By Daniel Rowles, lead trainer at Target Internet and author of Digital Branding (Kogan Page). Last updated: November 2026.
The PAS formula is a copywriting framework that stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution. You name a problem your reader has, agitate it by showing what it costs them, then present your product or idea as the solution with a clear call to action. It works for ads, emails, landing pages and social posts because it starts with the reader, not the product.
This guide explains where the PAS model came from, how to use it step by step, worked examples for different channels, how it compares with AIDA and other formulas, and how to agitate without manipulating people. If you are building your copywriting skills more broadly, our content marketing resources are a good place to continue.
What is the PAS formula?
The PAS formula is a three-step structure for persuasive writing. It is one of the oldest and most widely used frameworks in direct response copywriting, and you will find it in sales letters, product pages, video ads and even the opening lines of blog posts. The three steps are:
- Problem: identify a specific problem your audience recognises.
- Agitate: make the problem feel real and urgent by exploring its consequences.
- Solution: show how your product, service or idea solves it, and tell the reader what to do next.
The formula is most closely associated with the American direct response copywriter Dan Kennedy, who sets it out in his book The Ultimate Sales Letter. He is widely quoted as calling it "the most reliable sales formula ever invented", on the basis that people act more readily to avoid a problem than to gain a benefit. Kennedy popularised it rather than inventing it: the same problem-first structure runs through decades of earlier advertising.
The reason it lasts is simple. Readers ignore most marketing because it talks about the brand. PAS forces the writer to start with the reader's situation, which is the fastest way to earn their attention.
How to use the PAS formula step by step
Before you write anything, be clear about who you are writing for and which single problem you are addressing. PAS falls apart when it tries to solve five problems at once.
Step 1: Problem
Describe the problem the way your reader would describe it. Use their words, from sales calls, reviews, support tickets, social comments or search queries, rather than the language your organisation uses internally. The more precisely you name the problem, the more the reader feels understood, and that feeling is what makes them keep reading.
Keep it specific. "Marketing is hard" is not a problem anyone acts on. "Your best blog posts get a few hundred views and then disappear" is.
Step 2: Agitate
Agitation shows why the problem matters now. Explore the consequences: the time it wastes, the money it costs, the opportunity it blocks, or how it feels to live with. This is where emotion enters, but it should stay honest. You are helping the reader see a cost they already sense, not inventing a fear they do not have.
One or two consequences are usually enough. Pile on too many and the copy becomes melodramatic, which makes readers distrust everything that follows.
Step 3: Solution
Now release the tension. Present your product, service or idea as the way out, explain briefly how it solves the specific problem you named, and end with one clear call to action. Evidence helps here: a short testimonial, a result, a guarantee or a demonstration makes the solution believable rather than just convenient.
Copy and paste prompt: "Write three versions of [ad, email, landing page section or social post] copy using the PAS formula for [product or service]. The audience is [who they are], and the problem is [specific problem in their words]. Agitate with no more than two honest consequences, avoid exaggeration and false urgency, and end with this call to action: [call to action]. Keep each version under [word count] words."
PAS formula examples
The examples below are illustrations written for this guide, showing how the same structure adapts to different channels and lengths.
A short social ad
Problem: "Spending more on ads every month but not seeing more sales?" Agitate: "Every week you guess, budget goes to audiences that were never going to buy." Solution: "Our free audit shows exactly where your spend is leaking. Book yours in two minutes."
An email opening
Problem: "Your team has a stack of reports nobody reads." Agitate: "Decisions get made on gut feel, and the hours spent building dashboards are wasted." Solution: "In this week's webinar we will show you how to build a one-page report that leaders actually use. Save your place."
Our guide to writing copy for marketing emails covers how to match the structure to the email's objective.
A landing page section
On a longer page, each stage gets its own space. The headline names the problem, the first section agitates it with one or two relatable scenarios, and the rest of the page presents the solution with features, proof and a call to action. If a landing page is not converting, checking whether it names a real problem early is a good first diagnosis, and our free landing page CRO tool can help you review the rest.
A LinkedIn post
PAS also works as an opening structure for thought leadership. Start with a problem your audience is wrestling with, add a line on why it is getting worse, then share the approach that has worked for you. Our guide to tailoring social media copywriting to platform and objective explains how to adjust tone for each network.
If you want to build these skills in a structured way, the Target Internet platform includes courses such as online writing techniques and writing effective titles and headlines, alongside skills benchmarking, accredited certification, over 400 episodes of the Digital Marketing Podcast, and monthly live masterclasses.
Itch, Tickle, Scratch: agitating without manipulating
Many explanations of PAS talk about finding the reader's pain and twisting the knife. At Target Internet we think that framing is unhelpful. Good marketing should not inflict pain, and copy that leans too hard on fear tends to attract the wrong customers and damage trust in the brand.
We prefer to think of it as Itch, Tickle, Scratch. You identify an itch the reader already has, tickle it a little so they notice it, then give them a satisfying scratch. It is exactly the same structure as PAS, but the gentler language keeps the writer focused on empathy rather than pressure.
In practice, that means a few rules:
- Only describe problems your audience genuinely has. Do not invent them.
- Agitate with real consequences, not exaggerated or unlikely ones.
- Avoid false urgency, such as countdown timers that reset or stock warnings that are not true. In the UK, misleading claims like these can breach advertising and consumer protection rules.
- Make sure the solution delivers what the copy implies.
Copy that follows these rules usually converts better over time anyway, because the people who respond are the ones the product can actually help.
PAS compared with AIDA, PASO and PASONA
PAS has inspired several longer variants, and it is often compared with AIDA, the classic Attention, Interest, Desire, Action model.
The main differences between them are:
- PASO adds an Outcome step after the solution. Copywriter Belinda Weaver describes it as a way to help the reader picture life after the problem is solved, which is useful when the result is not obvious from the product alone.
- PASONA was introduced in Japan in 1999 by the marketing consultant Masanori Kanda. According to Kanda's own account in Diamond Online, the original version used Agitation as its second step, and he later replaced it with Affinity, meaning showing understanding of the reader, and separated the Offer into its own step. The current version runs Problem, Affinity, Solution, Offer, Narrow, Action.
- AIDA starts with grabbing attention rather than naming a problem. It suits brand-led and awareness copy where the audience may not yet recognise a problem, while PAS suits audiences who already feel it.
Kanda's move from Agitation to Affinity mirrors our own Itch, Tickle, Scratch thinking: the most effective version of the structure leads with understanding rather than pressure.
When to use PAS, and when not to
PAS works best when your audience already recognises the problem, when space is limited, and when you need a response rather than general awareness. That makes it a natural fit for paid social and search ads, short videos, email subject lines and openings, landing page headlines and sales pages.
It is a weaker choice when your audience does not yet know they have a problem, when the product is an aspirational purchase people buy for pleasure rather than to fix something, or when the subject is sensitive and agitation would feel exploitative. In those cases a benefit-led structure, a story or AIDA usually works better.
Whichever formula you use, test it. Run a PAS version of an ad or email against your current copy and compare the response, rather than assuming a formula will work for your audience because it works for others.
If you are ready to take a structured approach to building your digital marketing skills, explore Target Internet membership options and discover how the platform's interactive courses, benchmarking tools, podcast, accredited certification and live masterclasses can accelerate where you are heading next.
Frequently asked questions
What does PAS stand for in copywriting?
PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution. Some writers use Pain instead of Problem, or Solve instead of Solution, but the structure is the same: name a problem the reader recognises, show why it matters, then present your offer as the answer with a clear call to action.
Who created the PAS formula?
The PAS formula is most closely associated with the direct response copywriter Dan Kennedy, who explains it in his book The Ultimate Sales Letter and is widely quoted praising its reliability. The problem-first structure itself is older, and Kennedy is better described as the person who popularised it than its inventor.
What is the difference between PAS and AIDA?
PAS starts with a problem the reader already has, then agitates it and offers a solution. AIDA starts by capturing attention, then builds interest and desire before asking for action. PAS suits audiences who already feel the problem and short response-driven copy; AIDA suits awareness and brand-led copy where the problem is not yet obvious.
Can you use the PAS formula for social media?
Yes. PAS works well for social ads and posts because it fits into a few lines: one line for the problem, one for the agitation, and one for the solution and call to action. Keep the language natural for the platform, and avoid exaggerated agitation, which reads as clickbait on social feeds.
Is the PAS formula manipulative?
It can be if it is misused, for example by inventing problems or exaggerating consequences. Used honestly, it is simply a way of showing that you understand the reader's situation before offering help. Describe real problems, agitate with real consequences, and make sure your solution delivers what the copy promises.
About the author
Daniel Rowles is lead trainer at Target Internet and the author of Digital Branding (Kogan Page). He co-hosts The Digital Marketing Podcast and delivers digital marketing and AI training for organisations around the world, including copywriting and content for digital channels. You can find out more on his Target Internet profile.
Bibliography
1. Kennedy, D. S. The Ultimate Sales Letter. Adams Media.
2. Crazy Egg (n.d.). How to use the PAS framework without being cringy. https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/pas-framework/
3. Weaver, B. (n.d.). The PASO copywriting formula. Copywrite Matters. https://copywritematters.com/paso-copywriting-formula/
4. Kanda, M. (n.d.). The PASONA formula (in Japanese). Diamond Online. https://diamond.jp/articles/-/288207
5. Copyblogger (n.d.). Problem-agitate-solve. https://copyblogger.com/problem-agitate-solve/