WRITE LIKE YOU TALK. NUFF SAID.

"What do you mean, write like you talk? I swear like a sailor."

Good for you, and if you're a tattoo artist down by the docks, whose main clientele are sailors wanting anchors on their bicep who love nothing more than a bit of effing and jeffing, go for it.

But writing like you talk doesn't mean you have to swear like you've sat down too fast and trapped your goolies beneath your leg (Ladies, Re: Childbirth).

When you write like you talk, you use sentences like the one above this one.

What did writing like I talk do for me?

If you visited this website three years ago, you'd have been bored stiff.

I did what I thought was right, writing bloody boring stuff in a rigid voice because I wanted to sound professional.

However, all I ended up doing was boring the arse off myself.

And if my posts were boring the hell outta me, why would anybody else want to read them?

So, I rolled up my sleeves (untrue, I mostly work in t-shirts) and went about changing the tone of voice to one that sounded more like me, and I started writing blog posts called:

• Why Nobody Cares About You
• Shit I Don't Miss About Working In An Office
• How To Make Your Business Kick Ass, and
• How To Use LinkedIn Like A Flippin' Pro

By doing this, my posts started to get more views.

Why?

Because people saw a bit of my personality.

True, I still have posts called:

• 7 Ways To Master Short Copy
• 11 Ideas For Your Blog Posts, and
• 14 Tips For Working With A Copywriter

I mean, you've gotta give it to the audience straight sometimes too.

However, since I started adding personality to my website and blog posts, visitors clicking around my other posts has increased as have other page clicks and enquiries.

There's no reason it shouldn't work for you.

Find your tone of voice - and let people hear it.

When you write like you talk, it brings out empathy and understanding for the needs of your customers. They want to deal with you because you can solve their problems, you can:

• Provide them with a hassle-free coach service from Inverness to Yeovil
• Remove a tooth faster and cheaper than Jimmy 'The Butcher' Dentisto down the road, or
• Change their lives with new-fangled undies you can wear for four days straight

Be too rigid, and you'll sound bland and forgettable.

Be understanding, empathetic and, well, you, and people will want what you have to offer.

So, the next time you're writing stuff, whether it's a blog post, your home page or for your latest product.

Ask yourself:

"Am I boring the arse off my customers?"

If so, talk to your partner, a friend, family member - hell, even a client.

When I talk about the things I'm passionate about, I get excited. I use words I'd never use in my written content, then I use them in my written content.

Talk to others about what you do and you'll notice the same.

Write down the words you're using.

Record yourself and play it back.

Write like you talk.

Nuff said.

Until next time,

Matthew

This article first appeared on Indelible Think