Can you recall the phrase that helped O.J. Simpson beat murder charges? Most people can recall, “If the gloves don’t fit, you must acquit!” or a close variation. Research shows that rhyme can actually make statements more believable. Our brains translate ease of processing into “true.” This is a powerful tool for crafting taglines, slogans, and other short statements.

Can you make your slogan, headline, or tagline more fluent by incorporating rhyme?

Shakespeare may not have had access to brain imaging equipment, but his writings have stayed vibrant and engaging for centuries. One of the many techniques he used was “functional shift” – using a word in a different manner than expected. Researchers found that this kind of usage causes a spike in brain activity – the use is unexpected, and the brain snaps to attention to determine what’s going on.

Can you use a word in an unconventional way to grab your reader’s attention?

What’s the difference between a “bad day” and a “rough day?” In English, not much – the two phrases are equivalent in meaning. But to our brains, they are very different. “Rough” is a textural metaphor and even though it isn’t used in the literal sense, our brains still react as if the topic was sandpaper or a rocky beach.

Try to rewrite your copy incorporating one or more textural metaphor words to replace a similar word with no sensory overtone.

Ever wonder why restaurants always talk about things like “farm-fresh tomatoes” and “old-fashioned Vermont maple syrup?” Researcher Brian Wansink found such labeling could boost sales by more than 25%. Several categories of adjectives were most effective – sensory words, brands, terms that evoked nostalgia, and others.

Adjectives can slow the reader down, but try to liven up a few of the adjectives describing your product or service with at least one of the characteristics identified by Wansink.

We think of a salesperson closing deals by leaving the customer no option but to buy. In fact, it turns out four words that point out the individual’s freedom to choose can double persuasion in many contexts.

If your copy (or verbal pitch) has a call to action, try to incorporate a BYAF statement in the sentences that precede it.