Top Copywriting Strategies: AIDA, PAS, and Star-Story-Solution Explained

Welcome to Growth Strategy Stacking! Every week, I bring you insights, tools, and frameworks to help high-growth businesses scale sustainably. I’m Ryan Farrell, founder of Poppin Consulting, and I’m excited to share the strategies that drive real growth.

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Scaling a high-revenue business isn’t just about having the right strategies—it’s about saying the right things at the right time.

Messaging can make or break your ability to connect with your audience. In my work with high-revenue businesses, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful the right words can be.?

It's the backbone of marketing. Saying the right words to get your desired result.

Whether you’re speaking to executives, decision-makers, or specialized niche markets, your message needs to:

1. Cut through the noise
2. Resonate emotionally
3. And inspire action.

This week on Growth Strategy Stacking, I’m sharing three essential copywriting frameworks—AIDA, PAS, and Star-Story-Solution.?

They're not just theories. They’re practical tools I use with my clients to help them sharpen their messaging, build trust, and drive conversions.?

By integrating these frameworks into your campaigns, you’ll not only see better results—you’ll create messaging that leaves a lasting impression.

Let's talk about it.

What is the AIDA Copywriting Framework?

Let’s start with a classic:

AIDA.

Developed by Elias St. Elmo Lewis over a century ago in 1898, AIDA is a four-step approach designed to lead your audience from noticing you to taking action:

1. Attention: Grab their focus with something they can’t ignore.
2. Interest: Keep them engaged by speaking directly to their needs.
3. Desire: Make them want your solution—emotionally or rationally.
4. Action: Give them an irresistible reason to act right now.

Why AIDA It Works

• Neuromarketing Insight: The Attention phase activates the brain’s reticular activating system (RAS), which filters and prioritizes relevant information. Sounds more confusing than it is.
• Behavioral Psychology: Desire and Action leverage commitment bias (small initial actions lead to bigger commitments) and loss aversion (people are more motivated by avoiding loss than gaining equivalent value).

Studies show that ads capturing attention in the first 3 seconds improve brand recall by 65%.

In my experience, AIDA is incredibly effective for email campaigns and landing pages—especially when targeting decision-makers who don’t have time to waste.

But remember, where to use it is much less important than know why and how to use it.

What is the PAS Copywriting Framework?

70% of consumers are more likely to act when messaging aligns with their emotional concerns.

Problem-Agitation-Solution (PAS) zeroes in on your audience’s pain points, intensifies their urgency, and positions your offering as the resolution. It’s straightforward but incredibly effective:

1. Problem: Identify a critical issue/pain point your audience faces.
2. Agitate: Highlight what’s at stake if they ignore it.
3. Solution: Present your product or service as the ideal way to resolve it.

Why the PAS Copywriting Framework Works:

The PAS framework is effective because it mirrors the natural decision-making process of the human brain, particularly in high-stakes or emotionally charged scenarios.

• Problem Recognition: Studies on threat detection reveal that humans prioritize information relevant to survival, whether physical or emotional. Highlighting problems draws immediate focus
• Emotional Resonance: The Agitate phase activates the amygdala, which processes fear and emotion, creating urgency.
• Loss Aversion: People are twice as motivated to avoid loss as they are to pursue gains.

If you’ve ever had a lead go cold, PAS is a great way to bring them back by tapping into what’s keeping them up at night.

By addressing pain points, intensifying their urgency, and presenting actionable solutions, it offers a simple way to put your content into the best position to convert leads into customers.

It's really just common sense but still important to think about when writing copy.

They have a problem.

They need to fix it or it will get worse.

Here's the fix.

What is the Star-Story-Solution Copywriting Framework?

Stories are 22 times more memorable than standalone facts or statistics, according to a study by Stanford University.

Everyone loves a good story. We need stories to help us relate.

This framework combines storytelling with actionable solutions to build trust and emotional connection.

It's built on three core elements:

1. Star: Introduce a relatable character or situation. i.e. A small bakery can highlight a customer’s journey in finding the perfect wedding cake.
2. Story: Share their journey and challenges. Use vivid, relatable details that align with the audience’s pain points
3. Solution: Highlight how your product or service helped them succeed, emphasizing tangible benefits..

Why Star-Story-Solution Works:

The Star-Story-Solution framework works because it leverages storytelling’s inherent ability to captivate audiences and create emotional resonance. Here's why it’s effective:

• Neuroscience: Stories engage multiple areas of the brain, making your message more memorable.
• Cognitive Fluency: Storytelling simplifies complex ideas and makes them more digestible, aligning with the brain’s preference for pattern recognition.
• Trust-Building: Stories humanize your brand, fostering connection and credibility.

By focusing on a relatable Star, illustrating their journey through a Story, and providing a clear Solution, this approach creates a narrative that deeply connects with the audience.

I often recommend this framework for case studies, social media, and webinars. But honestly it should be used in at least one email in every campaign.

Perfect for demonstrating your expertise while making an emotional connection.

Why These Frameworks Matter

Each of these frameworks is a tool for navigating the psychology of decision-making, turning quiet audiences into engaged advocates.?

By integrating AIDA, PAS, and Star-Story-Solution into your campaigns, you’ll not only build trust but also create messaging that drives action. They’re the perfect companions for any high-revenue business leader looking to scale sustainably.

However, no single framework can meet the needs of every prospect or situation. Your audience is diverse—composed of individuals with varying priorities, pain points, and decision-making styles.?

That’s why it’s critical to mix up your messaging strategies and experiment with different frameworks.?

Each formula has unique strengths and appeals to different psychological triggers, making them better suited for certain types of prospects or stages in the buyer journey.

• For example, the AIDA framework is highly effective when capturing attention and driving urgency—perfect for quick-decision contexts like email campaigns or landing pages targeting time-strapped decision-makers.
• On the other hand, the PAS framework is ideal for prospects who need more emotional resonance and a deeper understanding of how your solution addresses their pain points. It’s great for nurturing sequences or long-form content where there’s room to dig into the problem.
• Finally, the Star-Story-Solution framework works beautifully for showcasing case studies or building rapport with storytelling, which can be especially impactful for building trust in high-stakes industries.

By rotating through these frameworks, you can test what resonates best with different segments of your audience.

Some prospects may respond to the directness of AIDA, while others are drawn in by the emotional depth of PAS or the relatability of Star-Story-Solution.?

Mixing it up also keeps your messaging fresh and prevents your audience from tuning out repeated formats. U

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to choose one style but to leverage the strengths of each framework to appeal to the wide range of people within your target market.

Think of these frameworks as tools in your messaging toolkit—each designed to address a specific challenge or unlock a specific type of engagement.?

By using the right tool at the right time, you’ll craft a comprehensive messaging strategy that connects with your audience in a way that feels personal, relevant, and compelling.

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