The real power of conversational copywriting lies in identifying the conversations your prospects really want to have.
All too often it’s the marketer who decides on the topic of the conversation.
“We want to talk about our new product launch.”
“We want our prospects to engage with us in conversation about the amazing services we offer.”
Well… that’s not being truly conversational, is it?
Conversation is as much about listening as it is about talking.
It’s about taking turns.
I’ve added a chatbot to my Facebook page.
We had a conversation…
Chatbot: I’m confused. Where am I? Come to think of it, who or what am I?
Nick: You’re a chatbot. I created you to help me connect with people who might be interested in conversational copywriting.
Chatbot: Ok. Still confused. But… quick question… does this mean I’m like an AI? Am I super-intelligent?
Nick: Afraid not. No AI. No machine learning. Dumb as a post.
For several years now I’ve been raising my hand and saying…
“Hey, the future of marketing online is conversational!”
And then… this last weekend…
Wow.
TOTAL confirmation of that vision of a conversational future.
If your brand or business is going to be conversational, it needs a voice.
But what kind of voice? What should it sound like? What kind of vocabulary should you use?
Companies find their voices in all kinds of different ways.
Sometimes it’s the voice of the founder.
For a long time, the voice of Apple was the voice of Steve Jobs. And the voice of the Virgin group of companies is Richard Branson, more or less.
Other times companies can borrow the voices of brand ambassadors or through celebrity endorsements. Those borrowed voices are intended to match the character of the company or brand.
The concept of the Cooperative Principle was introduced by philosopher H. Paul Grice way back in 1975.
Grice had noticed that when two people are holding a conversation, they tend to cooperate in some important ways.
He framed the Cooperative Principle with four conversational ‘maxims’ people should follow to move a conversation forward.
Here’s a simplified version of what he drafted…
If you’ve ever listened to advice on losing weight, you’re probably familiar with the term “empty calories”.
It simply means the food you’re eating – like a candy bar – is full of calories, but has negligible nutritional value.
The same can happen in writing.
Lots of words, negligible meaning.
And perhaps surprisingly, some of the biggest offenders are digital ad agencies.
You’d think marketing professionals would know better. But apparently not.
Here’s an example of what I mean…