Do you want to learn a simple trick to boosting the appeal and the impact of your creative copywriting?
The truth is, you already do it, though you may not know it.
Work to a routine
As a dedicated writer, you make sure you work to a routine, rain, hail or shine.
You always have an objective look at your first draft, taking in the good, the bad and the ugly.
And when citing facts, you’re careful to avoid lies, damned lies and statistics.
Have you caught on yet?
By now, you’ll have caught on. We’re talking about the Rule of Threes, and its power in language.
Linguists and psychologists agree that three is a potent number. And its power can make a big difference to the way you communicate.
The power of the rule of threes
We learn the rule of threes, or triads, in everyday language from an early age.
In language, it helps to establish a pattern and an expectation. The listener or the reader unconsciously accepts the formation of a sequence of ideas, events or situations (see, I’ve just done it again.)
Ready . . . set . . .
When we warn our children with ‘I’m counting up to three’ they know consequences will follow. Or if we say Ready. Set. . . everyone knows that Go will kick off some action.
But the rule’s just as useful to create surprises and contradictions that lend a counter-weight to the predictable. An example:
Ready . . . aim . . .
‘Ready, aim, fire’ is a perfect example of a standard use of the rule of threes. But swap two words – ready, fire, aim – and the whole meaning of an accepted piece of wisdom is turned on its head. It becomes funny when we think of the times we’ve rushed into a project without thinking or planning.
So if you want your creative copywriting to gain that extra impact, use the rule of threes: it’s smart, it’s memorable, and it works.