Article · ~10 min read

Write Like You Talk: 12 Tips for Conversational Content

Darek Black · Content Marketing Institute Free Beginner

When people say your copy reads like a translation, they usually mean it reads like writing, not like a person talking. This piece gives you concrete moves to close that gap: read it aloud, cut the words you would never say out loud (utilise, regarding), use contractions, and write to one reader as "you". It is a practical starting point you can run over your next landing page in an afternoon.

• Read your copy aloud: if a sentence makes you gasp for breath or sounds stiff, it is not how you would actually say it.
• Swap formal words for spoken ones (use, not utilise) and lean on contractions and short sentences to loosen the rhythm.
• Write to one person as "you" so the copy feels like a conversation, not a corporate announcement.