PAS Copywriting Framework: Proven Way of Creating Compelling Copy

Dear Mother and Dad,

Since I left for college, I have been remiss in writing, and I am sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before.

I will bring you up to date now, but before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay?

Well, then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out the window of my dormitory when it caught on fire shortly after my arrival here is pretty well healed now.

I only spent two weeks in the hospital, and now I can see almost normally and only get those sick headaches once a day.

Fortunately, the fire in the dormitory, and my jump, was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the Fire Department and the ambulance.

He also visited me in the hospital, and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnt-out dormitory, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment with him. It’s really a basement room, but it’s kind of cute.

He is a very fine boy, and we have fallen deeply in love and are planning to get married. We haven’t got the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy begins to show.

Yes, Mother and Dad, I am pregnant. I know how much you are looking forward to being grandparents, and I know you will welcome the baby and give it the same love and devotion and tender care you gave me when I was a child.

The reason for the delay in our marriage is that my boyfriend has a minor infection which prevents us from passing our pre-marital blood tests, and I carelessly caught it from him…

Sharon’s dramatic letter to her parents is from Dr. Robert B. Cialdini Ph.D. book, Influence.

It’s is a perfect illustration of the PAS copywriting framework. While Sharon’s goal was to soften the news of her poor grades, the same principles can be applied effectively in copywriting.

The world of marketing and advertising is competitive. Hence, capturing and retaining your audience’s attention is crucial.

One of the most effective methods to achieve this is through the PAS copywriting framework.

What is the meaning of PAS framework in copywriting?

PAS stands for Problem-Agitate-Solution. It is one of the most effective and widely used copywriting frameworks. which helps copywriters craft compelling and persuasive copy that resonate deeply with their audience.

The PAS copywriting framework is a three-step approach to structuring your copy:

1. Present the problem: Identify the challenges, frustrations, or pain points your target audience faces. Sharon effectively captures her parent’s attention by presenting a serious problem—A dormitory fire.
2. Agitate the problem: Make it worse. Amplify the problem’s impact, highlight its negative consequences. The series of events that follow the dormitory fire agitates the problem; Sharon jumps out of a window, resulting in a skull fracture and concussion, she is hospitalized, falls in love in a basement, becomes pregnant, catches an infection and plans to marry.
3. Offer a solution: Once your reader is fully agitated, offer your product or service as the solution. Showcase how it effectively addresses the problem.

PAS works anywhere. Whether you’re creating landing pages, 20-page sales letter, emails, or other content.

Therefore, you can guide your readers towards the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or signing up for a newsletter.

Why PAS Works

The PAS copywriting framework is effective because it taps into both the emotional and logical aspects of your reader’s decision-making process.

First, it makes a connection with the reader by highlighting the problem the reader is going through. Then it creates a visual imagery to cause further agitation.

By the time the entire scenario is created, the reader is desperately looking for a solution.

Humans have a fundamental desire to solve problems and escape pain. When you identify an existing problem your audience dealing with, you immediately capture their attention.

PAS capitalizes on this natural tendency by taking the reader on a journey:

• Awareness: You raise awareness of a problem they might not have fully recognized or thought of.
• Urgency: You elevate the problem’s significance, making them see its negative impact on their lives.
• Hope: You offer a solution, presenting your product or service as the path towards a better future.

Problem

You need to start by identifying your customer’s pain point or need. Every effective piece of copy starts by addressing a problem faced by a target audience.

This problem serves as the entry point into the conversation going on in their head.

Effective copywriters spend considerable time conducting market research, competitor research and leveraging customer feedback. This helps them understand their target audience’s fears, challenges and desires.

The more vividly you paint their pain, the more relatable you become to them.

Put yourself in their shoes and identify the frustrations that keep them up at night. Pinpoint the specific problems they face.

Be specific, don’t present vague, generic problems. Don’t say, “Entrepreneurs struggle to grow their businesses,” say “Entrepreneurs are overwhelmed by the complexity of digital marketing, leading to less sales and missed growth opportunities.”

Evoke emotions. Use sensory language to paint a picture of the pain points and how they affect your customer’s life.

Highlight the frustration, anxiety, or wasted time associated with the problem.

Agitate

Once the problem is identified, the next step is to agitate it. The key is to make it worse. Pour salt into the wound.

Make the problem big. Agitation is a crucial element of persuasion, as it heightens the sense of urgency and compels the reader to seek a solution immediately.

Agitate the issue by highlighting the negative consequences, risks, or frustrations of inaction.

Show how the problem is hindering their success, happiness, or well-being.

• Ignoring customer feedback can cause a decline in customer satisfaction, negative reviews, and a damaged reputation.
• Not maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lead to increased health risks, decreased productivity, and higher healthcare costs.
• Not effectively marketing your business can result in stagnant growth, lost customers, and reduced market share.

Use statistics, data, or case studies to add credibility, emphasize the seriousness of the problem and reinforce the urgency for a solution.

• Data from CopywritingDIY, shows that businesses that ignore customer feedback are 60% more likely to lose customers to competitors who actively engage and address concerns.
• According to statistics by Copywriting123, regular exercise can significantly improve energy levels, reduce stress, and boost overall happiness.
• A research by marketers, Jack and John, reveal that businesses that fail to invest in digital marketing see 50% less growth compared to those that do.

Weave in stories of real people facing similar problems and the negative impact it has on their lives to create an emotional connection and make the problem feel relatable.

• “Michael, who runs a local café, neglected to respond to online reviews and feedback. Over time, negative comments piled up, driving away potential customers and tarnishing his café’s reputation, ultimately resulting in a significant drop in revenue.”
• Sarah was a mother of two young children who found herself constantly exhausted. Balancing her demanding job, caring for her family, and managing household chores left her feeling drained both mentally and physically. Despite the warning signs of her deteriorating health, Sarah pressed on, convinced that she could handle it all. Finally, the stress of trying to do it all caught up with her. She realized the once-strong bonds she shared with her loved ones began to strain as the weight of her responsibilities became too much to bear. It was a wake-up call for Sarah, her health and relationships were suffering as a result of her refusal to prioritize self-care.
• “Emily, an ambitious small business owner, struggled to navigate the complexities of digital marketing. Her outdated strategies led to declining sales and increasing frustration as she watched competitors flourish while her business remained stagnant.”

Help your reader understand the full extent of their issue. Emphasize why solving this problem matters.

When you do this right, you can effectively agitate the issue and make your audience realize the critical need for a solution.

Solution

Now that you’ve established the problem and its urgency, make everything better. Paint a picture of their pain going away by offering a solution.

Position it in a way that demonstrates its effectiveness in easing the pain points you highlighted earlier.

Position your product or service as the hero, the answer to their prayers. By framing your product as the solution they’ve been searching for, you create a sense of hope and possibility.

If your product is a time management app, highlight how it empowers users to take control of their schedules.

Focus on benefits, not features. Explain how your product or service directly addresses the problems raised earlier.

Rather than simply listing features, focus on the tangible benefits your product provides.

Instead of highlighting the technical specifications of your fitness tracker, emphasize how it helps users live healthier lives by tracking their activity, monitoring their progress, and motivating them to reach their fitness goals.

Back up your claims with real-life testimonials, case studies, or expert endorsements to add credibility and reassure readers that your solution truly works.

Include quotes from satisfied customers who have experienced significant benefits from using your product, or showcase success stories through detailed case studies.

Anyway, here’s the rest of Sharon’s letter;

…Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you that there was no dormitory fire, I did not have a concussion or skull fracture, I was not in the hospital, I am not pregnant, I am not engaged, I am not infected, and there is no boyfriend. However, I am getting a “D” in American History and an “F” in Chemistry, and I want you to see those marks in their proper perspective.

Your loving daughter, Sharon

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