One of the best ways to connect with visitors to your website is to write like you talk. In fact, I would say the most under appreciated aspect of good writing is the flow of the words and how they sound when spoken. Good “flow” can make the message resonate. It makes it memorable. Like a good song with a hooky melody, conversational writing can cause the reader to recall what they read over and over again through the course of the day. This kind of command over written language creates a strong connection with your audience and …makes them come back for more. Take for example a good blog. What makes you come back again and again? The informal and conversational tone is a big part of it. The substance of the message is critical too – but it’s not everything. It’s how you say it, right? In this case, it’s how you write it.

Of course, you’ll want to remove all the “ums”, “ahs” and pauses. You don’t want to make your website copy exactly like the way you speak. The other good thing about writing is that you can think about what you want to write before you write it. The spoken word usually requires instant answers and quick-on-your-feet replies. That’s the good news: for those out there who aren’t the best spoken communicators, conversational writing may be made for you.

A few tips and tricks of capturing a conversational tone:

1. Think about how you talk - what makes people want to listen to you? Modulating your voice (changing the volume or pitch) is one way – it makes what you’re saying more interesting. The written equivalent? Combine short and long sentences in what you’re writing. Don’t make them all the same.

2. Use emotion and passion – use bolding, underlining and emotionally charged words to get your message across. Again, just like how we talk – most people use strong adjectives to describe something or emphasize certain words based on the importance of what they are saying.

3. Break the “rules” of English – use run-ons and one word sentences occasionally. After all, isn’t that how we talk? Try it out!

4. Use repetition – use the same emphasized word in 3 consecutive sentences. People do this all the time when they talk. Why? To make a point and drive the message home. You can do the same thing when you write copy.

5. Analyze other good conversational writing and try to mimic it. – Not to toot my own horn, but check out the copy I wrote for www.customcopywriting.com. A big part of what I was trying to do there was write the content in an informal tone – in a way that everyone would understand: from a 3^rd grader to a PhD.

So, when all is said and done, why does conversational writing work?

Because it makes it easier for your prospect. It makes it easier to get the message across. It makes it easier for them to understand…There’s less thinking involved. Plus, it’s a warmer way of communicating. It makes people more comfortable. And after all, we have become a more informal culture anyway. People almost expect it.

So, try it out on your site and see what the response is. You may be surprised.

Good luck!