Introduction to the BAB Copywriting Framework
Exceptional Copywriting can bring dramatic changes in the conversion rates.
A well-written copy makes business sales easier and more effective.
It’s a powerful tool that understands the pain of the target audience and offers a solution based on such insights.
As coders reuse good code, copywriters use copywriting formulas to help businesses improve sales conversions.
Although there are numerous copywriting frameworks, such as PAS Copywriting framework, and AIDA copywriting framework.
The most effective copywriting framework, proven to convince the audience is the BAB Copywriting Framework.
In this blog post, we will look at the BAB Copywriting framework, understand how it works, and its examples, and understand how the BAB copywriting framework helps write better copies.
What is the BAB Copywriting Framework?
So, what is the BAB Copywriting framework? BAB Copywriting framework stands for Before After Bridge.
Created by legend Bob Bly, the BAB copywriting framework revolves around helping someone to get from their current situation to the desired solution.
BAB Copywriting framework is based on the principle of providing the evidence supporting your claims (so that the ad copy becomes relatable) and then using that evidence, as a bridge, to make connections to the reader’s desired outcome.
Here, the “Before” refers to the present condition of your target audience where they’re struggling.
The BAB copywriting formula gives the impression that you understand their pain point and it needs to be solved.
Then we jump to the “After” part where the target audience can see how it feels to achieve the desired outcome using your product.
Finally, the “Bridge” is the set of evidence that supports the claims made by your product and makes logical connections to the reader’s desired outcome.
Combining all these terms properly in the copy to make it most convincing for your target customer is called the Before After Bridge.
To help you understand the BAB Copywriting framework better, let’s look at a simple example.
Luciano Viterale gave some amazing examples of BAB Copywriting, here is one such example.
There is nothing worse for you than having an artificial energy drink full of sugar. It ruins your health, and concentration and does not give you lasting energy. (Before)
But the good news is there are always ways to achieve long-lasting energy without consuming poison. (After)
Try our 100% natural nootropic juice and experience long-lasting energy. (Bridge)
This is a very simple example, but see how effective it can be if someone is looking for a solution that provides instant energy without excessive sugar intake.
BAB Copywriting framework works excellently while writing persuasive copies as it provides a systematic, clear structure to write copies that present solutions, backed by evidence and conviction.
BAB Copywriting framework intends to make your product or service appealing to the readers and persuade them to take action.
To use any copywriting framework, you must understand the psychology behind it.
This helps you understand where you can implement that framework more effectively.
So let’s dive into the psychology behind the BAB copywriting framework, how it works and where you can implement it to get the best results.
Psychology Behind the BAB Copywriting Framework
Bob Bly states, “A copywriter is a salesman behind a typewriter”.
What he means is, good copywriting mostly involves good selling skills.
But how do you become good at selling?
Good sales require convincing your client/customers.
At the core of the BAB Copywriting framework, lies empathy.
Copywriters put themselves in the shoes of their target customers, and try to grasp their pain, frustrations and desires.
This approach helps you resonate with your target audience, enabling you to connect with them at an emotional level.
When your target customer feels that you understand their current situation, they are more likely to take action.
Another psychological point that makes the BAB copywriting framework so successful is an innate human desire to seek improvement and progress.
The “After” stage of the BAB copywriting framework taps into the psychological principle of future orientation where people are motivated by the anticipation of a positive future outcome.
By illustrating the positive aspects of your product or service, you trigger the reader’s cognitive dissonance creating a sense of urgency to achieve that outcome.
Finally, the “Bridge” stage of the BAB copywriting framework is designed to merge the previous two steps and demonstrate how your product or service can get your target audience out of the current situation to the desired outcome.
This involves overcoming the objections that your audience might have and instilling confidence in the solution offered.
When your target audience feels their problems can be solved by the product or service offered by you, they’ll be interested in taking action.
If I have to sum up the entire psychology behind the BAB Copywriting framework on why it is so successful, it is because it prioritizes your customer.
Your entire copy is focused on making your customer’s wants and needs the narrative focus of the copy, by highlighting your product as a specific solution to their problem.
How To Apply The BAB Copywriting Formula?
So how can you apply the BAB copywriting formula to write persuasive copy?
Let’s dive deep into the topic and understand how to apply the BAB Copywriting framework to various platforms and for different audiences.
One of the key reasons behind applying the BAB copywriting formula is that its central focus is on the customer and not just on highlighting the benefits of the product.
It’s a three-step framework, and here is the detailed process of how to apply it.
Before
Every copywriting formula begins by researching the target audience.
You need to draw a picture of your audience’s current situation. Using this information, create a concise hook for the reader.
This helps you connect with them on a personal level and show them that you understand their struggles.
An example of this can often be seen in the healthcare industry, especially oral care.
You might have come across many advertisements of companies selling sensitivity care toothpaste.
Pay attention to how the ad begins. A Person tries to eat something hot or cold and suddenly feels uncomfortable.
Then a doctor appears asking, “Are you suffering from tooth sensitivity? We understand your pain.”
This is the stage where the ad tries to empathise with its target audience.
People suffering from sensitivity easily relate to the ad because a dentist, an expert in oral care, empathises with the audience and tries to solve their problems.
After
The next step is to tell them what their life would be like after they use your product or service.
Tell them how their world would be once your product or service solves their problem. Sell them a promised dreamland.
Show them the benefits they’ll receive by using your product or service. Don’t just highlight the features of the product.
A perfect example of this can be seen in the ad copies of weight loss products.
These ads often compare two images, one before using the product and one after.
Ads like these convince their target audience by showing the effectiveness of the results achieved by people after using the product.
Bridge
The third and final step is called the “bridge”. This is a place where persuasion meets psychology.
The stage got its name because, in this stage, you provide a bridge between your target audience’s current situation and desired outcome.
This mostly involves describing how your product works. And how it can help your customer achieve the desired goal.
Your goal, as a copywriter is to make the transition from his current situation to the desired outcome as smooth as possible
Where Does The BAB Copywriting Framework Work The Best?
While the BAB copywriting formula best suits almost every platform, expert copywriters have found that it works best for cold email copywriting.
So what Emails following this framework perform so well?
It works because the formula appeals to people’s emotions.
When you write a copy, keeping your product as the center of focus, it’s most likely be quickly glazed over. Why?
Because the person reading it has no emotional attachment to what you’re promoting. People want to know how your product can help them and not what makes it work.
Remember, every copy you write is all about your target customer, and not about your product.
Having said that, the BAB copywriting framework is not just limited to email marketing.
This framework shines bright on any platform where persuasion remains the central point.
So how do you apply the BAB copywriting formula to any platform, such as Email, sales page, direct ads etc?
Well, with some easy-to-follow tips, and with some tweaks in your approach, you can write killer copies for any platform using the BAB Copywriting framework.
Let’s dive deep into how to optimize the BAB Copywriting Framework to suit different types of platforms.
Optimizing BAB Copywriting Framework For Different Platforms
It is said, in the world of copywriting, there is no “one-size-fits-all”, and the BAB copywriting framework is not an exception.
Different mediums have different audiences, with different mindsets.
This makes it essential for copywriters to consider the unique context and audience of each platform and tailor your message to the needs of that platform.
Know your platform
The first step is to understand the unique characteristics of the platform you’re writing for and tailor the messaging as per the expectations of each platform.
For Example, people on social media have a short attention span, so it’s important that your copy is short, concise and highly attention grabbing.
The best way to get people’s attention on social media is by creating eye-catching visuals that catch the users’ attention instantly.
Once you have their attention, use a strong hook in the first few lines of the copy to make them keep reading.
On the other hand, when you’re writing copy for a sales page or a landing page, where the audience is more interested in your product or service, you can get into more detail and explain the benefits and solutions your product provides.
Since sales pages are longer, you can use your creative writing to the fullest.
Sales page is where you can give detailed product descriptions, and build trust and credibility with the audience.
The best way to do this is by using storytelling techniques, and customer testimonials. All this helps in building authority and reliability in the minds of the customer.
Segment your Audience
People may have different opinions, even if they belong to the same community. This difference could be because of various reasons.
Similarly, despite being on the same platform, people may have different preferences based on their age, demographics, interests and behaviours
While researching for the target audience, you need to take care of the audience demographics, interests and beahviour and tailor your message based on those factors.
To segment your audience, you need to follow these steps.
Gather information about your audience’s age, gender, income, and education levels. Use social media analytics to do so.
By segmenting your audience based on various demographics, you can create more targeted and effective copies, making it more appealing to different demographic segments.
Test Different Variations
The next step in optimizing your copy using the BAB Copywriting framework is to test it.
Conduct A/B tests using different versions of your copy, and analyze which ones got the highest reach and conversions.
Try experimenting with various headlines, images and language and see what makes your audience engage and resonate the most. Some Real Examples of BAB Copywriting Formula
Some Real Life Examples of The BAB Copywriting Formula
Let’s take some examples of the BAB Copywriting framework and break down each step to understand how every step works to create a highly persuasive copy.
The above example is from an amazing copywriting agency called The Blank Pad. The copy demonstrates step-by-step how a special pillow manufacturing business targets people struggling with the quality of their sleep.
This is an email marketing campaign run by the business targeting people struggling to sleep peacefully.
In the first step, the copy asks a direct question, “Have trouble falling asleep lately?”
The copy then tries to relate to the target audience by explaining their current situation, how awful it is not being able to sleep properly and as a result how fatigued the person might feel, and how this also affects their daily work. This is the “Before” step of the BAB Copywriting formula.
Pay attention to the language used. The entire copy is written in a communicative language. Copywriters often use such language to sound like they are talking to you directly.
In the second step, the copy tries to create an image of how it will feel if the problem gets solved, the benefits of solving that problem, and most importantly, how “easy” the solution is. This is the after step of the formula.
Finally, it’s time to create a bridge, and guide our target customer from the situation before to after. This is where we introduce our product as a bridge.
“Our goodnight-sleepyhead lavender-infused pillow can help you do that”
See how the product is portrayed as a solution to the problem, acting as a bridge from before to after.
The copy tries to present its product as an effective solution to poor sleep, and people with poor sleep cycles will not only relate to the problems highlighted in the copy but will also perceive the product as a potential solution to their problem.
Conclusion
The BAB Copywriting framework is a powerful tool that helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
It’s one of the few formulas that create people centric copies instead of being product-centric.
By highlighting a problem, painting a picture of a desired outcome, and bridging the gap by presenting your product as a solution, copywriters can connect the readers, driving them to take action.
To master copywriting, engage further with different types pf ads seek additional resources, experiment with different approaches, and make a strong connection with the power of words.
I hope this blog was useful for you.