Copywriting and the Power of... Poetry?

Business copywriting and poetry. People will tell you the only things the two have in common are paper and ink. They’ll say there’s no place for poetry in business communication. However, the same people will always gravitate to sentences more like the second below:

I write text that is unambiguous, to the point and capable of generating action.

I write text that is clear, concise and compelling.

Why do we prefer the second sentence? No, not simply because it’s shorter - although that helps. Option two appeals because the human brain is wired to identify and appreciate rhythm and repetition and alliteration. It is also attracted to assonance, consonance and a number of other features that we’re not consciously aware of. In short, it loves poetry.

Disagree? Poetry’s not your thing? Is there anyone you know who doesn’t like music of some kind? Rock, country, pop, rap? They’re all poetry set to music.

So, when you’re looking to capture, and keep, your readers’ attention, why would you not craft text passages that utilize at least some of the elements of poetry? Maybe that extra subconscious advantage isn’t important to you. Sure it is! You want any edge you can gain over your competition.

Action Item: As you write your next draft or review one written for you, first confirm that it’s accurate, complete and grammatically correct. Those attributes are critical. But then evaluate it using a higher standard.

Does it flow? Is it rhythmic? Are there ear-pleasing repetitions of certain subtle sounds or sentence structures? In short, does it leave you with the impression that it was crafted rather than just typed? If so, your message will have a much deeper, more long-lasting impact on your audience.

Is Your Content in the Goldilocks Zone?

The Goldilocks zone… that interstellar sweet spot where a planet is neither too close to nor too far from the star that it orbits, and can therefore support liquid water and possibly life. Astrophysicists are hard at work as I type scouring the skies for heavenly bodies that are not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

If you are a marketer, you should be looking to position your marketing content in that same kind of place. Too often, content is cold and lifeless. It may be safe —  meaning that it resembles all the other content that is flooding the internet, so it won’t get you fired —  but it’s also unlikely to get you remarkable results.

On the flipside, some companies decide to break free of the content crowd and in doing so, produce something that is — to continue the space metaphor — really out there. Their content is so “hot” that the target audience can’t grasp it. Nor can anyone else, for that matter. The marketers take great pride in their groundbreaking piece, but it doesn’t deliver great results.

What you want (and need) is to have your content in the “habitable zone” that is somewhere in between the two (and too) extremes. Clever without being too cute. Eye-catching without being obnoxious. Unique without being obscure. It’s not an easy place to find, but it exists for every type of content on every topic in every market.  

To locate it, you just need to loosen your grip a bit without taking your hands off the wheel entirely, and start exploring. You’ll know you’ve arrived when instead of getting bored, blank stares or confused, furrowed brows from your prospects you start seeing grins and subtle nods. Welcome home, Goldilocks.

How Great Copy is Like Good Home Brew

My brother-in-law is a brewing master. He crafts the kind of beer that you actually ask for when you visit him, not the swill that your buddy makes and that you politely choke down out of respect for his new (poisonous) passion. The guy knows his stuff. Recently, as we sat at a microbrewery enjoying a cold one, he tried to explain to me the brewing process.

At the end of a fairly complex lesson that involved everything from botany to chemistry to physics, he paused, looked me in the eye and asked, “But do you know what the most important ingredient is?” “Wwwwhat?” I asked, eager to be let in on what was clearly a craft secret. He took a long, dramatic pull on his IPA, gazed off into the distance, and said, “Time.” Ignoring my slightly dejected look, he explained, “It’s time. You’re just itchin’ to crack open that vessel and get a taste of your creation, but ya gotta be patient, dude. You can’t rush things.”

It occurred to me then that patience and “not rushing things” is important in copywriting, too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve completed a writing project and declared it perfect, only to come back to it a day or two later to discover that perfection IT IS NOT. Of course, I then make the necessary edits to achieve actual perfection (!), but I’m still stunned at how differently a piece reads just 24 hours after I’ve finished it.

Psychologists would, no doubt, tell us that there are lots of reasons why we have such a high opinion of our work at the moment of completion. For me, I think it has to do with the euphoria you feel when you get to check a box on your To Do list. Those endorphins probably cloud my vision a bit. So, no matter how tight a deadline I’m under, I always find time to step away from a draft before coming back to it with a fresh perspective, making edits, and calling it complete. Ideally, that cooling off period is 24 hours or more. But even 24 minutes is better than nothing.

So, whatever it is you’re writing, if it’s important that it be clear, concise and error-free (and when isn’t that important?), be sure to follow my brother-in-law’s advice and, “Be patient, dude.” You’ll find your work is much better when it’s fully fermented.

Content Marketing: Show 'Em Your Stuff

One of the most powerful pieces of marketing content I ever helped produce was a simple spreadsheet. Truth be told, its empty cells far outnumbered those with data. Yet people requested it… a lot. The reason this fairly barren document was so coveted by the company's website visitors was as much about what it represented as what it provided.

First, it displayed the company’s confidence in its products. And second, it showed their desire to collaborate with prospects and help them with their research. So, what was in it? The spreadsheet contained a list of product features on the vertical axis, and the names of the company's products on the horizontal. Xs denoted which systems had which features.

But information on product functionality was readily available in other forms in many places on their website, whereas this document had to be requested. Why did people go to the trouble? They took the extra step because this fully-editable spreadsheet had additional columns they could use to check the boxes for any other products they were investigating. Many people even assigned numeric values to software features and used the sheet’s summing capability to add a “metrics” element to their evaluation. While not all of them ended up going with the company's solutions, many of them did.

The point is, people appreciate - and trust - a company that’s eager to give them the unvarnished truth about its products and encourages comparison to the competition. So, don’t hold back. Show ‘em your stuff! If you have a strong product or service, you’ll be rewarded. And if you don’t, you’ll be better informed and better able to make the changes needed to win more business.