On the old TLC television show, “What Not to Wear” (WNTW), fashion experts Stacey London and Clinton Kelly employed style rules to make over real-life fashion disasters.
The dynamic duo were known for teaching unwitting fashion victims how to express their personal style with clothes and accessories that flatter their unique shape and size. Of course, London and Kelly helped ensure that the style rules were precisely followed so that the resulting makeover was always a rousing success.
Style rules also have their place in revamping something else—copy that’s lacking substance and style.
So, here are my “3 Rules to Transform Calamitous Copy into Tantalizing Text.”
- Leverage your assets. The participants on WNTW are consistently told to focus on their most pleasing feature, such as their small rib cage, tiny waist or deep-brown eyes. And so it is with copy. Lead with the strongest content, whether it’s a claim, guarantee, benefit, headline or descriptor. Then let it stand. On its own. Without unnecessary adornment or clutter to detract.
- Minimize your flaws. WNTW was known for downplaying the, ahem, the big, the wide, the unflattering, the overt and the obvious. Calling attention to weaknesses is a mistake in copy as well and is most evident in rambling copy that says little to nothing. Instead, copy should be clear, concise, specific and benefit driven.
- Be true to your personality. Although WNTW often issued near-identical style rules, the outcome for each participant was always unique. That’s because London and Kelly coaxed the individual’s personality out little by little until it became integrated with the participant’s newly embraced fashion dos. Copy can—and should—have personality. Choosing words that differentiate, injecting voice and tone, and making the copy very personal to both you and your audience make the copy more interesting to read, more persuasive, and more impactful.