Ah, writing conversational copy.
Sometimes, it’s called chatty copywriting or laid-back copywriting. But before I show you how to create an easy-to-follow guide for writing conversational copy, let’s look at what it actually is.
In reality, it’s writing in a way that feels less like a yawn-inducing sales pitch and more like catching up for a chinwag with a friend.
So, let’s stop faffing and start digging into this ultimate guide.
What is Conversational Copywriting?
Conversational copywriting speaks directly to you as a person. It’s not corporate or crammed with mind-boggling jargon. It has a warm, inviting tone — like when you meet a friend for coffee and have a good ol’ chinwag. It’s:
- Relaxed
- Ditches formalities
- A lot easier to read
- A way for people to see your personality
Whether you’re writing a blog post, an Instagram caption or a sales page, remember this: Writing conversational copy is about being human because that connects you with your customers and builds long-lasting connections.
The basis of writing conversational copy in ten steps
Before you attempt to use conversational copywriting on your website and in your marketing, you need to get the basics in place to help you do just that.
With that in mind, check out these ten steps first:
One. Create an Ideal Client Persona
Don’t write a thing before you nail exactly who you’re writing for.
Why?
Because what one client will class as conversational copywriting, another won’t.
Yes, you might have products that will be bought by:
- A 23-year-old university graduate
- A 38-year-old stay-at-home Dad
- A 75-year-old retired woman with two dogs
But how you appeal to each of them will be completely different.
When you know everything about your ideal clients, such as their dreams, goals, aspirations, hobbies, favourite movies, etc., it’s much easier to connect with them in every piece of copy you write.
It doesn’t matter if you have more than one ideal client (don’t have more than three). You can’t always speak to everyone, but you can talk to the individual client persona in the right places and at the right time.
If you don’t know where to start, download my FREE Ideal Client Persona questionnaire and pin down who you’re selling to.
Two. Compile a brand dictionary
What do and don’t you say? When you start writing your chatty copy, you need to know which words your audience relates to and which will scare them. If you’re not sure, here are ways to find these out:
- Scrawl through your WhatsApp messages and texts
- Read your emails
- Ask friends and family
- Jump on social media and read your posts and comments
These are great for finding those quirky bits of lingo only you use, and which sound so far from you it’s embarrassing. Knowing this is all part of creating a tone of voice guide.
For example, I say ‘Yeah‘, ‘You know‘ and ‘Flippin’‘ a lot, so that’s in my brand voice guidelines – so I use them flippin’ loads in my copy, you know, yeah?
If you don’t know where to start, check out my Brand Voice Consultant page (cos I’m a tone of voice consultant too) for some help. And also have a little read of my article, Do you need Tone of Voice guidelines?
Three. Listen to yourself
Write down some ideas, or even go to your current website or social media posts, read what you’ve written out and record yourself. We all hate our voices, but this stage is crucial. Notice if you:
- Change any words (sometimes we write words we’d never say)
- How fast you read
- Whether your tone is excitable, monotone, fast or slow
And listen out for any phrases or words you use all the time.
Tip: Ummm and Erm shouldn’t be added to your brand dictionary (obvs!), as you’ll have loads of them when you first start reading (especially if you create video posts).
Four. Use active voice
So, what is active voice? This:
- Bob drank his Cola in two seconds!
And what is passive voice? This:
- The Cola drink was drunk by Bob in approximately two seconds.
Active voice is way more engaging, right?
Five. Use short sentences
Like this. 
Or maybe a bit longer, like this. If you can explain something in fewer words, do so.
Six. Talk to one person
Write as if you’re talking to one person. Use first and second pronouns, like:
- You
- Your
- Yours
- We
- Us
- Our
Use what you would if you were gabbing to a mate.
Seven. Don’t overcomplicate your words
Keep it simple.
When writing conversational copy, imagine yourself in a group of corporate bigwigs from an industry you don’t know. Then, listen to what they say. You’ll likely be baffled and not understand most of what they say. Your audience, however knowledgeable about your industry, doesn’t need to read complicated, jargon-filled material.
Eight. Break punctuation and grammar rules
Yeah, you heard that right!
Start sentences with ‘And‘ or ‘But‘. Say ‘Yer‘ or ‘Ya‘ instead of ‘You‘. Stick a LOL at the end of a funny sentence. T
here are fewer rules to live by with written content these days, so don’t be afraid to take the rules you learnt at school and ignore them – especially if your audience isn’t arsed about them!
Remember, your Brand Dictionary will include these, so you’ll already know which to use.
Nine. Go BIG on personality
Don’t write in a way that makes you sound boring and safe if you’re not. Informal copy is all about letting people see the real you.
By following all the steps above, especially creating a brand dictionary, not overcomplicating your words and breaking grammar and punctuation rules, you’ll already be well on your way to doing this.
Rememeber to listen back to how you speak (as mentioned in point three), it’s a really good way to make writing conversational copy a lot easier!
Ten. Ask for feedback
Go on social media and ask your audience if your copy resonates with them. Ask them what they love and hate, what they want more of and what feels strange and unnatural.
Who better to tell you if there’s a disconnect than the people you’re targeting?
Five conversational copywriting tips – with examples
Now you know how to create it, here are five examples of writing conversational copy and putting it into action.
One. Social Media Posts
Instead of posting bland, promotional content, spice up your social media content with fun, conversational copy. For example:
“Hands up if you’re guilty of spending too much time deciding what to wear in the morning?
Me too, which is why I thought it was about time to get new stock in and spoil you with options. I can’t promise it’ll save you time, but I can promise you’ll look incredible running for the bus!”
Two. Email Marketing
Dry, corporate emails can get in the bin.
Say hello to witty copy instead:
Hey, Bernard!
First off, love, love, LOVE the project you did with Beryl’s Beans.
Honestly, I’ve had that jingle in my head for months!
By the way, I’ve noticed you haven’t updated your blog since July (probably cos you’ve been way too busy with that incredible beans project). I’m a copywriter, maybe that’s something I could help you with?
If you’re looking for someone to keep that up-to-date while you’re keeping your finger on the pulse, I’d love to chat.
Thanks!
Matt
A lot more readable than a generic message right?
Three. Website Copy
A travel agency called Dream Holidays, for example, might welcome visitors with a message like:
Looking for your next adventure?
Whether you dream of sandy beaches or bustling city streets, we turn your dream destinations into a reality.
Four. Product Descriptions
Don’t bore your customers with bland product descriptions — entertain them!
A gourmet food company might describe their artisanal cheese like this:
“Creamy, decadent, and oh-so-addictive—our artisanal cheese is a flavour explosion waiting to happen. Say cheese and get ready for a taste that’s so gouda, you’ll think it’s brie-lliant!”
Yeah, puns. Even gourmet food companies use them!
Five. Blog Posts
Actually, no examples needed. Just reread this article or head to my Copywriting Blog for tonnes of chatty copy content.
Ready to start writing conversational copy?
You can find out even more about informal copywriting in my article, 15 ways to write in a chatty tone of voice (with examples) or by checking out my Conversational Copywriter page.
Or, if you’ve read all this way about writing conversational copy and can’t face it, pop me an email and let’s chat.
Yeah, you know you flippin’ want to.
Until next time
