What is writing style?

how to avoid the ungodly “this doesn’t sound like us” scenario.

Style: this concept refers to the rhythm one feels when reading your words…

Here’s what I mean:

When you listen to rap, you'll agree with me that those are words, right?

But…

 you will also agree with me that those words spoken in rhythm make listening to it enjoyable, right?

Likewise in writing…

And these tools get you close when writing and getting a brand voice.

 this alone will help you avoid the dreaded, “this doesn’t sound like us” scenario.

Now this leads me to my next point:

How to Use tools like question marks, commas, and short sentences to get rhythm.

Have you read a copy from brands like gyms, the military… and authoritative brands?

If you notice, they create authoritative voice by writing short punchy statements…

Let’s take an example:

“Hey brother, it’s time to take a long hard look in the mirror and decide…

How long will you settle for mediocrity?

Do you want to be average or savage? Bitch or beast? Ridden with anxiety or ripped or muscular?

Every choice you make is determining who you will become.”

—

Now when you read that, even without me sayin’ anything, you will know, that voice is for a gym or maybe someone in the military.

Why? Because it sets a tone, a pace that’s not defined with words alone but by signs. You can sense the gym bro talking to you with energy.

On the other hand, not all brands sound like gyms.

Some are excited… some are dull.

Some are formal and “as a matter of fact”. Like: “banks”.

So, how do you get a brand voice?

Well, there are two things I will be considering here.

The surface and the in-depth.

But first, lemme explain what I mean by surface:

A brand voice is how best you need to pass your message to your audience.

Now, remember the first law of sales: mirroring.

Here’s what that means.

You need to talk like your target audience, that’s all!

So how do you know how your audience speaks?

Or if you’re a copywriter like I am, how do we know?

Well, you get to meet them.

Or you meet the people who speak to them on a regular basis… the sales team, the clerks, the owner of the business… the people that partook in the creation of the product, etc.

Now when you’ve gotten to interview and research these guys…

You will get to understand:

What do they sound like?

How do they express their ideas?

Terms they will be familiar with.

What kind of imagery they will resonate with.

Then in extreme cases, what movies they watch. Books they read etc.

That said, diving deeper…

When you get to understand all those things…

There’s this last thing you need to understand for you to be on the safer side.

Here’s what i mean:

When writing the easier it is to understand what you’re writing, the better.

And that’s why it’s generally advisable to write for basic 5. If there’s any word that a basic 5 cannot understand, I advise you to replace such words.

There Are exceptions here though.

If and only if it’s a niche term (a term that makes you appear to be one of them),

Apart from that, you’re hurting your conversion.

Note this: you’re communicating emotions not writing to impress.

Then lastly, read comics.

Why? Because comics are the easiest writing things to understand and also…

In comics, they write the way they speak. And that’s KEY.

Then just one more point:

Watch movies… read the subtitle.  They write the way they talk.