Copywriting Basics: Writing Copy That Makes People Want to Buy
Practical copywriting basics: understanding the customer, writing headlines, using PAS and AIDA, and writing CTAs, with Thai examples.
Have you ever written a sales post that covered everything, the price, the specs, the promotion, and still only got likes from your coworkers? The problem is usually not the product. It is that the copy starts from the seller's point of view instead of the buyer's. This article shows you how to write copy that makes readers feel, this is about me.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is writing that gets the reader to do something: buy, sign up, send a message or download. Unlike a regular article, every sentence has one job, which is moving the reader toward a single action. It applies to Facebook posts, TikTok captions, landing pages, emails and LINE OA messages.
Step 1: Understand the customer before writing a word
Good copy starts with information, not creativity. Before you write, answer these three questions.
- Who are they: for example, a 28-year-old office worker who sits at a desk all day
- Where does it hurt: back pain in the afternoon, poor sleep, no time for the gym
- What do they really want: not a chair, but to work all day without pain
The best source is the customer's own words. Read reviews, comments in Facebook groups and frequent chat questions, and note the exact words people use. Those words often make better headlines than anything you invent.
Step 2: Write a headline that stops the scroll
Most people read only the first line. If it does not land, the rest does not matter.
Headline formulas that work often
- Name the problem directly: Back pain every day at 3 pm, even though you just sit and work
- Promise a specific result: Rearrange your desk in 15 minutes and sit comfortably all day
- Ask a question readers answer yes to: Do you often open the fridge and have no idea what to cook?
Avoid broad headlines like quality products, special price. Every shop says that, so readers cannot tell why they should choose you.
Step 3: Use a proven structure
PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution
Good for products that solve a clear problem. Example:
You wake up tired even after eight hours of sleep (Problem). By afternoon you are fighting to stay awake in every meeting (Agitate). A pillow that supports your neck properly helps you sleep deeper. Try it for 30 nights and return it if you do not like it (Solution).
AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
Good for long posts or landing pages. Grab attention, give information that makes people want to know more, build desire by showing life after using the product, then end with what to do right now.
Step 4: Turn features into benefits
The simplest method is to ask, so what? after every feature.
- 5,000 mAh battery. So what? It lasts all day without a power bank.
- Waterproof fabric. So what? Rain on the walk from the BTS station will not ruin your laptop.
You can include both, but lead with the benefit and use the feature as the supporting reason.
Step 5: Write one clear CTA
A good CTA says what to do and what you get, for example, message us for a free size chart, which beats click now. Keep one action per message. If you ask people to like, share, message and visit the website, they will do none of them.
Watch out for
- Do not exaggerate or guarantee results you cannot deliver, especially for health and financial products, where advertising is regulated by law.
- AI can help you draft, but always rewrite it in your brand's voice and check every fact.
- Do not copy competitors' sentences. Learn the structure, then write with your own customer insight.
How to start
- Pick one product or service and collect at least 10 phrases customers actually used in reviews or chats.
- Write 10 headlines and pick the best 2.
- Write one version using PAS and one using AIDA.
- Run both versions at the same time and see which gets more messages or clicks.
- Save what works in your own swipe file to build on in your next campaign.
If your copy will live on a web page, continue with Landing Pages That Sell, and if you want structured practice, browse courses from our learning partners on marketing and writing on Plants.work.