How do you pick up a swan?
Do you remember that wiggly thing that you jump over at school, can we get one?
Can a blackbird kill you? No. Even if it had a drill?
Oh the random questions my children ask.
Contemplating this mornings round of curiosity, I was struck by how visually descriptive children often are. They want you to ‘see’ what they're talking about, using language which helps you build a picture in your mind.
As a marketer I often advise my clients to write in pictures as a way of drawing the reader into the story that's unfolding.
Why tell, when you could announce, shout, whisper, confess, leak or reveal.
Instead of encouraging your customers to get something, why not offer the chance to seize, pluck, grab, earn or land.
Analogies are another great way of adding imagery to your communications, helping you to explain and position your brand in an easily recognisable way. In the UK, people regularly use phrases such as ‘fish out of water’ and ‘quiet as a mouse’, but every country will have it's own variations on this theme.
So, next time you're writing copy, challenge yourself to use language which helps your reader to immediately identify with you, or should I say, publish a blueprint your readers can easily follow.
Be seen as well as heard.
