3 Easy Ways to Make Your Content Writing More Conversational
Is content writing dead? With the rise of AI and the immense popularity of video-based social media platforms like TikTok, it’s a fair question to ask.
As someone who has been in the digital marketing game since 2004, I can assure you: there will always be a place for strategic, high-quality, engaging content writing for mission-driven businesses. Adjusting how you write your content can help you stay relevant even when video content reigns supreme.
Before we dive into some easy ways you can switch up your content writing strategy, let’s chat about why video has earned such lasting popularity. I think there are a few key reasons:
Video is easy to consume, usually getting straight to the point on a single topic.
It’s relatable. You see the person/people behind the brand as real, live humans.
It feels more interactive. People are more than 2x as likely to engage with and share videos with their friends and followers.
Another way to look at video content: it’s conversational. People are talking to you in a way that is friendly and understandable, asking you for your reaction, and inviting you to stick around for more.
If you want to make an impact with written content, you’ll need to infuse the power of conversation into it. Here are three easy ways you can do so.
#1: Keep It Short & Scannable
Our attention spans continue to shrink, which is why short-form content is so effective these days. It’s true for video, and it’s also true for blogs, emails, and other written content. According to Neil Patel, “It’s because of tiktokification. The average user spends 95 minutes a day consuming short-form content.”
He shares the following chart showing today’s average word counts by industry:
Quite different from the 1500-2000+ word articles that were recommended just a couple of years ago!
People scan information quickly, and if they don’t see what they are looking for right away, they’ll move along. Here are some tips for making your content scannable:
Break up the text with subheadings, bullet points, numbered lists, infographics, etc.
Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Play with different formatting such as bold, italic, underline, and font size.
Include images with captions.
#2: Make It Personal
Your reader wants to feel a connection with you. They won’t get that if you produce dry, boring content.
Infuse your personality into your content, and whenever possible, incorporate storytelling. Here are a few tips for writing engaging, relationship-nurturing content:
Address your reader with “you”.
Ask questions.
Show emotions and don’t be afraid to get vulnerable.
Tell stories.
#3: Write Like You Speak
When I write content, I often view it as a conversation taking place in my head between myself and my reader. My inner dialogue carries on, and I try my best to let my words wind up on the page in more or less the same form.
▶️ Does that mean sometimes I trail off with an ellipsis…? Yes.
▶️ Do I occasionally use a word my spell check doesn’t like fantabulous? Sure do.
▶️ Do I often break grammar rules that would make my 9th grade English teacher cringe? Yep.
When you write with conversation in mind, it makes reading more fun, engaging, and relatable. Don’t go too overboard, though! You should definitely keep that Grammarly subscription to avoid some of the more classically embarrassing typos.
Here are a few tips you can start incorporating in your content writing:
Use contractions.
Choose simple, casual words over formal words.
Avoid passive voice. (Passive = The vase was broken by her. Active = she broke the vase.)
Know how your audience speaks, and try to stick to that range. I love this infographic from WordStream showing the variety of tones you could use:
Content Writing for Connection
Whether you choose to publish daily, weekly, or monthly content, make sure you’re leading with one goal in mind: to build connections with your people. One of the best ways to do that is by writing relatable, conversational content that shows the human behind the brand.
If you need help with a content marketing strategy for your own mission-driven brand, we are always happy to help. Reach out to our team to schedule a free consultation.
On a Mission Brands is dedicated to helping mission-driven entrepreneurs and organizations capture and captivate their target audience with beautiful, engaging, and memorable brands. Specializing in branding, copywriting and design, our team of heart-centered marketers goes above and beyond to build brand visibility for our clients. If you're ready to take your brand to new heights, let’s chat.
