Sometimes I really curse the education system we were all subjected to.
In school, I was a pretty decent writer. I always did well on my papers, English class was a breeze for me, and I took formatting and grammar very seriously.
But when I decided to become a copywriter, I had to promptly forget most of what I learned about writing.
Despite the weird writing rules we have to learn in our schooling, most Americans read at only a 7th-8th grade level.
And when you’re trying to market your business, you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot if you try to write the way you were taught in school.
Copywriting is about a lot more than writing “correctly” or “backing up your claims.”
If you want to actually persuade people with your writing, you need to write something they will love reading.
It’s not enough to be “correct.” Speaking the language of your soulmate clients is *chef’s kiss* when it comes to writing copy that converts.
Hear me when I say- conversational copy will be worth its weight in gold for your business.
It sounds easy in concept, but lots of people struggle to write in a simple, clear, and conversational way- without omitting information they need to communicate about their product or service.
So if you’re ready to ditch the stuffy writing rules you learned in English class (which I still love, if I’m being totally honest) and write copy that sells and connects, you’re in the right place.
How to write conversational copy people will love reading
First off, what is conversational copywriting?
Basically, writing conversational copy means that you’re speaking in a conversational tone to your reader, much the same way you would if you were having a conversation with them one-on-one, in person.
In this day and age, if you sound like you’re desperately trying to sell to people, your copy won’t convert.
Don’t overthink it. It’s simply means to converse with your audience better, which will increase your conversations.
Conversational copywriting is also a lot more fun to write, in my opinion! On a scale of sending-a-text-to-your-bestie to writing-a-medication-commercial, we’re a lot closer to the bestie-text side of things.
Start noticing how you talk, write, and communicate with people in real life if you’re ready to start writing more conversationally. Here are some of the things you’ll probably start to notice:
1. Write how you talk. Like, actually.
This is a pretty elementary rule of copywriting, but you should write how you talk.
When writing your copy like a conversation, it becomes more personal. People will feel less like you’re trying to sell them something and more like you’re trying to build a connection with them.
When you write how you talk, you’ll come across as more honest and trustworthy.
This includes adding those dreaded filler words we were taught to eliminate in every public speaking class. I’m talking about like, um, so, etc. Adding these words, in moderation, makes you sound more like a human and less like a commercial.
Try this: If you’re working on copy, try describing what you’re trying to write about in a voice memo on your phone. Not that you’ll copy/paste the transcript of your memo directly, but it can give you an idea of how you speak naturally, which can make your copy more conversational.
2. Get meta
Not Facebook-overlords Meta. I’m talking self-referential meta.
I geek out over copy like this all the time. One of my favorite examples of meta copy is customizing your error 404 page.
Broken links suck, but if you can at least acknowledge it with a bit of humor and some on-brand copy, you can make the best out of any broken page on your site.
Here are some other examples of meta-copy.
- Footer copy: “Made it all the way down here, did you?”
- Pop-up copy: “We know pop-ups are awkward, but we promise this is worth it!”
- Cookie message copy: “Come to the dark side, we have cookies. (JK, but we hope you’re fine with these cookies.)”
- Chatbot copy: “I’m not a robot. (Ok, I lied, but how can I help?)”
- Email copy: “Do not open this email! (Seriously, don’t)”
- Unsubscribe email copy: “We’re sad to part ways. Are you sure you want to kick us out of your inbox?”
Writing copy that’s kinda meta can help address the awkwardness of selling online with a bit of humor and creativity.
3. Tap into slang words
If there’s one way to skyrocket the relatability of your copy, it’s adding slang words.
Proceed with caution, though: slang evolves pretty quickly, and what all the tweens are saying on TikTok today may be Millennial-cringe tomorrow.
For this reason, I recommend either updating your website copy frequently (and any other evergreen pieces of copy) or keeping slang words to content that has a shorter shelf life (social media or email copy.)
The last thing you want is for your website or sales page to say something that’s clearly dating itself. (As in, if you’re using the words “epic fail” anywhere, it may look like your copy hasn’t been updated since 2014. Yikes.)
The upside of using slang in your copy is that you’re going to sound current, informed, and relatable. At the time of this post being written, here are some zeitgeist phrases that have my stamp of approval:
It’s giving…: Ok, yes. This is my favorite Gen Z slang of all time, because how else would you describe something these days?
- Example: “It’s giving “pay all your bills on time with cash left over” kind of energy.”
Main character: Did all of Gen Z read StoryBrand or something? As a copywriter who utilizes the StoryBrand framework all the time, literally describing your offer as “main character” is absolutely genius positioning.
- Example: “This program is for main characters who are ready to manifest the life of their dreams this year.”
Periodt: For every brand who’s bold and punchy, add this to your final call to action, and the Gen Z girlies will be eating out of the palm of your hand. Plus, it’s not hard to understand, and shows you’re culturally aware.
- Example: “If there was an easier way to manage your business expenses, we’d tell you to take your business there. Periodt.”
Iykyk: Stands for “if you know you know.” Could be a fun way to relate to pain points without being overly critical or negative.
- Example: “No one likes to open their banking app with a pounding heart and sweaty palms (iykyk.)”
4. Keep is simple, stupid (mwah)
Get it? K.I.S.S.? (Keep it simple, stupid? Then I made a kiss sound? Anyway…)
For the English-nerd types like myself, this is your gentle reminder that less is more, and just because you can write pages and pages about your business, doesn’t mean you should.
When I tell you this might be the HARDEST lesson I had to learn as a copywriter/logophile, I mean it.
But seriously, it pays off.
Writing a conversational header, plus one-to-three engaging sentences, is the easiest way to make your copy fun to read- if we’re talking about website or sales page copy.
***Bonus tip: Adding sounds to your copy (mwah, ugh, skkkrrrt, or *record-scratch*) can all be easy ways to make your copy more fun to read.
5. Tell a story
One of my *favorite* things to do in copywriting is telling stories. It happens to be one of the best ways you can make your copy fun to read as well.
Take for example the story I tell on my about page. Not only was this fun to write, but it helps my readers get a sense of my origin story and why my work matters to me. It also helps show the impact of my work, since the narrative copy describes a win for my friend using the words I wrote.
Also, isn’t this what we do with our friends all the time? Tell stories about our lives? I loooove sitting down with a friend to hear the drama or catch up on what’s been going on in their lives. Storytelling is a tool we use all the time with the people in our lives. Using it in your copy helps people feel like they know you more, plus they get entertained.
Also, if you haven’t read StoryBrand yet, you freaking need to. It describes how to position your brand as a story, since storytelling is basically synonymous with humanity.
6. Get inspiration from songs, movies, or memes
The urge I had to write numerous Taylor Swift lyrics in my website copy was strong.
But like slang words, cultural references in your copy should be used with caution. (Unless we’re talking about copy with a shorter shelf life, then go crazy.)
There is always a risk that someone might not understand a reference you’re making, but if you know your audience well, then adding some cultural references can be a creative way to make your copy more conversational.
Similar to slang, references shouldn’t date your copy. (As in, pick timeless references or update your copy regularly to reflect current trends.)
In my personal opinion, it’s a yes to quoting something like Mean Girls (an immortal cultural landmark) and a no to quoting something like Lizzo (love her, but pop songs date themselves within a year.)
Examples:
- “Raise your hand if you’ve every been personally victimized by the Instagram algorithm.”
- “Get in loser, we’re going to scale your business.”
- “I’m not a regular dentist. I’m a cool dentist.”
7. Play with punctuation!
Punctuation, emojis, caps, etc… All these are tools we can use to make your copy more readable and conversational.
Like I said, you gotta throw out the rigid grammar rules you learn in English class and write in a way people will understand.
- So if you want to STRESS something, you can use capitalization.
- If you want to get your point across, use italics.
- If you want to be *ironic*, use those little star thingies.
- If you want to imply where a thought is going… use ellipses.
- If you want to be sArCaStIc, do whatever that is.
I am always saying that English is a moving target, so use the tools you have to your advantage when writing conversational copy.
TL;DR: Writing conversational copy is about creativity and engagement
Use what you can to your advantage to make your copy really freaking fun to read. Playing around with the tools we’ve talked about here will help you find your brand voice and use it to make stronger connections and, in turn, more sales.
What to see some conversational copy in action?
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