Writing a blog or website content, or even a social media post can be daunting at times. Not only do you have to develop and organize your content in an easy-to-digest way, you have to find a writing style that you’re comfortable with. A style that fits the situation at hand and your company. Some occasions call for formal writing (the kind your teachers drilled into your brain in high school and college), while others call for a more casual tone - like on social media. The academic style wouldn’t be appropriate on Facebook or Twitter: you’ll just  sound stiff, not relatable, and out of place. After years of academic writing in high school, I remember my English teacher fighting to get us to “relax our grammar” and use a more conversational tone. My class had just spent years memorizing SAT vocabulary words and learning how to write a research paper. But we succeeded, and I know you can, too! Just sit back, relax, and let me guide you through finding your conversational social media voice.

Consistency is Key

The most important thing to remember when developing your online voice is to be consistent. Not only will it help you present a consistent brand image to the public, it will also get easier to write when you keep using the conversational writing techniques that work best for you!

Basic Writing Rules Still Apply

• Ideas should be clear and concise
• Use an active voice rather than a passive voice. Examples: ✖ Passive: A conversational tone is used to make social media content more relatable. ✔ Active: I use a conversational tone to make social media content more relatable.
• Double-check your homophones. (There/their/they’re, write/right, your/you’re, then/than, apart/a part (of), to/too/two, are/our, here/hear, by/buy, etc. Check out this list of commonly-confused homophones)
• Spell-check! Microsoft Word, Google Drive, and most internet browsers all have these built-in now

Formal Grammar Rules You Can Break

• You don’t necessarily have to write in complete sentences
• It’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition
• Use contractions - Can’t, shouldn’t, you’re, I’ll, didn’t, etc.
• Write in the first and second person, using “you” and “I”. This is especially helpful when you try to use an active voice
• You can even start a sentence with “or,” “but,” or “and!”

Be Relatable

If you’re being yourself while writing things like blogs and social media posts, it’ll sound natural and conversational. Just write the way you talk and have fun! Readers will pick up on that and have fun reading it, too. You can make jokes and be funny, and even use animated GIFs to express a feeling or attitude. GIFs are a great way to stand out because they are visual, but also humorous and relatable when used well. Be like relatable, awkward Jimmy via GIPHY You can find some more on  www.giphy.com.

Use “Asides”

Asides can be used to insert a separate but related comment into the middle of another thought. It’s a very conversational way of writing since it allows you to go slightly off topic before going back to your thought, the same way you might when talking. Here are some different ways to write asides:

• Parentheses: In the fall, I usually order a pumpkin spice latte ('cause they are the best), when I get coffee.
• Em Dashes (longer than a normal dash): In the fall, I usually order a pumpkin spice latte – 'cause they are the best – when I get coffee.
• Ellipsis: In the fall, I usually order a pumpkin spice latte...'cause they are the best...when I get coffee.

Text Formatting Matters

Exclamation points make you sound friendly! And sentences IN ALL CAPS CAN MAKE IT SEEM LIKE YOU'RE YELLING...or are just way too excited...kind of like a used car salesman that is really excited to sell you a car TODAY! Ending sentences with periods, especially short sentences, often sounds rude or forceful. Be mindful of how your typing makes you sound online. I like to use exclamation points at the beginning of a paragraph to set a friendly tone, or at the end to leave readers on a positive note!

Break the 4th Wall

This is a theatre expression which means an actor acknowledges and addresses the audience by breaking the imaginary “fourth” wall between the stage in the audience. It may be uncomfortable at first, but soon you’ll be chatting with your readers as though they were right there in the room with you!

Find an Example You Like

One of the best ways to find your voice is to copy the style of another writer you like (although make sure not to copy their content). Find out how they interact online with their customers and try to mimic their tone with yours. One thing to note is to make sure your voice across all mediums remains consistent. Once you find your voice, that becomes your "brand voice." By having a certain tone online, you have personified your company and it should match up with your company values. If you are more low key, be low key with your online interactions. Even if you're more professional and high-class, you can still have a conversational tone with your online interactions.

Last but not least…

Don’t overdo it! You don’t have to use every single suggestion out there, but you don’t want to keep using the same technique over and over again. Use enough variety that you’re not being repetitive, but keep it simple enough that you’re not overthinking it and making your writing sound forced. As with anything, practice makes perfect, so get out there and write!