Everywhere you look, you can see KonMarie’s influence infiltrating your Instagram feed, your friends’ (and your) closets, and your TV set.
Maybe you’re sick of it.
Maybe you’re inspired by it.
Love it or hate it, the premise behind the KonMarie Method is pretty catchy and effective.
Don’t live an environment or live a life that doesn’t spark joy!
Why waste your time, right?
The same concepts can be applied to copy. Your copy should have a purpose and it should spark joy.
If not, why waste your time, right?
So, in the spirit of the KonMarie frenzy, let’s look at how the concepts can help you be a better copywriter.
KonMarie Your Copy, 5 Ways
#1: The Spark of Joy
One of the most famous concepts from Marie Kondo is the spark of joy. If you’re organizing your closet, you’re supposed to hold each item of clothing in your hand and determine if it sparks joy.
If it does, keep it. If it doesn’t, purge it.
Same goes with your copy.
Your copy should spark joy in one way or another:
- You feel a sense of delight after writing it
- You sense that your readers will feel delight after reading it
- The words and sentiments in your piece contain the presence of joy
- The piece adds a positive spark to the world
- Your writing contributes to a bigger picture of positive change
Okay, I get that some technical writing may not spark joy in the obvious sense. But if you really love what you do as a technical writer and your work sparks joy, then you’ve got it!
Does your copy spark joy?
#2 Declutter
Almost every Style Guide I’ve seen from my clients includes a tip about cutting out unnecessary words. Every single word and phrase must contribute to the piece. No fluff, no “stuff.” Marie Kondo would approve.
With practice, you can condition yourself to notice all those extra words and delete them.
Here’s a simple example of a sentence you can declutter:
- Change: “Think about scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and see what catches your eye and ask ‘Why’ and apply that to adding your own images.”
- To: When choosing an image, consider what catches your eye and why when you scroll through your Facebook newsfeed.
See how all those extra words aren’t necessary?
As you edit, go over your words with a fine-tooth comb to refine them.
How to declutter your copy:
- Use simple, easy-to-understand sentences
- Leave lots of white space to give your words breathing room
- Eliminate any words or phrases that aren’t necessary
Strip your copy back, simplify it, and make extra space to allow your reader to absorb the words.
#3 Visualize your ideal destination
Marie Kondo likes to tell people to consider what type of home they’d like to keep: peaceful and clean, open and airy, etc.
You need to keep your desired end goal in mind.
You should do the same with your copy.
Consider the end goal or purpose of each piece you write.
You should never write just to fill web pages or maintain your 3-blogs-per-week, self-issued quote.
Your writing should have a meaningful purpose, such as:
- Encouraging readers to make a positive change in their lives
- Building a resource library for freelance writers (this is mine!)
- Entertaining family with funny kid-isms on social media
- Building your email list so you can impact even more people
Every time you sit down to write, you should consider the purpose of the piece and create from that place.
#4 A Place for Everything
One of the principles organizing fanatics always advise is that every item you own must have a designated place.
It’s a great principle to live by.
If a cup doesn’t have a home in the cupboard, don’t bring it home.
Just like writing, every string of words should have a place.
- If it doesn’t flow
- If it doesn’t add meaning
- If it doesn’t have a place
Slash it.
Perhaps you want to include a story in your article that relates to your topic. That’s great! Readers love stories.
But if you’re tempted to tack on an extra paragraph that doesn’t relate, leave it out.
#5 Keep what matters
Contrary to the heaping donation piles you see on TV and this sense of “what else can I get rid of,” Marie Kondo doesn’t make you swear off everything you own in favor of stark minimalism.
She lets you keep the clothing and items that make sense for you and your family.
- But you don’t need doubles.
- You don’t need to keep things you might “one day” need.
- You don’t need the items that serve no purpose in your everyday life.
You should, on the other hand, keep the items that bring you joy, that you use often, that you can continue to use for a long time. Capsule items, if you will.
Now, this principle applies to words, but also to your entire career as a copywriter.
- Remove all redundancies
- Only work with clients and causes you believe in
- Focus on capsule, or evergreen, content
- Anchor your business upon what matters
Wouldn’t your writing career look a whole lot clearer if you did it the KonMarie way?
{Still trying to design your own freelance writing career? Check out my free 7-day Freelance Freedom from Corporate series to hit the ground sprinting}
I’d love to hear your KonMarie stories in the comments. Anything you would add to this list?
P.S. Do you ever wonder how the thrift stores the world over are being impacted by the KonMarie method?