One key to effective copywriting? Understanding memory

Here’s a quick memory exercise -
Read the list of words below.
Only read it once.
Remember as many as you can.
Then, I’ll ask you some questions about the list.

Here goes…

Hen
Bus
Brown
Hit
Potato
Then
Car
Then
Under
Balloon
House
Then
Disneyworld in Florida, USA
Crossword
Then
Blunt
By
Then
Flute
High
Tar
Horse
Tailor

Without looking back at the list of words, now answer these four questions -

1. What were the first five words?
2. What were the last five words?
3. Which word was repeated?
4. What was the holiday destination?

The answers are -

1. Hen, bus, brown, hit, potato
2. Flute, high, tar, horse, tailor
3. Then
4. Disneyworld in Florida, USA

These four questions represent how memories work.
People tend to remember one/more of -

1. The first things they see/hear
2. The last things they see/hear
3. Things that are repeated
4. Things that stand out in some way

(Often, people tend to be worst at the second question – in other words, they are least good at remembering things they have most recently seen).

So, how do we use this knowledge to make our message stick?

Present it in each of these four ways -

1. At the start – say it early, put it in your opening paragraph, your opening slide, your title, etc
2. At the end – repeat it at the end
3. Repeat the key message throughout
4. Make it stand out in some way. Use an analogy, a personal story to reinforce it, a captivating visual, a slice of humour.

Give it a go.
Next time you're making a pitch or writing a web page or sales email, try this technique.
You might be pleased you did.