Remember These 5 Copywriting Formulas
I used to teach marketing and selling at a local college here in Ottawa. And one of the things I used to teach with (I also use them all the time when I want to learn and remember new things, too) were mnemonics.
Mnemonics are tools or devices that aid retention. My best form of mnemonic are acronyms.
Do you remember the little ditty to remember all the planets taught mostly in kindergarten? It goes, "My very eager mother just served us nine pizzas," where the first letter of each word represents the name of each planet in our solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto).
Similarly, I use acronyms to teach about copywriting. I do this to help you remember, appreciate, and understand the process I go through when I write copy. Here they are, with their meaning (they are also linked to their respective articles covering the formula in detail):
1. UPWORDS Formula
"Universal picture words or relatable, descriptive sentences."
"Up words" are picture words, mental imagery, metaphors, analogies, examples, etc so that all people in a given target market can easily relate to and understand, in their minds, your message and its meaning.
2. QUEST Formula
Qualify, Understand, Educate, Stimulate, and Transition.
This is the process prospects go through when they are reading your sales copy. In addition to the AIDA formula (attention, interest, desire, then action), it guides people, as if going "on a quest," so to speak, as they progress through your copy until they take the prescribed action.
3. FAB Formula
Features, Advantages, and Benefits.
Simply, this one is to not only help remember but also understand what true benefits are. Features are what products have. Advantages (what people often mistakenly think are benefits) are what those features do. But benefits are what they mean — at a personal, intimate level. They are real benefits. You can also call them "end-results."
4. OATH Formula
Oblivious, Apathetic, Thinking, or Hurting.
"Are your prospects ready to take an oath?" These are the four stages of your market’s awareness. From not knowing they have a problem to desperately seeking a solution, your market falls in either one of these. Knowing this helps to determine not only how to write your copy but also how much is warranted.
5. FORCEPS Formula
Factual, Optical, Reversal, Credential, Evidential, Perceptual, and Social proof.
Finally, these represent the various proof elements you can include in your copy. This is particularly helpful when your product is new or unheard of. Proof is the single greatest requirement in all sales copy, especially online — and the lack thereof is the biggest killer of sales, too.
Do you have any formulas or acronyms you refer to to help you write your copy? I’d love to hear about them, and why you use them.
About the Author
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker, consultant, and CEO of The Success Doctor, Inc. Visit his blog and signup free to get tested conversion strategies and response-boosting tips by email, along with blog updates, news, and more! Go now to http://www.michelfortin.com.
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From Michael On Memory
Mnemonics - How To Remember The Essentials of Copywriting…
I am always looking for examples of how people use mnemonics and I have found a really good one from the internet marketing fraternity.
A mnemonic is an "artificial way" of remembering something. When you remember something just because…
Source Website May 10th, 2007
From On Copywriting
Copywriting Formulas to Remember…
If you’re a copywriter… or you write sales copy… you must read and bookmark this article: Remember These 5 Copywriting Formulas by Michel Fortin My favorite is OATH because it’s an easy way to analyze the market you’re writing for….
Source Website May 15th, 2007
From Elizabeth Purvis » A post to bookmark if you’re a copywriter
[...] This post on Michel Fortin’s blog gives 5 key mnemonics (of Michel’s own invention, I believe, but I could be wrong on that) to keep in mind while writing copy. [...]
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From Quick and Easy Sunday Links | Copyblogger
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From Internet Marketing 4 Noobs » Blog Archive » Excellent article on how to write good copy by Michel Fortin
[...] michelfortin.com/remember-these-5-copywriting-formulas/ [...]
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From links for 2007-05-21 | The One
[...] Remember These 5 Copywriting Formulas » Copywriting Blog By Copywriter Michel Fortin (tags: copywriting marketing) [...]
Source Website May 21st, 2007