Copywriting for Marketing: Words That Sell in B2B

Claude Hopkins made Schlitz beer the #1 brand in America by simply describing their brewing process—the same process every brewery used. David Ogilvy's "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock" generated more Rolls-Royce inquiries than any ad in history. A single headline change increased the conversion rate of a SaaS landing page by 127%.

Copywriting is the closest thing to a superpower in marketing. The right words, arranged in the right order, can generate millions in revenue. The wrong words waste budget and opportunity.

This guide provides the exact frameworks, formulas, and psychological triggers used by the greatest copywriters in history—updated for modern B2B marketing. You'll learn how to write headlines that stop the scroll, emails that get opened, and sales pages that convert. Plus, you'll get a complete swipe file of high-converting copy you can adapt for your business.

Copywriting Fundamentals: The Core Frameworks

Every piece of persuasive copy follows a psychological journey. These frameworks provide the roadmap.

AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

AIDA, developed by E. St. Elmo Lewis in 1898, remains the foundation of persuasive writing.

Attention: Hook the reader immediately. You have 3 seconds.

• Provocative question: "Are you making this $2M marketing mistake?"
• Shocking statistic: "73% of B2B leads never get followed up"
• Bold promise: "How to generate 50 qualified leads in 30 days"

Interest: Build curiosity about your solution.

• Tell a story: "Last quarter, Company X was struggling..."
• Present a problem they recognize
• Hint at the solution without revealing everything

Desire: Make them want what you offer.

• Paint the picture of success
• Use sensory language: "Imagine your inbox flooded with qualified leads"
• Show social proof: "Join 10,000+ companies already using this method"

Action: Tell them exactly what to do next.

• Specific instruction: "Click the button below to start your free trial"
• Remove friction: "Takes 2 minutes, no credit card required"
• Create urgency: "Offer expires at midnight tonight"

AIDA in Action—Email Opening:

Attention: We analyzed 10 million B2B sales emails. Here's what actually works.

Interest: Most sales teams waste 70% of their time on leads that never convert. The top 10% of performers use a different approach—one that triples their conversion rates without increasing effort.

Desire: Imagine opening your CRM and seeing only hot prospects ranked by their likelihood to buy. Your team focuses on deals that close. Your pipeline becomes predictable. Your revenue grows 40% this quarter.

Action: See how it works: [Start My Free Trial] Takes 2 minutes.

PAS: Problem, Agitate, Solution

PAS, popularized by copywriting legend Dan Kennedy, is arguably the most effective framework for B2B copy.

Problem: Identify the pain point clearly.

• "Your marketing team generates hundreds of leads monthly."
• "But your sales team complains they're 'low quality.'"
• "Sound familiar?"

Agitate: Amplify the pain. Make it hurt.

• "Every 'bad lead' wastes 20 minutes of sales time."
• "At 100 bad leads per month, that's 33 hours wasted."
• "Multiply by your sales team's hourly cost..."
• "You're burning $5,000+ monthly on unqualified prospects."

Solution: Present your offer as the painkiller.

• "Our lead scoring AI identifies your hottest prospects automatically."
• "Sales focuses only on leads with 80%+ conversion probability."
• "Result: 3x more closed deals, 50% less wasted time."

Why PAS Works in B2B: B2B buyers are risk-averse. They're more motivated by avoiding pain than gaining pleasure. PAS taps into loss aversion—the psychological principle that losses feel 2x more painful than equivalent gains feel good.

The 4 P's: Promise, Picture, Proof, Push

Henry Hoke's 4 P's framework emphasizes credibility—critical for B2B buyers.

Promise: Make a bold, specific claim.

• "Increase your email open rates by 40% in 30 days"
• "Generate 100 qualified leads without increasing ad spend"

Picture: Help them visualize the outcome.

• "Imagine your team celebrating as you hit your quarterly target 3 weeks early"
• "Picture your CEO asking what you've been doing differently"

Proof: Provide evidence your promise is real.

• Case studies with specific numbers
• Testimonials from recognizable companies
• Data, statistics, research findings
• Money-back guarantees

Push: Compel immediate action.

• Limited availability: "Only 20 spots available"
• Time deadlines: "Price increases Friday at midnight"
• Bonuses for fast action: "First 10 customers get 1-on-1 onboarding"

FAB: Features, Advantages, Benefits

FAB translates technical specifications into compelling value propositions.

Feature: What it is (technical fact)

• "Our platform uses machine learning algorithms"

Advantage: What it does (functional improvement)

• "That automatically score leads based on behavior"

Benefit: What they get (emotional outcome)

• "So your sales team spends time on deals that actually close, eliminating the frustration of chasing cold leads"

FAB Exercise:

| Feature | Advantage | Benefit | |---------|-----------|---------| | 24/7 support | Get help anytime | Peace of mind, never stuck | | API access | Connect any tool | Save 10 hours weekly on manual work | | Role-based permissions | Control data access | Sleep better knowing sensitive data is secure | | Real-time dashboard | See live metrics | Make confident decisions instantly | | Automated workflows | Set up once, runs forever | Focus on strategy instead of repetitive tasks |

Headline Formulas That Work

Your headline determines whether anyone reads the rest of your copy. Spend 50% of your writing time on the headline.

15 Proven Headline Formulas

1. How-To Headlines Formula: "How to [Desired Outcome] Without [Common Objection]"

Examples:

• "How to Double Your Email Open Rates Without Writing More Emails"
• "How to Generate 100 Leads in 30 Days Without Increasing Ad Spend"
• "How to Close 40% More Deals Without Hiring More Sales Reps"

2. List Headlines Formula: "[Number] [Adjective] Ways to [Achieve Outcome]"

Examples:

• "7 Proven Ways to Reduce Customer Churn by 50%"
• "21 Copywriting Hacks That Increased Our Conversion Rate 127%"
• "5 Mistakes That Kill B2B Landing Page Conversions (And How to Fix Them)"

3. Question Headlines Formula: "Are You [Undesirable State]? Here's How to [Desired State]"

Examples:

• "Are You Wasting 70% of Your Marketing Budget? Here's How to Fix It"
• "Is Your Sales Team Complaining About Lead Quality? Here's the Real Problem"
• "Still Doing Manual Data Entry? There's a Better Way"

4. Secret Headlines Formula: "The [Adjective] Secret to [Desired Outcome]"

Examples:

• "The Counterintuitive Secret to Closing Enterprise Deals"
• "The Data-Driven Secret to Predictable Revenue Growth"
• "The Psychological Secret to Emails That Get Opened"

5. Mistake Headlines Formula: "[Number] [Topic] Mistakes That [Negative Outcome]"

Examples:

• "7 CRM Mistakes That Cost Sales Teams $100K+ Annually"
• "The #1 Marketing Automation Mistake (And Why Everyone Makes It)"
• "5 Pricing Strategy Mistakes That Kill B2B SaaS Growth"

6. Comparison Headlines Formula: "[Alternative] vs [Your Solution]: Which [Outcome] Better?"

Examples:

• "Inbound vs Outbound: Which Generates More Qualified Leads?"
• "Hiring In-House vs Outsourcing: A $500K Decision"
• "Traditional Marketing vs Growth Hacking: What Actually Works"

7. Time-Specific Headlines Formula: "[Achieve Outcome] in [Timeframe], Guaranteed"

Examples:

• "Generate 50+ Qualified Leads in 14 Days, Guaranteed"
• "See Results in 30 Days or Your Money Back"
• "Set Up Your Sales Automation in 2 Hours (Not 2 Weeks)"

8. Exclusive Headlines Formula: "[Desired Outcome]: The [Adjective] Guide for [Select Group]"

Examples:

• "40%+ Conversion Rates: The Advanced Guide for SaaS Marketers"
• "Scaling to $10M ARR: The Playbook for Technical Founders"
• "Enterprise Sales: The Insider's Guide for Startups"

9. Proof Headlines Formula: "How [Company] [Achieved Result] in [Timeframe]"

Examples:

• "How Drift Generated 10,000 Leads in 6 Months With No Forms"
• "How Gong Scaled from $0 to $200M in 4 Years"
• "How We Increased Demo Requests 340% in 90 Days"

10. Urgency Headlines Formula: "[Time-Sensitive Offer]: [Benefit] Before [Deadline]"

Examples:

• "Last Chance: Save 50% on Annual Plans (Ends Tonight)"
• "Only 3 Spots Left: Join Our Exclusive CRO Workshop"
• "Flash Sale: Get 3 Months Free (Next 24 Hours Only)"

11. Curiosity Gap Headlines Formula: "[Surprising Statement]. Here's Why..."

Examples:

• "We Removed Our Demo Button. Conversions Went Up 200%."
• "Our Worst Performing Campaign Generated $2M. Here's Why."
• "I Stopped Tracking MQLs. Revenue Doubled."

12. Direct Command Headlines Formula: "[Action Verb] [Desired Outcome] Now"

Examples:

• "Stop Wasting Money on Bad Leads. Start Qualifying Smarter."
• "Fix Your Sales Process in 30 Days. Download the Playbook."
• "Unlock Predictable Revenue. Schedule Your Strategy Call."

13. Provocative Headlines Formula: "[Controversial Opinion or Bold Claim]"

Examples:

• "Cold Calling Is Dead. Here's What Actually Works."
• "Your Marketing Qualified Leads Are Useless. Do This Instead."
• "Why Your $50K Marketing Agency Is Wasting Your Money"

14. Story Headlines Formula: "How [Person] Went From [Before] to [After] Using [Method]"

Examples:

• "How a 5-Person Startup Generated $2M in Pipeline With Zero Budget"
• "From 0 to 10,000 Customers: The Unlikely Growth Story"
• "How I Fixed Our Broken Sales Process (And Saved My Job)"

15. Benefit + Mechanism Headlines Formula: "Get [Benefit] With [Unique Mechanism]"

Examples:

• "Get 3x More Demos With Our AI-Powered Lead Scoring"
• "Close 40% More Deals Using Conversation Intelligence"
• "Reduce Churn 50% With Automated Health Scoring"

Headline Testing Results

| Headline Type | Average CTR | Best Use Case | |--------------|-------------|---------------| | How-to | 5.2% | Educational content | | List | 6.8% | Blog posts, lead magnets | | Question | 4.9% | Email subject lines | | Secret | 5.7% | Premium content | | Mistake | 7.1% | Pain point awareness | | Proof | 6.3% | Case studies | | Urgency | 8.4% | Sales, promotions | | Curiosity gap | 9.2% | High-engagement content |

Email Copy That Converts

Email remains the highest-ROI marketing channel—$42 returned for every $1 spent. But average open rates hover around 20%, and click rates at 2-3%. Great copy changes those numbers.

Subject Line Formulas

1. Curiosity Gap

• "The $2M mistake almost every startup makes"
• "We tried 47 subject lines. This one got 68% opens."
• "Your sales process is broken (here's the fix)"

2. Personalization

• "Sarah, quick question about {{Company}}'s sales process"
• "I noticed {{Company}} is hiring sales reps..."
• "For {{Company}}: 3 ways to reduce CAC"

3. Numbers and Lists

• "7 copywriting mistakes costing you leads"
• "The 5-minute fix for your email campaigns"
• "21 templates that generated $2M"

4. Urgency and Scarcity

• "[Ends tonight] Save 50% on annual plans"
• "Only 3 spots left for tomorrow's workshop"
• "Your trial expires in 24 hours"

5. Question

• "Are you making this $500K mistake?"
• "Is your sales team complaining about lead quality?"
• "Still tracking MQLs?"

Email Body Structure

The 5-Sentence Email (Cold Outreach):

1. Personalized hook: Reference their company, recent news, or LinkedIn activity
2. Problem identification: State the pain point you solve
3. Solution hint: Briefly mention your approach
4. Social proof: Name-drop similar companies or results
5. Clear CTA: One specific ask

Example:

Hi Sarah,

Saw {{Company}} just raised your Series B—congrats! Scaling sales teams fast usually creates chaos in the CRM.

We help growth-stage SaaS companies keep their sales data clean and actionable. Last month, we helped Notion reduce data entry time by 70%.

Worth a 10-minute call to see if we can do the same for {{Company}}?

Best, John

Email Sequences That Convert

Welcome Series (5 Emails Over 14 Days):

Email 1 (Immediate): Deliver the lead magnet + set expectations

Subject: Your [lead magnet] is here (+ what to expect)

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for downloading [lead magnet]. You can access it here: [Link]

Over the next two weeks, I'll send you practical tips on [topic]. No fluff—just tactics that worked for us and our clients.

First tip coming tomorrow.

[Signature]

Email 2 (Day 2): Quick win + establish expertise

Subject: The 5-minute fix for [problem]

Email 3 (Day 5): Case study + social proof

Subject: How [Company] [achieved result] in [timeframe]

Email 4 (Day 8): Address objection + offer

Subject: "Is this too expensive for us?" (The real cost of waiting)

Email 5 (Day 12): Final CTA with urgency

Subject: Last call: [offer ending]

Sales Page Structure

Long-form sales pages convert 2-3x better than short pages for complex B2B offers. Here's the proven structure:

1. Pre-Headline (Optional)

Create immediate relevance:

"Attention: Marketing Directors at B2B SaaS Companies Between $1M-$10M ARR"

2. Main Headline

Lead with the primary benefit:

"Get 50+ Qualified Leads Every Month Without Increasing Your Ad Budget"

3. Subheadline

Add specificity and credibility:

"The same lead generation system that helped 200+ SaaS companies scale to $10M+ ARR"

4. Hero Section

• Video or image showing the outcome
• Primary CTA button
• Trust badges/logos

5. Problem Agitation (PAS Framework)

Expand on the pain point in detail. Make it visceral.

6. Solution Introduction

Present your product/service as the answer.

7. Features and Benefits (FAB)

Use the table format from earlier.

8. Social Proof

• 3-5 detailed testimonials
• Case studies with specific numbers
• Logos of recognizable customers
• "As seen in" media mentions

9. Offer Stack

List everything included and assign dollar values:

The Complete Lead Generation System ($4,997 Value)

• Lead scoring software ($1,997)
• 90-day implementation ($2,000)
• Weekly coaching calls ($1,000)
• Your investment: $2,997

10. Risk Reversal

Money-back guarantee, trial periods, cancellation policies.

11. Urgency and Scarcity

Limited spots, time deadlines, bonuses expiring.

12. Final CTA

Repeat the offer with clear next steps.

13. FAQ

Address objections: price, implementation time, integrations, support.

14. Signature

Personal sign-off from the founder/leader.

B2B vs B2C Copywriting Differences

| Element | B2C Copy | B2B Copy | |---------|----------|----------| | Primary motivation | Emotion, desire | Logic, ROI, risk reduction | | Decision makers | Individual | Committee (5.4 people avg) | | Sales cycle | Minutes to days | Months to years | | Price sensitivity | Lower | Higher (budget approval needed) | | Proof required | Social proof, reviews | Case studies, data, security | | Tone | Casual, aspirational | Professional, authoritative | | Risk tolerance | Higher | Lower (careers on the line) | | Content depth | Shorter, visual | Longer, detailed |

B2B Copywriting Principles:

1. Lead with ROI: Every claim must tie to revenue impact
2. Reduce perceived risk: Trials, guarantees, references
3. Enable internal selling: Give champions materials to convince their boss
4. Address multiple stakeholders: Technical buyers care about integration; executives care about ROI; end users care about ease of use
5. Be specific: "Increased leads by 43%" beats "increased leads significantly"

Psychological Triggers in Copy

1. Scarcity

People value what is scarce. Limited availability increases desire.

Examples:

• "Only 20 spots available"
• "Enrollment closes Friday at midnight"
• "First 10 customers get exclusive 1-on-1 onboarding"

Implementation:

• Limit beta access
• Create waitlists for new features
• Offer early-bird pricing
• Cap workshop attendance

2. Urgency

Time pressure compels action. Without deadlines, decisions drift.

Examples:

• "Price increases $500 tonight at midnight"
• "Your trial expires in 24 hours"
• "This bonus expires when the timer hits zero"

Implementation:

• Use real deadlines (not fake urgency)
• Show countdown timers
• Send deadline reminder emails
• Explain why the deadline exists

3. Social Proof

People follow the crowd. If others trust you, new prospects feel safer.

Types of Social Proof:

• Expert: Endorsements from recognized authorities
• Celebrity: Famous users (even if not experts)
• User: Testimonials from customers like them
• Wisdom of crowds: "Join 10,000+ companies"
• Wisdom of friends: "See which friends use this"
• Certification: Security badges, certifications, awards

Social Proof Formulas:

• "Join [number] [type of people] who [achieved result]"
• "[Number] [metric] and counting"
• "Rated [stars] by [number] customers"
• "[Recognized company] increased [metric] by [number] using [solution]"

4. Authority

People defer to experts. Establish credibility immediately.

Authority Signals:

• Years of experience ("20+ years in B2B sales")
• Number of customers ("Trusted by 5,000+ companies")
• Media mentions ("Featured in Forbes, Inc, and TechCrunch")
• Certifications and awards
• Famous client logos
• Author credentials

5. Liking

People buy from those they like. Build rapport through copy.

Liking Tactics:

• Share personal stories and vulnerabilities
• Use humor (appropriately)
• Find common ground ("As a fellow founder...")
• Give genuine compliments
• Show similarity to the reader

6. Reciprocity

People repay favors. Give value before asking for anything.

Reciprocity in Action:

• Free tools and calculators
• Comprehensive guides and ebooks
• Free consultations or audits
• Valuable newsletters
• Helpful blog content

7. Commitment and Consistency

People want to act consistently with their past behavior. Small commitments lead to larger ones.

Implementation:

• Start with micro-conversions (email signup, quiz)
• Get them to say "yes" to small questions
• Remind them of past commitments ("You downloaded our guide...")
• Use progressive profiling

Swipe File: High-Converting Copy Examples

Headlines That Converted

Basecamp:

"We've been expecting you." Simple, welcoming, implies they're the solution you've been looking for.

Slack:

"Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It's faster, better organized, and more secure than email or text messaging." Clear value proposition with specific comparisons.

Stripe:

"The new standard in online payments." Positions as the default choice, implies everyone else is switching.

Salesforce:

"The Customer Success Platform." Owns a category, promises outcome not features.

HubSpot:

"There's a better way to grow." Implies current methods are broken, offers hope.

Email Openers That Worked

Drift (Abandoned Cart):

"Did something go wrong?" Personal, concerned, not pushy. Generated 20% click rate.

Gmail (Re-engagement):

"You haven't logged into Gmail in a while. Here's what you missed." FOMO (fear of missing out) without being aggressive.

Airbnb (Personalization):

"Sarah, your next adventure awaits in Tulum" Uses name, implies adventure, specific destination.

CTAs That Outperformed

| Standard | High-Performer | Improvement | |----------|----------------|-------------| | "Submit" | "Get My Free Quote" | +200% | | "Sign Up" | "Start Building My Website" | +140% | | "Download" | "Send Me the Checklist" | +110% | | "Learn More" | "See How It Works" | +85% | | "Buy Now" | "Claim My Discount" | +65% | | "Contact Us" | "Get a Free Consultation" | +150% |

Testimonials That Convert

Weak: "Great product! Love using it."—John S.

Strong: "Before [Product], we were manually tracking leads in spreadsheets. Now we automatically score 10,000+ leads monthly and our sales team focuses only on hot prospects. Conversion rate increased 43% in 60 days."—Sarah Mitchell, VP Marketing, TechCorp

Strong Elements:

• Before/after contrast
• Specific numbers and timeframes
• Full name and title
• Company name (with permission)
• Detailed outcome

Copywriting Tools and Resources

Writing Tools

Hemingway Editor: Simplifies complex sentences. Aim for grade 6-8 reading level for B2B.

Grammarly: Catches grammar errors and suggests tone improvements.

CoSchedule Headline Analyzer: Scores headlines based on word balance, length, and sentiment.

Sharethrough Headline Analyzer: Predicts engagement based on psychological principles.

Research Tools

AnswerThePublic: See what questions people ask about your topic.

BuzzSumo: Find top-performing content in your industry.

SparkToro: Understand what your audience reads and shares.

Amazon Reviews: Read 1-star and 5-star reviews for language your audience uses.

Swipe File Resources

SwipeFile.com: Curated collection of high-performing ads and emails.

Marketing Examples: Real examples with analysis.

Copyblogger: Articles on copywriting techniques.

Really Good Emails: Email design and copy inspiration.

Your Copywriting Action Plan

Week 1: Foundation

• Audit current copy using the frameworks in this guide
• Identify 3 headlines to test using proven formulas
• Rewrite one email using the 5-sentence structure
• Create FAB table for your top 5 features

Week 2: Practice

• Write 10 headlines for your homepage using different formulas
• Draft welcome email sequence (5 emails)
• Rewrite one sales page section using PAS framework
• Build swipe file of 20 high-converting examples

Week 3: Test

• Launch A/B test on headline (use Google Optimize or similar)
• Send new email sequence to 20% of list
• Measure open rates, click rates, and conversions
• Document what worked and what didn't

Week 4: Scale

• Implement winning copy across all materials
• Create copy templates for common pages (landing pages, emails, ads)
• Train team on frameworks
• Build ongoing testing calendar

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Related Guides

• Growth Hacking: 17 Tactics That Generated $1M+
• Landing Page Optimization: 40%+ Conversion Templates
• Viral Marketing: Engineering Shareability
• Marketing Automation: Scaling Your Efforts

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About the Author: Sarah Mitchell is a growth strategist who has helped 50+ startups scale from $0 to $1M+ ARR. She previously led growth at two Y Combinator companies and advises B2B SaaS companies on growth strategy.