Copy Frameworks Reference

Headline formulas, page section types, and structural templates.

Contents

• Headline Formulas (outcome-focused, problem-focused, audience-focused, differentiation-focused, proof-focused, additional formulas)
• Landing Page Section Types (core sections, supporting sections)
• Page Structure Templates (feature-heavy page, varied engaging page, compact landing page, enterprise/B2B landing page, product launch page)
• Section Writing Tips (problem section, benefits section, how it works section, testimonial selection)
• Clarity & Message-Market Fit (the "Now you can" test, Human Action Model, the Perception Gap, the SavvyCal case, clarity metrics)

Headline Formulas

These are starting points. Fill every slot with specifics, and check the result against ai-tells.md: a "without" or "Never X again" headline is fine once, but don't follow it with a negation list.

Outcome-Focused

{Achieve desirable outcome} without {pain point}

Understand how users are really experiencing your site without drowning in numbers

{Achieve desirable outcome} by {how product makes it possible}

Generate more leads by seeing which companies visit your site

Turn {input} into {outcome}

Turn your hard-earned sales into repeat customers

[Achieve outcome] in [timeframe]

Get your tax refund in 10 days

Problem-Focused

Never {unpleasant event} again

Never miss a sales opportunity again

{Question highlighting the main pain point}

Hate returning stuff to Amazon?

Stop [pain]. Start [pleasure].

Stop chasing invoices. Start getting paid on time.

Audience-Focused

{Key feature/product type} for {target audience}

Advanced analytics for Shopify e-commerce

{Key feature/product type} for {target audience} to {what it's used for}

An online whiteboard for teams to ideate and brainstorm together

You don't have to {skills or resources} to {achieve desirable outcome}

With Ahrefs, you don't have to be an SEO pro to rank higher and get more traffic

Differentiation-Focused

The {opposite of usual process} way to {achieve desirable outcome}

The easiest way to turn your passion into income

The [category] that [key differentiator]

The CRM that updates itself

Proof-Focused

[Number] [people] use [product] to [outcome]

50,000 marketers use Drip to send better emails

{Key benefit of your product}

Sound clear in online meetings

Additional Formulas

The simple way to {outcome}

The simple way to track your time

Finally, {category} that {benefit}

Finally, accounting software that doesn't suck

{Outcome} without {common pain}

Build your website without writing code

Get {benefit} from your {thing}

Get more revenue from your existing traffic

{Action verb} your {thing} like {admirable example}

Market your SaaS like a Fortune 500

What if you could {desirable outcome}?

What if you could close deals 30% faster?

The {adjective} {category} built for {audience}

The lightweight CRM built for startups

Landing Page Section Types

Core Sections

Hero (Above the Fold)

• Headline + subheadline
• Primary CTA
• Supporting visual (product screenshot, hero image)
• Optional: Social proof bar

Social Proof Bar

• Customer logos (recognizable > many)
• Key metric ("10,000+ teams")
• Star rating with review count
• Short testimonial snippet

Problem/Pain Section

• Articulate their problem better than they can
• Create recognition ("that's exactly my situation")
• Hint at cost of not solving it

Solution/Benefits Section

• Bridge from problem to your solution
• 3-5 key benefits (not 10)
• Each: headline + explanation + proof if available

How It Works

• 3-4 numbered steps
• Reduces perceived complexity
• Each step: action + outcome

Final CTA Section

• Recap value proposition
• Repeat primary CTA
• Risk reversal (guarantee, free trial)

Supporting Sections

Testimonials

• Full quotes with names, roles, companies
• Photos when possible
• Specific results over vague praise
• Formats: quote cards, video, tweet embeds

Case Studies

• Problem → Solution → Results
• Specific metrics and outcomes
• Customer name and context
• Can be snippets with "Read more" links

Use Cases

• Different ways product is used
• Helps visitors self-identify
• "For marketers who need X" format

Personas / "Built For" Sections

• Explicitly call out target audience
• "Perfect for [role]" blocks
• Addresses "Is this for me?" question

FAQ Section

• Address common objections
• Good for SEO
• Reduces support burden
• 5-10 most common questions

Comparison Section

• vs. competitors (name them or don't)
• vs. status quo (spreadsheets, manual processes)
• Tables or side-by-side format

Integrations / Partners

• Logos of tools you connect with
• "Works with your stack" messaging
• Builds credibility

Founder Story / Manifesto

• Why you built this
• What you believe
• Emotional connection
• Differentiates from faceless competitors

Demo / Product Tour

• Interactive demos
• Video walkthroughs
• GIF previews
• Shows product in action

Pricing Preview

• Teaser even on non-pricing pages
• Starting price or "from $X/mo"
• Moves decision-makers forward

Guarantee / Risk Reversal

• Money-back guarantee
• Free trial terms
• "Cancel anytime"
• Reduces friction

Stats Section

• Key metrics that build credibility
• "10,000+ customers"
• "4.9/5 rating"
• "$2M saved for customers"

Page Structure Templates

Feature-Heavy Page (Weak)

1. Hero
2. Feature 1
3. Feature 2
4. Feature 3
5. Feature 4
6. CTA

This is a list, not a persuasive narrative.

Varied, Engaging Page (Strong)

1. Hero with clear value prop
2. Social proof bar (logos or stats)
3. Problem/pain section
4. How it works (3 steps)
5. Key benefits (2-3, not 10)
6. Testimonial
7. Use cases or personas
8. Comparison to alternatives
9. Case study snippet
10. FAQ
11. Final CTA with guarantee

This tells a story and addresses objections.

Compact Landing Page

1. Hero (headline, subhead, CTA, image)
2. Social proof bar
3. 3 key benefits with icons
4. Testimonial
5. How it works (3 steps)
6. Final CTA with guarantee

Good for ad landing pages where brevity matters.

Enterprise/B2B Landing Page

1. Hero (outcome-focused headline)
2. Logo bar (recognizable companies)
3. Problem section (business pain)
4. Solution overview
5. Use cases by role/department
6. Security/compliance section
7. Integration logos
8. Case study with metrics
9. ROI/value section
10. Contact/demo CTA

Addresses enterprise buyer concerns.

Product Launch Page

1. Hero with launch announcement
2. Video demo or walkthrough
3. Feature highlights (3-5)
4. Before/after comparison
5. Early testimonials
6. Launch pricing or early access offer
7. CTA with urgency

Good for ProductHunt, launches, or announcements.

Section Writing Tips

Problem Section

Start with phrases like:

• "You know the feeling..."
• "If you're like most [role]..."
• "Every day, [audience] struggles with..."
• "We've all been there..."

Then describe:

• The specific frustration
• The time/money wasted
• The impact on their work/life

Benefits Section

For each benefit, include:

• Headline: The outcome they get
• Body: How it works (1-2 sentences)
• Proof: Number, testimonial, or example (optional)

How It Works Section

Each step should be:

• Numbered: Creates sense of progress
• Simple verb: "Connect," "Set up," "Get"
• Outcome-oriented: What they get from this step

Example:

1. Connect your tools (takes 2 minutes)
2. Set your preferences
3. Get automated reports every Monday

Testimonial Selection

Best testimonials include:

• Specific results ("increased conversions by 32%")
• Before/after context ("We used to spend hours...")
• Role + company for credibility
• Something quotable and specific

Avoid testimonials that just say:

• "Great product!"
• "Love it!"
• "Easy to use!"

Clarity & Message-Market Fit

Headline formulas give you the shape of a line. These tools tell you whether the line is actually working: whether it's clear, whether it maps to how the reader already thinks, and whether it lands with the right person. Positioning is the prologue to your novel: it sets up everything that follows. Get it clear and the rest of the page writes itself.

The "Now you can" Test

A fast gut-check for any headline or benefit line. Mentally prefix it with "Now you can…". If the result is both compelling and true, the line is doing its job. If it reads as vague, obvious, or a stretch, rewrite it.

The test works because "Now you can…" forces the copy into the reader's world. It has to name a concrete new ability they didn't have before. Feature-speak and buzzwords collapse under it.

Use it as a filter, not a formula: draft with the headline formulas above, then run each candidate through "Now you can…" and keep the survivors.

The Human Action Model (landing-page narrative spine)

Ludwig von Mises' Human Action Model explains why anyone acts: a person acts only when three things line up. Every above-the-fold that converts follows the same three-beat spine:

1. Current discomfort: the felt problem, named in the reader's own words. They have to recognize their situation ("that's exactly me").
2. Better vision: a clearly imagined, more satisfying state. What life looks like once the discomfort is gone.
3. Path to action: the belief that this specific step closes the gap between the two. The product is the bridge, and the CTA is how they cross it.

Miss any beat and the reader stalls. No discomfort = no reason to move. No vision = no destination. No path = no reason to believe you're the way there.

Mapping it onto the hero:

This is the transformation spine underneath the "6 essential sections" of a landing page (hero, social proof, problem, solution, how-it-works, and final CTA). The hero states the transformation; the rest of the page substantiates each beat.

The Perception Gap

The same benefit can read as a selling point to one segment and a red flag to another. The gap is between what you think you're saying and what a given reader hears through their own risk tolerance.

The fix is matching the value prop to the reader's risk tolerance. Segment first, then swap the framing.

Value-prop swap in practice (same product, two audiences):

• Startup landing page: "Ship your first integration this afternoon. Pay by card and skip the sales call."
• Enterprise landing page: "SOC 2 Type II, 99.99% uptime SLA, and a named implementation lead. Roll out with confidence."

When a page has to serve both, don't average them into mush. Segment the traffic (separate pages, or a persona split) and let each read its own version of the truth.

Worked Example: SavvyCal (message-market fit)

SavvyCal (a scheduling tool) originally led with feature-forward copy. They rewrote the hero around a single felt discomfort:

"You shouldn't have to feel awkward sending out your scheduling link."

That one line roughly tripled (3×) conversions. It works because it hits all three beats of the Human Action Model at once:

• Discomfort: the small social awkwardness of "here's my link, pick a time," named exactly as users feel it.
• Vision: scheduling that feels considerate to both people.
• Path: SavvyCal's overlay-your-calendar mechanic is the bridge, so the CTA feels like the obvious next step.

The lesson: message-market fit beats feature lists. The winning line named a real feeling the reader hadn't heard a scheduling tool acknowledge before. Run your own hero through "Now you can…" and the Human Action Model to find that line.

Clarity Beats Cleverness (the metrics)

When teams measure it, clarity is what moves the numbers. Figures cited in Corey Haines's Founding Marketing (Ch. 3) associate clearer positioning and copy with:

• +81% conversions
• −38% sales cycle (shorter time to close)
• −28% CAC (lower customer acquisition cost)
• +175% referrals

The mechanism: clear copy lets the right buyer self-qualify fast and the wrong one bounce early, so every downstream metric improves. Clever copy that requires decoding does the opposite. It adds a comprehension tax at the exact moment attention is scarcest.

Practical rule: if a reader has to pause to figure out what you mean, you've already lost. When forced to choose between a clever line and a clear one, ship the clear one, then use the tests above ("Now you can…", the Human Action Model, the Perception Gap) to make the clear line compelling too.