Hook, Hold, Convert: Psychology-Backed Tips to Make Your Message Stick

Have you ever wondered why we can't remember where we put our car keys, yet we can sing every lyric to a song we haven't heard in years?

Sticky writing has a rhythm that taps into our brains.

Every Copywriter worth their weight in gold talks about the importance of your hook - your headline- but what happens after you've managed to capture your audience's attention is the real deal breaker.

You want your communication to be memorable because that 50 page report you spent 3 weeks compiling is competing with 230 other similar emails.

Here are 10 Tactics that make your customer remember you.

1. ALLITERATION

The use of the same letter or sound at the beginning of closely connected words 

• Be careful - too much makes your text feel forced and gimmicky.

2. REPETITION

Think of your favourite song - you know, the one with the catchy chorus. 

Be consistent and repeat your message

3. TRICOLON

Two is a comparison 

Four is too many to remember

3 is the magic number needed to make a pattern

4. ANAPHORA

   
   

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several sentences or lines.

• Especially effective in storytelling 

5. EPISTROPHE

   
   

The counterpart of anaphora, repeating words or phrases at the end of sentences

• Reinforces and strengthens your points 

• Great for speeches and drawing attention to specific ideas.

6. ANALOGIES & METAPHORS

Analogies compares 2 things that are similar.

Metaphors: two seemingly unrelated subjects suggesting they are alike 

• Helps readers understand complex or unfamiliar ideas by relating them to something familiar. 

• Choose examples that align with your brand, or message

• Use Vivid Imagery to make the comparison more compelling

• Maintain its consistency throughout the content to reinforce the comparison.

7. SCHEMAS

   
   

Tap into an idea they already have in their mind 

8. ANTITHESIS

   
   

Create a balanced and thought-provoking effect with contrasting ideas and words

• Find the core ideas, benefits, or qualities you want to emphasise and find their opposites.

9 SENSORY

Sensory words are more powerful and memorable than ordinary words because they make your reader see, hear, smell, taste, or feel your words.

10. PARAGRAPH RHYTHM

    
    

Whether you're writing short or long-form content, your writing needs to sound smooth, with each line flowing. Switch between short and long sentences to make your words sing.

Memorable messaging makes your words easier to read and stick in your customer’s mind. In B2B, it’s all about being top of your buyer's mind when they’re ready to buy, so there’s no use writing copy if no one remembers it!

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I train B2B comms leaders and teams to use Human-Designed Communication to stop their messages disappearing into inboxes and Slack threads, and start creating content that grabs attention and drives decisions.