11 Tips That Apply Equally to Copywriting and Parenting

Whether you're trying to persuade your client's clients or a four-year-old who needs to put on pants, these simple principles will help you communicate your message effectively.

1. Define your objective. Identify the action you want your audience to take, and reverse engineer from there. Keep this objective top of mind throughout the communication process. In the case of the four-year-old, the goal is for them to get dressed so you can leave the house.

   
   

2. Empathize with your audience. Imagine having your elaborate make-believe scenario interrupted by an inexplicable entreaty to wear pants. Wouldn't you prefer the interrupter to acknowledge how the've inconvenienced you before they launch into their pitch? Feeling seen and heard makes one much more receptive. Use "we" and "our" to signal inclusivity and trust. After all, you're on their side.

   
   

3. Get right to the point. Lead with your most important words or ideas. "Please put on pants now." Full stop. Most readers don't get past the headline anyway. If your message is longer, end with a strong call to action.

   
   

4. Tell a story. Share personal anecdotes, relatable scenarios, and amusing idioms about people in similar situations. Help them visualize the end result. Intrigue them with a question, then let them come to their own conclusions. "I know another little boy who once went to school without pants. Imagine how cold he must have felt!" This is far more powerful than bulldozing them with facts and figures they've already decided not to believe.

   
   

5. Appeal to their ego. Everyone wants to belong to a group. How might your proposed solution help your audience find that sense of belonging, elevate their status, or make their lives better? For bonus points, find ways to hint at what could happen if they chose not to listen to you. "What will your friends at daycare say when you arrive without pants?"

   
   

6. Don't frame your message in a way that directly challenges your audience's worldview. That's an exercise in futility. If you find yourself explaining why pants are important, you've lost the plot. Your audience doesn't share your viewpoint, and you know that. You can still persuade them to listen to you, but you'll have to be more subtle. Find common ground and go from there.

   
   

7. Communicate in such a way that you can't be misunderstood. Be surgical about eliminating wishy-washy words like "think", "just", "probably", "maybe", "possibly", most adverbs, and any word your audience is unlikely to have ever heard before. Don't make your audience work too hard to figure out what you want them to do. Consider how "Time to put on pants." is far superior to "I think we'd better put on our pants quickly, in order to be able to hit the road!" You will waste valuable cognitive calories explaining that you didn't literally mean he should hit the road.

   
   

8. Be succinct. Never use more than two long sentences in a row. Sentences rarely have any business exceeding twenty-five words. Run-on sentences sound breathless and desperate, while shorter sentences feel calm and reassuring. The more concise your delivery, the greater control you have over the message your audience hears.

   
   

9. Anticipate possible questions or objections. Have solutions ready. Might your audience complain that pants are itchy? Offer a different pair, or suggest an itchy tag be cut off. Do this in advance.

   
   

10. Remember that when you're tired of your message, it's just starting to land. Adam Grant has plastered this advice all over the internet, so I know it works. If you find yourself saying "Put on pants now, please!" every single day for three months, know that the message will eventually reach your audience. They will, one day, put on pants without being asked.

    
    

11. Don't delegate to a robot. The important job of parenting, like copywriting, is based on connection. AI is likely to convey your message in a stilted and awkward manner, without humour or warmth. Your audience will almost certainly be able to tell they're not dealing with a human being. This will undermine what should be a trusting relationship.

    
    

    Try these strategies the next time you're communicating on behalf of a brand to its customers, or on behalf of yourself to a child. Good luck!