Look, I get it. You want the marketing to work.
You didn't start your business to become a copywriter. You started it to solve problems, serve clients, and build something meaningful. But here's the reality I've learned after 15 years running a marketing agency: behind every great ad, every high-converting webpage, every email campaign that actually gets clicked, there's a proven structure.
And most business owners and marketers have no idea it exists.
Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on one of our secret weapons. It's called the Problem Agitate Solve framework, and if you've never heard of it, you're about to have a breakthrough moment. Because by the time you finish reading this post, you'll be able to write your own PAS sequences for ads, emails, or social posts within five minutes.
No creative writing degree required. No expensive copywriter needed: just you, this framework, and an understanding of your customer's problems.
I first learned the Problem Agitate Solve framework back in the 90s when I was running ads in the real estate industry. We didn't have Facebook or Google back then. We were running classified ads, postcards, and direct mail; old school stuff that either worked or buried you in wasted marketing dollars.
Here's what we discovered really quickly: when you start focusing on the problems your perfect prospect has, instead of bragging about how good you are, they actually lean in.
The psychology hasn't changed. Copywriting legends like Dan Kennedy were using this framework back in the 70s and 80s. Fast forward to today, in the world of AI and social media, it still works. Why?
Because it's based on psychology, not technology.
Human beings are wired a certain way. We want to avoid pain way before we ever chase the desire for pleasure. Psychologists have proven this for decades. That fact hasn't changed, and it won't change anytime soon.
At our agency, we've perfected this framework across industries: real estate, financial services, healthcare, local businesses, restaurants, manufacturing, and e-commerce. You name it, we've used it. If it worked for them, it'll work for you.
Let me break down this formula so you can actually use it today.
You've got to name the specific challenge that your customer is facing. Name the problem that's keeping them up at night. Name the thing they'd like to eliminate from their experience.
Here's a simple formula to get started:
"If you are struggling with [X]..."
Some variations:
Examples from my industry:
Notice what's happening here? In this one statement, you're calling out the problem AND calling out to your ideal prospect. Only your perfect customer should be able to resonate with that statement.
Action Step: Take 30 seconds right now and write one problem statement that your ideal market is having.
It's not enough to name the problem. You've got to bring some emotion to the surface.
Here's what most people miss about marketing: your perfect person can have the problem, but until they've had a triggering event that makes them say, "Enough is enough," they won't take action. Your job in the agitation phase is to create that urgency.
Four ways to agitate effectively:
1. Point out consequences: "Every month you stay stuck, you're leaving money on the table."
2. Apply time pressure: "Every day you wait, it only gets worse."
I worked with a debt resolution company years ago, and their most effective emails focused on time pressure. Their prospects' decision to wait was costing them more than resolving the problem now.
3. Highlight common mistakes "And most people just make it worse by doing [X, Y, or Z]."
You know your industry. You know the mistakes your perfect prospect makes that push them further away from the relief they actually want.
4. Reveal hidden costs: "What you don't realize is it's not just costing you money, it's actually costing you peace of mind."
Please point out the cost they might not even be thinking about, but deep down, they desperately want to avoid.
Action Step: Pick ONE of these agitation methods to add to your problem statement.
Now is when you offer hope. This isn't where you give away everything in your offer, brand, product, or service. If we're in the lead generation business, we're trying to get them to move one step closer to making a purchase.
Offer them one clear insight or direction that positions you as the expert.
Examples:
Here's a complete PAS example from my industry:
"If you've been struggling to generate leads with social media and you feel like you've been wasting time posting every single day with nothing to show for it, the strategy that actually works is the dollar-a-day method that we teach our clients."
See how fast that was? In literally less than five minutes, you can start building campaigns that get perfect strangers to take a step closer.
This is because you understand their problem, you agitate a little (without being a jerk), and then you invite them into your world.
You can drop this three-line formula anywhere:
The medium doesn't matter. The psychology does.
Here's something most people miss: Problem Agitate Solve isn't just a copywriting formula or trick. It's actually a way of thinking.
When you understand the problems your customer is facing and can feel the frustration they're living with, you build trust. It's almost as if they say, "How did they know what I was thinking?"
And trust is the real currency in business today.
Yes, you can write a PAS framework for a Facebook ad. But at a deeper level, Problem Agitate Solve is a foundation for campaigns that:
When people see your messages, and you spend time doing this right, it will be as if you were in their head. And they will jump right into your world to figure out how you can help them.
For those of you who are AI-savvy, you can plug these frameworks into ChatGPT or Claude and have AI assist you. But here's my warning:
Don't outsource your thinking to AI.
You must understand your buyer persona. You must understand their psychology. You must understand their 11 p.m. problem. You must have built out that full empathy map.
AI can help you execute faster, but it can't replace your deep understanding of your customer's pain points.
Now you know how to write a Problem Agitate Solve message in five minutes. Try it out in your next ad, post, or email. See how people respond.
If you want to go deeper, I've prepared 20 additional PAS templates you can download and start using today, with no opt-in required. [Suggest link to resource page]
And if you're a business owner who's been struggling with inconsistent marketing results, or you've hired agencies, freelancers, or staff members who can create pretty posts on Canva but don't know how to write copy that connects with buyer psychology, this framework is your breakthrough.
Because at the end of the day, anybody can create posts. But very few people know how to write copy that turns strangers into paying clients quickly and builds trust.
That's what separates average marketing from marketing that actually works.
A: Not if you're genuinely helping them solve a real problem. Agitation isn't about being a jerk; it's about shining a light on the urgency of taking action. If staying where they are truly is costing them money, time, or peace of mind, you're doing them a disservice by NOT pointing it out.
A: The solution doesn't always mean they buy from you immediately. Sometimes it's about giving them a moment of clarity, inviting them to download a worksheet, attend a webinar, get a coupon, or take any small step closer to eventually working with you.
A: Keep it tight. Three focused lines done extremely well will bring your right prospect out of hiding and into your world. Don't overthink it.
A: Absolutely. We've used this across real estate, financial services, healthcare, local businesses, restaurants, e-commerce, and manufacturing; you name it. So long as you're selling to humans, it works.