Copywriting for TYPO3 pros: words that sell

What is copywriting and why you need it as a TYPO3 professional

Copywriting is more than just writing texts - it's the art of selling with words.

It's about formulating messages in such a way that they not only inform, but also convince and motivate people to act.

As a TYPO3 freelancer or agency owner, you can have the best technical expertise - if you can't communicate it convincingly, potential clients will leave you out in the cold. Many of us are technically brilliant, but struggle to communicate the true value of our work.

Good copywriting will help you:

• Justify higher prices because clients understand the added value

• Clearly differentiate yourself from low-cost agencies and other competitors

• Attract the right clients and win projects that really suit you

• Explain complex TYPO3 benefits in a way that non-technical people can understand

In this article, I'll introduce you to the most effective copywriting techniques that you can use immediately in your proposals, website and client communications. These techniques have helped me market my TYPO3 services more successfully - and they'll help you too.

The AIDA formula: The classic of copywriting

The AIDA formula is one of the cornerstones of successful copywriting and has been working for over 100 years. It describes the psychological process that a potential customer goes through before making a decision.

AIDA stands for:

• Attention: Grab your potential customer's attention with a strong headline or an unusual statement.
• Interest: Build interest with relevant information that ties directly to the customer's needs.
• Desire: Create a desire for your solution by emphasizing the specific benefits.
• Action: Call for a clear action - what do you want the customer to do next?

Example for TYPO3 services:

Attention: "TYPO3 websites that not only work, but also sell - without constant technical problems"

Interest: "With my TYPO3 implementation, you can implement marketing campaigns faster, publish new content without an IT department and flexibly adapt your website to changing business requirements."

Desire: "Imagine if you could independently create new landing pages, perform A/B tests and increase your conversion rate - while your competitors are still waiting for technical implementations."

Action: "Let's have a 30-minute conversation to find out if my TYPO3 approach is right for your business. Click here to make an appointment."

AIDA is particularly suitable for:

• Your website homepage
• Offers and proposals
• Sales emails to potential customers
• LinkedIn profiles and XING descriptions

The trick with AIDA is to translate the technical features into concrete customer benefits. Instead of talking about versions and features, you show how your solution improves your customers' day-to-day work.

PAS method: Problem-Agitate-Solution

The PAS method is one of the most powerful copywriting techniques of all. It works because it is based on a fundamental psychological principle: People are more strongly motivated by the avoidance of pain than by the pursuit of pleasure.

PAS stands for:

• Problem: Identify and name a specific problem your client has.
• Agitate: Amplify the pain by pointing out the negative consequences.
• Solution: Present your solution as a way out.

Example for TYPO3 services:

Problem: "Your website is outdated and no longer adequately represents your company. Potential customers leave the site before they even get in touch with you."

Agitate: "Every day with a weak online presence costs you orders and sales. While your competitors score points with modern, user-friendly websites, you lose valuable market share. The outdated technology also makes every small change a costly and time-consuming project."

Solution: "With my TYPO3 implementation, you get a modern, responsive website that converts your visitors into customers. The system grows with your business and reduces your IT costs in the long term. And best of all, you can maintain most of the content yourself without requesting technical help."

The PAS method is particularly effective for

• Sales calls with potential customers
• Email campaigns
• Landing pages for specific services
• Case studies and success stories

The key with PAS is to address real pain points that your customer actually has. Investigate, ask, listen. The closer you get to the problem, the more convincing your solution will be.

With TYPO3 projects, typical pain points are

• Outdated websites that are no longer maintainable
• Dependence on individual developers
• Security concerns with older systems
• Limited flexibility in content creation
• High costs for seemingly simple changes

FAB framework: Feature Advantage Benefit

The Feature Advantage Benefit Framework is my personal favorite of all copywriting methods. Why? Because it bridges the gap between technical details and real customer benefit - exactly what we as TYPO3 experts often need.

FAB stands for:

• Feature: The characteristic or function of your product/service.
• Advantage: The technical or functional advantage of this feature.
• Benefit: The actual benefit for the customer - emotional, financial or practical.

Example for TYPO3 services:

Feature: "TYPO3 offers a granular authorization system with different user roles and access levels."

Advantage: "This allows you to control exactly who can edit, publish or just view which content."

Benefit: "You save time and avoid mistakes because you can clearly assign responsibilities. Your interns can prepare content while your marketing manager checks it before publication - without you having to worry about accidentally deleting pages."

FAB forces you to think beyond the technical aspects. Especially with TYPO3, we tend to get lost in the features - but customers don't buy features, they buy the results those features bring.

Here is another example:

Feature: "Customized TYPO3 training for your content team."

Advantage: "Your team gets to know exactly the functions that are relevant for your daily work."

Benefit: "Your team becomes more independent, content is published faster and you save expensive developer hours for simple content changes. This means faster market response and ultimately a competitive advantage."

The FAB framework is ideal for:

• Technical proposals and project descriptions
• Explanations of complex TYPO3 functions
• Client meetings where you need to communicate the value of your work
• Price negotiations where you want to clarify the equivalent value

The biggest advantage of the FAB framework is that it forces you to answer the "What's in it for me?" question. Every feature must have a clear benefit for the customer - otherwise it's just technical ballast that nobody cares about.

The GOLD formula: Perfect for social media

The GOLD formula is a modern copywriting technique designed especially for social media and short attention spans. It helps you to quickly attract attention and then systematically lead to the desired action.

GOLD stands for:

• Grab Attention: Attract attention with a strong hook.
• Offer Context: Provide the necessary context for understanding.
• Leverage Value: Offer clear added value.
• Drive Action: Call for a specific action.

Example of a LinkedIn post about the Business Roundtable TYPO3:

Grab Attention: "While other TYPO3 freelancers are still struggling with 80€ hourly rates, my community members have increased their prices by 30% on average - without losing clients."

Offer Context: "In the Business Roundtable TYPO3 we don't discuss technical details, but how you as a TYPO3 professional can take your business to the next level."

Leverage Value: "Last week we developed concrete pricing strategies, practiced negotiation techniques and shared offer templates that achieve conversion rates of over 60%."

Drive Action: "Do you want better customers and higher prices too? Then check out the link in my profile - you can find out more about our monthly roundtable meetings there."

The GOLD formula works great for:

• LinkedIn posts
• Facebook updates
• X (Twitter) posts
• Email subject lines
• Short video intros

The key to success lies in the first G - Grab Attention. A strong hook can be:

• Be a surprising statistic
• Contain a controversial statement
• Challenge a commonly held belief
• Make an exciting promise

The more you focus your hook on the real pain points and desires of your target audience, the more effective your overall post will be. For TYPO3 freelancers, this could be topics like client acquisition, pricing or work-life balance.

Before-after-bridge: the transformative power of your solution

The Before-After-Bridge model is a powerful and direct copywriting technique based on the principle of transformation. It paints a clear picture of the current situation (Before), envisions the better future (After) and then explains how to get there (Bridge).

The structure is simple but effective:

• Before: Describe the client's current, unsatisfactory situation.
• After: Paint a picture of the ideal future that the customer wants to achieve.
• Bridge: Show how your solution represents the bridge between these two states.

Example for TYPO3 services:

Before: "You're struggling with an outdated TYPO3 website that loads slowly, performs poorly on mobile devices, and needs technical help with every little change. Your team is frustrated, customers are bouncing, and every maintenance costs you unnecessary money."

After: "Imagine your website loads lightning fast, looks perfect on any device and can be updated independently by your marketing team. Your conversion rate increases, new content is online in minutes and you save thousands of euros a year in developer costs."

Bridge: "My TYPO3 relaunch program is designed for businesses just like yours. In just 8 weeks, we'll migrate your content to the latest TYPO3 version, implement a modern responsive design and train your team so you can work independently."

This method is particularly effective because it:

• Clearly emphasizes the contrast between problem state and solution
• Creates emotional images that stick in the mind
• Clearly shows how your service actually creates value

The Before-After-Bridge model is ideal for:

• Sales meetings and pitches
• Case studies and success stories
• Landing pages for specific services
• Introductions in offers and proposals

When using this method, it is important that you do not overdramatize the "before" situation - it must be authentic and recognizable. The "after" situation should be attractive but realistic. And the "bridge" must show a credible path between the two states.

Storytelling as a copywriting technique

Stories have been the most effective form of communication for thousands of years. Our brains are programmed to process and store information in the form of stories. You can also harness this power in copywriting.

Good storytelling in a business context follows a simple structure:

• Hero: The customer (not you or your company)
• Problem: The challenge the hero is facing
• Guide: You and your expertise (not as the hero, but as a mentor)
• Plan: Your solution or method
• Action: The request to take action
• Success: The positive outcome
• Failure: What could happen if nothing is done

Example for TYPO3 services:

Stefan ran a medium-sized agency and had opted for TYPO3 years ago. But over time, the website became more unstable, slower and harder to maintain. His team spent more time fixing bugs than innovating, and new features were months in the making.

Then Stefan met me at a business roundtable. I showed him how a structured TYPO3 migration would not only solve his technical problems, but also energize his business processes.

Together we developed a clear 3-phase plan: first a clean migration to the current TYPO3 version, then the implementation of content blocks for his editorial team and finally the integration with his CRM system.

Stefan opted for a fresh start. Today, six months later, his team is back in charge of content creation. The website loads three times faster than before and the conversion rate has increased by 40%. Stefan can now focus on strategy instead of constantly dealing with technical problems.

Would you have thought that a TYPO3 relaunch could make such a difference? If you're struggling with your current website too, let's talk. Otherwise you'll still have the same problems in a year's time - only they'll be even bigger.

Storytelling works particularly well for:

• Case studies and testimonials
• About pages and company stories
• Sales presentations
• Email sequences

The secret of good storytelling in a business context: the customer must be the hero, not you or your company. You are the mentor, the guide who helps the hero to achieve their goals.

It is also important that your stories are authentic and specific. Concrete details make a story credible - for example, how long a project took, what specific problems were encountered and what measurable results were achieved.

Dimensionalization: making abstract benefits tangible

Dimensionalization is a technique that is often overlooked but can be extremely effective - especially when you need to explain complex TYPO3 benefits. It helps you turn abstract concepts into concrete, tangible images.

With dimensionalization, you go beyond simple statements and create a vivid, multi-dimensional image in the minds of your customers.

Example of a flat statement without dimensionalization:
"TYPO3 saves you time in content creation."

The same statement with dimensionalization:
"Instead of spending four hours every Monday discussing with your developer which website changes should be implemented, with TYPO3 you simply sit at your laptop for 20 minutes - and all updates are live. You can use the 3.5 hours gained for strategic tasks or even go home earlier and spend time with your family."

Dimensionalization uses several elements:

• Concrete numbers: 4 hours vs. 20 minutes
• Sensory details: Sitting at the laptop instead of discussing with the developer
• Emotional components: More family time instead of frustration
• Comparisons: Before and after scenarios

Another example:

Flat:
"TYPO3 improves website performance."

Dimensionalized:
"Your users click on a link and see the content immediately - no hourglass, no loading bar, no frustration. Instead of 4.5 seconds loading time, the optimized TYPO3 website delivers your content in under a second. This not only means better Google rankings, but also that instead of 30%, you're now leading 65% of mobile users through your sales funnel - straight to purchase."

Dimensionalization works great for:

• Presentations and pitch decks
• Sales pitches with decision-makers
• Landing pages and offer texts
• Case studies and success stories

This technique is so powerful because it bridges the gap between abstract benefits and the real world of the customer. It helps your counterpart understand and feel the true value of your TYPO3 solution - not just grasp it intellectually.

To use dimensionalization effectively, ask yourself for every benefit you want to communicate:

• What does this actually look like in the customer's everyday life?
• What facts and figures can I include?
• What emotion does this benefit trigger?
• How can I draw a before/after comparison?

Practical application: The right method for the right purpose

Not every copywriting method is suitable for every situation. Here you can find out when to use which technique best and how you can combine them.

When to use which method?

• AIDA: Ideal for first points of contact - websites, ads, cold emails.
• PAS: Particularly effective when pain points are obvious - perfect for landing pages and sales calls with dissatisfied customers.
• FAB: Excellent for technical offers and when you need to explain why your TYPO3 implementation is worth the price.
• GOLD: Perfect for social media and all formats with a short attention span.
• Before-After-Bridge: Ideal for sales presentations and client meetings where you want to show the transformative value of your work.
• Storytelling: Particularly effective in longer formats such as case studies, about pages and final presentations.
• Dimensionalization: Use it wherever you need to make abstract benefits concrete and tangible.

Combine methods

In practice, you will rarely use just one method in isolation. The best copywriters combine several techniques:

Example of a TYPO3 project proposal:

1. Start with storytelling: tell about a similar client and their success.
2. Use PAS: Address the potential client's specific problems.
3. Use FAB: Present the most important functions and their benefits.
4. Close with Before-After-Bridge: Draw a clear picture of the transformation.
5. Dimensionalize throughout: Make all benefits concrete and tangible.

Checklist for improving your texts

Before you send your text, check:

✅ Customer focus: does your text talk more about the customer than about you?
✅ Benefits instead of features: Have you translated all the technical features into customer benefits?
✅ Concreteness: Are your statements specific and tangible or too abstract?
✅ Call-to-action: Is the next action clearly defined?
✅ Language: Are you using your customer's language or TYPO3 jargon?

Adaptation to different channels

Depending on the communication channel, you need to adapt your copywriting strategy:

• Website: Combination of AIDA for the homepage, FAB for service pages, storytelling for testimonials.
• LinkedIn: GOLD formula for posts, before-after-bridge for longer articles.
• Email: PAS for cold contacts, storytelling for newsletters.
• Offers: FAB for service description, dimensionalization for value presentation.

The most important tip for practical application: Be authentic. All these methods are tools, not magic tricks. They only work if the underlying service actually creates value.

Conclusion: Copywriting as a decisive success factor

Good copywriting is not a minor matter, but a decisive success factor for your TYPO3 business. It's the difference between a freelancer who has to fight for every job and a sought-after expert who can choose his projects.

The methods presented - AIDA, PAS, FAB, GOLD, Before-After-Bridge, Storytelling and Dimensionalization - provide you with a powerful toolset. Each of these techniques addresses different psychological aspects of the buying decision.

However, the most important thing in copywriting is not the perfect mastery of each individual method, but a deep understanding of your customers. Their problems, desires and goals must be the focus - not your technical brilliance or TYPO3 knowledge.

It's best to start with a method that fits your current main need:

• Do you need more leads? Go for AIDA and GOLD for your online presence.
• Struggling with low prices? FAB and dimensionalization help communicate your value.
• Want to close more deals? PAS and Before-After-Bridge are convincing in sales pitches.

The more you practise these techniques and use them in your daily communication, the more naturally they will come to you. Over time, you'll develop your own style that is authentic yet utilizes the psychological principles of effective copywriting.

Copywriting isn't a talent you're born with - it's a skill you can learn and improve. And for TYPO3 professionals who often have to sell complex technical solutions, it's a skill that literally pays off.

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