• Angela Booth's Creativity Factory, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 12:15 PM

There's a simple formula for crafting effective copy quickly. It's HSPA, an acronym for Headline, Pain, Solution, Action. "HSPA works for any kind of ad," Angela Booth says. "From a simple classified ad to a long direct response sales letter, whether for the Web or print."

Start by making a list of the benefits of your product--i.e. the reasons your target audience should buy it. If your hotel has a pool and on-site babysitting service, sell the fact that families can keep cool together and parents can enjoy some alone time when they're ready.

Once you have the benefits down pat, you can craft a headline that stops a consumer in their tracks. After the headline, remind them of the "pain" that stems from not having the product or service--for example, wasting time while on vacation trying to find activities for the kids--and then the "solution" that you can provide. Follow up by telling the consumer how to take "action" and you've managed to craft a quick, effective ad.

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