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Ever struggle to start writing your copy?
I did. I struggled with starting a lot, especially at the beginning of my career.
Back then, starting was difficult because I didn’t have a reliable method for organizing my thoughts. I did my research and had plenty of ideas but I didn’t know how to wrangle them, which was frustrating. Eventually, I began anticipating that frustration. And I dreaded it, the uncertainty and subsequent angst. And that dread made me procrastinate. I Screwed around on Facebook. Missed deadlines. Blew opportunities. All because I wouldn’t—nay, couldn’t—start.
Then I learned this simple, time-tested copywriting formula—and it forever changed the way I work:
P.A.S.: That stands for Problem, Agitation, Solution.
It’s a versatile, proven way to organize your thoughts into a compelling narrative.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Introduce a problem.
Ask a question or make a statement that identifies your audience’s pain, or problem:
Ever struggle to start writing your copy?
Step 2: Agitate the problem.
Tell a relevant anecdote—a story the audience can see themselves in—to elucidate the consequences of ignoring the problem:
I did. I struggled with starting a lot, especially at the beginning of my career.
Back then, starting was difficult because I didn’t have a reliable method for organizing my thoughts. I did my research and had plenty of ideas but I didn’t know how to wrangle them, which was frustrating. Eventually, I began anticipating that frustration. And I dreaded it, the uncertainty and subsequent angst. And that dread made me procrastinate.