afrexai-conversion-copywriting

# Conversion Copywriting Engine > Copy is salesmanship in print. This isn't about writing — it's about selling. Every word earns its place or gets cut. ## Quick Health Check Rate the copy 1-5 on each dimension. Score < 24 = rewrite needed: | # | Dimension | Question | |---|-----------|----------| | 1 | Clarity | Can a 12-year-old understand the offer in 5 seconds? | | 2 | Specificity | Are there numbers, timeframes, and concrete outcomes? | | 3 | Desire | Does the reader WANT the outcome described? | | 4 | Proof | Is there evidence (testimonials, data, logos, case studies)? | | 5 | Urgency | Is there a reason to act NOW vs later? | | 6 | Friction | Are objections addressed before they arise? | | 7 | Voice | Does it sound like a human, not a corporation? | | 8 | CTA | Is the next step crystal clear and low-risk? | **Score: /40** — Below 32 = significant opportunity. Below 24 = copy is actively losing money. --- ## Phase 1: Research Before Writing Never write a single word until you complete this. Bad research = bad copy, no matter how clever. ### 1.1 Voice of Customer (VoC) Mining The goal: steal your customer's EXACT words and mirror them back. **Sources (ranked by value):** | Source | What to Extract | Where to Find | |--------|----------------|---------------| | Support tickets | Pain language, frustration words | Helpdesk, Intercom, Zendesk | | Sales call recordings | Objections, "I wish...", buying triggers | Gong, call notes | | Review sites | Praise patterns, complaint patterns | G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Amazon | | Reddit/forums | Unfiltered problems, slang, emotional language | r/[industry], Quora, niche forums | | Competitor reviews | What competitors fail at (your opportunity) | G2, App Store, Amazon | | Survey responses | Direct answers to "why did you buy/not buy?" | Typeform, post-purchase surveys | | Social comments | Reaction language, share triggers | Twitter replies, LinkedIn comments | **VoC Extraction Template:** ```yaml voC_research: product: "[Product name]" date: "YYYY-MM-DD" pain_statements: # Exact quotes about the problem - quote: "I spend 3 hours every morning just reconciling invoices" source: "G2 review - AccountingSoft competitor" frequency: "high" # How often this sentiment appears - quote: "" source: "" frequency: "" desire_statements: # What they WANT (outcome language) - quote: "I just want to click one button and have it done" source: "Reddit r/smallbusiness" frequency: "medium" - quote: "" source: "" frequency: "" objection_statements: # Why they hesitate - quote: "Every tool like this requires a PhD to set up" source: "Support ticket" frequency: "high" - quote: "" source: "" frequency: "" trigger_events: # What made them start looking - "Hired 5th employee and spreadsheets broke" - "Missed a tax deadline" - "" words_they_use: # Industry/audience vocabulary - "reconciliation" not "financial harmonization" - "setup" not "onboarding flow" - "" competitors_they_mention: [] buying_criteria: # What matters most (ranked) - "Easy to set up (< 1 hour)" - "Integrates with QuickBooks" - "" ``` ### 1.2 Awareness Levels (Eugene Schwartz) Every piece of copy must match the reader's awareness level. Writing "Buy now!" to someone who doesn't know they have a problem = wasted words. | Level | They Know... | Your Job | Lead With | |-------|-------------|----------|-----------| | **Unaware** | Nothing about the problem | Educate about the pain | Story, shocking stat, question | | **Problem-Aware** | They have a problem | Agitate the pain, introduce solution category | "Tired of X? Here's why..." | | **Solution-Aware** | Solutions exist | Differentiate YOUR solution | "Unlike other tools, we..." | | **Product-Aware** | Your product exists | Overcome objections, prove value | Social proof, comparison, demo | | **Most Aware** | Your product, ready to buy | Remove final friction | Deal, guarantee, urgency | **Rule:** The less aware they are, the longer the copy needs to be. Unaware = long-form education. Most Aware = short CTA + offer. ### 1.3 One Reader, One Offer, One Action Before writing, fill this in: ```yaml copy_brief: surface: "" # Landing page, email, ad, sales page, etc. one_reader: "" # Specific person (not "small businesses" — "Sarah, ops manager at 50-person agency") awareness_level: "" # Unaware / Problem / Solution / Product / Most Aware one_offer: "" # What exactly are you offering? one_action: "" # What exactly should they DO? primary_emotion: "" # Fear, desire, curiosity, frustration, hope proof_available: [] # Testimonials, case studies, data points you can use objections_to_address: [] # Top 3 reasons they'd say no word_count_target: "" # Constraint forces clarity ``` --- ## Phase 2: Headline Writing The headline does 80% of the work. If the headline fails, nothing else matters. ### 2.1 Headline Formulas (12 Proven Patterns) | # | Formula | Example | |---|---------|---------| | 1 | **[Number] Ways to [Desired Outcome] Without [Pain]** | "7 Ways to Cut Hiring Time Without Lowering Standards" | | 2 | **How [Specific Person] [Achieved Result] in [Timeframe]** | "How a 3-Person Agency Landed $240K in Clients in 90 Days" | | 3 | **Stop [Bad Thing]. Start [Good Thing].** | "Stop Guessing at Pricing. Start Charging What You're Worth." | | 4 | **The [Adjective] Way to [Outcome]** | "The Lazy Way to Write Emails That Get Replies" | | 5 | **[Outcome] in [Timeframe] — or [Bold Guarantee]** | "Double Your Pipeline in 30 Days — or We Work Free Until You Do" | | 6 | **Why [Counterintuitive Claim]** | "Why Your Best Salesperson Is Costing You Revenue" | | 7 | **[Pain Statement] → [Outcome Statement]** | "From 60-Hour Weeks → Automated Operations in 14 Days" | | 8 | **What [Respected Group] Knows About [Topic] That You Don't** | "What Top 1% of SaaS Founders Know About Pricing" | | 9 | **Are You Making These [Number] [Mistake Type] Mistakes?** | "Are You Making These 5 Cold Email Mistakes?" | | 10 | **[Big Number/Stat] + Implication** | "83% of Proposals Lose on Price. Here's How to Win on Value." | | 11 | **The [Framework/Secret/Method] Behind [Impressive Result]** | "The 3-Step Method Behind $50M in Closed Deals" | | 12 | **[Direct Command] + [Specific Benefit]** | "Cut Your Client Reporting Time by 80% This Week" | ### 2.2 Headline Quality Test Score each headline candidate 0-2 per criterion: | Criterion | 0 | 1 | 2 | |-----------|---|---|---| | **Specific** | Vague/generic | Somewhat specific | Has numbers, timeframes, or concrete nouns | | **Benefit-driven** | Feature-focused | Implied benefit | Explicit outcome the reader wants | | **Curiosity gap** | No reason to read on | Mild interest | "I NEED to know more" | | **Believable** | Sounds like hype | Plausible | Backed by specificity or proof | | **Emotional** | Flat/corporate | Slightly engaging | Hits fear, desire, curiosity, or frustration | **Score: /10** — Ship at 7+. Below 5 = rewrite. ### 2.3 Subheadline Rules The subheadline expands on the headline promise. It should: - Add specificity the headline couldn't fit - Address the reader directly ("you") - Lower the perceived effort/risk - Create a "nodding" effect (reader thinks "yes, that's me") **Pattern:** `[Expand on headline promise] + [For whom] + [Without the main objection]` Example: Headline: "Double Your Pipeline in 30 Days" Subheadline: "The AI-powered outreach system that books qualified calls for B2B founders — without cold calling or hiring SDRs." --- ## Phase 3: Copy Frameworks (The Arsenal) ### 3.1 Core Frameworks **AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action** Best for: Landing pages, sales pages, long-form emails ``` ATTENTION: Hook with the biggest pain or boldest promise INTEREST: "Here's why this matters to YOU specifically..." DESIRE: Paint the after-state. Make them feel the transformation. ACTION: Single, clear, low-risk next step. ``` **PAS — Problem, Agitate, Solution** Best for: Short emails, ads, social posts, pain-driven products ``` PROBLEM: State the problem in their words (from VoC research) AGITATE: What happens if they don't solve it? Cost of inaction. SOLUTION: Your product/offer as the bridge from pain to relief. ``` **BAB — Before, After, Bridge** Best for: Case studies, testimonials, transformation stories ``` BEFORE: Paint their current painful reality (specific details) AFTER: Paint the future they want (specific results) BRIDGE: Your product is the bridge between the two. ``` **PASTOR — Problem, Amplify, Story, Transformation, Offer, Response** Best for: Long-form sales pages, webinar scripts ``` PROBLEM: Identify the core pain AMPLIFY: Consequences of not solving (emotional + financial) STORY: Tell a relevant story (yours, a customer's, or a parable) TRANSFORMATION: Show before → after with proof OFFER: Present the solution with everything included RESPONSE: Clear CTA with urgency ``` **4Ps — Promise, Picture, Proof, Push** Best for: Ads, product pages, short landing pages ``` PROMISE: What will the reader get? (Specific outcome) PICTURE: Help them visualize having it (sensory language) PROOF: Evidence it works (testimonials, data, case studies) PUSH: CTA with urgency or scarcity ``` **Star-Story-Solution** Best for: Email sequences, personality-driven brands ``` STAR: Introduce the character (your customer or you) STORY: The struggle and the journey SOLUTION: How the product solved the problem ``` ### 3.2 Framework Selection Guide | Situation | Best Framework | Why | |-----------|---------------|-----| | Cold audience, long page | PASTOR | Needs full education arc | | Warm audience, quick action | PAS | They know the pain, move fast | | Case study / testimonial | BAB | Transformation is the proof | | Product launch | AIDA | Classic structure, works everywhere | | Ad copy (< 100 words) | 4Ps | Compact but complete | | Email nurture sequence | Star-Story-Solution | Builds relationship through narrative | | Retargeting / remarketing | PAS (short) | They already know you, agitate to return | --- ## Phase 4: Surface-Specific Templates ### 4.1 Landing Page Structure ``` [HERO SECTION] ├── Headline (formula from Phase 2) ├── Subheadline (expand + specify + de-risk) ├── Hero image or demo GIF ├── Primary CTA button └── Social proof bar (logos, "Trusted by X companies", star rating) [PROBLEM SECTION] ├── "Sound familiar?" or "You're here because..." ├── 3-4 pain bullets (from VoC, in their words) └── Cost of inaction statement [SOLUTION SECTION] ├── "Here's how [Product] fixes this" ├── 3 key benefits (NOT features) with icons ├── Each benefit: [Benefit headline] + [1-2 sentence expansion] + [Proof point] └── Screenshot or visual [SOCIAL PROOF SECTION] ├── 2-3 testimonials (name, company, result, photo) ├── OR case study snippet (Before → After with numbers) └── Trust badges (security, integrations, awards) [OBJECTION HANDLING SECTION] ├── FAQ or "Common questions" (address top 3-5 objections) └── Each answer is a mini-sale (reframe objection → benefit) [FINAL CTA SECTION] ├── Restate the core promise ├── Risk reversal (guarantee, free trial, no CC required) ├── CTA button (same as hero) └── Urgency element if genuine (limited spots, price going up, deadline) ``` ### 4.2 Email Copy Templates **Cold Email (first touch):** ``` Subject: [Specific observation about their business] [First name], [Observation about their company — proves you did research, 1 sentence] [Problem you solve — framed as "companies like yours" + specific pain, 1-2 sentences] [Result you've delivered — specific number/outcome, 1 sentence] [Soft CTA — question or offer, not "let me know if you want to chat"] [Name] P.S. [Proof point or curiosity hook] ``` **Welcome Email (post-signup):** ``` Subject: You're in — here's your [thing] + what to do first [First name], Welcome to [Product]. You just made a smart move. Here's your [thing they signed up for]: → [Link or attachment] **Your next step (takes 2 minutes):** [Single specific action that gets them to first value] If you hit any snags, reply to this email — I read every one. [Name] [Title] at [Company] ``` **Abandoned Cart / Trial Expiring:** ``` Subject: Still thinking it over? [First name], You [started a trial / added X to cart] [timeframe] ago but didn't [complete / continue]. Totally fine — here's what you might be wondering: **"Is it worth the price?"** [1-2 sentences with proof point / ROI calculation] **"What if it doesn't work for me?"** [Risk reversal — guarantee, refund policy, support] **"I don't have time right now"** [Time-to-value statement — "takes 10 minutes to set up"] [CTA — "Pick up where you left off →"] [Name] ``` ### 4.3 Ad Copy Templates **Facebook/Instagram Ad:** ``` [Hook — first line must stop the scroll, max 125 chars] ↓ [Problem — 1-2 lines, relatable pain] ↓ [Solution — what your product does differently, 1-2 lines] ↓ [Proof — number, testimonial snippet, or social proof] ↓ [CTA — "Click [Link] to [specific outcome]"] ``` **Google Search Ad:** ``` Headline 1: [Primary keyword + benefit] (30 chars) Headline 2: [Proof/number + differentiator] (30 chars) Headline 3: [CTA or offer] (30 chars)