Your audience doesn’t care how smart you sound…
Sounding clever isn’t the goal. Connecting with your audience is.
But somewhere along the way, a lot of business owners start writing like they’re trying to impress a panel of judges instead of actual people. Out come the fancy words, the industry lingo, the slightly-too-polished tone that doesn’t sound like them (or like anyone really).
The result? Copy that’s technically correct but completely disconnected. It says what they do, but not why it matters. It explains their services but doesn’t show the audience they understand them.
And that’s the bit that makes all the difference.
When professional starts to sound like pointless
You’ve seen it. Maybe even done it (none of us are infallible). That moment when a business swaps out simple, clear language for something they think sounds more ‘professional’.
Suddenly you get “We design bespoke brand solutions that accelerate growth” instead of “We help you figure out your message and get more people to care.”
One sounds smart. The other actually means something to the person reading it.
Copywriting, whether it’s for your website, emails, social media (or anywhere else) is not about being clever. It’s about being clear.
If your audience has to stop and decode what you’re saying, you’ve already lost them.
They don’t want to be dazzled. They want to feel like you get them, and like you’ve got something worth listening to.
Connection > Cleverness
Most people don’t wake up wondering if they’re going to come across an offer that’s “strategically aligned with their long-term goals”. They wake up wondering how they’re going to get through another chaotic week with a to-do list taller than they are.
Your content marketing needs to meet them there.
That means showing you understand. That you know what’s going on in their world. That you’ve seen these struggles before and actually have a way through.
You can’t do that with cold, formal, or overly clever copy. You do it by saying something simple, true, and relatable with a sprinkle of your personality - something that makes your reader think, "Yep. That’s me."
When your brand messaging reflects your audience’s reality (not your industry’s jargon) they start to trust you. And trust is what drives conversation, and conversion.
It’s not about dumbing it down. It’s about making it land
Simple language isn’t the same as simplistic thinking. Keep in mind that this isn’t about treating your audience like they can’t handle complexity. It’s about not making them work to understand you.
You can be strategic, insightful, even sharp, quick-witted, and genius. But if your audience feels like your words weren’t written for them, they’ll scroll right past.
It’s not a comprehension issue - it’s a connection issue.
Your job isn’t just to explain what you do. It’s to show people that what you do actually matters to them.
This is where a strong content strategy makes all the difference. A clear strategy will help you focus not just on what you offer, but how it solves your audience’s real-world problems.
Personal beats polished every time
People don’t buy from perfectly phrased sentences. They buy from people.
They want to know:
Have you helped someone like me before?
Do you get what I’m dealing with?
Will this actually work for someone in my shoes?
And most importantly, they want to feel like the person behind the brand is real. Human. A bit like them.
That’s what builds trust. Not jargon. Not polish. Not copy that sounds like it’s been through four rounds of compliance training and AI revisions.
That’s why tone of voice matters. That’s why brand voice guidelines aren’t just documents to be created and then left to collect dust - they help you stay consistent, relatable, and recognisable.
How do you write in a way that connects with people?
Simple. You write like a person. Not like a company brochure. Not like a committee wrote it. Not like you swallowed a thesaurus. You.
Use the kind of language you’d use if you were chatting over coffee. Focus on how your offer helps them, not just how it works Keep it clear, conversational, and warm.
And if you’re not sure whether your content’s doing that? Ask yourself this: would you say this to someone face-to-face?
If not, there’s probably a better way to say it.
If you’re struggling to find the right words or you’re second-guessing how your content sounds, book a content review to help figure out what’s working, and what needs rethinking.
