Microcopy: The Highest‑Leverage Words — Guide #2
Microcopy: The Highest‑Leverage Words — Guide #2. We’ll turn instincts into a system you can run every week.
Strategy is choosing what not to do. Your brand exists to make specific decisions obvious.
Steps
- Design constraints before concepts — Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail.
- Document decisions in one page — People use what they can read in two minutes.
- Define the audience and their stakes — Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices.
- List three proof points — Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust.
Why this matters: Constraints produce coherence; they are not creative jail. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: People use what they can read in two minutes. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Name who loses what if nothing changes; real stakes sharpen choices. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Why this matters: Social, data, demos. Proof turns belief into trust. In branding, consistency is a function of decisions captured and reused.
Toolkit
- Voice ladder — From formal to playful with examples for each channel.
- Positioning line — For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof].
- Palette tokens — CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps.
How to use it: From formal to playful with examples for each channel. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: For [audience] who struggle with [problem], we deliver [outcome], proven by [proof]. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
How to use it: CSS variables / design tokens for color and spacing across apps. Save the final in a shared doc; link from tickets so execution matches intent.
Example
A fintech tightened palette tokens and shipping velocity rose because designers stopped re‑deciding shades.
Related Articles
- Voice & Tone Guides People Actually Use — Playbook #2
- Founder‑Led Marketing: Where to Start — Case Files #2
- Brand Guidelines in One Page — Playbook #2
- Rebrands Without Burning Goodwill — Deep Dive #2
← Previous: Website IA for SaaS Brands — Guide #2 Next: Positioning Traps (and Fixes) — Pro Tips #2 →
Related Articles
- Website IA for SaaS Brands — Playbook #2
- A Visual Identity You Can Scale — Playbook #2
- Voice & Tone Guides People Actually Use — Guide #2
- Onboarding Emails that Feel On‑Brand — Deep Dive #2
← Previous: Website IA for SaaS Brands — Playbook #2 Next: Positioning Traps (and Fixes) — Deep Dive #2 →