Would you like to add some catchy rhythms to your marketing content? Read our blog to discover writing with rhythm techniques and create a delightful reading experience for your consumer.
“Letters, standing for sounds, strung together, create words. Words, standing for things, strung together, create ideas.”
- Stephen Doyle, TED
Words are not just lines and shapes on a page or screen. They’re sounds in our heads. And although we read with our eyes, we also listen to make sense of sentences.
In this piece, we hope to shine some light on how to write with rhythm, so you may learn to entice your reader and inspire some action.
(Notice anything there? - “Light”, “write”, “entice”, and inspire”)
Yes. Data, statistics and metrics aside for a sec, it’s time to feel the rhythm, aligning harmonious ideas with the percussion of our click-clacking keypads.
"A one. A two. A one, two, three, let's go!"
What is rhythm in writing?
Rhythm in writing is defined by the sounds and position of words alongside the length of sentences. Writers use words and their sounds like an instrument, playing with the reader’s reception of the content to strike further engagement, excitement and emphasis when necessary.
How to write with rhythm
Now this isn’t a poetry lesson. Nor are we comparing copywriting with poetry.
But regardless of the intention of the words, all writing has a rhythm, whether used for marketing purposes or not.
And personally, I think that’s a wonderful thing.
Anyway, we can divide writing with rhythm into two sections.
- Sound
- Tempo
Both elements should complement each other like a band of musicians playing on stage. Too many sounds, playing at different times will always lead to an empty dancefloor or what some people call "progressive jazz".
And this isn’t an English Literature essay either, so we’ll keep the “stressed syllables” and other technicalities out of the way for now.
You don’t need a degree in literary studies or the entire works of Shakespeare on your bedside table to understand writing with rhythm.
We plan on keeping the subject fun and easy to grasp as intended.
Let’s begin:
Sound
Starting with sound because all words have them.
Yes, even “Phpht” makes a sound in our heads, strange though it is.
And as the sounds of words flow from one word to the next, it undoubtedly creates a rhythm or harmony.
A classic example is using rhyming words at the end of each sentence, as found in classic rhyming poetry.
But obviously, in marketing, we’re not rhyming the ends of our sentences.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t rhyme with the words in between.
Let’s give you a quick demonstration:
“Writing with rhythm for your marketing is a quick trick to enticing your reader while spicing up your content.”
So, we had “quick” and “trick” before “enticing” and “spicing”.
Leaving these rhyming words close together in the middle of sentences helps skip the reader along while adding some pace and excitement.
And it doesn’t even need to be a complete rhyming pair of words. It can just be similar sounds.
For example:
“Entice and inspire your audience”.
Here, the “entice” and “inspire” don’t rhyme completely but still share the “I” sound following an “N” or, in other words, they rhyme a bit at the beginning.
So, rhyming and combining similar-sounding words is a fun way to make points and keep your reader engaged.
Plus, rhyming in between your sentences also helps set up your points at the end with different sounds to provide emphasis.
“Choosing to infuse SEO with paid ads provides marketing campaigns with valuable keyword insights”.
“Choose” and “infuse”… ok, you get the picture.
Writing with rhythm also applies to alliteration. And alliteration is just a fancy way of saying two or more words that begin with the same letter or sound placed together in a sentence.
For example:
“Across creation, completion and final execution, writing with rhythm is fun and effective.”
Here we have the combined “C”s of “creation” and “completion”, alongside three “ion” ending words that provide some flow.
Used regularly by the best copywriters across all forms of content, alliteration is an easy way of getting your sentences moving.
Tempo
Like all words and sentences make sounds, they set a pace too. But this is a little less obvious to the reader and perhaps more difficult to master, as the best copywriters won’t continuously write at the same pace. Honestly, it gets boring.
Let’s say:
“We create and complete captivating content that engages your consumer.”
While we have some nice alliteration there to add harmony to our sentence, what I want you to look (or listen) at (to) more closely is the “create and complete”.
Here we have the same two syllables, which means they match up nicely with a two-one-two syllable count when you include the “and”.
And, in musical speak, that syllable rhythm is the same as a swing jazz beat.
Smooth.
Next, I want to highlight the repetition of sounds, which I just demonstrated with those two “and"s in a row.
Two ands! You must be mental!
And not just “and” but any word that ends a sentence can also begin the next, same with rhyming words or similar sounds.
“Ending and beginning two consecutive sentences with “and” seemed completely mental. And mental although it was, it added an injection of pace into the following sentence.”
Even though the second sentence of this example started with “and” before “mental”, you get the point.
Essentially, your current sentence can pick up from the last as a handy connection that injects a bit of life into the reading experience.
When writing with rhythm, the pace of the words can be manipulated for effect, injected at times, and taken away for emphasis. But the important thing is to mix the tempo. When we describe things in detail, naturally, the words move more slowly because we have more to say. Each comma works like a speed bump.
But when the time comes to make the point.
Bam!
You can say it concisely, influencing your reader to make mental notes while encouraging them to continue reading.
How to apply your rhythm in writing
Whether you think you write in rhythm or not, everyone has a natural rhythm to their writing. So, like marching to your own beat, tapping your toes to the melody of your internal voice can be hugely beneficial for your writing.
Writing in rhythm can also be improved the more you read and expose yourself to language.
And not just books or articles. Film dialogues, podcast presenters and even radio commentators all have fond voices that can help inspire our next piece of copy or content.
And by maintaining a variety of influences, you can learn to apply the most integral aspect of all.
Mixing it up.
Using the same rhythm writing techniques continuously in a piece of work will create problems for the overall flow.
Yes, there is one last lesson on how to write with rhythm. And that's the awareness of the various levels of writing rhythm.
These levels include:
- The rhythm of words and syllables
- The rhythm produced by successive sentences
- The rhythm of the overall piece
While this might not apply to a small social media post, in pieces consisting of paragraphs, the levels of rhythm writing will create an overall flow and beat to the content.
The key is to mix up your sounds in sentences and sentence length to serve the style that gives shape to the entire piece. Too many similar sentences will create a monotonal experience for the reader, who will soon lose interest.
You want each section to flow into the next, and we do this by mixing it up. Short sentences. Longer sentences. Quick rhymes. Rules of three. Etcetera.
And finally, the best way to hear the rhythm of our writing is to speak your words out loud. Don’t always depend on the confines of your consciousness to judge your writing rhythm.
Hire masters of writing rhythm for your marketing needs
At Content Chef, we love how the words sound as much as how they look on the page.
And knowing that rhythm is integral to our writing allows us to find your tune and create content that has your consumers marching to the beat of your business.
Get in touch today for more information about how our copywriting services can help your brand strike a chord with your consumers.
Written by Archie Edwards
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