I want to defeat I. M. Vague and bring him to justice. I don’t know how he infiltrates every organization and poisons the minds of copywriters. His schemes have worked on me. I firmly believe if we can break his code, we can defeat him.
I intercepted a communiqué containing his marching orders to him minions undercover in my organization and yours. We have deciphered code no. 3 here. Be sure to read that solution.
Today, I’ve broken number five.
I. M. Vague wants his spies to convice all of us to †JUST ENGAGE THE MIND: TTEAFS.
The antidote to this thinking is:
DON’T JUST ENGAGE THE MIND: TRY TO ENGAGE ALL FIVE SENSES
I learned this lesson working on audio drama scripts and my fiction projects. It wasn’t enough to help my listeners hear what was going on. They need to see, feel, taste, and smell the drama. Likewise, it wasn’t enough to help my fiction readers see through words what was going on. I wasn’t asking myself the questions below. My radio scripts and fiction pieces were one-dimensional.
What is your service, idea, or product? I call these SIPs. Whatever SIP you are marketing, you must engage all five senses.
SIGHT
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| picture courtesy of Abdulaziz Almansour |
If you’re able to link a picture or video to your text, don’t think you’ve done all that you need to do here.
Do your words conjur images in the minds of the reader, listener, or viewer (RLV)? They need to. Your words are the zoom lens to draw your RLV to the feature or benefit you are emphasizing. Does your copy zoom in?
Think about your picture or video for a second? Does it engage the other senses, too? Does it move the RLV toward the call to action?
Yesterday, I saw some engaging video at Panda Express. The video is not available online at their website or YouTube so I have the task of helping you SEE what I saw using just my words. Am I able to engage the sense of sight (or others) as I do? Tell me in the comments below.
While you wait in line to order at Panda Express, video messages rotate on a widescreen hi-def screen. They want their customers to experience the majesty and mystery of China. They show the Forbidden Palace in Beijing by concentrating on the door. The title screen shows a pair of doors. The loose bronze handles flop in the wind making a deep tinkling sound as the metal of the handle flops against the metal plate on the door. The video dissolves into a dolly shot that moves along the doors. The deep red of the building contrasts with the green and yellow doors. Where are we going? As the camera POV passes each pair of doors, they open. You can’t see who’s behind the doors opening them up. After four sets of doors, the camera turns toward the building, mounts the stairs, and enters the doors. The camera’s iris opens to let in more light and the throne comes into focus and the gold brilliantly glistens.
This 15-second video takes the customer on a mini-trip at the Forbidden Palace. What makes it effective?
SOUND
Engaging the ear is more than using sound effects. Himan Brown, one of the early creators of audio drama who defined the genre, is credited with the phrase: the theatre of the mind. The ears are the portal of imagination. How are you engaging them?
With your written copy, do you cause your RLV to hear anything? Must they listen?
Think about your SIP. How does it engage the ear? If the answer isn’t obvious or you are yelling at your computer, “It doesn’t!”, think a little deeper. Let me ask another question. When your RLV uses your SIP, does he or she receive an audible benefit?
For example, one of my favorite gadgets is Glif. It is a tripod attachment for your iPhone so you can take still pictures or video. It makes absolutely no noise. It is smaller than many keychains and can fit in your pocket. How can you engage the ears regarding this SIP?
I have used my Glif to record video (and audio) of my daughter singing, my son playing his instrument, and adults giving my son words of encouragement. The audio isn’t in the SIP, it’s in the benefit.
I’ve written thousands of radio commercials. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is this: I am writing for the EAR and not the EYE.
When you write catalog or web copy, someone is reading your words. Your meaning can come through. Your RLV can read the copy again if something isn’t clear. When you show a TV ad, there are images that augment the words.
For a radio listener, you get one opportunity. The listener must hear and understand what is being said.
When writing for the ear instead of the eye, shorter sentences help you communicate. There are many words that sound alike or similar to each other. If your voice talent slurs, the meaning can change. Be vigilant with copy for the ear. Engage the other senses in your copy, but never forget to write for the ear.
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| braille. photo courtesy of Ralph Aichinger |
TOUCH
The sense of touch is the hardest to engage when marketing a service. How do you communicate touch about life insurance? Car wash? Shoe repair? Your telemarketing segment of business?
The first key, like for any of these senses, is to ask these two questions?
- How do I TOUCH my SIP?
- How does my SIP TOUCH me?
Let’s take Shoe Repair.
You’ve worn a hole in the sole of your right dress shoe. The last time you wore them, you forgot… until you stepped in a small puddle. You felt the moisture soak into your sock. At Scott’s Shoes, we can resole your dress shoes in 24 hours. In just one day, we can restore the confidence in your walk.
I’m sorry you broke the heal on those shoes. You spent three weeks finding the perfect pair to complement that dress. You looked stunning in the entire ensemble. Don’t settle for another pair of shoes. Bring your shoes to Scott’s. We’ll fix your heel so you can stun them again.
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| Michael, Elisa, and Lauren react |
SMELL
I believe smell is the hardest sense to engage with words and images only. The English language has many words for the olfactory sense. Just using the right word helps your RLV engage.
- aroma
- smell
- stink
- fragrance
- scent
- odor
Analogy is another key to engaging this sense. What does your SIP smell like? Or what does the benefit of your SIP smell like? This can be literal or figurative.
Literal
Jay Austin Motors want to connect you with the perfect used car for your lifestyle. The car is priced for your budget. The advice… and new car smell… are free. Every car we offer is cleaned—carpets are shampooed, fabrics and leathers are restored, the AC vent systems are flushed—to restore that new car smell.
Figurative
Protecting your family with life insurance from JDH gives you not just peace of mind, but peace. Like the moment a fresh loaf of bread comes out of the oven.
Pictures can help too. If there is a strong smell (aroma, stink, or scent) associated with your SIP, do the photos associated with the copy evoke the response of your RLV? I wrote a family devotional that engaged smell. This photo captured the reaction perfectly.
TASTE
Our language is full of words for taste, too.
- bitter
- sweet
- sour
- bland
- umami
- salty
What does a new computer taste like? It’s a hard sense to engage with non-food products and services.
Ask the questions again.
- How do I TASTE my SIP?
- What benefit can I TASTE because of my SIP?
Leave your answer to this question in the comments: “What does a new computer taste like?”
I’m often asked, “Should I engage all five senses in every piece of copy? How do you do that in just 50 words or a 30-second radio spot?”
My answer is no, you can’t engage all five all the time.
- In the creative process, push yourself to identify how the senses are engaged. You might strike upon the hook for your copy… a better hook than you have.
- If someone visited your website or skimmed your entire catalog, are all five senses engaged the entire experience? They should be.
- Many times we write in series. An ad next month builds on what we created this month. Engage a different sense next time.
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