How to Write Conversationally

Writing conversationally is a skill that has to be learned and the first step is to unlearn everything that you've been taught in high school.

As a writer, you want to appear intelligent, literate and well versed in grammar, however writing conversationally requires an additional level of writing expertise for digital marketers and marketing professionals in general.

When writing conversationally, there are a few ways you can make your content stand out to attract your target market.

We're put together our top tips for developing a conversational writing style that engages with your reader and ensures your marketing message is delivered to your target audience:

Write as if you're speaking
This may be obvious but it's not as easy as it first appears. There are a couple of ways you can put this into action starting with reading back over some old emails. Flip through emails that you've sent to your friends, the style is usually more informal and because of the potential to receive a reply straight away with email, they're often written as if you're having a conversation. Keep this style of writing in mind when planning your written content, just like you're talking to your buddy.

Understand your topic
It's vital that you do your research. As a writer, there is no way you can explain a subject informally if you don't understand it. Paraphrasing from documents will lack your natural personality and will be unappealing to your reader.

Make it personal
When engaging readers with your writing, it's important that they feel like they're the only one in the room. If you sound like you're addressing the masses, they will get that vibe too and won't pay too much attention to the content you've tried so hard to create. If it is a document for locals, mention the weather or recent events that have appeared in the community. If your writing is going further afield, refer to a recent interaction they may have had to ensure your intended reader feels like your words are meant for their eyes only.

Avoid jargon
Breaking technical terms down into everyday language will mean you'll be more likely to hold the attention of the reader for longer. If you're unsure, read back what you've written out loud or record it on your phone if necessary. Recording and listing back to your writing will provide an insight into what you sound like to your reader, if you're bored, there's a good chance your reader will be too!

Add your personality
Use personal anecdotes and experiences in your writing so that your readers get to know you. Reading about a subject is often necessary, but anything that stirs up emotions or empathy will stay in the reader's mind and will make your content much more effective.

The Internet can be a shallow place so the more the person on the other side of the screen feels like they're involved in a conversation, the better your engagement and response rate will be.