Making complex messaging accessible is a key part of the
copywriter’s remit. So here’s how we go about it.
While perusing the magazines
on offer in the rather dilapidated Tesco Express lurking by our office, I was
struck by a tantalising promise from New
Scientist: ‘HOW TO THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING – Get your head round the 13
boldest concepts in science’.
It got me thinking before
I’d even got to the till. In business, there are always complicated messages
and processes that need to be explained.
- Tech companies have to try and translate that subtle technical
breakthrough that sets them apart into something consumers can actually grasp.
- Global conglomerates need to encapsulate complex HR strategies
into something which will galvanise their army of employees.
- Conference agencies are routinely tasked with taking
high-level information and turning it into something entertaining.
Lifting the curse
Copywriters have a pivotal role
to play in this ‘explanation process’ – right from the early planning stages.
One of the reasons for this is ‘the curse of knowledge’. Esteemed psychologist slash
linguist, Steven Pinker, defines this unfortunate phenomenon as ‘the common
failure to understand that other people don’t know what we know.’
A non-expert opinion
Brands are highly susceptible to this curse. It’s why
corporate brochures are often pockmarked with jargon. And it’s why bringing in
copywriters from outside the company bubble is so vital when it comes to
explaining potentially confusing information. Not only are we a fresh pair of
eyes, our understanding is usually closer to the audience’s than the client’s.
Establishing the
information gap
When approaching a complex job, a copywriter should
always ask the same two questions:
- How much does the audience know?
- How much does the audience need to know?
Keep
it simple
Only with these questions answered, can
you set about explaining the information as clearly as possible. The key to
this is simplicity. Those with a mastery of their subject are always the best
at explaining it in Layman’s terms. They don’t try and bluster and baffle
because they don’t need to. They’re secure in their expertise. It’s the same
with copy. Strip it right back to as few simple phrases as possible. This
doesn’t mean it has to be short, mind. Sometimes more is more.
Just make sure all the detail is clearly explained and really, really worthy of
inclusion.
Don’t say it all at
once
Of course, sometimes you can hack and cut and distil and
still find yourself staring at a big slab of copy. Don’t fret. Instead, try and
chop up your messaging into more manageable chunks. Headlines, sublines and
bullet points are your friends here.
Make ‘em laugh
If you really want your complex messaging understood, you
need to make it worth the reader’s while.
Whether it’s a wry tone of voice or the odd unexpected simile,
entertaining the reader gives them an incentive to persevere. It’s a reward for
pushing themselves. And it makes taking on complicated messaging feel a lot
less like a chore. Bill Bryson does this expertly in A Short History of
Nearly Everything. (In this link he
succeeds in making atoms accessible.)
Explain what’s in it
for them
You don’t need to be Bill Bryson to know that we humans
are a selfish bunch. That’s why linking complex messaging to the lives of your
audiences works so well. Make it relevant to them. Draw out the benefits
they’ll experience.
Spin a yarn
You know we’re all about utilising storytelling techniques in copywriting. And they’re handy here too. A few years ago, we were
commissioned to write an annual
report for QinetiQ. This included
explaining the vast commercial potential of their scientific research
activities. Not easy. So we pried open our storyteller’s toolkit.
“We can tell you what it’s like to sit on a tube train in
the Arctic.”
Quirky headlines like this one pique the reader’s
interest. They’re thinking, ‘how?’. They’re not thinking, ‘this sounds like
it’s going to make my head hurt.’
Use metaphors with
caution
Metaphors are another narrative technique often used to
make the complex more accessible. And they can be effective. The bowling ball
on a bedsheet to explain space time is a classic. However, they can also be a
distraction. Unless they’re based on something the audience is familiar with
they’ll end up being just another thing they need to wrap their head around.
As we said in that little italic intro bit, making
complex messaging accessible is an important part of a copywriter’s job. So
here’s a handy process to follow.
From ‘what?!’ to ‘Ah!’ in five easy
steps
- Ask what does the audience know already?
- What does the audience need to know?
- Strip back the answer as much as possible
- Give the reader a reason for sticking with it
- Reiterate the key message
We can’t make it any simpler
than that.
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