Ever wondered how hard you struggle to write an article or blog post while the top writers you admire consistently churn out amazing contents with ease?
If yes, then you're not alone.
I once pondered on how successful writers I consider my heroes were able to craft a blog post that would wow you and leave you speechless. Posts that left you no choice than to click that share/upvote/buy button.
And after several research, I discovered top writers, copywriters, and authors all had a secret.
Secret?
Yes. They all have a secret - models and formulas they use in achieving the ultimate goal of writing i.e convincing the reader to take action.
A step by step system that would allow them easily produce compelling contents at the drop of a hat.
There are hundreds of these models and formulas you can copy to expedite your writing process.
However, I will only be giving you a peek into the goodies bag. An excerpt of some of my findings.
And if you pay close attention, you will see these formulas everywhere you go on the web. Which means you can use them to become a better writer. Just like I'm doing.
Some ‘open secrets’ you will get from this post:
- Popular Models and Formulas
- A Special Takeaway You Can Save and Use On All Your Posts.
Popular Models and Formulas
1 The “AIDA” Model
The AIDA model is one of the oldest copywriting formulas. Time tested, it has been adapted by several copywriters online to persuade readers to take action.
ATTENTION – INTEREST – DESIRE – ACTION
A - Attention (or, Attract)
The point of attention -- just like the name implies – is to hook your audience by answering the implicit question: “What’s in it for me?”
Naturally, attention has to occur in your headline. But the very first few lines of your copy must also intensify that attention.
There are four simple ways to hack Attention. Open with:
A quote … from someone with name recognition.
A story … a real-life story with a cliffhanger you don’t initially resolve.
A question … actually, not just “a question” but a series of questions that revolve around the basic idea contained in your headline.
A fact … that is a startling or shocking statistic that amplifies and drives home (again) the problem or solution in your headline.
I - Interest
Interest is about the problem. Now that you’ve got the attention of the reader, this step is concerned about how you keep that attention.
Simply, this step is all about saying how your product can help solve their problems. This will provide more convincing answers to the question: “What’s in it for me?”
D - Desire
Now that you’ve answered the question: what’s in it for me? It’s time to emphasize the benefits of the product to the reader. It’s all about appealing to their emotions and creating an urge to TAKE ACTION.
A - Action
This is the most important step in the AIDA formula.
Now that you’ve attracted the attention of the reader, persuaded him on the benefits of your thoughts your idea and created in him the desire to adopt them. You have to state clearly what you need the reader to do next.
Do you want to change what your audience:
Think ; Feel ; Do ;
2 The Four Ps
Promise
The promise you make here is to capture the attention of the reader. The promise has to be detailed as to contain information that will answer the reader’s thought: “What’s in it for me?”
Paint
Here, you paint a picture where the reader experiences the promise. It is more expansive than drawing the interest of the reader as shown in AIDA. You can even use a descriptive story to nail this better. This can be done by using the word “Imagine” frequently.
Proof
Now that you’ve captured the attention of the reader, appealed to their emotions and they are raring for more. It’s time to back up the promises with proofs.
This step helps answer the “Who are you?” and “Are you qualified?” questions of the reader
Push
Now that you've educated the reader in an appealing way, it’s time to push them to act.
Ask them to act. The CTA (Call to Action) has to be clear and concise. You can even briefly recap the previous steps to help filter any remaining doubts.
A wonderful example of this formula is 
3 Storytelling
Show don’t tell.
Readers are moved by stories. Little wonder the #introduceyourself tag is the most popular tag on Steemit.
However, for many of us, relating a story is difficult.
Here are some tips I discovered and I’ve been using in posts for clients:
a. Tell a personal story.
Walk your readers through a pain/joy you experienced. The feelings you experienced. And how you were able to overcome them despite the challenges.
Can you see a pattern here? @Stellabelle uses this style to regale us with enchanting tales about her life. And she does it very well.
b. The “meet an important person/ eureka moment” story.
Which basically goes this way: You had a problem and struggled to solve it. Until you met person X or an amazing event X happened. Then your life/ perspective changed entirely. And you got better.
There are several ‘well-kept’ secrets (formulas and models) of writing engaging posts I've discovered that successful writers use. Especially copywriters. Will keep you up to date in later posts as I discover more ;)
A Special Takeaway You Can Use Right Away On All Your Posts.
These tips described below were inspired by a popular copywriter, James Johnson, and it has been the most interesting of ‘secrets’ for me.
#1 Tune into Radio WIIFM – “What’s In It For Me?” Always make sure your post answers this question of the reader.
#2 Research is Vital – Data, Facts, Stories all give credibility to posts.
#3 KISS – Keep It Simple And Short . A good way of checking the readability of your posts is by using heminwayapp.com
#4 APP Method: Agree –Promise- Preview
#5 Three steps - @crytogee’s most popular post on formatting your articles is a very good example of this style.
#6 Always Add Images…or you turn off visual readers.
Summary:
There you have it. All successful writers have well-kept 'open secrets' they use to dazzle you. Steal like an artist. Try to look out for patterns in your favorite writer’s posts and save them in a swipe file. It’s an exciting activity. One I’m sure you would like too.