Does your content have that awful stench of the boring academic classroom? Unless your goal is to sound like your 7th grade english teacher, you should be aiming to have a conversation with your readers, not a lecture. Ryan Erskine explains why...

1. No, Conversa,onal
Content Doesn’t Mean
Unprofessional
Here’s Why…

2. Why do you focus on written content?
No, really. Think about it?
Is your goal to drive sales?
Sell your product? Generate brand loyalty?

3. Unless your goal is to come across as a stuffy high
school english teacher, then conversational content
will be crucial for connecting with your readers.

4. Formal writing is okay in some academic situations,
but it’s not helpful for engaging readers.
So what are some ways you can make your writing
more conversational?

5. Your readers are flying through
your content (and everyone
else’s) on autopilot. How do
you stop them in your tracks?
You ask them questions.
ASK QUESTIONS
They’re a natural part of any
conversation, and they belong
in your writing.

6. Keep it Short & Sweet
Short sentences are snappy.
They pack a punch. They make an impact.
Long winding sentences are nice when
you’re writing creative prose. But they can
seem overwhelming to the average reader.
And don’t forget to take advantage of white space!
(Or black space in this case…)
Try working with smaller sentences.

7. Cut the Vocab Words
Those “million dollar words”
are worthless if they turn your
readers off from what you
have to say.
People don’t use heavy vocab words in everyday
conversation. So why should you use them in your
written content? If they’re not helping you achieve
your goal, then cut them out.

8. Write to the Individual
Thanks to those of you who….
To whom it may concern…
It’s been a pleasure serving all of you…
Write to the masses and you’ll connect with no
one. Write to the individual and you’ll find it
easier to keep your writing casual, heartfelt, and
personal.
Thanks to our customers…

9. Of course, you must always remember your audience.
Conversational content will work better in some
situations and be less appropriate in others.
Read your content ALOUD to see if it fits with the
style and tone you’re going for. If it doesn’t sound
engaging to your ear, it certainly won’t come
across positively in text.

10. ryanerskine.com