I sense I'm being watched. Followed. Stalked, almost.

He's quiet as a ninja. And like a ninja, he seems everywhere at once.

Often I sense him before I see him. I think I've entered a room alone but then turn suddenly, and—yep—there he is: his silhouette in the doorway, backlit by the yellow hallway light. “Oh, hey. You good? Just keeping an eye on you.”

It would be a little creepy, except for … well, look at him.

Let's start with his legs. They're six inches long—too short to scale all the stairs to the second floor without needing a nap. He stops on the landing and cries.

He might be part ninja. But at that moment he looks and sounds more like an oversized Beanie Baby outfitted with a doll's voice chip.

* * *

There's a meme on TikTok: Tell me without telling me.

• Tell me you've from the Midwest without telling me you're from the Midwest.
• Tell me how your brain malfunctions without telling me how your brain malfunctions.
• Tell me you have a pandemic puppy without telling me you have a pandemic puppy.

The point is to dramatize, to drop an insider-y clue. To show, not tell.

• Tell me without telling me you're from the Midwest: When a trip to run an errand is “only” 15 hours.
• Tell me without telling me how your brain malfunctions: When we watch someone make an egg for breakfast and he slips the shell onto a preheated pan and drops the egg into the trash. (#facepalm)
• Tell me without telling me you have a pandemic puppy: Well … I opened this chapter with that one!

The Tell Me Without Telling Me social media challenge (which started a few years ago on Twitter) is—when you think about it—actually the world's best writing advice moonlighting as a social meme.

Tell Me Without Telling Me is the fastest way to give your writing or copy a throbbing pulse. It's the best way to paint a picture in the mind of the reader, to use action, senses, and feelings … versus basic, bloodless description.

And it's a modern version of the advice attributed to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov: “Don't tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of moonlight on broken glass.”

(If Chekhov were still around, he'd be *all in* on social media. I like to think his social handles would be @ChekMeOut.)

Tell Me Without Telling Me snaps us out of our tendency to state things as we see them.

Instead, it puts us into the mind of the audience: What's it like? How does it feel?

In other words, don't talk about your features, benefits, and shining moons. Tell me—better yet, show me—why they matter to me.

Let's look at a few real-world examples.

In Home Page Copy

Tell Me: Ready-to-use Asian sauces and spices.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: Meet your new pantry staple. (via Omsom)

Why this works: The first simply says what it is; the second invites you to imagine how often you'll use it. Not “item” but “staple.”

Tell Me: A monthly customized box of themed dog toys and treats.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: Give your dog exactly what they want. (via BarkBox)

Why this works: The second suggests that BarkBox has the expertise to know exactly what will make your dog happy (even if your dog can't write out a list of toys and treats they actually want).

Tell Me : Web content strategy services for the enterprise.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: “Well, hello there. You must be here for some content strategy. We can help with that!” (via Brain Traffic)

Why this works: Brain Traffic addresses would-be clients directly in a friendly, conversational tone. In three sentences, you get a sense of what it's like to work with this company. Even when you target enterprise-sized companies, you're still speaking to individual people.

In Blog Headlines

Tell Me: Introducing Our Newest Product Updates

Tell Me Without Telling Me: Introducing Our Newest Product Updates to Help You Sell Globally. (via Paddle)

Why this works: A subtle tweak (“to help you sell”) makes a company-focused headline suddenly relevant to the reader.

Product Copy

Tell Me: On-demand demo videos that are quick to create and send.

Tell Me Without Telling Me : Deliver Demo Videos at a Distance. (via Vidyard)

Why this works: What's the real, human benefit of creating demo videos quickly? Vidyard connects the dots for us. Bonus points for the memorable alliteration!

In Email Copy

Tell Me: New limited-edition face mask designs are here!

Tell Me Without Telling Me: Make Covid fight through skulls and switchblades to get to your face. (via Liquid Death)

Why this works: The knife-fight visual is ridiculous in the best way. (“Get your sanitized hands on this …” is gold, too.)

Tell Me: The ultimate in helmet safety for skiers and snowboarders.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: You only get one brain. (via Moosejaw)

Why this works: “Safety” isn't something you can really see or feel. “Protect your brain from colliding with a tree”? Oh yeah … you can see that. It's real and visceral.

In an Article

Tell Me: Clubhouse is a perfect networking platform for the quarantined professional.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: “Clubhouse feels … like everyone is passing around business cards. In short, Clubhouse feels like a space for people who miss attending in-person conferences.” (via Adweek)

Why this works: It paints a picture, doesn't it? Everyone passing business cards? Shaking hands? Chatting over drinks? And that is exactly the role the social audio app Clubhouse was playing in 2020.

In About Us

Tell Me: Reliable cars at a price you can trust. (via actual billboard on the side of a highway)

Tell Me Without Telling Me: “I treat customers like adults, not like idiots.” (via LingsCars)

Why this works: In eight spare words, you learn exactly what sets Lings Cars apart.

In a Letter to Investors

Tell Me: Let's look at Berkshire Hathaway's performance.

Tell Me Without Telling Me: “Let's take a look at what you own.” (via Berkshire Hathaway's Letter to Shareholders)

Why this works: See how Warren frames that? Not “what I manage” or “what I control.” But what YOU own.

* * *

All of these examples imagine a person front and center.

So the challenge is this: Pull your audience right into what you're crafting. Make sure they see themselves in it. Don't hold back. Don't expect them to connect the dots.

If dots need connecting between your product and customer … get out your Sharpie. And Connect! All! Dots!