Copy is Like Music
It needs rhythm to connect with people.
Imagine you’re listening to your favorite song. What makes it so catchy?
It’s not just the lyrics, but the rhythm
The beat that makes you tap your foot and hum along.
Copywriting works the same way. Without rhythm, you fail to create audience interest.
To add rhythm to copywriting, you can focus on
↳ Sentence structure,
↳ Repetition,
↳ Pacing.
Here are some techniques:
𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Repeat key phrases or words to emphasize a point.
Example
“Need results? Need impact? Need growth? We deliver.”
How Brands use it?
↳ 𝐇𝐮𝐛𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭
Hubspot uses repetition in its messaging to emphasize the range of solutions they offer:
“𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞—𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”
➜ 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Use words with the same starting sounds to create a musical quality.
Example “Bold brands break boundaries.”
How Brands use it?
↳ 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
A popular communication platform for teams, uses alliteration to create catchy and memorable taglines:
“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬.”
The ‘W’ sound in “Where” and “work” creates a smooth and rhythmic flow, making the message stick.
➜ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦
You can use similar structures in your sentences to create a flow.
Example:
“We drive traffic, boost conversions, and increase sales.”
How Brands use it?
↳ 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞
Salesforce often employs parallelism in its messaging to convey its offerings clearly and concisely:
“𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬. 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬.”
➜ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬:
Mix short, punchy sentences with longer, detailed ones to create a natural rhythm.
Example:
“Content is king. But it needs a kingdom—strategy, execution, and consistency.”
How Brands use it?
➜ 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐀𝐳𝐮𝐫𝐞
Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing service, uses a mix of short and long sentences in their marketing materials:
“𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.”
P.S. What’s your favorite way to add rhythm to your writing?
