Why copywriting formulas still matter in 2025
In a place full of tech and code, we often lose sight that every tap, look, and buy is still based on the mind. This is why copywriting rules help—not as old ways, but as tested mind tricks that grip how we think, feel, and choose.
Even with AI making content, our own copy plans still do better when they use deep insights. For many Dool client work, we’ve seen as much as 3 times more activity and 2 times more sales, just by using the right word rule at the best time in the user path.
These rules are not just easy fixes. They build the base for making things sound right.
Our client campaigns: a quick snapshot of before and after
Think about a health brand that had a hard time with high ad costs and no change in clicks. After we used PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solve), their Meta Ads got 78% more likes and shares in three weeks. Or look at a B2B tech firm that cut their lead cost by 54% with the 4 Cs method in LinkedIn ads.
These aren’t just one-time wins—they’re trends. And behind them are plans that make dull ads into smart, strong messages.
Let’s go over the seven that helped the most.
The AIDA formula: Capturing attention with strategic intent
AIDA is short for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It’s the plan many good ads use, from old paper ones to new clips on Instagram. Each part takes the reader on steps: starting with getting their attention using a big hook, making them interested by being relevant, then getting them to want something by showing benefits, and finally making them take an action.
Why does it still work in 2025? Because it fits how we make choices. Studies in how the mind works back this step-by-step plan as a way our actions build up. AIDA is no wild guess—it’s just how our brains sort and set what matters most.
Real-world client results using AIDA in Meta Ads
We applied the AIDA structure to a Meta campaign for a health-tech startup offering remote physiotherapy. Prior to our involvement, their ads were informative but bland, packed with features and missing urgency. We restructured the messaging:
- Attention: “Struggling with pain from your desk job?”
- Interest: “9 in 10 remote workers suffer from posture-related pain.”
- Desire: “Our physio app helped 3,000 users feel better in under 2 weeks.”
- Action: “Book your free consultation today.”
The result? A 2.1x increase in click-through rates and a 47% drop in cost-per-acquisition in just one month.
AIDA isn’t just a formula—it’s a behavioural map. And when used intentionally, it creates a frictionless path from curiosity to conversion.
PAS (Problem–Agitate–Solve): Driving urgency through empathy
PAS does its job by hitting on feelings. It points out a problem, makes you feel the stress of not fixing it, and then shows a way out that brings ease.
It plays on the “loss aversion” rule from how we act with money — the thought that we work harder to dodge hurt than to get joy. PAS isn’t just selling fixes. It sells calm, power, and ending.
Not like AIDA, which goes straight, PAS loops with tight and loose. It pulls focus with care, not loudness.
How one wellness brand doubled conversions with this approach
A client in the mind health area was finding it hard to stand out in a full market. Their old ad used to talk about things like “get to a therapist anytime”, “plans made for you”, and more. But folks were not clicking on it.
We switched the words using PAS:
- Problem: “Feeling anxious even when nothing’s wrong?”
- Agitate: “You’re not alone. Ignoring anxiety often leads to burnout and lost sleep.”
- Solve: “Try CalmMind’s therapist-designed toolkit—relief in minutes, support for months.”
This easy change led to a 109% jump in landing page wins. Most key, user comments showed a deeper link to the brand.
PAS does not focus on scaring people—it’s about reaching them where they are, saying their feelings are real, and slowly helping them move on.
The 4 Cs: Clear, Concise, Compelling, Credible
The 4 Cs rule is all about being clear. In our online world, where focus is key, being mixed up costs too much. This rule cuts out any extra and keeps the message sharp, short, strong, and true. Every ‘C’ has its own part:
- Clear: Say what you mean—fast.
- Concise: Don’t bury the message in jargon.
- Compelling: Highlight value, not just features.
- Credible: Prove your claims with specifics, data, or testimonials.
Research by Nielsen Norman Group shows that users often exit a webpage in 10 to 20 seconds if the words do not show clear value right away. The 4 Cs help stop this quick exit.
A B2B case study that slashed cost-per-lead using the 4 Cs
One of our clients who sells SaaS in the CRM area had a good product, but the words they used were too much. Their main page sounded like a tech guide. We changed the top part of their page using four clear rules:
- Clear: “Manage your leads in one easy dashboard.”
- Concise: “No downloads. No training needed.”
- Compelling: “Cut admin time by 62%—based on real user data.”
- Credible: “Trusted by over 4,500 sales teams worldwide.”
In six weeks, their cost to get leads fell by 54%, and the bounce rate on paid ad pages was cut by half.
Clear talk builds trust. In a time full of AI-made mess, the brands that do well are those that talk clearly, with sureness, and quickly.
FAB (Features–Advantages–Benefits): Flipping focus to the user
Too many brands start by showing what they have—not why it is important. The FAB way fixes this by taking each Feature, tying it to an Advantage, and then showing the Benefit for the user.
Think about a product with “256-bit encryption”. That’s a feature. The plus side is it keeps data safe. But the big win? You feel sure that your business and customer info are secure.
FAB is good because it makes tech or hard things feel real and important, by linking them to what we feel— a key idea in brain marketing.
How FAB helped a startup triple click-through rates on Google Ads
We tried FAB in a Google Ads plan for a client who makes project management tools. Their first copy said: “Changeable task boards and live work together.” Not bad, yet not catchy too.
We made a new one with FAB:
- Feature: “Customisable task boards”
- Advantage: “Easily organise workflows your way”
- Benefit: “So your team hits deadlines without chaos”
The final ad copy?
“Deadlines shouldn’t cause stress. Our customisable task boards keep your projects on track—your way.”
That small change made the click rate jump from 2.1% to 6.5% in just two weeks—a 209% rise.
FAB links what a brand says to what a customer feels. That’s where real conversions happen.
The Before–After–Bridge (BAB) technique: Painting better futures
The BAB way—Before, After, Bridge—is like a short story of change. You begin by showing people where they are now (Before), then where they could be (After), and how they can reach that point (Bridge). This setup makes use of what’s called prospective memory. It’s a brain thing where people see what might happen in the future and feel a pull to make it real (Gilbert & Wilson, 2007).
Studies in neuromarketing have found that our brains react more to what we see coming in the future than to smart talk about now (Hubert & Kenning, 2008). BAB taps right into this brain circuit.
It’s not just about selling dreams—it’s about showing real, better outcomes and the way to make them happen.
Campaign insights from a FinTech client using BAB in display ads
One of our money tech clients had weak pull on their Google Ads. They showed a lot of cool stuff but no heart in their words.
We applied the BAB technique:
- Before: “Still tracking expenses with spreadsheets?”
- After: “Imagine your finances sorted automatically in one clean dashboard.”
- Bridge: “Try FinPilot—automated budgeting trusted by 10,000+ freelancers.”
This change moved the story from tools to big change. The ads got a 62% more rate of change and a 44% lower click cost.
What do we learn? People don’t pay for parts. They pay for better selfs—and BAB shows them just what that is.
The 5 Basic Objections method: Rebuttal-driven persuasion
Every likely buyer has doubts deep down. Price. Time. Trust. Fit. Risk. The 5 Basic Objections plan meets them right away, using quick writing to calm fears before they stop the sale.
Here are the five main worries most buyers hold:
- It’s too expensive.
- It won’t work for me.
- I don’t trust you.
- I don’t need it now.
- It’s too complicated.
When these are fixed early—in a big title, a FAQ, or just one line—they make things easy to think about and build trust. Studies on how we understand things show that when facts are simpler to take in, they’re more likely to convince us.
Case study: Reducing cart abandonment through anticipatory copy
A top skin care client of ours had good product pages but a huge cart drop rate—almost 68%. We kept the prices the same. Instead, we changed the words to meet buyer issues head-on:
- Too expensive? → “Every bottle lasts 3 months—only £0.59/day.”
- Won’t work for me? → “Custom formulas backed by 2,000+ dermatologist reviews.”
- Don’t trust us yet? → “Rated 4.8/5 by 17,000 real customers.”
- Not sure it’s the right time? → “Skin support you can start today—and pause anytime.”
- Seems complicated? → “Three steps. Under two minutes. No guesswork.”
These lines were put near “Call to Actions” and on exit popups. What was the result? A 37% drop in people leaving their carts in 30 days.
Beating doubts isn’t about pushing the sale. It’s about lowering stress—making a space where saying “yes” feels easy, not like a risk.
The Rule of One: Hyper-focused messaging for high ROI
In a world full of choices, being clear is best. The Rule of One is really simple: each ad targets one person, sticks to one idea, gives one promise, and has one action to take. That’s all.
Why does this work? Because too much to think about can ruin results. A study from Stanford shows that when folks face too many choices, they’re not likely to do anything (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). The Rule of One stops this by cutting out extra noise and making its point clear.
It works great for ads you pay for, where a quick moment can make or break your return on investment.
How niching down helped a niche e-commerce brand boost ROAS by 89%
We linked up with a UK shop on the web that sold eco home goods without waste. Their ads were full with words—eco-friendly, handmade, from a family, fair in trade— all key, but none stuck out.
We cut it down with the Rule of One:
- One audience: Eco-conscious mums aged 30–45
- One idea: “Make your home waste-free”
- One promise: “Plastic-free swaps delivered monthly”
- One CTA: “Start your free trial”
What happened? Their Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) went up by 89% in six weeks, and time on the landing page went up two times.
Keeping the message simple doesn’t cut down its depth. It means putting the main idea right in front and making it stand out.
How to choose the right formula for your ad goals
Picking a copywriting formula isn’t just about what you like—it’s about fit. Each plan works best at different points in the buyer’s trip and with different kinds of emotional pulls.
Here’s how we usually pair them up:
- AIDA: Good for big ad plans that lead the reader step by step.
- PAS: Best for items that fix pain, mainly in health, money, and care.
- FAB: Great for setting apart goods by what they do and what they give to the user.
- BAB: Top for offers that look to the future or change things, like SaaS and life help.
- 4 Cs: Very good for B2B or tech areas where being clear means being trusted.
- 5 Objections: A must for online shops or big buys where people want to feel sure.
- Rule of One: Key for ads that aim to get people back and focus on making the sale.
The trick is to change your plan based on how your group feels. Cold leads may need PAS. Warm ones may like FAB more. Hot leads? Use the Rule of One and a strong call to act.
Our approach to split-testing for performance clarity
At Dool, we don’t just guess. We check.
For every campaign, we run A/B tests on different models while the pictures, who we aim at, and where it shows stay the same. With time, we’ve made a log of stats showing that our method-driven text beats plain text by up to 63% in many areas.
We keep an eye on:
- How many click through
- How many turn into buyers
- How many leave the web page fast
- How fast the first action happens
Models aren’t magic tricks. But you can count them. And when we use them on purpose, they give a plan that helps our creativity be both smart and wide in scope.
Copywriting tricks aren’t old tales—they are guides that still set how we see value, fix issues, and pick options.
The wins we talk about here—from cut ad spends to high click rates—didn’t just happen. They came from using the right plan for the right people at the right time.
If you’re making a Google Ad, a Meta title, or a main page lead, the rule stays the same: a good setup boosts your pitch.
And that’s what we do best at Dool. Our words aren’t just fun—they’re tuned to change minds.
FAQs
What is the best copywriting formula for Facebook Ads?
It depends on the campaign goal. For awareness, AIDA works well. For emotional engagement, PAS is ideal. We’ve seen excellent results combining both in carousel formats.
How do I test different ad copy formulas?
Split-testing (A/B testing) is key. Launch two versions of the same ad with different copy structures, and monitor CTR, conversions, and time on page. Always keep other variables consistent.
Can copywriting formulas be used in landing pages?
Absolutely. Formulas like FAB and the 5 Basic Objections method are particularly effective in structuring landing page flow—especially when leading toward a single CTA.
Are these formulas relevant for B2B campaigns?
Yes—especially the 4 Cs and the Rule of One. B2B buyers want clarity and value. A structured approach ensures your message gets through the noise.
What results can I expect from formula-based ad writing?
While it varies by industry, our clients typically see a 30–60% lift in engagement and a significant reduction in CPA after switching to formula-based copy.
