A Word Is Worth a Thousand Pictures

You've heard, "A picture is worth a thousand words." But I say a word is worth — okay, maybe not a thousand, but — a dozen images or more. And each word reminds you of a hundred connected words.

When you read, you don't just read. You see something in your mind's eye, wayyy back in your head. This subliminal story happens so quickly, you don't stop and say, "Whoa." You're accustomed to it. You read so you can get a fuller picture of what is happening in the text — and in your head. You don't think about the narrative. You just experience it.

I like to think of this phenomenon in terms of thought bubbles or lists. When you read, there's always a chunk of unspoken text happening under the hood. Take the word "beauty," for example. After seeing "beauty," a bunch of quiet, little thoughts flood the mind. Beauty is something everyone wants in life — particularly women. Reading "beauty," you might experience a hushed list of connotations like:

Pretty

Skin

Hair

Moisturizer

Makeup

Good

Success

Style

Love

Ugly

Pimples

Wrinkles

Fitness

Exercise

Good

Innocence

Youth

Loss

Story

Princess

Model

Ads

Lotion

Intimacy

Looks

Like the word "beauty," every word you read subconsciously brings up a host of related words — and, by proxy, images.

Words aren't empty text. No, they're bursting with meaning. More than it at first seems. Words, from the dawn of writing's invention, were always meant to allow people to remember important things, make buying and trading easier, and convey reality or fiction to stir the soul. I guess writing is like an army knife. It's a multipurpose tool. But writing, because it describes experience, always self-references other words in its toolbox.

I'm fascinated with writing. I find drafting and revising intoxicating. It's like breathing oxygen in and out of the nose. When you write, you either process your own thoughts or help someone else process their ideas and feelings. Writing comes out of me like breath. It helps me get over a mental or emotional hump. It helps me clarify what I want in life. It helps me communicate my heart to a curious audience.

Let me go on a side quest for a moment. What is the difference between writing and speech, and why would that matter?

Firstly, writing is taught. Speech is natural. Psychologists and linguists have been discovering that the verbal mind is much more creative than we thought before. That's why children construct such bizarre sentences and say the darnedest things. Their minds don't just copy what they've heard. Sure, that happens, but the language part of the brain is constantly putting together information on its own, and it likes to spew out completely original content whenever it has the chance. Speech is naturally highly creative. Writing, on the other hand, has its own trouble.

Think of all the boring writing you've consumed. Don't you just hate it? Isn't it frustrating? It's not creative. It's not original. It has to have oh-so-much structure to it. We insult the natural genius of speech when we write in a boring way.

Then it should come as no surprise that conversational writing performs best in copywriting situations. No one really wants to read academic prose. When you sound like you're trying to sound smart, you lose everyone. Because when you try to write in a lofty way, you don't use the lexicon of actual humans. Naturally, we communicate in the quickest, most efficient ways we know. So we express entire thoughts in very few words. And the words we use are often six letters or less.

In order to make your writing sound like speech, here's what I've found helpful. Write your piece somewhat quickly, and talk while you write. You know that little movement that happens in the back of your mouth when you read? Do that but while you write. And if you go back later and find some sentences that don't make sense, that's okay. Just revise them to make one sentence lead onto the next in a logical order. The best writing, I think, sounds like a person speaking but with brevity.

One great copywriter said your ads should sound like a letter from your grandma. Brief. To the point. Matter-of-fact.

But now because I'm writing stream-of-conscious, I've lost touch with the title of this blog post. Why is it important to know that each word connotes a dozen or more other words, which in turn evoke pictures, thoughts, and feelings? Because, the more you're aware of the cultural baggage of words, the more control you have over the emotional environment you create for the reader.

Look at this sentence:

The rabbit jumped over the ditch.

Now look at this sentence as a revision.

The little bunny rabbit leapt and cleared the crevice.

I know my second sentence is longer and we need brevity, but sometimes longer copy, to convey important emotions, is excusable.

See how writing "little" and "bunny" could convey a sympathetic character, while "rabbit" feels general and impersonal? "Jumped" is perhaps somewhat generic, while "leapt" and "cleared" convey more effort and a feeling of narrative success. "Ditch" sounds grassy and wet, while "crevice" sounds dangerous and sharp.

You don't want to oversell or lie. But just by changing words around in your revision moments, you evoke a better response from your readers. A response you desperately need in copywriting. Let me share with you another brief example. Here's a pest control ad.

We can get rid of your pests. Whether you have cockroaches, ants, termites, rats, mice, or any other vermin... count on us to get the job done right. Call 1-800-NO-PESTS to schedule a pest control visit today.

Hmmm. Not very engaging. First of all, let's look at the very first word of the advertisement:

We

Now, what does "we" mean to the brain?

We

Someone else

Not me

Some people I don't know

Who are you?

I don't trust you

Why should I care?

That's great. What does this have to do with me?

People won't necessarily think all of these things consciously. They'll just subconsciously process the word, fall off of the copy, and never return or cease to read the copy. What's the second word in the ad?

can

"Can" is a word that frustrates me to no end. You "can"? Does that mean you don't always but can? There's not a lot of promise in the word "can." It doesn't build trust. This ad has problems. Here's why.

If you start off an ad wrong and draw forth negative — or worse, neutral — connotations, the rest of the ad cannot fix itself. Your first sentence is the gold of your ad. If you don't evoke a yes, that's me from the very start, your ad is doomed. You're not doomed. It's just that your ad sucks eggs.

Let's try again. Here's a revision, or, rather, a complete overhaul of the ad:

You almost gag. You were about to eat breakfast. Out of the woodwork runs a — ewww — cockroach. And it's big. You wonder how it grew to be this size. Its disgusting legs swivel, making your stomach lurch. You never imagined your house would be home to an infestation. The thought of it makes your neck twitch.

Free your kitchen from vermin and sleep without having to wonder, "How big are they now?" There's a new pesticide called amodrenic acid that sticks to your imposters and infects the horde at its source. Call 1-800-NO-PESTS to schedule your pest killing today.

When in doubt, tell your reader a little empathetic story that goes from problem to agitation to solution. Did you realize I sold the pest control service without saying "we" even once? I'm not saying this is a perfect ad, but it'll outperform the first one any day. Its length is earned, and if you have the opportunity to tell a story, do so. Notice how I also used the phrase "pest killing" instead of "pest control." Honestly, who wants to control an infestation? No, you want those little freaks gone. Not slowed. Not controlled. DEAD.

Just brainstorming...it could be entertaining and effective to fashion a pest control ad after a WANTED poster: WANTED: DEAD. Or something like that.

You want to be an effective marketer and writer. So write and revise intentionally to evoke the thoughts, feelings, and images you want. Make your writing sound empathetic and imaginative. Choose small, unique words. There's a plethora of choices. You'd be surprised by how easy it is to revise your sentences and make them stand out. But when in doubt, begin written pieces with the one thing your readers are most interested in: Themselves.