As a copywriter, having a solid framework or idea of the story you want to tell can significantly impact how the story flows, how the messages are conveyed or received, and essentially determine how effective the copy will be. A short story is traditionally presented in the format of an introduction, climax, and conclusion. However, when using the art of persuasive storytelling to craft copy for marketing purposes, copywriters can benefit from following a storytelling structure that is traditionally used in marketing.
The best format to use in your copy will be determined by the type of product or service you’re selling and the medium through which your copy will be presented e.i. A blog, or a video. We’ll explore the A-Z of copywriting frameworks that’ll help to structure your work and assist you in creating successful copy.
Using the right copywriting framework has the power to make the audience feel like the main character in the story that you are telling. In the same way that an author paints a vivid idea for the reader in the introduction of a story, invokes their emotions in the climax, and leaves a lasting impression with the ending, the copywriter has the task of painting the picture of a world in which the consumer needs a specific product and will go out and get it.
These are a handful of the most effective copywriting frameworks that can affect a consumer’s decision-making process.
Getting the audience’s attention should happen within the first ten seconds of interacting with your copy. A catchy headline does the trick in an article or blog, and the first few seconds of your script should have the same effect if the advert is a video. An effective way to get someone’s attention is to ask a question or make an interesting statement, or you can do both by asking “did you know” before making a statement.
Once you’ve got the reader’s attention, spark their interest in the product you’re selling. If, for instance, you stated that the price of gas was set to rise to $5 per gallon in the next 3 years, you could follow up by talking about the growing popularity of fuel efficient cars. You could also talk about the pain points of most fuel-efficient cars, in the build-up to talking about why your specific product is desirable.
Paint a vivid picture of why your product is desirable, and how it can solve the audience’s problems. For interest’s sake, the most fuel-efficient car in 2023 is the Toyota Prius which gives the driver up to 57 miles per gallon.
The most important part of any copy is getting the audience to do something, and in the case of our fuel-efficient car, we want the audience to own one within the next three years. The call-to-action can include the payment plans that are available and added benefits they’ll receive if the purchase is made in a specific timeframe.
This copywriting framework starts off by painting a vivid picture of the target audience’s current life. It’s essential to know your audience and fully understand their pain points before attempting to paint this picture because the next step involves painting a picture of what their life will look like after they use your product. The idea is to paint a gloomy picture of their life before your product and make them wonder if there is really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Describe how their life will change after the rain clears and they discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Speak about the pot of gold, a.k.a the product or service. This is a copywriting framework that is often used to sell products related to body image such as weight loss or skincare products, and it’ll usually include visuals that tell the story of before and after.
Present the problem in a way that is similar to the before-after-bridge format, by painting a vivid picture of the main problem that your product will solve.
Instead of giving the audience hope, make their problem seem slightly worse than it already is, or highlight the potential dangers of leaving this specific problem unsolved. If the problem is excessive pet hair in the house, you can agitate it by making the audience envision all their guests refusing to come back for fear of being covered in pet hair. It may come across as over the top or exaggerated, but it can effectively speak to the audience's deepest fears and invoke emotion.
Present your product as the solution to this specific problem. Presenting the solution in this way can make the audience feel like this is the only solution to their problem, and make them more likely to choose it over a competitor brand if there is one.
The Zero Moment of Truth focuses on the buyer’s research process after they’ve decided to buy an item, and it relies heavily on the fact that people conduct plenty of online research before making purchases. It consists of a wide range of content that the audience can read through in order to compare one product to another, and it’s a copywriting framework that goes into very specific detail.
Audiences are most likely to search for user reviews, buying guides, or case studies during the decision-making process. ZMOT content should be written in a way that makes it easy for the audience to find it on search engines, so it should meet SEO standards and contain specific keywords. The more information a reader has on your product, the more inclined they’ll be to purchase it.
Get in touch with our team of copywriters for a free content analysis, and help us tell your brand’s story in the most effective and impactful way, and connect you to your audience.
