This week while at my physical therapist’s office, she suddenly wiggled my right shoulder back and forth. She remarked that she has a couple other patients like me.
Wait…Like me?
She went on to explain, yes, patients like me “Hold it altogether well, are poised,” but we are not doing any favors for our mobility in our 70s or 80s. This “holding it together” business causes stiffness in the shoulders and neck. It causes my 5’2 frame to tense up in moments of stress. Can’t you just loosen up?!
And this week while I was editing marketing copy for a client, I realized that I was providing the exact same feedback–Loosen up; Make the copy less stiff and corporate, and more relatable.
Yes, we all emerge from school wanting to show just how polished we can be, and it is that polish that causes people to slide right over our words. If we want our prospects and customers to connect with our business, we have to drop the guarded language and loosen up a bit!
Here are some of the notes I frequently give my clients that might be helpful as you are writing your marketing pieces:
1. Use stories whenever possible.
It is easier to understand a point when it is placed in a story. Did you notice the story at the top of this email? Yep, do that!
2. Use words that people can visualize.
Your writing can pack a punch if your voice stays active, and you are using words that they can visualize. It is very easy to make this switch to keep your writing strong.
3. Make your copy easy to read.
Let’s just be honest–so many people scan pieces because they are getting so much information each day. My rule of thumb for this is to imagine I am explaining the concept to my children. How would I phrase it?
Since people are scanning, you can’t make them do mental gymnastics to understand your marketing.
4. Make your copy easy to follow.
For your niche, you have a lot to share. You are probably BURSTING with information to tell your prospects and customers.
The only thing is…you can’t do that all at once. You should present your copy in a way that feels familiar to your audience. If you are writing an article, would it fit in a magazine? Would it fit in The Wall St. Journal? Have the discipline to cut it down so that it will be read.
5. Don’t use industry jargon.
As a marketer, I LOVE to talk about ad funnels, lead magnets, click through rates…all of it. But if I am talking to a small business owner who is not familiar with these terms, the points will be lost!
Worse–if you use jargon, you can make people mad. How often have you had to slow down a doctor to say, “I don’t understand what you are saying!”
If you know your audience, you will know how “technical” you can get, but my guess is that you don’t want to start there!
Let’s say you meet someone in person and they ask you about your business, this is exactly how you would communicate to them. It’s no different online.
Whether you are writing copy for a social media post, an ad, an email or an article–just remember to loosen up and let your personality shine through.
XOXO,
Amy
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