The Perfect Blog Post Formula!

Here is a great, clear infographic from Social Triggers:

Writing a killer blog post Michael Hyatt’s Way The 6-Part Blog Post

Michael Hyatt uses the following formula to write blog posts faster:

• Headline
• Lead paragraph / hook
• Relevant image
• Personal story
• Scannable body
• Open-ended question

He practices what he preaches. Here’s an example of one of his blog posts.

HIPASI

This is PAS for blog posts. It goes like so:

• Headline
• Image
• Problem
• Agitation
• Solution
• Invitation

And here’s an example of it in use on Copyblogger:

Star. Story. Solution.

This formula is great  for laying out a lead generation page in particular.

• Star. Who’s the character we’ll be following, or what’s the idea the post is working through?
• Story. Tell it! Follow the better rules of writing engaging stories.
• Solution. What happened?

Most blog posts written in the first person fit nicely into the Star Story Solution formula. Here’s a Copyhacker version, as an example with a great headline:

The Diva List, Or How I Found Happiness As A Freelance Copywriter

AIDPPC

Yet another take on AIDA , this time by the legendary Robert Collier. Great for sales letters but useful anywhere you’re trying to sell and you need a trusted sales sequence in place to work off of. It goes:

Attention Interest Description Persuasion Proof Close

The first two parts of this copywriting formula are exactly like AIDA’s first two points. But desire is unpacked (helpfully!) into three core elements:

1. Descriptions, likely of the solution but also of the problem, the status quo, the challenges of not switching – anything that fleshes out the story
2. Persuasive elements, like loss aversion, testimonials, future pacing
3. Proof (e.g., demos, testimonials, endorsements) that the solution can do what it claims to, and can do it like no other

So if you’ve struggled with the “desire” part of AIDA, try AIDPPC instead.

AICPBSAWN

As an acronym, this is completely ridiculous. Makes me laugh out loud. When someone throws down AIDA in a copy review session, counter them with, “Well AICPBSAWN holds that desire is made of…” and see what happens. Here’s how this long acronym (explained well by Buffer) works, from top of page to bottom:

Attention – Biggest benefit, biggest problem you cansolve, USP

Interest – Reason why they should be interested in whatyou have to say

Credibility – Reason why they should believe you

Proof – Prove what you are claiming is true

Benefits – List them all

Scarcity – Create scarcity Action – Tell them precisely what to do Warn – What will happen if they don’t take action

Now – Motivate them to take action now You might think this could only work for a really long page. But here’s how quickly you might use this formula up on a typical home page:

Hero section:

Attention:

Headline Interest: Subhead and paragraph or bullets

Credibility: Testimonial and row of client logos. Screenshot block A: Proof: Crosshead, paragraph, captioned screenshot

Benefits. Screenshot block B: Proof: Crosshead, paragraph, captioned screenshot Benefits. Screenshot block C: Proof: Crosshead, paragraph, captioned screenshot

Close:

Scarcity: Limited beta, etc.

Action: CTA or button

Warn: Single click-trigger below CTA

Now: Short testimonial from person who’s glad they acted fast

That’s not a very long page at all. But you’d cover off all of the key parts of this useful formula.

Importantly: you’re not asking for the user to sign up, buy or start a trial until the end. I know this is very, very hard for most of us to do. Hero sections simply have buttons.

But should they?

Are your prospects ready yet? If you’refinding that you get a lot of unqualified folks starting trials – that is, users that fail to activate or that churn out after 1 sign-in – then that prematurely placed button could be to blame. Consider removing the CTA from the hero and writing the page with a traditional copywriting formula in mind instead.

Long Form Sales Letter: Bob Serling’s Power CopywritingFormula

Let’s start with the biggie! We found this one here and was blown away by the level of detail. It’s a mere 36 steps long.

Start with these 4 prereqs:

1. Quality product
2. Customer profile
3. Credibility
4. Offer

From there, follow these 32 steps one by one:

1. Conduct exhaustive research.
2. Rest to let your ideas percolate.
3. Create a comprehensive list of features, facts and figures.
4. List every benefit.
5. Create an irresistible offer.
6. Create a great guarantee (i.e., don’t be ho-hum about this critical risk-reducer!).
7. Write an attention-grabbing headline.
8. Draw attention to key points using color.
9. Limit the number of graphics.
10. Hook the reader with a no-holds-barred opener that starts delivering on the headline.
11. Eliminate early objections.
12. Create enticing crossheads throughout the piece.
13. Make your prospect feel their pain deeply.
14. Eliminate their pain.
15. Establish your credibility.
16. Lock in that credibility with “an insider benefit.”
17. Provide unquestionable proof that your solution delivers.
18. Break your copy into readable chunks.
19. List the benefits of using your product.
20. Summarize the key benefits.
21. List the features of your product.
22. Go above-and-beyond with the package you’re offering.
23. State the price.
24. Call to action.
25. Add a piggy-back offer to boost average order value.
26. Minimize risk.
27. Close by summarizing the major benefits.
28. Add a PS.
29. Make it easy to buy.
30. Eliminate all distracting links.
31. Let the copy rest.
32. Revise for maximum impact.