WRITING AS CONVERSATION

I absolutely love this quote from the 18th-century author Laurence Sterne: “Writing, when properly managed… is but a different name for conversation.”

I think it’s such a beautiful way to think about writing and it’s actually really helpful advice for anyone who writes customer-facing copy. In fact, one of the main tips I give to clients who are creating their own content is to treat it like it’s an actual, real-life conversation with your customer.

Yes, you’re aiming your content at a huge group of people, but each one of them should read your content and feel like you’re chatting directly to them.

Here are some specific tips for achieving this:

KEEP IT REAL

Write like you talk. Yes, you’ll want to give your words a bit of polish here and there. But generally, if you write it as you’d say it your content will sound much more authentic.

BREAK THE OLD-SCHOOL RULES

Sounding ‘professional’ used to mean sounding formal. But there’s nothing less relatable than a piece of content that sounds stuffy and detached. Write in the first person and use contractions, short sentences and slang that feels on-brand.

And don’t be afraid to start sentences with ‘and’ or ‘because’. Because that’s what you’d do if you were speaking.

AVOID JARGON

No one wants to have to consult Google to figure out what you’re saying. Simplicity is your friend.

BE FRIENDLY

You want to come across as warm and human, not cold and corporate.

MAKE IT TWO-WAY

Invite your audience to respond and engage with you. Not only does this encourage connection, but direct feedback from your customers is invaluable to your business.

If you need help writing copy that strikes the perfect tone, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s chat!