Larsen Idealog

The word that keeps writers honest

I sometimes glance at this Edward Ruscha painting as I write. It’s titled “So,” and it keeps me honest. It’s a word I always need to remember as I write blog posts, websites, articles, marketing literature, ads, emails….

So?

(Yes, I added the question mark.)

I think of my reader — a customer, a client, a colleague, a prospect, an influencer — saying, perhaps even a bit rudely, SO…? And your point is?

Let’s face it: Readers are bright, impatient, and frequently not paying attention. They’re searching for specific information to inform them, intrigue them, involve them, influence them.

So I ask myself: Is what I’ve written helpful? Or is it just a big three-dimensional SO?

On the playground children routinely say “so?” to a child whose story bores them. It’s the ultimate “dis,” negating everything that went before.

So, ask yourself “so?” as you work on that next headline or promotional offer or website or banner ad. And keep revising until you have the answer.  

Then no one has to ask.

(Image used with permission from the Hirshhorn Museum.)

—That’s words on words