I’m a big advocate for writing copy that’s clear, concise and compelling. With short, snappy sentences that get right to the point. The cleaner, clearer and more direct your copy is, the easier and friendlier it is to read, understand, and digest.
BUT…
You don’t want your copy to be so dang clean, clear and concise that it lacks personality and voice. Specifically… YOUR personality and voice. In your efforts to be clear, direct and to the point, don’t strip your writing of everything that makes it unique, interesting and human.
The other day I was reviewing 10-15 emails my client had written for her upcoming launch. They were clear, concise, and to the point with no wasted words. In many ways, these emails were perfect for what she was trying to accomplish.
Except… they were so dry and matter of fact that they didn’t communicate her personality. And believe me, this woman has tons of personality! Clever, witty, with a kind and generous heart, she has a naturally entertaining way of communicating. But none of her wonderfulness was coming through in these emails.
She’d been so good about cleaning up her copy that she washed out her own voice. Not entirely, but almost.
When you write and edit your copy so it’s clear, clean, and concise, don’t edit yourself out of it! Because the truth is… your ideal clients want you! They want to relate to you, feel connected to you. They don’t want more information or yet another invitation to sign up for this or that. They can get that anywhere! But what they can’t get anywhere is you! Who you are. Your way of doing what you do. Your approach. Your energy. Your personality. Your you-ness!
So, don’t strip out the very thing that makes your peeps want to relate and connect with you!
So often you’ll hear copywriters like me tell you, “Write like you talk.” It’s our way of getting you to loosen up, let go of your inner English teacher and write in a conversational way. This doesn’t mean your writing should be a sloppy, rambling mess full of repetitions, ums and ahs, and unrelated tangents. What it does mean is this:
You want your copy to reflect your unique, one-of-a-kind voice. And this voice of yours is inherent in the way you talk.
When you’re chatting with a friend, you don’t have to think about what comes next or fuss about which words to use. You just express yourself with the words that come to you in the moment. With your phrasing, your exclamations, and natural conversational style. And with your personality and energy.
This is the voice you want in your copy! This is what makes your copy real, engaging, unique, interesting and super compelling.
So, when you write your first draft, write wild and free and straight from the heart. Write in your own voice, with the intention to be of service and to connect with your client in a real, human-to-human, heart-to-heart way. Write what you would say, the way you would say it, if your client was sitting directly in front of you.
Then… go back and edit your copy so it’s crisp, clear, clean and concise. Tweak your message so it’s easy to read, understand, and consume in bite-sized pieces. Cut out big chunks that weigh it down. Tweak other sections so they get right to the point. But don’t eliminate your own quirky ways of expressing things.
Don’t drone it down into sterile cyberbot language.
Then, litmus test! Read it aloud. This is the best tip I can give you! Read your copy out loud! When you do, you will immediately notice what sounds right and true to you and what doesn’t. You will notice that run-on sentence that needs to be cut in two. You will notice whether the words you’ve used sound like you or whether they sound like the computer Hal in 2001 A Space Odyssey. Do the words and phrases feel comfortable coming out of your mouth? Would you say it a different way? If so, change your copy so it sounds like you.
Your clients don’t need more dry information or invitations, no matter how amazing, valuable or compelling your offer or information may be. What they’re craving is someone they can relate to, someone who gets them. They’re craving connection and inclusion.
They want you, not what you know. Well, they want both. But you being you is what makes them want to work with you.