pasop formula

Ever wanted to set up a sales email sequence or campaign, but had no idea where to start with the copy? Well, I have some good news. Copywriting formulas exist for these exact scenarios. In other words, you don’t have to start from square one or reinvent the wheel. Think of copywriting formulas as blueprints. They give you the plans to build an incredibly persuasive argument for customer action. You just need to fill in the blanks and personalize the blueprint so your resulting email campaign or sequence is targeted and personal for your audience. As you know, when your writing is both of these things (targeted and personal), you’ll be more successful in your endeavors – meaning you’ll get more opens, more clicks, more sign-ups, more conversions, or more sales. That’s why I’m here today to talk about a really great formula/blueprint that gets serious results, especially for email copywriting and drip campaigns. This particularly compelling copywriting blueprint is the PASOP formula: Problem, Agitation, Solution, Outcome, Problem. Let’s talk more about it, and how to use it in your sales-focused copy. Ready? What Is the PASOP Formula? A Nitty-Gritty Definition With any copywriting formula, you use the provided blueprint to structure your argument. (The goal of any type of copywriting is to spur the reader to action, so every sentence you write contributes to your argument in some way.) With PASOP, the argument is structured like this: Problem Agitation Solution Outcome Problem Let’s talk about how each element ties together and leads to customer action – whether that means a purchase, a sign-up, or simply clicking a link to a landing page. 1. Problem With this formula, your argument begins with presenting a problem the reader has. You can state the problem simply, or you can go into more detail. 2. Agitation After you state the problem, it’s time to stir the pot. This is the “agitation” part. How do you do it? You swim around in the problem. You get into the reader’s head and tell them how they must be feeling about it. You empathize. Ultimately, you want to make them nod along and think, “Yes, this is how I feel. This is my problem.” Or, in internet-speak, you make them think, “THIS.” It just means you emphasize the pain the problem causes. You dig in a little. You make the problem twinge for the reader. You make them wince. The point of agitation is to suddenly make the reader’s problem much more immediate and urgent. They don’t want the pain, and they don’t just want a solution. They need it. 3. Solution After agitation, it’s time to give your reader some relief. It’s time to show them there’s a way out, a way to make the pain end. This is your unique solution to the problem, something only you can provide. This part should make your reader go, “Ahhhhh. Sweet relief.” (Or something similar if they’re not the dramatic type.) Note: PAS is a much more common formula than PASOP. The former is the original, the latter is a variation. Here’s a PAS example on its own, in action, via Copywrite Matters: 4. Outcome What are the eventual outcomes for the reader if they use your solution? Tell them to sweeten the deal. Including the “Outcome” part goes a step beyond PAS. In many cases, this is just extra proof that the solution is awesome and works. For example, a testimonial is a great way to show a positive outcome in action. You can also use data that proves the solution works. 5. Problem Here’s where things get interesting. After you show your solution and the possible outcomes for the reader, you loop back to another problem. This problem may or may not be related to the first one you presented at the outset of your argument. It just should be relevant to your reader. And then, you stop there. You leave that final problem lingering in the reader’s mind – a literal cliffhanger, which sets them up to anticipate your next email/message, where you’ll repeat PASOP and give them a solution. This is the main reason PASOP works so well for email sequences and drip campaigns. It naturally meshes with the delayed messaging format. It keeps your audience wanting more, because you leave a question dangling that begs an answer. Your readers should look like this when you get to the second “P” in PASOP and dangle that cliffhanger: When & Where to Use the PASOP Formula in Your Copywriting PASOP is persuasive, all right. But where should you use it in your copy to nab more customer action – more sales, more conversions? Turns out, there are places where this formula naturally works very, very well. 1. Email Drip Sequences and Campaigns Set Up as Auto-Responders Above all, PASOP is perfectly suited for email drip campaigns. Many marketers and writers approach drip campaigns and sequences with shudders, but implementing the PASOP formula for these tasks can make them ridiculously easy to write. An email drip sequence begins when someone opts into a lead magnet (i.e. by entering their email address/information into a form on a landing page) or performing some other action that warrants a response from you (making a purchase, abandoning a shopping cart, visiting a page more than once, signing up for your newsletter, etc.). Once they do this, a pre-written sequence is triggered and hits their inbox. One email is sent at a time over a set period of days. Here’s an example of one of my sequences in ConvertKit. This sequence is triggered to invite people to my masterclass and allow them to get to know me, after they sign up for my free lead magnet on content strategy skillsets. Each email is written strategically so it pulls the user/customer/reader further into the fold. If your end goal is to get the reader to make a purchase, the sequence of emails sent over a span of days helps warm them up to get them closer to that action. When you … Read more