Ad Copy Formulas That Work: PAS, AIDA and Before-After-Bridge, With Examples

A blank page is the hardest part of writing an advert. Copywriting formulas solve that. They're simple structures that have worked for decades because they follow how people make decisions.

Here are five that work for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok adverts, each with an example, and how to choose which to test.

1. PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution

Name the problem. Make the reader feel it. Offer the solution.

Best for: products that fix a clear pain.

Example, for a power bank:

Light off again, and your phone is on 5%.

You miss the client's call. The MoMo payment doesn't go through. You can't even check if ECG has posted an update.

Our 20,000mAh power bank charges your phone four times. Delivered in Accra today. Pay when it arrives.

2. AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

Grab attention, build interest, create desire, then ask for the action.

Best for: new products and longer adverts.

Example, for a skincare brand:

Attention: Dark spots that won't fade?

Interest: Our serum is made with niacinamide and vitamin C, the two ingredients dermatologists recommend most for uneven skin tone.

Desire: Customers say they see a difference in four to six weeks. Over 500 five-star reviews.

Action: Order on WhatsApp. Free delivery in Accra this week.

Only use results and review counts that are real.

3. Before, After, Bridge

Show life before, life after, and the product as the bridge.

Best for: services and transformations.

Example, for an order management system:

Before: Orders in WhatsApp, stock in a notebook, and nobody knows what's been paid.

After: Every order in one place. Stock that updates itself. Payments confirmed automatically.

Bridge: We build the system around how your business works. Book a free call.

4. FAB: Features, Advantages, Benefits

Feature: what it is. Advantage: what it does. Benefit: what it means for the buyer.

Best for: technical products like electronics, equipment and software.

Example, for a laptop:

Feature: 16GB RAM and an SSD.

Advantage: Opens in seconds and runs ten apps at once without freezing.

Benefit: No more waiting while the client watches your screen.

Lead with the benefit in the advert. Keep the features for the product page.

5. The 4 Ps: Picture, Promise, Prove, Push

Paint a picture, make a promise, prove it, then push to act.

Best for: premium products and aspirational buys.

Example, for a leather bag:

Picture: Walking into the meeting with a bag that looks like it cost three times the price.

Promise: Full-grain leather, hand-stitched, made to last ten years.

Prove: One-year guarantee. 300 customers in Accra and Kumasi.

Push: Only 40 in this batch. Order today, pay on delivery.

How to choose

Better still, write the same advert using two or three formulas and test them. Meta's ad system rewards genuinely different creative, and different structures are an easy way to create it. See our creative testing framework.

Rules that apply to every formula

• Hook first. The first line or first three seconds decide whether anyone reads the rest. See ad hooks that stop the scroll.
• Use the buyer's words. Steal phrases from your reviews and chats.
• Be specific. Numbers, places and times beat adjectives.
• Include the price or price range. It filters out people who can't pay. See how to reply to "how much?".
• One action.
• Never invent proof.

Formulas for video scripts

The same formulas work for video adverts. PAS is especially strong for 15-second videos: problem in the first three seconds, agitate for three, solution and offer for the rest. See AI ad scripts.

Common questions

Are formulas too predictable?

Buyers don't notice the formula, only whether the message speaks to them. Formulas are scaffolding, not a script.

How long should Facebook ad text be?

Test both. Short text works for simple products. Longer text can work for expensive or unfamiliar products that need more explanation.

Can you write our adverts?

Yes. See our copywriting service and Facebook and Instagram ads service.