Ever noticed that you’re always being given ‘top five tips for…’ not the top six? Or books promise ’101 ways to…’ not 100?
According to copywriter Gymi Slezinger it’s all to do with the power of odd numbers. He reckons even numbers have ‘closure’, they don’t need anything. Odd numbers leave something hanging.
If you think about it, it’s not just marketing copy and self-help books: good things come in threes, apparently, and a stitch in time saves nine, if you believe popular opinion.
Sounds very simple but worth bearing in mind if you want to grab people’s attention.
NB Asked about top 10s, an obvious exception that works well in marketing copy, Gymi says it’s because they’re authorative.
Nice to have an answer for everything.
