Shaping - how to bring text to life
Av Mikael Jisander
on 29 May, 2024
Writing is fundamentally about transferring information to a reader. When it comes to the kind of commercial texts that a copywriter in a communications agency is responsible for, the aim is often to move the reader one step closer to a purchase. This is where design is a useful stylistic device. Show, don't tell. By dressing the rational arguments in a linguistic costume that stimulates the readers' imagination and emotions, it becomes much easier to get them to absorb the message.
Create a memory image
Every day, we are inundated with thousands of messages competing in our minds. So what is it that makes some messages stick, and some fade away as soon as we have seen them? I would say that it's all about how well the message is presented. Good presentation creates an immediate image in the mind of the recipient, making the message both easier to absorb and something worth remembering.
Design works well in both B2C and B2B, although in B2B there is often an overconfidence that rational arguments are enough. It's not, a message always wins when it's designed.
Clear example
Let's take an example. Volvo Trucks developed the Dynamic Steering concept ten years ago. Here, they present the message in two different ways, undesigned and designed. Which option do you think is more effective?
Informative, unformatted text:
Dramatic, stylized film:
Fill the text with more than information
Yes, but The Epic Split above is a movie, of course it's more fun than text, perhaps friends of order object. True, but the same "trick" can be used to create images in written text. Through well-chosen wording, you can dramatize the text so that readers get more than just information.
Writing that "The truck has dynamic steering for increased stability" is informing. But writing that "So stable you can balance an egg on the dashboard" is to shape. Another example, if you write that "Anders is angry" you are informing. But if you write that "Anders slammed his fist on the table so that the plates flew", you are modeling. Not so difficult, is it? The text becomes so much more vivid, and more fun to absorb.
5 ways to design
Skillful design adds extra quality to the text. Without the reader perhaps understanding exactly how it is done, the design helps to bring both the message and the brand to life. Of course, design should be used in moderation, and no text benefits from being overly colorful. But used in moderation, design is a powerful tool for writing compelling texts. Here are five ways you can use design:
- Use real-life examples to illustrate your point
- Use vivid words and descriptions instead of just facts
- Highlight concrete details that give the reader a picture of what you are describing
- Bring people in, for example through quotes or statements
- Use metaphors and similes
Good luck with the design, and with creating more vivid texts. Customers will appreciate your effort, one hundred percent. As true as the Pope wearing a funny hat.
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