Have you ever wondered why some copies grab your attention, and persuade you to act, while others fall flat on their face?

The answer is “benefits”

When your audience reads your copy, there is only one thing they care about, “what’s in it for me?” If your copy doesn’t answer that question quickly (and clearly), it won’t convert.

In this guide, I’ll break down the FAB copywriting formula, what it is, how to use it, common mistakes to avoid, and some secret tips to help you write like an expert.

What is the FAB Copywriting Formula?

FAB stands for “Features”,” Advantages”, and “Benefits”, That is how it got its name. Here is a quick overview:

Features These are the facts about your product or service and the core details, like what it does and offers.

Advantage It explains how the feature provides value and shows why your product or service is better than the competition.   

Benefits Answer the most important question, “What’s in it for the customer? Highlights what they gain.

By focusing on benefits, you show your customers why they should choose you over your competitors.    

Applying the FAB copywriting formula, you make your copy, clear concise and most importantly “persuasive”

The FAB Copywriting formula works so well because it suits both copywriters and the target audience.

Here are some important reasons why FAB Copywriting works so well

Why FAB Copywriting Works?

The FAB formula gives you a blueprint for writing copy that connects with your audience.

It makes it easy to explain why your product or service is the best choice.

Here is the best part: it works for every kind of copy—ads, emails, sales pages, brochures—you name it.

If you’re new to copywriting, the FAB formula helps you avoid common mistakes, like writing too vague or confusing copy. It gives you structure, so your message is clear and compelling.

Advantages of the FAB Copywriting Formula

The FAB Copywriting Formula is a structured approach, which makes it easier for you to write clear and concise copy. 

Here are some Advantages of using the FAB Copywriting formula.

Clarity for Both Writers and Readers It’s a simple framework that can be applied to any type of copy, web pages, email copy, sales page, you name it. 

The reason? it breaks down complex messages into easy-to-understand language, making the offer clear and appealing.   

It Makes Communication Effective It helps you send your message to your potential customers effectively. 

Provides Consistency to Beginners Beginner copywriters often struggle to maintain consistency in their tone. 

FAB Copywriting formula gives you a blueprint, helping you stay on track and keep your message focused. 

Now that you’ve understood the basics, it’s time to break down each component of the FAB copywriting formula.

Breaking Down the FAB Copywriting Formula

Let’s dive deeper into the topic and break down the FAB Copywriting formula, step by step.

Features- What’s the product?

Legendary Copywriter David Oglivy once said “The consumer isn’t a moron, she’s your wife” Consumers are smart, they want to understand the details about the product before making a decision. 

Features are facts, what the product is and what it includes. 

When writing about features, be very objective and clear. 

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes, what information do they need to make an informed decision?

For example, if you’re selling running shoes, the feature might be:

“Breathable mesh fabric”

“Cushioned sole”

“Available in 5 colours”  

Simple. Remember, features are objective, so just stick to the facts.

Take Apple’s smartwatch for example. This is what  their copy says:

 “A smarter coach and workout partner, better in tune with your music, and an all-day assistant”

Here is the ad

Notice how they focus on the key features: fitness tracking, music sync, and all-day battery life.

These specifics make the product more desirable as they address the real needs of the customer. 

However, specifying features isn’t enough, you need to make it better by highlighting advantages.

Advantage – Why is it Better? 

Business expert Michael LeBoeuf said, “People don’t buy products, they buy solutions.” 

While features are important, they are not enough. Your customers don’t care about the feature itself—they care about how it helps them.

This is where the advantage comes in. Advantage explains why your product is better than the competition and how it solves their problem.  

For example, “8GB RAM” is a feature, but it does not say how it is useful to the consumer. The advantage is “Faster performance than other phones” makes it clear why 8GB RAM is useful, making it more desirable to the consumer.

Here is another example of an advantage in action.

“Shaky images? No problem. Our OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) camera captures clear photos, even on the bumpiest rides.”

Having an OIS camera is a feature, but how is it useful? That is specified by the advantage. It allows you to take clear pictures even if the phone is shaky.

This goes beyond the feature to explain how it solves a specific problem.

Benefit- What’s in it for Me?

Legendary Copywriter Bob Bly says “Your copy should be about your customer, not about you”

Benefits are the most powerful part of the FAB Copywriting formula. Benefits connect the product to customer’s emotions and needs. 

Using benefits, tap into the emotional desires of your customer, where you answer the customer’s “What’s in it for me?”  

Going back to the previous running shoes example, the benefit of cushioned soles isn’t just comfort –  it’s “pain-free long-distance running”, something that matters to your customer. 

Benefits are all about how the product makes life better. 

Turning Features Into Benefits

To write a great copy, you need to turn features into benefits. How would you do that?

By connecting features to practical, emotional outcomes for the customer. 

Once again, let’s go back to our previous running shoe example. Here’s how features are turned into advantages, and then highlighted benefits.

Feature “Cushioned soles”

Advantage “Less strain on your feet”

Benefit “Run, longer, faster and pain-free”

Implementing the FAB Copywriting Formula 

Understanding the FAB Copywriting Formula is just one step. The real value lies in learning how to apply those formulas effectively.

Let’s learn how to apply the FAB Copywriting formula to your Copy

Research and Understand the product

Research is the foundation of writing any copy. Before you write a single word, you must know the product inside out. 

Talk to the product developers, and read reviews. Some copywriters go to amazing lengths and use the product themselves before writing about it. Once you’re familiar with the product, ask yourself, who will benefit from it? 

This deep understanding of the product will help you translate features into advantages and benefits.

List Features and Covert Them into Advantages

Remember how features converted into advantages made the product sound more attractive? That’s what you’ll do in this step.

Features are written in a more technical language, which might not be easy to understand for most customers. However, when you translate features into benefits, your audience finds it easy to understand and it also makes more sense to the audience.

For example, when Apple launched their iPod, they didn’t just say, “5 GB of storage” they reframed it as “1,000 songs in your pocket” 

If you analyze closely, both statements are the same, but the benefit-oriented approach makes it sound more compelling.

Structure Your Copy

To write a killer copy using the FAB Copywriting Formula, you should follow a logical structure. 

Start with an attention-grabbing headline and convey key benefits. Hook your reader with the most powerful benefit.  

Build the case by highlighting the advantages. This will engage your audience as they will understand how your product is going to solve their problem.

Finally, make your copy more persuasive by mentioning the benefits, and back up your claims by showing user reviews, expert opinions, or even the results achieved by previous customers. 

Advanced Tips for FAB Copywriting

So far, you must have understood the basics of the FAB Copywriting formula till now. Let’s enhance your copy with additional persuasive techniques to boost its effectiveness.

Storytelling 

It’s a proven fact, people love stories. Using storytelling in your copy makes it more engaging and easier to read. 

Storytelling is most effective when you share other customers’ success stories or reviews, and how they achieved success using your product.

This makes the benefits believable and attainable for your audience.  

Here is an amazing example. 

Trainer Jo runs a fitness academy. He used successful storytelling techniques to make his program more persuasive for his target audience. 

He highlights before and after pictures of success stories to build authority and trust. He also shares their journey, and how Trainer Jo helped them achieve the desired results.

The storytelling and narrative approach is far more engaging than simply listing features.

Emotional Triggers

Tapping into people’s emotions is the best way to make your copy more persuasive. 

Emotions like fear, joy, and urgency are the strongest types that drive people to take action. 

For example, Look at the following example of an ad for a mattress company. 

It’s a good example of a copy that uses an emotional hook to sell.

The feature of the mattress is to provide comfortable sleep, but instead of writing “Our mattresses are comfortable” it says “Wake up fresh every morning”. This connects the benefit to a positive emotional state.

When customer imagines waking up fresh every morning, it makes the product more attractive, thereby increasing the chance of purchase.

Social Proof

People trust what others have tried and tested. Using testimonials, case studies, and user reviews helps reinforce the benefits of your product. 

By showcasing real-life results, you build credibility and trust among your audience. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in FAB Copywriting

FAB is a very strong framework for writing any type of copy, but still, there are chances of making mistakes that might weaken your copy.

Here are some common mistakes that you should watch out for

Overemphasizing Features

Features provide information, and too much information causes information overload. 

Not just that, adding too many features to the copy makes it dull, something no copywriter wants his copy to be. 

Always try to move from features to advantages and most importantly, benefits.

Ignoring the customer’s perspective

While writing a copy, businesses need to remember whom they are writing for. 

Many businesses make the mistake of approving copies “they like”, not the ones that provide information to the target audience.

Copywriters should not make that mistake. Your copy should speak to the customer’s needs and desires, and not what businesses want to say about their product or service. 

Avoid using complex jargon, and focus more on showcasing how your product or service will make your customer’s life easier or more enjoyable.

For example, if you’re selling an algorithm that finds the best product deals online, instead of writing “Our proprietary algorithm scans the web and finds the best bargains for you” you can write “Our tool finds the best deals for you, saving you time and money” 

Lack of Clarity 

In copywriting, there is no room for fluff, every word matters. People have short attention spans, and longer copies often fail to hold your audience’s attention.   

Research shows that most people find it difficult to read text that is written beyond the understanding of a 5th grader.

That is why, I always use shorter sentences and simple language. Make sure every word serves a purpose and drives the reader toward taking action. 

Conclusion

While there are many copywriting formulas such as AIDA Copywriting formula, PAS Copywriting formula, among all, FAB Copywriting is the most effective way to write persuasive copies, It is also one of the easiest frameworks to implement. 

Start with researching the product, then understand how it is useful for users. Then highlight its features by providing facts, show value using the product’s advantages, and finally connect to your audience emotionally by highlighting its benefits. 

Remember, people don’t buy products, they buy solutions. Show them what your product can do for them, and make an easy sale.

But like every other art, the best way to learn it is by doing it consistently over some time. 

Don’t worry if your first copy turns out to be trashy, every expert copywriter you see today began with writing bad copies at first.

The more you practise, the better you will get. Keep honing your skills, keep learning, and one day you’ll find the success you’ve always dreamed of.