The science of copy: 3 ways psychology can boost your creativity

The way we think influences the way we do things, and copy is the funnel in between — or at least it can be.

Psychology has much more to do with effective copywriting than you’d think. While integrating science into your work may sound like a reduction of creativity, it can actually maintain your creative thinking while boosting your company’s marketability.

Here are three psychology concepts we love to use:

Pattern Recognition

As humans, we are naturally inclined to predict and explain. We see feathered creatures spread their wings and know they’re birds. We spot friends in grocery stores and expect them to say hello. We hear a few strums of an acoustic guitar and realize that — oh no — someone is doing a cover of “Wonderwall” again.

This is known as pattern recognition, in which we use our past experiences to determine what something is, what it will do and what we should do about it.

Why it matters

When your copy is written with your audience’s expectations in mind, you can better control the result. Pattern recognition suggests that writing with a consistent voice, whether on your site or on social media, will allow customers to connect your messaging to your story. That said, your copy should:

• Follow a set style. Creating a company style guide (or simply employing AP style to start) is a great way to ensure that you build from your overarching brand or campaign strategy, not regardless of it. Include details about your brand’s punctuation usage and voice. If you’re working for a highly professional, educational health insurance company, you’ll have a standard that forces you to rethink that clever headline about taking shots.
• Use similar wording. At AKOS, we make All Kinds of S — . This means our team is allowed to drink All Kinds of Scotch, but allowing ourselves to drink All Kinds of Wine would totally change our brand. Kidding. Kind of.

Cognitive Load Theory and Working Memory

If you’re looking for a reason to write a list, this is it. Cognitive load theory tells us how we process information, and how much information we can retain. It tells us that our working memory, which lives at the forefront of our brain, does not last very long.

Why it matters

While your campaigns should aim to have an effect on your audience’s long-term memory, your copy should aim to spur short-term memory into action. Working memory tends to have a big influence on decisions, which means you don’t have a lot of time to attract and convince.

To better your chances of gaining attention, understanding and customers in the matter of seconds, this suggests that you should:

• Avoid long words or long sentences. Jargon is a distracting no-go. Run-on sentences don’t cut to the chase. Want a new client? Write at an eighth grade level.
• Use bullet points or numbered lists. Break up your text to drive home your point. Intimidating chunks of information will become simple snippets to consider. People love listicles.

Bonus psych term: The serial position effect dictates that your audience is most likely to remember the first and last items in a list. Write your most important takeaways in these locations.

Bonus points: Use an odd-numbered list or listicle for a better CTR (click-through rate) and a lower bounce rate.

Semantic, Episodic and Procedural Memory

Per cognitive load theory, these three terms make for a horrible headline, but understanding them can steadily grow your conversion rates.

• Semantic memory consists of the basic things we know: Roses are red. Violets can be blue.
• Episodic memory consists of the experiences we had: Your middle school crush left a cheesy poem in your locker.
• Procedural memory is knowing how to do things in the real world: How to dance at the sock hop without stepping on your crush’s feet.

Why it matters

These types of memories help us trigger thoughts and behaviors in our audiences. Let’s look at Black Friday campaigns as examples of how you can put this in action.

One of the staple words of Black Friday is “sale.” Using magic marketing words with a connotation of saving big calls to our practical side — everyone’s cheapskate semantic memory that knows discounts are good — and inspires interest.

When we want to cement a brand into someone’s memory, opt to focus on episodic memory. Or, in REI’s case, we #OptOutside. By building on love for family and adventure, the campaign essentially used the power of words and recall to insert the brand into our own unforgettable memories.

Creating copy that’s interactive is the most effective way to make people do. During Black Friday, the best calls to action cause knee-jerk reactions. Lead people to press the red button. Give them a scavenger hunt in the real world that leads to you. What does your audience innately enjoy doing? Integrate it into your copy.

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We help businesses and nonprofits build their digital presence and systems for maximum impact. Learn more and get in touch with us at akosweb.com/contact