting copy variations. My email conversion rates are up and my stress level is down. Watch this 5 minute video and discover how I turned my tasks into triumphs. 

7. Three Reasons Why

If you’re in a tight competitive situation, but have a clear USP, then the Three Reasons Why formula is your answer. It is based on the most immediate questions that consumers ask themselves when they are considering a purchase. Here are the essential Three Reasons:

Why are you superior to the competition?

Why can you make that claim?

Why should I buy from you right now?

An example:

Our AI copywriting platform might just be the industry’s best. Check out our top grades at G2, Trustpilot, and Capterra. Don’t invest another minute in sub-standard email copy – enjoy our 7-day free trial and better conversion rates (proven increases of up to 30%!).

A Cure for Copywriter’s Blank Page Syndrome

Copywriting formulas work wonders when you’ve got too much writing work. That’s why many copywriters today – particularly those from major companies – are turning to AI. 

Anyword’s copywriting technology uses artificial intelligence to understand your audience and the kind of messaging it likes. Our platform connects writing style with conversion rates, and applies this knowledge when creating all manner of copy. And, as you probably guessed, that includes a specific function for building cold email texts based on a few of the formulas mentioned above. The copywriter ends up with emails that are primed to convert in a fraction of the time it would take to create them by hand. Anyword even scores the text according to its potential to convert. But emails are only the tip of the iceberg.

Anyword has functions that cover a wide range of copywriting needs, with options that allow you to generate texts for virtually any audience according to the style of your choice. So don’t wait until CBPS strikes again – check out our 7-day free trial and discover how Anyword is the cure you’ve been looking for. 

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