Google employs a complex algorithm to analyze and index information so that it’s universally attainable and advantageous?
Our company mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
This, my friends, is conversational copywriting. And it’s what your audience wants. In your emails, ads, landing pages, website, and more. So read on to find out:
Academic essays often feel stiff and formal. While they serve an important purpose, conversational essays adopt a more relatable tone. This style engages readers like they’re having a chat with the writer. Follow these tips to craft a compelling conversational essay
Use Simple, Familiar Words
The hallmark of a conversational essay is plain language easily understood when spoken. Avoid stuffy vocabulary in favor of simple words used in everyday speech.
For example, write:
- Use instead of utilize
- Help instead of facilitate
- About instead of approximately
Cut verbose phrases down to basics Strip away formal language to communicate ideas accessibly
Write in Second-Person Voice
Conversational writing directly addresses the reader as “you.” This immerses readers in the piece and makes them feel included.
Second-person example:
- “As you consider this idea, you’ll likely think of your own experience.”
Compare to formal third-person:
- “Readers are likely to think of their own experiences when considering this idea.”
Second-person speaks right to the reader for a friendlier tone.
Use Short Sentences
Long, complex sentences are characteristic of academic writing. But they feelstuffy and hard to grasp out loud.
To sound conversational, use short 1-2 clause sentences. For instance:
- “I love coffee. I drink it every morning. It jumpstarts my day.”
Not:
- “Due to my deep affection for coffee, I consume it every morning because its properties help stimulate my energy to start the day.”
Short sentences better mimic casual speech patterns.
Include Contractions
Contractions like can’t, won’t, or wouldn’t naturally occur in regular conversations. But formal essays avoid them, creating distance from the reader.
Conversational writing uses contractions:
- “I wouldn’t stay up that late when I have work the next morning.”
Not:
- “I would not stay up that late when I have work the next morning.”
Contractions help writing sound more spoken and relaxed.
Avoid Passive Voice
The passive voice removes clarity on who’s acting in a sentence:
- “The book was read by me last night.”
Active voice clearly states the subject:
- “I read the book last night.”
Active voice mirrors natural speech by focusing on the person or thing performing the action.
Ask Questions
Questions engage readers and add variety to your sentences. Use questions to grab attention or reinforce ideas:
- “Have you ever considered why coffee is so popular? It has an energizing effect people crave.”
Rhetorical questions are especially conversational since they don’t require an answer. Use them to prompt critical thinking.
Break Grammar “Rules”
Proper grammar is essential in formal writing. But conversational essays can bend the rules through:
- Starting sentences with conjunctions like and or but
- Ending with prepositions like in, at, or about
- Using fragments instead of complete sentences
Breaking grammar rules mimics natural speech patterns. But do so selectively to avoid looking sloppy.
Tell Personal Stories
Anecdotes bring writing to life by providing colorful examples. Share a relevant experience from your life:
- “I remember one morning after an all-nighter in college when coffee was the only thing that kept me awake in class.”
Use stories conversationally to illustrate points and connect with readers. But keep them concise and purposeful.
Use First-Person Pronouns
Academic essays often use “the author” or “this writer.” But conversational writing prefers first-person pronouns:
- “In my opinion…” instead of “In the opinion of the writer…”
- “Let me explain why I disagree” rather than “Let the author explain why there is disagreement.”
First-person pronouns bring you into the essay as the writer sharing ideas.
Write How You Speak
Imagine having a conversation about your essay topic. What words and tone would you use explaining it out loud? Write genuinely like that, without the restrictions of formal writing.
Be Casual Yet Clear
Conversational essays must remain clear and focused, not confused or aimless. Use casual language purposefully, not carelessly. Don’t stray so far into informality that the meaning gets lost.
Consider Your Audience
Knowing your readers helps determine the essay’s conversational style. A philosophy paper for academics permits less casual language than a personal blog post, for example. Write conversationally to suit the context.
If you follow these tips, your essays will engage readers with a welcoming, relatable tone. Weave informal language with strong substance to spark interest in any topic. Writing conversationally takes practice, but the impact is worth it.
So the next time you draft a paper, try chatting with your audience. Ditch the stiff academic voice and simply explain your points as you would to a friend. Your writing will feel more human and genuine.
Really Good Emails’ event invite
Really Good Emails is… really good at informal (and funny) copywriting. Take a look at this email invite for its UNSPAM Conference:
We understand if you like going to meetings in boring, ugly cities. We understand if you like crowded conferences where speakers pitch you an expensive software solution instead of useful knowledge. We understand if you like to spend more money on an entry ticket than you do on your mortgage.
But if you’re not into all of that, then RGE’s UNSPAM Conference is exactly your kinda thing…and tickets are now officially on sale for our first event.
Then it finishes off with a fun call to action phrase:
Get yo’ tickets while they’re hot.
As you can see right off the bat, Lunchbox has a playful and loud brand style. Upon arriving on its site, you get a cookie notification that reads:
You only have to do this once so let’s get this over with We use cookies to make Lunchbox’s website the best in the food tech game. To learn more about our cookies, check out our Privacy Policy.
And then once you accept, you can tour a boatload of fun, slangy, engaging content.
Hook your customers up with food perks, cash perks, and all the perks you can imagine to keep ’em coming back. After all, the fastest way to their hearts is through their stomachs (and wallets).
Here’s another conversational brand. Fibery’s website is full of fun-to-read copywriting. In its FAQ page, instead of including a question like “What is the free year for startups offer?” it writes What about this free year for startups? in a voice-of-skeptical-customer kind of way.
In a second example, it explains what you can do with the platform which includes building spaces for your processes, reflecting your company culture, and creating de-eee-ep work hierarchies.
And then we have emojis…
…and more. Excellent conversational copywriting! Good talk guys.
As a brand whose mission is to make society more inclusive, you can bet that Allyens’ website copy will be conversational. Here we see plain language and then the bucket brigade of Guess what?
Allyens has been around for five years. That’s five years of hard work, of making society more inclusive, of breaking stereotypes, of making communications more accessible, and of bringing people together. Guess what? That’s exactly what we plan on doing the following five years and more.
With the little asides like (yes, we do have our grump moments) phonetic spellings like fi-nal-ly and creative language like nag and grumble, you find yourself wanting to read more.
InGoodCo’s website is a casual, conversational delight. Here are just two examples.
In its footer, instead of Certifications, Contact us, and Social, it labels its sections with We’re purposeful, We like hellos, and We get social.
Then in it’s newsletter signup, instead of something boring like To stay up to date on the latest news, sign up for our email, it reads:
Want to know when it all goes down? Get on the list!
Aside from lots of engaging but not distracting movement (a website design trend), we see approachable copywriting throughout Stryve’s site. In one section, it “interrupts” its voice-of-the-customer statement:
The perfect candidate does not exi…
We also see little side notes in green boxes throughout the site with playful language.
Conversational tone: get on it
Whether it’s an ad, landing page, homepage, social post, or more, check to see if any of your copy could use a conversational facelift. You can always A/B test one version against the other. The bottom line? Don’t take yourself too seriously. Loosen up the reigns a bit and see what comes to mind!
How to Write Conversationally
How do you write a conversational essay?
You can write in a conversational style when writing informal pieces or when trying to target an audience that has a casual interest in your topic. Using language that is too dense may alienate some readers, so adopting a more casual tone can help your message appeal to a broader audience.
How do you write a conversational sentence?
And it’s so easy to do: just don’t let a sentence through unless it’s the way you’d say it to a friend.” Using a conversational tone in writing is a great way to engage your audience. So give it a try. Break some rules and give your readers a good reason to keep reading. Take the time to edit your copy to make it more conversational.
What is the basis of conversational writing?
The basis of conversational writing is a simple text so readers can follow your ideas with ease: Here are some examples … 1. Eliminate complicated sentences Complicated sentences are a sure sign of writerliness. So, keep your sentences simple and mostly short. The occasional long sentence is fine—as long as each sentence is easy to read.
What is a conversational essay?
A conversational essay is a piece of writing written in an informal style that mimics how you would talk to a friend. You can write in a conversational style when writing informal pieces or when trying to target an audience that has a casual interest in your topic.
