What's Inside the Blog
You might be wondering why the way you talk to your audience matters–especially when it comes to filler words on a digital page. Here’s a quick news flash for you–there should be no such thing as filler words. Every touchpoint, every sentence, and every platform where you can speak directly to your audience should be viewed as an opportunity for a premium connection.
Every single word counts. So, of course, it matters what you’re saying, how you’re saying it, and how your audience perceives it.
Ask yourself–do you want to waste precious opportunities like these with messages that don’t land?
Make it easy on yourself–write like a human being.
Not sure how to do that? We’ve got you.
Small Business Copywriting Needs Human Touch–Here's Why
There’s a school of thought out there that says artificial intelligence and software programs can spit out high-quality copy and content for brands better than human writers ever could. There’s an important distinction in that argument.
Yep, there are AI programs out there designed to write copy. That’s true.
The difference is that no matter how advanced AI gets, it’s never going to be human–that means capturing a human TOV; the nuances, slang, humor, sarcasm, etc., that go into a brand’s specific voice isn’t possible without human influence.
If you’re a brand that’s thinking about investing in software that writes blogs for you, spits out web content, or can create leads for you, I’m not here to discourage you. Blogging software can save a ton of time and energy.
But it won’t get you the TOV and human-to-human connection you’re looking for.
Investing in writing like a human being means actually having a human being write your content. Whether that’s an outsourced copywriting company, a content writer that comes highly recommended, or an in-house marketing pro that does your copy and content writing is up to you.
How to Write like a Human Being: Small Business Copywriting Tips
You might be thinking, “well, I’m a human, and I’m writing, so writing like a human being should be pretty dang easy. Right?”
Well, maybe. But writing brand content like a human–even as a human–can be tricky.
For some reason, brand content and copy tend to fall into some niche category in our brains that call for serious overcomplication. Maybe it’s because of the pressure to reach an audience; maybe it’s the desire to sound smarter than we are–whatever it is, we all tend to fall into the trap of complicating our copy.
Here’s the secret to writing good content: It’s written for humans, by humans.
That means you need to embrace writing like a human being to churn out content that connects with audiences and copy that does its job (converting sales).
Don't Rely on A.I.
Sorry, I said what I said. Look, I’m not an AI doomsayer and I actually think AI like ChatGPT can be crazy helpful when it comes to brainstorming.
And, no, I’m not coming for AI because I’m concerned it’s going to put me out of a job. I think AI actually has some kind of place in copywriting–I just don’t think it should be your copywriter.
Use it to brainstorm ideas, get the creative juices flowing, and share ideas–but don’t ask it to do the job of a human copywriter.
At the end of the day, it’s artificial intelligence–and your audience (your very smart audience, BTW) is going to feel that phony connection. Don’t leave them craving a human touch–make sure it’s an integral part of your content strategy.
Talk to Your Audience Directly
What are you really trying to say? If you’re having trouble writing copy or telling your content writer what message you want to get across, try simplifying the words.
At the end of the day–fancy or trendy TOV aside–what point are you trying to get across? Are you offering a solution that’s going to change someone’s life? Do you want to teach someone something important? Do you want to connect with your audience?
Boil it down to the simplest version of the message you want to get across. Figure that out first. Start there. Then build on that message.
As you start building, remind yourself that it’s your job to be direct. No matter what your brand voice might reflect, you’re here to speak directly to your intended audience as transparently and meaningfully as possible.
You know how to act like that. Now, write like that.
Don't Be Afraid to Get Controversial
It’s human nature to be casual with people–why should your writing be any different? My favorite way to illustrate is through a simple exercise. First, take a quick stab at drafting out your copy. Give it your best shot. Then, put that version away. Pick a pal or a colleague or someone you can talk to very casually. Now tell them exactly what you’re trying to say, in normal, conversational words. Record it if you want. Now, compare the two. What’s stopping you from saying what you said to your friend on your website?
Good writing and copy that converts customers has very little to do with how professional you sound. It’s got almost nothing to do with how smart you make yourself sound, either. Once you throw pretention to the wind and just allow yourself to write conversationally, you’ll be able to connect better with people reading your words.
Why? Because they’re people–and it’s your goal to write words that people want to read. In other words, don’t overcomplicate it, and don’t be afraid to be conversational.
Drop the Formalities (Please)
Push pretention to the side. For some reason, when we write important things, we tend overcomplicate our language. Remember, it’s not your job to be the smartest person in the room–it’s your job to get your audience on board with your brand.
Being overly formal–especially if that’s not part of your brand identity or brand voice–is going to push your audience away.
Embrace Your Brand Voice
Push pretention to the side. For some reason, wha
Are you into slang? Is your brand in a specific niche where lingo makes sense? Are there certain phrases that just make sense in your industry?
Here’s an important distinction–try to steer clear of jargon that doesn’t help your brand. If you’re just throwing in industry words to sound smarter or create some sort of authority, you’re likely just convoluting your message. Your slang should serve a purpose–if it’s just to beef up your brand with false bravado, you’re going about it the wrong way.
Remember, an audience can sniff that can kind of stuff out. Be yourself, be your brand, and don’t be afraid to add words and phrases that are part of the acceptable lingo of your target audience.
en we write important things, we tend overcomplicate our language. Remember, it’s not your job to be the smartest person in the room–it’s your job to get your audience on board with your brand.
Being overly formal–especially if that’s not part of your brand identity or brand voice–is going to push your audience away.
Audience First, SEO Second
It’s tempting to look at your digital content as an opportunity to boost your SEO. And to be honest, this should be part of your copywriting and content writing strategy. Like it or not, you need the search engine algorithm’s approval to succeed with online content. But you should never prioritize your SEO strategy over your brand voice.
Stuffing your copy with keywords isn’t just bad for your SEO strategy (Google punishes you for keyword stuffing, by the way); it’s bad for your branding. It’s impossible to connect with your audience, provide them with meaningful information, and highlight your brand’s value proposition if you’re so focused on stuffing your copy and content with keywords.
When you’re too focused on SEO and stuffing keywords into your content, your message suffers. When your message suffers, your TOV falters. When your TOV falters, your audience is uninterested. Nobody wants to read brand copy that sounds like it was written by a glitching robot that couldn’t stop mentioning a keyword over and over.
Your brand’s voice should always come first–your SEO strategy is second.
Looking for someone to help you balance your SEO strategy with your brand voice? Hiring a copywriter or professional content writer can help you bridge that gap. You want the best of both worlds, and professional writers with knowledge and expertise in digital marketing and SEO copywriting can help you find your perfect blend.
Level With & Relate to Your Audience
You’re not trying to talk at your audience–you’re trying to talk directly to them. So, level with them. Relate with them. Recognize their problems. Show them the solutions. This might sound overly straightforward, but it’s not.
Being able to relate to your audience and level with them in a no-nonsense way that connects with them is, in my opinion, the secret to good copywriting.
Get a Human's Opinion
If you’re tackling your brand’s writing on your own, we highly recommend reviewing your work frequently–but we also recommend getting a second (and third) opinion as often as possible.
Why? Because it’s so easy to overthink brand writing.
Getting in your head while you’re writing is a very real problem–even professional copywriters and digital content writers grapple with this (ask us how we know). The best way to ensure you’re writing like a human is to pause, take a breath, and hand the work over to someone else for a brutally honest review.
If you’re in your head, they’ll tell you. If you’re overcomplicating something, they’ll tell you. If what you’re writing doesn’t read well, they’ll tell you. This type of criticism isn’t cruel; it’s constructive–and it’s a big part of the process for human-approved writing.
Copy for Humans, By Humans is Our Thing
Need a hand getting the hang of this human-to-human writing? You’re in luck–it’s kind of our thing. And we’re happy to team up to ensure you’ve got the best copy and content for your brand possible!
Our copywriting team knows how to connect with your unique audience in impactful, human ways through the written word.
Want to learn more? We’ve got you covered. Connect with us today to see how we can team up and tackle your brand’s one-of-a-kind copy.
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