Conversational Copy: Creating Personal Connection in Every Post

Conversational copy sounds like a mouthful and it’s actually a very simple concept. Instead of torturing yourself and your reader with a lot of industry jargon and pointless drivel, you simply have a conversation on paper.

Too often when I’m checking out a designer’s site, it reads like either a term paper or a formal presentation instead of a conversation between friends. Conversational copy is the key to creating a personal connection online. It doesn’t matter if this is your website, your Facebook page, your Instagram caption, or a tweet. Using conversational copy is the key to being magnetic and irresistible to your market.

Recently I was coaching a designer who opened her site with “HOLA!” it was super friendly, very personal and yet I had no clue what the story was there. It turns out, buried in her About Me section (and I always encourage a shift to “Meet Me or Meet Your Name“) was her story of having a BA in Spanish and Sociology and a Masters. I suddenly understood why it sounded like I was reading a thesis, and why she used “HOLA!”

In addition, this very talented interior designer has a wonderful history of global travel and that influence inspires and informs her design style. That makes her unique and adds color and dimension to who she is as a person and a professional. Bring your best bits forward instead of burying them under stiff, formal, generic copy.

Keep in mind, this is not a slam. It is an open-hearted invitation to bring yourself, relaxed and fun, because I can see that side too, into your copy. It’s easy to overthink it and load it with big words and litter your copy with jargon. That will only alienate your market and make them feel stupid. When someone feels stupid or like they’ve no idea what you’re talking about, they aren’t going to hire you.

The next time you sit down to write, whether it’s a caption for Instagram, a Facebook post, a tweet, or website or marketing copy, literally picture your ideal client across the table. Imagine that each of you has a favorite beverage in hand and you’re just having a conversation.

You’re not preaching, though they may be inspired, and you’re not teaching, though they may learn something. You’re engaged in a conversation that requires listening, talking, laughing, asking questions. It’s a two way dialogue, not a monologue.

This is what I’m doing right now as I’m writing this to you! And I’m also channeling the experiences I have coaching designers in how to find your voice so you don’t have to think about this, it just becomes second nature. School learning tends to be very formal, structured, rigid with a lot of rules. Communication is about being personally creative to convey information and receive feedback. It’s not rigid, definitely informal, and there are no rules.

Relax, jump in, the conversation is fine!

About Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt is a sought-after business coach, marketing consultant, keynote speaker and workshop leader who empowers designers to build highly profitable businesses, without the burnout. With over three decades as the principal of her namesake successful residential design firm, Melissa brings firsthand experience and proven strategies to guide creative professionals earn more in less time, with less stress.

She is the author of four transformative bestselling books, Marketing Luxury Design: Attracting Affluent Clients; The Language of Success: 35 Words to Boost Your Worth & Wealth; Design Discovery: The Proven Process to Land Ideal Clients & Grow Profit, and Proximity to Profits: 50 Strategic Locations to Meet Affluent Clients.

She is also the host of the weekly Design Business Freedom™ podcast, where she shares unfiltered advice on mindset, money, and marketing for interior design pros ready to elevate their game. When you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, book a complimentary Design Business Assessment with Melissa.

Melissa draws inspiration from her legacy of iconic creatives including her mother, the late Academy Award-winning actress Anne Baxter; her godmother, the legendary eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head; and her great-grandfather, American architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright.