1. Write how you speak
We’re all human – and we make better connections with people by being ourselves.
Do you ever read your writing out loud? This helps us make sure what we’re writing reflects our voice – rather than just our thoughts. Writing conversationally this way makes it easier for people to relate to us.
Plus reading aloud helps us to avoid skim reading when we’re checking through our writing – from mistakes and typos to clunky language. These are the sorts of thing which can throw readers off the scent.
2. Use contractions
We recommend writing contractions like ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’ – because that’s usually how we say things out loud. There’s an ingrained habit in many of us to be a bit more formal when it comes to writing. Especially in school – we’re told contractions don’t look academic or professional enough.
But when’s the last time you spoke without using contractions? They sound so much more natural – and they’re easier to read too.
‘Let’s leave’ sounds way more human than ‘let us leave’. Which also sounds like ‘lettuce leaf’ when you say it out loud!
3. Use pronouns
Writing pronouns like ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘our’ makes writing more personable and conversational. It’s especially important for us all to relate to each other right now – using pronouns helps us to feel connected.
Contractions are also handy when we’re using pronouns:
- I will = I’ll
- You would = you’d
- We are = we’re
- They have = they’ve
4. Start sentences with ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or
The Victorian grammar boffins among us might argue otherwise, and it has to be said – there’s a time and place not to do this. If we’re writing anything academic or official, it’s probably better to stay more formal.
But for less-formal writing, starting sentences with conjunctions helps to improve sentence flow. And avoids long rambles.
5. Mix up your sentence lengths
This helps your writing sound more natural. For most of us, when we’re feeling relaxed and friendly, we’ll think/talk in short, medium and longer bursts. All jumbled up together. Whereas if we’re feeling less relaxed, we’ll probably stick to a more formulaic sentence length.
So mixing the lengths up gives your writing a more chatty feel. One word of warning though – don’t go too long. Super long sentences put most people off and make digesting the words harder.
6. Use dashes
To create space in a sentence and avoid more formal punctuation, we love using dashes. That’s the ‘–’ rather than the smaller ‘-’ which is a hyphen!
- Hyphens connect words together, like sustainably-sourced materials
- Dashes can be used instead of colons or semi-colons – like this
- Use dashes to break up slightly longer sentences
- Hold the control and minus key on your keyboard to create a dash
7. Include quotes or a Q&A
If you’re explaining something complex, think about including quotes or a Q&A with people – maybe customers or staff.
Or in the kind words of our client James:
“Helping users to understand the complex is essential to UX and Tim’s grasp of simplifying the unwieldy and producing microcopy that works has been invaluable.”
– James Durrant, Senior Digital Experience Manager
8. Avoid robotic language
Things like ‘regards’, ‘best wishes’, ‘the customer’.
These aren’t that friendly or individual, so they can put people off. Even in corporate settings, we’ve noticed how people love a human, conversational touch. ‘All the best’ and ‘thanks so much’ sound more relatable.
And whenever we can use natural language that we’d say out loud, that means we’re writing content for humans!
Want more conversational tips?
Or someone to write for you, or to check whether your writing sounds human and flows naturally?