Before I get to this cool, high-converting copywriting formula, let’s talk about templates vs. formulas.
Templates exist for just about every copywriting job out there. But they may be the worst approach you can take.
Here’s the thing:
When you plug your specifics in a Mad Lib type template you end up with… something that sounds like someone else wrote it. That’s never good.
In fact, an entrepreneur friend of mine nearly lost a client when she used a template given to her by her business coach. She was hesitant. But he assured her the template was “golden” and she had nothing to fear.
Turns out, the voice was so out of alignment with her usual messaging that the recipient – a client of hers – thought she’d completely changed her approach.
He wanted a refund.
She explained why she sent the email and was able to salvage the relationship.
She vowed to never rely on a template – and someone who didn’t know her audience – again.
Not using templates does not mean you need to reinvent the wheel every time you write.
There’s a better approach: formulas.
They work far better than templates for one main reason…
Instead of an inflexible format, formulas act as outlines to help you create copy specifically for your audience.
I discuss all of them in my eBook, 15 High-Converting Copywriting Formulas.
Each of these is an outline you can use to structure the copy you need.
In your words. With your audience’s needs in mind.
I’ve talked in the past about a few of these, and today I want to break down one of the lesser-known formulas:
THE 4 PS:
√ Problem – the issue that motivates someone to seek you out
√ Promise – what the reader can expect to find working with you
√ Proof – data or testimonials to back up your promise
√ Proposal – a call to action and get started
This formula works whether you’re writing a home page, lead generation page, or even a social post.
Other versions of the 4Ps exist, but Joanna Wiebe of Copy Hackers suggests using this variation. It’s a bit less “aggressive” than some of the others.
Here’s how the 4Ps look IRL with this example from the Winter Garden Yoga site…
How will you use this in your copy? Let me know in the comments below. And please share this with your copy-thirsty friends.
–> Or send me a note at Linda@TheCopyWorx.com.
