words matter

(or: your visuals ain't worth a darn
without good copy!)

Presented by

Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus

ian.muehlenhaus.com

@imuehlenhaus

mapmaker Objective?
communicate

copywriter's objective

communicate

Communicate effectively

:: to translate complex information, news, or ideas in ways that
are easy to understand

https://suzannemstackle.com/2012/02/20/9/

copy must fuel your map's objective

1

Useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell
what you create.

David Ogilvy

Good Copy sells
your visual communication

know your audience

(and their rhetorical weaknesses)

2

use your title to
control the
message

3

address your
audience Directly

4

Don't test your audience's Vocabulary

5 Idiots try to impress by using pretentious
jargon.

David Ogilvy

Keep it short!

(i.e., less is always more)

6

weed out all
extra words

keep paragraphs under 5 lines

stylize your text

7

Tell the truth but
make the truth
fascinating

certain words are amazing!

8

some words resonate more than others.
find them. use them.

some words are
Not!

Passive voice = bad

In the event that one feels as though she (or he) can espouse something meaningful via colorful adjectives and flowery language that may or may not ever come to a conclusive point, one might better try a different strategy, but then again it may all depend on the audience.

USE DECISIVE WORDS.

Avoid:

may, maybe, hope, wish, try, but, could, would, perhaps

Be direct. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.

be Creative!

9

Resources

Words That Sell (Richard Bayan)
https://goo.gl/w5CgYk

10 Commandments of Good Copy
https://goo.gl/y63kZ7

Copy Writing Tips

goo.gl/Mmc2yP

Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus

muehlenhaus@wisc.edu