As I wrote in my previous article on the blog, our tech dependence has led us to value the human touch more than ever. And that means it has never been so important for your brand to have a human voice.
The only problem is that many people end up sounding a little robotic when they write about their own business.
They default back to the academic style of writing that they were taught in High School or University. What they write doesn’t tend to sound human at all. It doesn’t grab their prospects’ attention. And it doesn’t resonate with them.
Is this a familiar problem for you?
If so, read on to discover seven tips you can take away today for giving your brand a more human voice.
1. Listen
It might seem odd to read that one of the most important skills of a writer is to listen. But remember that whether you’re writing content for your website or articles for your blog, you should be aiming at a particular profile.
You should have an ideal customer persona you’re trying to attract.
That means you need to have the empathy to see things from her point of view. What’s most important to her? What does she worry about? Are there particular problems that she encounters day-to-day that your product could solve?
These crucial insights allow you to mirror your prospect’s thoughts back to her. They can turn you into a mind reader.
They allow you to address your prospect’s objections. This builds trust with her, because most brands don’t want to acknowledge any potential objections, let alone refer to them.
Most brands just assume they know what matters to their prospects. But actually they don’t, because they haven’t listened.
Do a bit of market research - whether that’s interviewing existing customers, running a workshop with your sales and customer service people, or even looking at online reviews of similar products - and you’ll not only come across as more human. You’ll also be one step ahead of your competitors.
2. Focus on your customer
Another benefit of having the empathy to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes is to realise that you’re not the protagonist in this story. Your prospect is.
In the Mad Men era of advertising, the brand that shouted the loudest tended to win the day. It was all about them. The customer was only there to be saved by some kind of wonder product.
But times have changed. The balance of power has shifted.
These days the brands that talk about themselves all the time stand out. But not in a good way.
By shifting the focus to your potential customer, you position yourself as a guide, there to help them improve their lives.
Again, this builds trust as well as giving your brand a more human voice. After all, if your content is solving problems for your audience, they’ll be more likely to see you as an authority in your industry. Someone to come back to.
Beyond this, speaking to your customers and prospects as “you” humanises your content. Copywriters understand that you is a powerful word. It involves your prospect and results in your content sounding more like a conversation with prospects across the kitchen table.
Which brings us to the next tip.
3. Speak your customer’s language
By listening to your ideal customer, you don’t only get insights into what is most important to them. You also get a sense for how they frame their desires, objections and worries. You find out the kind of language they use.
This is important, because it allows you to take your mind reader-style mirroring to the next level.
We all consume so much content these days that you have to work a bit harder than you used to for yours to cut through the noise. Mirroring back to your prospects in a language they understand will have them nodding along to themselves, thinking that your brand understands them.
You get their worldview. You know what’s important to them.
Too many brands see everybody as a potential customer. And so they aim for a neutral tone, but this only has the effect of diluting their message.
Know who you’re targeting and speak the same language they speak. You’ll sound more human and your content will resonate with the right audience.
4. Don’t use complicated business language
When we’re writing about our business, many of us stiffen up. We sit up straight in our chairs, primed to sound serious, trustworthy and authoritative.
We want to be respected, after all. So shouldn’t we use some of those clever, fancy-sounding business jargon words we’ve read in the Financial Times?
Erm, nope.
Trying to sound clever when you’re creating your brand’s content can be counterproductive.
As the famous copywriter Robert W. Bly said, “write simply and you’re the reader’s friend. Write pompously and you’re a bore.”
If you want to give your brand a more human voice, the best way to do so is to write clearly and simply. In a way that everybody understands. Remember, you’re aiming to connect with your prospect and to explain what you do as you would if you were sharing a coffee together in a relaxing environment.
So, when you’re tempted to write about “amplifying synergies”, take a second. Step back. And think about whether there might be a simpler, clearer phrase you could use instead.
5. Forget about what your English teacher taught you
Copywriters don’t like rules.
We don’t much care for strict guidelines on how the English language should be used. Especially if those guidelines get in the way of sounding punchy, exciting and, well, human.
Most English teachers wouldn’t advise using and at the beginning of a sentence, for example. And they wouldn’t suggest using a tiny sentence on its own, surrounded by a sea of clear white page.
But we do it anyway.
We do it because it helps give your writing rhythm. It’s for this reason that we mix up short sentences with medium-sized and long ones, too. This variety and rhythm keeps your prospect reading until the moment when you decide to ask her for something, whether that’s to sign up to your newsletter or to attend a webinar you’re hosting.
6. Tell a story
What’s more human than storytelling?
Telling stories is what has enabled humans to dominate the planet. And whether we’re watching our favourite new series on Netflix or deciding which brand to buy from, stories move us.
There’s a reason why so many brands have embraced the story feature on Instagram. They know it gives them a creative, visual way of telling an engaging story to connect with their customers and make new ones.
Many big brands have also invested in big content departments full of ex-journalists because they understand that their customers and prospects prefer a story to a sales pitch.
We all do.
So, if you want to give your brand a more human voice, tell a story. Tell your brand’s story on the about page of your website. Tell some success stories on your case study page. And tell stories on your blog that help the customers you seek to attract.
You’ll keep your prospects engaged and move them closer to becoming customers.
7. Be yourself
If your brand were a person, what would that person be like?
This is a useful question to ask yourself in order to build a personality for your brand. It helps ensure you have a consistent tone across all of your marketing materials.
Sometimes brands can be afraid of showing too much personality because they think it will put people off. But as I mentioned earlier, that’s actually the point. You’re not trying to attract everybody. So, it turns out that putting the wrong people off is just as important as attracting the right people.
Don’t forget that customers buy from brands they like. In the social media age this is more true than it’s ever been. So give your prospects something to like. Show a bit of personality.
Educate your audience, but try not to sound like a teacher.
Clearly, it depends on your brand and your sector, but your audience will come back to you and want to know more if your content entertains as well as educates.
I’m not talking about telling jokes and trying to be funny - that’s a risky tactic - but you can be interesting, playful, and even a little controversial.
In other words, you can be human.
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