It’s time to uncover the secrets successful copywriters use to write words that actually convert.
First, let’s define what voice is, because it will help us understand what copy sounding like someone means. A business’s voice is the way it communicates, what kinds of words it uses, what kinds of words it doesn’t use. It has nothing to do with timbre and everything to do with tone. Would the business say something in a hopeful way, or with straight-forward language? Would it call the person you work with a client or a customer? Would it say “behind door number one” or “the first choice is”?
You might be thinking, “Kristin, I don’t understand how hiring a copywriter will make my copy sound like me.”
I totally get that. And actually, before we dive further into this question, I want to make a confession to you.
While copywriters are trained to be able to write in your voice (and ghostwriters even more so), sometimes we get it wrong. This week I had one of those moments.
I sent the email with a slightly adjusted voice because the idea of the email was, “We want people to feel the more likable side of our brand.” This particular brand has two polarizing viewpoints, which the target market either finds amazing or loathsome. This kind of messaging can create hardcore fans and insistent haters.
As I was writing the email, I was thinking, okay, we need to lean into the nice side of this messaging. But then I got it wrong. I added a piece of the more brash messaging in there for good measure, but I toned it down too much.
The response was immediate. “That doesn’t sound like me,” the business owner responded in an email that made my stomach drop.
Even someone as seasoned as I am can get it wrong. But why did I get it wrong? Because I was tempted to add more of the voice I personally like. Normally, I don’t have the temptation to choose the voice I like better because most brands have only one voice—meaning I had better use that one.
I’m going to put this moment in my pocket not as a failure, but as a useful lesson. It doesn’t matter what I like. It doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is that the voice sounds right for the brand.
I called the client and made things right, and now I’m telling you about what happened in the name of transparency and because we can all benefit from a lesson learned.
And now that I’ve made that confession, let’s talk about why your copy needs to sound like you.
Why your copy should sound like you
However you show up in public, whether it’s in person to a meeting or online, it’s important for you to be able to keep consistent messaging without getting exhausted. Do you know how often actors actually act? Do they do it all day every day? No, because they would be exhausted.
Most of you reading this post aren’t actors and I’m certainly not one. So we would be exhausted even if we only needed to act a little.
This is the first reason why you need your business voice to sound similar to your own voice. Or, if you’re an employee instead of an owner, the values in the messaging at least need to match your values.
Pretending is exhausting, and you need to be able to sustain.
The next reason is that it’s important for your business voice to sound like you, because if it doesn’t, you’ll attract people who like the fake voice you’re using and working with them will feel super hard. Again, you need to be able to sustain.
These are two compelling reasons to make your business voice sound like you. And if you’re not convinced, just think about how you would feel if you got to know someone who owned a business, trusted that person, and then found out that the real, authentic way they act and speak doesn’t match their business voice at all. How would you feel?
Yeah, you don’t want your clients or customers to have that feeling, do you?
You are amazing, I believe in you, and your business story matters.
Are you ready to learn more about how Literary Symmetry can help you communicate clearly with confidence to grow and scale your business? Awesome! Head here for two amazing, complimentary resources.
