Digital communication, especially in social media, is often called a conversation because of the two-way flow of information. Your web writing needs to have a relaxed, conversational style that encourages reader feedback and engagement, just like a friendly chat.
While this conversational style is often seen at its best in blogs and other social media, it can also work in more traditional corporate communication, which usually ends up on an intranet, web site or other electronic space.
What's more, employees keep telling us that they prefer face-to-face communication. That's why, when we can't talk to everyone individually, we need to make our writing more like a conversation.
The best way to do this is to pretend you're talking with the person you'd most like to reach. For example, as I write this, I'm pretending to talk to a corporate communication professional who needs to shake up his online writing so that he can have better success in motivating employees to throw their weight behind the latest company change.
Not only will this approach foster two-way dialogue and engagement, but it will also make his writing easier, faster and more fun.
Here are six tips you can try to make your writing more conversational.
1. Write as "I" to "you," not the impersonal "we" of the organization to the impersonal mass "they." For example, the announcement for a new project should come from its leader, not a faceless team, department or other organization.
2. Build hypothetical reader reaction into your writing by asking and answering the questions you expect your readers to ask. Anticipate and overcome their objections. Interact with the people you need to reach, rather than just your keyboard, computer screen and your own thoughts.
3. Think about what your readers enjoy in conversation and then apply it to your writing. For example, would they like anecdotes, case studies, metaphors, statistical backup or humor?
4. Ignore any rules you routinely break in conversation, such as the ban on ending sentences with dangling prepositions. Write from your gut.
5. Talk out loud as you write and rewrite, if you can. If you don't want to seem like the crazy person in the cubicle farm, try just muttering under your breath. Or simply pretend you are reading aloud.
6. Be yourself. Inject personal examples, your pet expressions and opinions. If you're funny in person, try some humor. If you're a person of few words, write that way.
Talk as research
If you're writing for another person (for example, ghostwriting a blog), add as much of that person's personality and speaking patterns as you can.
If, for example, you're writing about a new initiative, ask the person in charge why she's excited. Don't do your research only through e-mail and Twitter, or by looking at strategic plans or business cases, as you'll likely end up with the corporate speak most executives default to when they're typing. Instead, talk to her, in person or on the telephone, until you reach the heart of the matter. Make sure she answers all of your questions and overcomes any objections that you anticipate from employees or other stakeholders. Then replicate the conversation in your writing.
If you are writing for an executive who's not giving you enough face time, pay close attention to what she says when you hear her present in a meeting or talk with a colleague.
Look and listen, and you'll learn about the personality traits, signature expressions and feelings you can work into your writing. Then can you start to spread the excitement to your readers.
The best of writing and talking
Of course, this conversational approach doesn't mean you need to throw out what's superior about writing. On the contrary, you still need to think through what you're going to say, how you're going to say it and who you're going to say it to.
You need to keep thinking as you revise, to sharpen the focus, pare down rambling conversations and dazzle with your advanced writing techniques.
By combining the best of writing with the best of conversation, you can make your writing thoughtful and polished, compelling and inspiring.
For me, the transition to conversational writing has been fun. But I know many professional communicators who are finding it a stretch. So relax. Practice my six tips until they become natural.
For more discussion on this topic and to share your tips please check out Barb's post on the IABC LinkedIn Group.
