Copywriting
Tactic

Align the Semantic Meaning With Linguistic Meaning

If you want to depict something as easy, your sentence should be easy to read.

Sentence that says "It's easy:" should be followed by a sentence that, itself, it quick and easy.

Overview

Linguistic traits convey meaning.

For example, prices seem numerically larger if the font size is larger (Coulter & Coulter, 2005). You think: Hmm, something feels big, It must be the price.

Same with copywriting. Read this sentence from a coffee brewer:

  • The K-Mini® brewer is effortlessly simple to use - just add fresh water to the reservoir, pop in your favorite K-Cup® pod, press the brew button and enjoy fresh brewed, delicious coffee in minutes.

The message? Brewing coffee is simple. The problem? This sentence is long and complex.

If you want to portray a process as quick and simple, you need a sentence that – itself – is quick and simple. Like this version:

  • The K-Mini® brewer is simple to use: Just add water, pop in your favorite pod, and press the brew button. Enjoy fresh brewed, delicious coffee in minutes.

Readers will conceptualize the bold portion as the steps. And this portion feels much shorter than the previous version.

Always match your linguistic traits with the intended meaning. Want to portray...

  • ...a variety of features? Insert a variety of words.
  • ...consistent quality? Repeat a phrase.
  • ...fun experience? Insert words that are fun to say (e.g., hullabaloo, bamboozle, whippersnapper).

  • Coulter, K. S., & Coulter, R. A. (2005). Size does matter: The effects of magnitude representation congruency on price perceptions and purchase likelihood. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(1), 64-76.