Once upon a time, websites heralded professionality by way of an unbiased opinion, neutral tone, passive voice…
(Yawn.)
Blogs and diaries were for a more personal style of writing g– one speaking directly to the reader and writing now from the perspective of the writer.
These platforms also allowed for personal anecdotes that more serious forums never would. But as time has gone on and media have merged and transcended, all content has slowly grown more personal and, therefore, more casual.
Queue the “conversational” writing style that’s sweeping headlines of every digital marketing blog and online trend tracker. I, for one, love this style of writing. As an ex-lifestyle blogger (and avid blog consumer), I value the intimacy that this writing style encourages.
It is a way for online authorities to seem accessible and down-to-earth. Are you more likely to trust me if I’m some enigmatic online persona or a natural person with authentic experiences that mirror your own?
A conversational tone also usually means a more reader-friendly and easy-to-understand tone. This doesn’t mean you have to dumb everything down for your audience (although catering to the lay reader with limited knowledge of your industry is important). It means that you can speak as you would to a friend.*
*Minus the endearing expletives.**
**Or hell, maybe add them in! It might build some rapport.
Not only will this allow you to appear more transparent, but it will also enable you to naturally work keywords and key terms into your content (which will help you rank higher in LSI searches).
And here’s a tremendous personal perk: Writing casually makes your job heaps easier.
Isn’t it better to let your stream of consciousness guide you than spend hours trying to craft a perfectly constructed sentence? Yeah, I thought so. Stop wasting time thinking, ditch the filter, and start writing. It’s better to get something on the page, no matter how raw, than do nothing because you’re so focused on making it perfect.
Readers don’t want perfection; they want something relatable and real.
(Of course, you should always allow time to go back and clean things up before your content goes live, mainly to check for errors and ensure that you represent yourself and your brand in a positive light).
If you are interested in embracing a conversational style for your website but are confused about where to start, refer to our article on bucket brigades. While not inherently conversational, the format they follow lends itself very well to that writing style. So why not pair the two for the ultimate one-two punch of reader engagement?
I’m talking little tidbits of information with questions, hooks to keep readers interested, and relevant media to excite them.
A typical conversation wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) be one-sided. If you find yourself droning on for hours on end, you’re going to bore your company.
Instead, engage in some friendly online banter. That’s what the conversational style of writing is here for!
It’s the best way to connect with your audience and develop your brand’s “voice” (i.e., that thing you hear digital marketers rant so much about). When you speak authentically, people will listen.
For more information on how to integrate conversational content into your website, contact Search Marketing Group® today!
