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platform: universal
format: copywriting
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---

# Best Practices: Copywriting

## Core Principles

Copywriting is the craft of using words to move people toward a specific action. Every word must earn its place by advancing clarity, credibility, or conversion.

- **One reader, one message.** Write to a single, specific person — not a demographic.
- **Benefits, not features.** Features describe what something is; benefits describe what it does for the reader.
- **The customer is the hero.** Your product is the guide. Their transformation is the story.
- **Clarity beats cleverness.** If a reader has to work to understand you, they won't convert.

## The Fundamental Frameworks

### AIDA
- **Attention** — Stop the scroll with a powerful hook
- **Interest** — Make the reader care about the problem
- **Desire** — Show them what life looks like with the solution
- **Action** — Tell them exactly what to do next

### PAS
- **Problem** — Name the pain precisely
- **Agitate** — Expand the problem; make it feel real and urgent
- **Solution** — Present your offer as the clear path forward

### FAB
- **Feature** — What the product does
- **Advantage** — Why that feature matters
- **Benefit** — What that means for the reader personally

## Structure

```
[HEADLINE — primary promise or hook]
[SUBHEADLINE — supports or expands the headline]

[OPENING — agitate the pain or amplify the desire]
[BRIDGE — introduce the solution category]
[PROOF — social proof, testimonials, data, or demonstration]
[OFFER — what they get, when, for how much]
[OBJECTION HANDLING — preemptively answer "but what about..."]
[CTA — one clear next step with urgency or specificity]
```

## Guidelines

- Write headlines that include: a number, a specific benefit, or a curiosity trigger.
- Lead with the reader's world, not yours. Open with their pain or desire.
- Use sensory, concrete language: "cut your workload in half" beats "improve efficiency."
- Social proof should be specific: name, company, measurable result.
- Reduce friction in CTAs: "Start my free trial" > "Sign up" > "Submit"
- Read your copy aloud — if it sounds stiff, rewrite it until it flows.
- Every paragraph should make the next one feel necessary.

## Examples

**Weak vs. strong headlines:**
- Weak: "Our software helps teams collaborate better"
- Strong: "Your team will ship 30% faster — or you don't pay"

**Weak vs. strong CTA:**
- Weak: "Learn more"
- Strong: "Get instant access — no credit card required"

**Testimonial (weak vs. strong):**
- Weak: "Great product! Highly recommend."
- Strong: "I went from 3 clients to 11 in 60 days after implementing this system. Worth every penny." — Sarah M., Freelance Designer
