8 Literary devices for convincing and captivating copywriting

When most people hear the word “literary devices”, their brain short-circuits all the way back to grade 11 English class. 

And that’s fair—but let’s do our best to avoid that. 

Because the truth is: if you’re a marketer, work in tech, or do any sort of writing (honestly, any sort of writing), literary devices can come in mighty handy to power your writing to another level.

You just might not know you’re using them. 

Or what they’re called. 

Or how to spot them. 

Or care about them even a little bit. (Hint: we just used one. See if you can spot it!)

Thankfully, it’s less important what these literary devices are called (we’re not grading you, promise) than it is to think about how to use them in your writing.

Because after all, the better the story you can tell, the more impact you can make as a copywriter. And the more impact you can make as a copywriter, the more money you make.

So either your clients will be happier, or your boss. 

Either way, using literary devices for copywriting is a no-brainer.

What in the heck is a literary device?

Literary devices are “tools” you can use in your writing that help you better express your ideas in new and different ways. 

They can help you hook an audience’s attention, keep them engaged, and make sure they come back: all things the marketing department deeply appreciates.

Without further ado, here’s our list of literary devices for copywriting—that’ll amp your copy up till the speaker breaks.

8 Literary devices to make your copywriting more effective (with examples!)

1. Formatting

The visual experience of your writing on the screen (both mobile and desktop) is just as important as the words you use.

Where rhythm and tone help you convey emotion, how you format words on a page determines whether they're read at all.

Before committing, your readers will quickly scan what you've written to see how much of an effort it'll take to read.

Small, digestible paragraphs will keep them engaged, where the effort of scanning large, bulky paragraphs will turn them off before they've even started to read your work.

This doesn't mean you have to cut down your content itself, but you need to give your precious lines room to breathe.

Especially for the most important bits… 

Give it space.

It’s the difference between zoning out, and tuning in. 

For example, take a look at the contrast between a research report (zoning out) and this Factor ad on Facebook (tuning in). 

‍

2. Repetition (Alliteration, anaphora, and assonance)

Alliteration, anaphora, and assonance all play with the same concept: repetition and echo.

The human ear loves repetition in any format because it creates rhyme and rhythm in language. That’s what makes these devices powerful when used sparingly. 

• Alliteration is when the first consonant sound in a series of words is the same. They could be written one after another, or just close by.
• Anaphora is when you repeat the first word or phrase at the start of a sentence.
• Assonance is when you repeat vowel sounds in words throughout the phrase.

Does knowing the difference between them matter to you as a copywriter? Not really. 

Does knowing how to use them make your writing stronger? Absolutely.

Has anyone ever stopped quoting Julius Caesar’s “I came, I saw, I conquered”? No? That’s because the repetition in it is sticky. 

Apple’s creative team loves their repetitive literary devices, and leans on them regularly. 

See their taglines for the iPhone 15 and iPad Air: 

👉 New camera. New design. Newphoria. [Alliteration and Anaphora]

‍

👉 Light. Bright. Full of might.  [Assonance]

‍

Another fun example of repetition: Can you hear this song in your head already? [Alliteration]

‍

Ok, fine, here’s a B2B example from Trello. Tasks, teammates, and tools just sound delicious, even if you don’t know immediately what they do.

3. Humor

This device is self-explanatory. 

Some B2C and DTC brands, lots of eCommerce, and some unique Saas companies can pull off humor. 

If you’re a marketer that can convince your C-suite that funny is the way to go… congratulations. You’ve made it. You’re doing all of our dream jobs. 

Like, for example, the writers at Tushy, the bidet company. Not only do they get to make puns like “your hole bathroom experience” but use alliteration with “people who poop”, and more in their pop-up.

We love that they’re still using the golden copywriting rule here: clear over clever. 

Except here, they’ve managed both clear AND clever.

Here’s an example from a service provider: a copywriter who built her whole brand on funny, Lianna Patch.

And here’s an example from a DTC product that plays with the unlikely business relationship between Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog. “And more!” is sometimes all you need to say.

Here’s a B2B example of funny from marketing agency, Kulin:

4. Contrast (Antithesis, oxymoron, and juxtaposition)

These literary devices play with contrast to throw people off—and make them pay attention.

Antithesis is placing two contrasting ideas or concepts in a parallel structure. This literary device is often used to highlight the differences between two opposing views, create tension, or emphasize a particular point.

Oxymoron is when two contradictory words or ideas are combined to create one thought-provoking expression. 

Juxtaposition is placing contrasting elements next to one another in order to emphasize one or both, including words, scenes, or themes.

The writers at Magic Spoon cereal contrasted the fun and playful flavors of the cereal against the adult concerns about clean ingredients in their headline.

‍

‍

Another great example of oxymoron is “Performance Inactivewear” in this Jambys ad. 

‍

Copywriters are taught to use “voice of customer” in their copy. But what happens if the voice of certain customers is mean like these one-star reviews for a ski resort? These contrasting literary devices could help you use it to your advantage (plus, the voice of the customer is still there!)

‍

You’ll have seen a bunch of ads like this, that juxtapose and contrast not just language (Mostly meat meal vs. Real meat) but imagery. Ollie does it beautifully here for their all-natural dog food. 

Patagonia’s ad is yet another example of contrasting (or juxtaposing) copy with design—and being unafraid to make a statement that gets people to turn their head to the side like a puppy with confusion. 

There are so many ways to use contrast in your writing and catch people off-guard. Check out this intro by copywriter Luke Traysor that juxtaposed a sentimental opening with an insult, and made us snort:

‍

5. Personification or anthropomorphism

Personification or anthropomorphism is when you give human characteristics to nonhuman things. 

Our favorite example comes from Duolingo, or Duo for short.

Because what are social media managers if not copywriters? 

And what are viral comments if not excellent copywriting?

Through giving Duo a personality on social media, in comments, and in videos, the social media managers and copywriters behind Duo made the company a viral success above and beyond their actual product offering: language education.

Personification can allow your brand team to go a little “unhinged” and really tap into your customer’s communities. It also humanizes your brand.

Another great example of personification comes from Magic Spoon cereal:

6. Colloquialism

Colloquialism is basically informal, everyday speech, including slang. 

This one is a banger of a literary technique because of how important the voice-of-customer is to good copywriting. (Are we doing it, mom?)

If you can’t speak your audience’s language, you’re sunk.

Some businesses and writers will need to lean into colloquialisms more than others, depending on how formal their industries are. But knowing how to use modern, hip, lingo is crucial to your brand being in-touch rather than just “mid”. (Help.)

Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be a big leap towards Gen Z. 

It can be as subtle—and impactful—as a nod to Lord of the Rings, like ClickUp does on their homepage. 

Or how Magic Spoon uses the specific health and wellness language of “protein hacks” in their ad.

Sometimes, colloquial just means removing jargon, and writing like you actually speak—like Basecamp did here. 

7. Metaphor

You should be relatively familiar with this one. 

Metaphor is a figure of speech that directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It should provide clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. 

Popular metaphor examples help you short-cut understanding:

• “We’re the AirBNB of camping”
• “We’re the Netflix of insurance”

This line from the now-defunct Lambda School is so fantastic at using metaphor—they built comparisons of their product to both a university degree, and a bootcamp, while highlighting their benefits and differentiators.

‍

8. Punctuation

Punctuation directs rhythm, pace, tempo, and drives meaning and emotion.

Some slow reading down, others make you “sound like you’re yelling”, and yet others inspire intrigue.

But: “Your reader should never have to think about your punctuation. If your reader is puzzled over your commas or use of a dash, your copy is unclear and distracting,” writes the Sigl Creative team. “The best punctuation goes entirely unnoticed, even if it means breaking some rules.”

While punctuation isn’t exactly a literary device, it’s a mighty tool you should wield with care. 

For example, punctuating this one sentence differently yields 3 very different meanings:

• Woman without her man is nothing.
• Woman: without her, man is nothing.
• Woman, without her man, is nothing.

Periods

You can use punctuation to cause tension. How?

With short sentences. 

Ending thoughts abruptly. 

Rushing your reader from one line to the next.

Just. Like. This.

Periods introduce longer pauses that signal a sense of finality. Your reader understands that your thought is done. By limiting the content of your sentences, intrigue pulls your reader in to find out what happens next—and speeds up reading in general.

Here’s an example of the impact some periods can make in this Trello page edit:

But periods aren’t the only way you can introduce pauses—whether to drive home a point, or create space for an idea to marinate with your reader.

Em dash

Dashes, like the em dash used above, are favored among writers who appreciate its ability to clearly, visually split sentences. This sort of gap makes scanning your writing easier—which is crucial when attention spans hover around 30 seconds.

Commas

Commas, with their minor pause, connect ideas, offer a smooth flow of thought, while adding emphasis and offering a more conversational tone (a stark contrast to the sudden, jarring stops you have when punctuated by periods).

Semicolons

Semicolons are out. Seriously. Use the em dash instead.

Ellipses

You know the feeling: you just sent a “Hey! Whatcha doing on Friday?” text to your friend, and, suddenly, those three little dots appear.

Though these dots are supposed to signal that your friend is typing their reply, they also represent a pause: thrusting you into a state of limbo where you can only imagine what they’ll say until they press “send.”

Ellipses, in writing, represent a similar gap in dialogue or thought, which you can use to represent suspense, or a longer pause to increase tension.

Question marks

Question marks leap off the screen and burrow deep into your audience’s brains—if asked correctly. 

While they’re not technically considered a literary device, they’re certainly a crucial tool when it comes to copywriting. 

Best ways to use questions in copywriting?

• Email subject lines: Imagine getting these in your inbox… some text
  • Why is my toddler waking up at night? 
  • Janet, are you wearing the right bra? 
  • Wednesday wings? Why not!
• Navigation signposts for articles, websites, and other wayfinding
• Intros to CTAs that help align expectations
• Setting up problems people struggle with

Kind of like Precision Nutrition does in their emails: 

Exclamation marks

Introducing the most misunderstood member of the punctuation family: the exclamation mark.

Used to punctuate strong emotions like surprise, rage, joy and excitement, the exclamation point is often overused in digital communication since it adds some dimension.

Use them sparingly, or be banished to the land of over-excited memes.

Here’s maybe the best (and only) ad that appeared during the pandemic that used exclamation points well:

2 Terrible, no-good writing habits to avoid at all costs

Filler words

In writing, filler words come up as descriptive qualifiers, things like adjectives and adverbs that add bulk, but strip clarity, from your writing.

Common filler words include:

• Just
• Very
• Basically
• Actually
• Due to the fact
• In order to

Think of them as nervous ticks that writers have, sometimes. 

But because they beat around the bush, they distract readers from your main argument, and reduce the impact of your message.

Filter words

Filter words create distance (aka, a filter) between your reader and the subject of your writing.

Consider the following sentences:

1. I watched as the fire burned everything down, taking with it every childhood memory I’ve ever known.
2. The fire burned everything down, taking with it every childhood memory I’ve ever known.

Which caught your attention the most? We bet the second.

Removing the filter words—“I watched as”—transformed this sentence, and thrust you right into the action. It transformed the reading experience from passive to active.

As a writer, you need to learn to kill not just your darlings, but their little offshoots, as well.

Because the more direct and clear you can be, the quicker people will fall into the stories you create.

Your homework: Literary devices exercises

Exercise 1: The rewrite

Look at the last marketing email you sent. Rework it using 3 literary devices from the list. Try again with another 3. How do the rewrites feel?

If you're not happy, pick 3 new literary devices to test out.

Exercise 2: The rhyme

Write 5 versions of your company’s (or any company’s) headline using a repetitive literary device (alliteration, anaphora, assonance). 

Watch how rhyming transforms your message.

Exercise 3: The feels

Play with punctuation (and language) to write an ad for a Spam Tool for your LinkedIn Mailbox. (Aren’t you so tired of those random pitches for MBAs? Or to use tools you have no business using?) If you don’t like this concept—use one of your own! Or rewrite an ad you’ve seen lately.

Use punctuation and literary devices to shift the vibe of the ad from excitable, to menacing, to hilarious to flex your empathy muscles. 

Write copy like the best copywriters

Truthfully, copywriting elements and literary devices aren’t quite the same things, because copywriting isn’t just writing or telling stories. 

Copywriting includes psychology, consumer behavior, customer research, market understanding, and persuasion all folded up into the way you tell stories, and the words you use. 

Meanwhile literary devices are tools you can use as a copywriter to make your writing punchier, stronger, and more memorable. 

These literary devices for copywriters are a great start—but they’re by no means the end of your copywriting learning. 

If you want to learn how to write copy that converts, consider the Conversion Copywriting mini-course.

In this self-paced course, you’ll learn how to craft compelling value propositions, infuse personality into your brand writing, and structure high converting landing pages.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions

How many literary devices are there?

Hundreds. Millions. 

Just kidding. Writers.com says 112 “common” literary devices exist, but we’re not sold on how common they really are. 

What is the most commonly used literary device?

The most common literary device is the one you use the most. (Ba-dum, pshhhh!) 

Although, truthfully, metaphor, simile, imagery, and alliteration are among the most popular because they’re the simplest to understand and use. 

Which literary device should I use?

This all depends on what you’re trying to do! You could use any literary device to accomplish any task—in different ways. 

For example, if you’re trying to sell a pair of shoes:

• Prim, proper, and perfect for spring! [Alliteration]
• Hello, Barbie, let’s go party. [Colloquialism]
• When the shoes steal the show. [Personification]
• The shine you can see—even through mud stains.  [Humor]

There’s truly no end to what kind, how many, and in what ways you could use literary devices. They’re just meant as tools for you to play with. 

Why use literary devices in your copywriting? Aren’t they different types of writing?

Literary devices do, technically, come from literary writing—but that doesn’t make them exclusive to that style. 

Copywriters are known for their creativity, for pulling in things from different industries, areas, and types of products to get inspired to write. That’s what makes them able to pack such a punch—because they don’t limit their ideas to certain spaces.

All writers can use literary devices, because the more insight you can get about different ways to write, the better. Learn more about how to become a great marketer and fantastic writer in our Conversion Copywriting Mini-Course.