When we read, be it a news article, an annual report or a knock-knock joke, we always read it from top to bottom – the same exact order, every single time. It makes sense because the intro, the hook, the body and supporting points all flow naturally into one another. If the reader were to rearrange the structure and read the body before the intro, you can probably imagine their confusion as they tried to decipher what the article was about. Indeed, readers need logical consistency when they read, but does the restriction also chain writers to do the same as well? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out…
An age-old habit
Since primary school, we’ve been ingrained to write linearly and chronologically. Always the title first and the conclusion last. Our teachers picked up this habit from their teachers, their teachers from their predecessors – by transitivity, so have we. We reckon ad man David Ogilvy’s teachings to have some influence over this style of writing:
“When you have written your headline, you’ve spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
Considering how few people read beyond the headline and first few sentences, it makes sense that you want to maximise your time spent on writing them. A good headline and hook are the best tools for attraction after all! Why would anyone spend all their effort on writing a hard hitting conclusion first, only to have a weak introduction and risk readers skipping over the article? From there on, it’s only logical that you continue with the sequential sections after having written the headline.
Is this the only way to write though? We believe there may be instances where writing out of sequence is justified!
Who needs rules anyway?
In the past, we’ve covered why having a well thought out brief can help make the writing process smoother. For the rebels out there who like to do their assignments on the fly, writing in sequence without a plan can often lead to writer’s block – how can you possibly sell something that you barely have a clue about?
That may be the case if you tried to go in sequence, but it’s surprising what you can figure out if you work backwards! Let’s assume you have to write a short paragraph about a new brand of cola that was about to hit the markets – aside from it tasting exactly like regular Coca-Cola, all you know is that it is clear and transparent instead of the traditional syrupy brown, hence its apt name of Crystal Cola.
There’s not many features to work with at all, and since we don’t know much about the brand, how can we make the paragraph engaging? Working backwards, the call-to-action is simple in this case: something like “Drink Crystal Cola” is universally applicable to soft drinks.
Next, we need to figure out why people should want Crystal Cola (aka the supporting points). To do so, we need to start with the target demographics. Soda is a vast and inclusive industry when it comes to demographics – with the exception of infants, everyone is considered fair game. However, this being a new brand of soda with a “clear” feature, we want to especially target hipsters and younger influencers who can motivate greater product adoption amongst other consumers. This means we’ll also want to use a more conversational tone of voice. We’ve gotten some extra information simply from working backwards – a bit of clever deduction goes a long way! Now to write it up and improvise a bit:
“Crystal-clear and with an icy kick, Crystal Cola lets you your friends stay chill wherever and whenever. From junk trips and beaches to home or the office, this is a cola that you’ll want to have handy all the time!”
Great, now we need a headline and introduction. Don’t forget, this needs to be the hardest hitting part of the paragraph, so ensure that it both informs readers what the rest of the piece is about and why they should care. Since we mentioned being refreshed and chilling out, we can also associate this with the end of summer – a fitting way to tie the product in with Hong Kong’s summer heat, which is something that most demographics can relate with.
“Crystal Cola delivers a new way to beat back the summer heat
Although summer days are fading, the heat has far from mellowed out. Stay cool and fresh with all-new Crystal Cola!”
Advertising is a finicky business and sometimes, clients may not always have your convenience at heart. Let’s take a hypothetical example where “the client” only provides us with the selling points of a prototype drug, and we are tasked with writing a short blurb that briefly describes the drug to the Food and Drug Administration. The drug is a new insulin alternative that can be consumed in pill form instead of traditional injections. If it is approved, it’ll help make insulin more accessible and affordable for the country.
Since the name of the drug and many details are unknown, we’ll have to use placeholders for the name, and our descriptions will have to be limited around what we know so far. The FDA being a government organisation, the tone of voice should also be formal. Let’s start with the body:
“This new drug shifts away from traditional injected insulin. As a pill, the per unit cost of insulin becomes more accessible – slashing monthly prescription fees for diabetics with tight budgets and curbing the need for cumbersome needle kits.”
Now that we have written all that the client has told us, we need a title and introduction. A quick bit of research about insulin tells us that it’s a drug primarily used by people with Type 1 diabetes (genetically inherited diabetes) – a useful bit of information to have in the opening!
“Prototype insulin pill saves time and money for diabetics
Drug X is a revolutionary insulin pill that could change the lives of Type 1 diabetics.”
Let’s wrap up with a spicy call-to-action that also reiterates our opening for extra impact:
“Your approval of Drug X will transform how the world treats Type 1 diabetes.”
Like mulling over the first question on a history test, it’d be foolish to stay on the question without skimming through the rest of the test first. You’d be surprised how often we can pick out handy bits and pieces from latter sections that can be “repurposed” for dealing with troublesome early questions. Don’t forget, what matters is the end result, not the process!