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There’s so much advice out there on how to write stuff people will read. But what about the copywriting that makes people want to share? You don’t have to write a listicle or the perfect headline to get people to share your stuff.
Here are three examples from forms, packaging, and product names:
1. Make boring stuff better
2. Make it inherently shareable
3. Make it for a very specific audience
1. Make boring stuff better
Everyone hates filling out forms. So the easier you can make them to fill out, the better. But you can also make them more enjoyable (and remarkable) by giving them some personality. When you sign up for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ rewards program, they ask you questions to help make your stay better. But they throw in a couple of jokes too. For example, “not spinning” is one option for “I’m happy when my room is…” If they care about the smallest details in a form — like making you laugh — you know they’ll care about the details of your stay.
2. Make it inherently shareable
Snickers temporarily changed their packaging so that instead of the brand name, it lists a symptom of hunger. Now, their chocolate bars say stuff like Cranky, Drama Mama, Snippy, and Loopy. It’s cute packaging for their popular branding campaign, but it also comes with a WOM-worthy call to action: Gift this bar to a friend when they’re showing these symptoms.
3. Make it for a very specific audience
Our friend Laura loved the tag on her new pair of Blue Q socks so much that she took a photo of it and shared it with us. They also have buzzworthy copy written on all their products — socks that say “Ask me about my feelings,” a “Bitches get stuff done” coin purse, “Just texting on the toilet real quick” hand sanitizer, and “Lip Shit” lip balm. It’s kitschy gift shop stuff, but with copy that catches your attention and makes you want to share it with someone. To pull this off, they target a specific audience with a specific brand voice, even if it means offending some audiences.
