David B Smith – Writer of Professional Copy

  • AIDA in Action: Crafting Copy That Sells Without Feeling Pushy

    The No-Hype Playbook Smart Marketers Use to Win Clicks, Carts, and Contracts

    AIDA in Action: Crafting Copy That Sells Without Feeling Pushy

    You don’t need to strong-arm readers to move them. You need a path. AIDA is that path—clear, ethical, and ridiculously effective when you execute with precision. Here’s how to put it to work, step by step, without sounding like a late-night infomercial.

    Attention: Hook fast, hook true

    The first line either opens the door—or it closes it. Pattern-break. Call out a problem. Promise a payoff. Be specific.

    Five friction-free openers:

    1. Call-out + desired end state: “Freelancers who hate sales calls: here’s how to fill your calendar anyway.”

    2. Counter-intuition: “Stop offering discounts. Do this instead to raise conversions.”

    3. Micro-story seed: “Yesterday a client deleted half their landing page—and doubled trials.”

    4. Quantified tease: “One line changed our email revenue by 23%. Steal it.”

    5. Hyper-specific audience: “For studio gym owners losing members after week 3…”

    Headline polish in 20 seconds: Add a number, a timeframe, or a “without” clause.

    “Get more demos in 14 days—without hiring SDRs.”

    Interest: Prove you’re worth their brain cycles

    Now you earn attention with specifics (not adjectives), evidence (not hype), and a narrative (not a brochure).

    Structure:

    • Context: Define the situation in one tight line.

    • Mechanism: Explain how your thing works in plain English.

    • Receipts: Drop proof: a quick metric, recognizable client, or mini-story.

    • Relevance: Tie it back to the reader’s day.

    Example (SaaS scheduling tool):
    “Most teams lose leads playing email ping-pong. Our routing engine reads calendar constraints and auto-offers 3 mutually available slots—no back-and-forth. Agencies using it cut no-show rates by 18% and booked 2.1x more first calls. If your pipeline stalls between form and meeting, this removes the jam.”

    Credibility Triad: Numbers, names, novelty. Use at least two.

    Desire: Make them feel the win (without manipulation)

    Desire grows when the reader clearly sees life after the purchase. Use transformation snapshots, social proof, and risk reversal.

    The Desire Quartet:

    1. Before → After: “From 14 proposals and 1 close/month → 8 proposals and 6 closes.”

    2. Proof in their voice: 10–20 words of customer language beats a paragraph of hype.

    3. Differentiator in one sentence: “Unlike generic CRMs, ours pre-writes follow-ups based on the last call transcript.”

    4. Risk reversal: Free audit, guarantee, pilot—whatever makes saying “yes” feel safe.

    Desire Lines you can paste today:

    • “Imagine handing off onboarding and nothing breaks.”

    • “What would you do with six hours back every week—without hiring?”

    • “Keep your stack. We integrate in under 15 minutes.”

    Action: One clear next step, zero friction

    Pushiness happens when you ask for too much or too soon. Make the next step obvious, specific, and small.

    CTA rules that rarely fail:

    • Singular ask: One page, one action.

    • Concrete label: “Get the 3-minute demo” > “Learn more.”

    • Short path: Fewer form fields than you think; progressive profiling later.

    • Assurance: “No credit card. Cancel anytime. Avg setup: 11 minutes.”

    CTA templates:

    • “See it fix your [problem] in 90 seconds.”

    • “Get pricing that fits your team in 2 clicks.”

    • “Start the pilot—keep your current workflow.”

    AIDA in the wild (three mini-swipes)

    E-commerce (phone gimbal):
    A: “Shaky video ruins great moments. Stop filming like it’s 2009.”
    I: “Smart-stabilization levels your shot in real time—no app wizardry.”
    D: “Creators cut editing time by 41% and keep every clip.”
    A: “Add to cart—ships today, 30-day no-shake guarantee.”

    Local service (boutique dentist):
    A: “Hate dental dread? Us too.”
    I: “We block 60-minute slots so you’re never rushed.”
    D: “Over 1,200 five-star reviews for painless numbing and same-day crowns.”
    A: “Reserve a ‘calm appointment’—text us ‘CALM’ to 555-0134.”

    B2B SaaS (analytics):
    A: “Your ‘dashboards’ are pretty screens hiding dead leads.”
    I: “Pipeline alerts flag accounts when buyer signals spike—before they ghost.”
    D: “Teams using signals close 32% faster on average.”
    A: “Watch a 3-minute walkthrough—no signup.”

    The Non-Pushy Checklist (pin this over your screen)

    • Clear audience in the first 20 words.

    • One promise stated once, echoed twice.

    • Mechanism explained in fifth-grade language.

    • One proof element above the fold (metric, logo, or quote).

    • One CTA with a tiny commitment.

    • Friction removed: objections answered inline (price? time? risk?).

    • Voice audit: read it aloud—does it sound like a person?

    Micro Makeovers (before → after)

    • “Our platform leverages AI to optimize engagement.”
      → “We write your follow-ups for you—so prospects reply.”

    • “Sign up for a free trial.”
      → “Test it for 7 days—no credit card, keep your data.”

    • “We’re the #1 solution for SMEs.”
      → “Used by 1,947 small teams that hate fiddly software.”

    AIDA quick-build template (copy/paste)

    ATTENTION: Call out the reader + specific pain or goal.
    INTEREST: 2–3 lines on the mechanism + one proof.
    DESIRE: Paint the after state + risk reversal.
    ACTION: One concrete next step + assurance.

    Example:
    “Agency owners losing hours to proposals? Our editor builds scopes from your last three projects and auto-prices them. Teams cut proposal time from 3 hours to 22 minutes and win more retainers. Try the 14-day pilot—keep every template you create.”

    Tone that sells without the shove

    Talk to one person. Use verbs more than adjectives. Cut anything you wouldn’t say to a friend. If a line feels pushy, reduce the commitment (watch, try, see, preview) or increase the clarity (what happens next, how long it takes, what it costs).

    Litmus test: If your reader can say, “I know exactly what this does, what happens next, and why I should care,” you’ve nailed it—no arm-twisting required.

  • The Psychology of Headlines: What Makes People Click

    Steal the tiny brain triggers that stop the scroll and start the sale.

    The Psychology of Headlines: What Makes People Click

    You can write the world’s greatest piece of content and still lose. Why? Because the headline is the tollbooth to everything: attention, clicks, revenue. If it doesn’t earn the click in a fraction of a second, your work vanishes into the scroll graveyard.

    Here’s the rub: most headlines are polite. Vague. Decorative. They don’t negotiate with the lizard brain that guards the gate. That gatekeeper cares about only a few things—Is this for me? Is it new? Is it easy? Will it help or protect me right now? Fail any of those, and you’re invisible.

    Let’s fix that.

    How the brain actually decides to click

    Your audience skims in survival mode. Their brain runs a split-second triage:

    1. Self-relevance (me vs. not-me)

    2. Novelty (pattern break vs. wallpaper)

    3. Cognitive ease (clear vs. confusing)

    4. Reward or protection (gain vs. avoid pain)

    5. Credibility (trust vs. risk)

    A winning headline hits at least three of those in one punch. Make the promise obvious, the payoff tangible, and the risk low. Now you’re dangerous.

    The 11 click triggers (with quick examples)

    Use these like dials. Turn two or three at once.

    1. Self-Relevance: Call the reader’s identity or situation.
      “Freelancers: Raise Your Rates Without Losing Clients.”

    2. Specificity & Numbers: Precision = proof.
      “7 Email Subject Lines That Tripled Our Open Rate.”

    3. Curiosity Gap (with closure): Tease the missing piece, promise the reveal.
      “The Unlikely Button That Boosted Conversions 31%.”

    4. Loss Aversion & Urgency: Protect from a looming pain.
      “Stop These 3 Retirement Mistakes Before Friday.”

    5. Social Proof & Authority: Borrow trust.
      “What 2,673 Store Owners Learned After Switching Platforms.”

    6. Novelty & Pattern Interrupts: Break expectations.
      “Why Boring Fonts Sell More Than Sexy Ones.”

    7. Clarity Over Cleverness: If it’s cute but unclear, it’s costly.
      “How to Get 100 High-Intent Leads in 10 Days.”

    8. Outcome-First Benefit: Put the transformation up front.
      “Double Your Reading Speed Without Losing Comprehension.”

    9. Tension & Contrast: “Versus,” “But,” “Even if” create friction.
      “Long Posts vs. Short Posts: Which Actually Ranks?”

    10. Risk Reversal: Remove the objection in the headline.
      “A Beginner’s SEO Plan—No Backlinks, No Budget.”

    11. Time Boxing: Make the payoff feel close.
      “Fix Your Sales Page in 15 Minutes.”

    Swipe-able headline patterns (steal these)

    • Do X Without Y: “Grow Your List Without Ads.”

    • From A to B in T: “From Idea to First Sale in 48 Hours.”

    • The Numbered List: “9 Unsexy Tweaks That Print Money.”

    • The Insider: “What Top Closers Know About Objections.”

    • The Negative Hook: “Stop Writing Headlines That Hide Your Offer.”

    • The If/Then Persona: “If You Run a SaaS, Read This Before Your Next Launch.”

    • The Mistake Magnet: “5 Pricing Errors That Quietly Kill Profit.”

    • The Shortcut: “The 10-Minute Client Outreach Template.”

    Pro move: front-load strong words. Put your heaviest nouns and verbs at the beginning and end—positions with outsized recall.

    Makeovers: from “meh” to money

    Before: “Ways to Improve Your Morning Routine”
    After: “Own 7:00 A.M.: 5 Rituals That Triple Your Output Before 9”

    Before: “Tips for Starting a Newsletter”
    After: “Steal Our 3-Email Launch Plan (First 500 Subscribers in 14 Days)”

    Before: “Common Marketing Mistakes”
    After: “Stop Doing These 4 ‘Harmless’ Habits That Crater Conversions”

    Notice the pattern? Clear audience, concrete payoff, short fuse.

    Your 15-minute headline workflow

    1. Define the outcome in one blunt sentence. (“Get X result without Y headache.”)

    2. Name the audience or context. (Role, industry, stage.)

    3. Pick 2–3 triggers. (Specificity + time + risk reversal is a killer combo.)

    4. Draft five variants fast. Don’t edit yet.

    5. Read aloud. Stumble = confusion. Slash fluff.

    6. Front-load power. Move the strongest words to the edges.

    7. Micro-test. Share with a colleague or run a tiny A/B on a low-stakes channel.

    The Thumb-Stop Test (use this before you hit publish)

    • Is it for someone, not “everyone”? (Identity signal present?)

    • Is the payoff obvious and concrete? (A number or outcome you can picture?)

    • Is the curiosity gap honest? (No bait-and-switch.)

    • Is it scannable in one breath? (Aim ~6–12 core words; not a law, a lens.)

    • Does it avoid mush? (Cut “really,” “very,” “things,” “stuff.”)

    • Would a stranger know why to click now? (Time cue, risk, or urgency?)

    High-velocity word bank (sprinkle, don’t stuff)

    Boost, steal, reveal, fix, crush, break, unlock, double, without, even if, in [time], proven, hidden, unsexy, fast, simple, mistake, blueprint, swipe, script, checklist, playbook.
    Short, concrete words move faster than adjectives wearing tuxedos.

    Advanced nuance (because you’re not average)

    • Tighten the noun phrase. “High-intent B2B leads” beats “better leads.”

    • Contrast equals clarity. “Without Ads” or “Even If You’re New” sharpens the promise.

    • Cadence sells. Alternate short bursts with one longer, rhythmic line. It feels confident.

    • Stop at the peak. When your headline gets one word better and two words longer, you’re past the money line.

    Bottom line: People click when a headline speaks directly to them, promises a precise payoff, and lowers the mental and emotional cost of acting now. Stack relevance, novelty, clarity, and reward—then season with tension or time. Do that consistently and your headlines don’t just get noticed; they get paid.

  • Why Storytelling Beats Features in Marketing Copy

    Stop Listing Specs—Start Telling Stories That Sell

    Why Storytelling Beats Features in Marketing Copy

    The Problem

    Your product is bristling with features. Faster. Lighter. Smarter. You stack them on a page like trophies and… crickets. Prospects skim, shrug, and slip away. Not because your features are weak, but because features don’t map to meaning in the mind. People don’t wake up wanting “16GB RAM” or “triple-anodized aluminum”; they want relief, status, momentum, certainty. Features are facts. Stories translate facts into felt value.

    If your copy reads like a spec sheet, you’re forcing the brain to do the heavy lifting—connecting feature → benefit → personal outcome. Most won’t. Not out of malice, but energy conservation. So they bounce.

    Picture this: A visitor lands on your page after a long day. Ten tabs open. Slack pinging. Your headline barks three features in a row. No scene. No stakes. No why now. Their eyes glaze over. The promise dissolves into a puddle of “maybe later.” Later becomes never.

    Or think of a sales email that opens with “We’re excited to announce version 4.2…” Excited? Who cares. Where’s the movie in the reader’s head? Without a movie, your copy is invisible. No tension, no curiosity, no dopamine. And when every competitor chants the same feature chorus—“secure, scalable, reliable”—you become a commodity by accident.

    Worse, features invite objections. “Do we really need that?” “Seems complicated.” “Could be expensive.” Story bypasses that reflex. It escorts the reader into a lived moment where the payoff is obvious. In story, objections transform into obstacles the hero (your prospect) now wants to overcome. That shift is huge.

    Confession time: buyers don’t buy the best thing. They buy the thing that makes the clearest, most emotionally satisfying sense—to them, right now. Story creates that sense. It compresses understanding. It gives memory a handle. It makes your message portable so your champion can retell it in the room where budget decisions happen.

    The Solution

    Turn your copy into a story engine. Here’s a simple, punchy framework you can use today:

    1. Open on a moment. Swap abstractions for a scene.
      Instead of: “Our platform improves team collaboration.”
      Try: “It’s 8:57 a.m. Monday. Sarah has 12 minutes before stand-up and three clients breathing down her neck. One click pulls every thread into one view.”

    2. Name the hero and stakes. Make the prospect recognizable. Make the downside real.
      “If Sarah misses one update, the launch slips a week. That’s $38K gone and the CEO’s eyebrow twitch returns.”

    3. Introduce the obstacle. Complexity, chaos, delay—whatever your product crushes.
      “Right now, info hides in seven places and none of them agree.”

    4. Reveal the tool. Slide your product into the story as the lever the hero uses.
      “She opens YourApp. Threads snap into place. Priorities sort themselves.”

    5. Show the transformation. Paint the after—short sentences, sensory details.
      “Stand-up lasts nine brisk minutes. The launch stays on Friday. Sarah’s phone stops vibrating.”

    6. Prove it. Add one crisp, concrete proof point.
      “Teams like Acme cut project time 27% in the first two weeks.”

    7. Call to action with momentum. Tie the CTA to the next beat in the story.
      “Be ‘Friday-ready’ by next Friday. Start your 14-day sprint now.”

    The Feature-to-Story Converter (keep this by your keyboard)

    • Feature: “256-bit encryption”
      Story Beat: “Your client sends a contract at 10:42 p.m. You sleep anyway—locked behind a vault no human can pick.”

    • Feature: “AI-powered routing”
      Story Beat: “The next ticket jumps to the one rep who fixed it in 3 minutes last time. No debates, no pileups, just done.”

    • Feature: “One-click export”
      Story Beat: “The CFO asks for a report in five minutes. You send it in three, and look like you planned it.”

    Craft With Halbert-Style Punch

    Gary Halbert’s secret wasn’t bravado; it was compression: big promises in short, vivid lines that beg to be read. Borrow these moves:

    • Double headlines that set the hook, then twist the knife:
      “Cut Meetings by 40%—Without Ticking Off Your Boss”

    • Short sentences. Fragments, even. Rhythm sells.
      “No committees. No ‘circling back.’ Just progress.”

    • Specifics that stick. “Nine-minute stand-up,” not “short meeting.”

    • Voice that sounds like a person. Not a brochure.

    Micro-Case: From Meh to Magnetic

    Before (features-first):
    “Our CRM offers advanced segmentation, multi-channel outreach, and robust analytics to optimize your pipeline.”

    After (story-first):
    “Last quarter, Dana guessed. This quarter, she knows. The second a lead clicks pricing, her CRM tags, texts, and tees up the next email while she’s on a demo. Friday afternoon, she opens a dashboard that finally speaks human: who’s hot, who’s not, and who buys on Monday.”

    Same product. New frame. One sells.

    How to Inject Story Into Any Asset (fast)

    • Homepage hero: Open in the middle of a day-in-the-life crisis your prospect knows too well. Resolve it above the fold.

    • Feature pages: For each feature, write “In the wild, this looks like…” followed by a two-sentence scene.

    • Emails: First line = moment. Second line = stakes. Third line = shift. Link. Done.

    • Decks: Replace bullet lists with “Before ➜ After” slides using real numbers and screenshots.

    Checklist: Did You Actually Tell a Story?

    • Can I point to a hero, a problem, a turning point, and an after?

    • Did I use scenes and specifics rather than abstractions?

    • Is there one proof point tethered to the transformation?

    • Does my CTA feel like the next logical step in the story?

    Final Word (and a friendly shove)

    Features inform. Stories perform. When you lead with features, you’re asking prospects to assemble furniture without instructions. When you lead with story, you deliver the finished table—set, sturdy, and inviting. Start with a moment. Raise the stakes. Hand them your product as the tool. Show the win. Then ask for the click.

    Want copy that people don’t just read but retell? Swap specs for scenes—and watch your conversions climb.

  • 5 Proven Copywriting Formulas That Turn Readers into Buyers

    Stop Guessing. Start Selling.

    5 Proven Copywriting Formulas That Turn Readers into Buyers (Swipe These Today)

    You don’t need more inspiration—you need repeatable structures that ship sales. Below are five time-tested formulas, sharpened with real-world examples and swipe-ready templates. Use them to turn a blank page into money on demand.

    Who this is for (and why it works)

    • Owners & marketers who write their own ads, emails, and pages and want predictable conversions.

    • Freelance/beginner copywriters who need frameworks that cut drafting time in half.

    • E-commerce & service brands who must move prospects from skim to buy—fast.

    Each formula works because it organizes attention, emotion, and logic into a tight sequence. Less friction, more action.

    1) AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

    Why it works: People don’t buy when they’re confused. AIDA moves the reader step-by-step from curiosity to click.

    Use it for: Ads, short emails, hero sections, social posts.

    Mini-example (ad for a time-saving app):

    • Attention: Still drowning in tabs by 2 p.m.?

    • Interest: Our workspace bundles your tools into one view—no more context-switching.

    • Desire: Teams report finishing daily tasks 31% faster within 7 days.

    • Action: Try it free—see your clean desk by Friday.

    Swipe Template:

    ATTENTION: Call out the pain or bold promise.

    INTEREST: Tease the mechanism or unique angle.

    DESIRE: Quantify outcomes + social proof.

    ACTION: One clear CTA (now, not later).

    Pro Tip: Make the “Desire” line tangible (numbers, time saved, dollars gained). Vagueness kills momentum.

    2) PAS — Problem, Agitation, Solution

    Why it works: We act to stop pain faster than to gain pleasure. PAS spotlights the splinter, twists (gently), then offers relief.

    Use it for: Landing pages, long-form emails, product pages with a clear pain.

    Mini-example (landing page for a back-pain gel):

    • Problem: Lower-back pain making work miserable?

    • Agitation: Sitting becomes a knife twist. Sleep? Forget it. Even “easy days” feel heavy.

    • Solution: Roll on Relief+ sinks in fast—cooling in 60 seconds, easing strain for hours.

    Swipe Template:

    PROBLEM: Name the specific pain in the reader’s words.

    AGITATION: Vividly amplify consequences if nothing changes.

    SOLUTION: Present your product as the fastest, simplest relief.

    Pro Tip: Use short, staccato sentences in Agitation. Rhythm sells the discomfort.

    3) FAB — Features, Advantages, Benefits

    Why it works: Bridges specs to outcomes. Prospects ask, “So what?” FAB answers with use-case clarity.

    Use it for: Product descriptions, comparison pages, B2B one-pagers.

    Mini-example (wireless earbuds):

    • Feature: Dual-mic noise isolation.

    • Advantage: Filters crowd chatter on calls.

    • Benefit: Clients hear you clearly—close deals from anywhere.

    Swipe Template:

    FEATURE: [What it is]

    ADVANTAGE: [How it works better]

    BENEFIT: [Why your day/life improves]

    Pro Tip: Stack three FABs in a row. Finish each with a mini outcome (time, money, status, ease).

    4) 4Ps — Picture, Promise, Proof, Push

    Why it works: Paints a vivid future, guarantees it, backs it up, then tells the reader what to do.

    Use it for: Landing-page hero + first screen, video scripts, sales letters.

    Mini-example (online course hero):

    • Picture: Imagine opening your laptop to pre-sold orders—before breakfast.

    • Promise: Learn a product-launch system you can repeat every quarter.

    • Proof: 1,247 students launched with us; average first-launch revenue: $8,430.

    • Push: Enroll now—bonuses end Sunday at midnight.

    Swipe Template:

    PICTURE: Vivid, 1–2 lines of the desired after-state.

    PROMISE: Specific, time-bound outcome.

    PROOF: Numbers, testimonials, recognizable logos.

    PUSH: Urgent CTA with scarcity/bonus clarity.

    Pro Tip: Your “Proof” should be the heaviest single line above the fold.

    5) BAB — Before, After, Bridge

    Why it works: Humans think in contrasts. BAB shows the gap and turns your offer into the bridge.

    Use it for: Social posts, elevator pitches, homepage intros, cold emails.

    Mini-example (bookkeeping service for freelancers):

    • Before: Receipts in shoeboxes. Taxes in panic mode.

    • After: Clean books, clean mind, clean refund.

    • Bridge: We reconcile weekly and prep you for April—without the April freakout.

    Swipe Template:

    BEFORE: Name the messy present.

    AFTER: Paint the frictionless future.

    BRIDGE: Your product is the simple path across.

    Pro Tip: Keep each line to a punchy sentence. The contrast carries the sale.

    Quick Selector: Which Formula When?

    • Short, punchy ad or email? → AIDA

    • Pain-driven market (urgent fix)? → PAS

    • Spec-heavy product (needs clarity)? → FAB

    • Launch or sales page hero? → 4Ps

    • Social/cold outreach (fast contrast)? → BAB

    Plug-and-Play “1-Minute Drafts”

    Use these to go from zero to draft in 60 seconds.

    AIDA (Email):

    Subject: Tired of [pain] by lunchtime?
    A: [Pain callout or bold stat].
    I: Here’s how [mechanism] removes [pain] in [time].
    D: Users report [metric] in [timeframe]—plus [secondary win].
    A: Try it now—free for 7 days.

    PAS (Landing Block):

    P: You’re losing [X] to [problem].

    A: It drains [time/money/sanity] daily. Tomorrow will be the same.

    S: Meet [product]. Start in 2 minutes. Results in [timeframe].

    FAB (Product Card):

    Feature: [spec] → Advantage: [why it’s better] → Benefit: [real-life outcome]

    Final Checklist (print this)

    • Lead with one core pain or promise (not five).

    • Numbers beat adjectives. Quantify outcomes.

    • One page, one job: remove side quests and extra CTAs.

    • Proof above the fold. Risk reversal near the button.

    • Read it out loud. If you gasp for air, cut the sentence.

    Bottom line: These frameworks aren’t training wheels—they’re conveyor belts. Load your message on one end and watch buyers roll off the other.