A question I was asked: When writing copy for a particular company’s audience, how do you determine that audience’s deepest emotions and how to appeal to them?

Copywriters use formulas to explore the subject they’re writing about. PAS is one of these formulas: Problem Agitate Solution (or Solve).

To determine the deepest emotions, agitation is key.

Let’s say we’re selling a new online tool to marketing managers. The problem is something many people in that role might have — there’s some kind of barrier to reaching their ideal audience. The tool you’re writing about can help them drop that barrier and reach their audience. Great! So you could explain what the tool does and sympathise with their predicament, but this only touches the surface of their emotions.

How do they feel about not being able to reach that audience?

They’re frustrated.

Maybe they feel like they’re failing in their work.

This dents their pride.

Now we’re getting to the deeper emotions…

We’re agitating the pain to work out what’s *really* going on under the surface. We’re investigating those uncomfortable feelings we don’t often talk about — or even recognise, but they drive every decision we make and have an impact on everything we do.

If you can take that pain away for your customer, if you have the solution, your copy should reflect that. Now your product is not just a useful online tool, it can help the marketing manager feel confident in their approach and proud of the results they achieve.