The Post Office queue is where you can feel your youth drain from your body.

It’s where the clock doesn’t move. Like a mini Bermuda Triangle, where reality doesn’t quite exist. It’s purgatory.

All you have to while away what seems like hours, is to people-watch your fellow queue sufferers.

And the stale, old-school hanging advertisements that loom above your head as you march ever forward toward the Post Office counter.

I found myself in the queue recently and my eyes were drawn away from the dusty collection of greetings cards that had been shunned to the back of the building and a carousel of spud guns and plastic firearms.

I raised my head and the lined, beleaguered ads met my eyes.

An accountancy firm with questionable font choices.

A funeral directors who maintained they were the local choice.

A restaurant that claims to have freshly caught fish.

Another accountancy firm.

Another funeral directors. But this one had an image of a luxury vehicle, with a font that fitted the professional nature of the company.

I paid no attention to the fact they had operated in the area for more than a century.

I ignored the other ads and instead focused on why this funeral company had tugged my attention far more than the other.

They both listed the same services and worked in the same locale.

They both had the same cars and luxury choices for their customers.

But I had skimmed over the first and had digested the second.

Because of a few reasons.

The ad had a clear header and it looked tasteful. But not bland.

There was a royal blue sub-header underneath.

The ad had an image of a beautiful hearse, which gave the ad an air of refined grace.

It left me with no doubt that should I be unfortunate enough to require the services of a funeral director – it would be this company that I would opt for.

And the other company was just as equipped as its competitor – but it lost my hypothetical service because its ad was black and white. It had no breaks in its rhythm whatsoever.

It looked like blocks of words.

There was no comfort in its approach – just when there needs to be.

And I glossed over it because of all that.

It’s important to include the vital components of a business or solution when writing content.

But you can’t include it all. It will destroy any intent you had on creating something truly impactful.

Instead, use the brief you have to cascade the keypoints in order. Grab their attention and ensure that they reach the end and are interested enough to make the leap from your words to the company page or designated goal.

Keep your readers interested using colour, breaking up the copy, images, videos. Dare to be different, even a little.

Even if it’s for a funeral home.

For more writing tips and tricks, you can find my pocket guide here.