Sometimes, you just really, really want to share something with anyone who will listen, or read what you write.
You can see this at home, at work, at a neighbor’s BBQ…someone is just bursting to tell everyone about something. They might even be jumping up and down in excitement.
When you feel it inside yourself, it’s like a bubble rising up, and you just have to let it out.
You have no choice. You just have to share what you are thinking and feeling.
There is an element of innocence in that burning desire to share.
Granted, out there in the yard around the BBQ, that must-share piece of information may be pretty frivolous.
But while you plan the next few pages for your website, there is probably one page more than the others that is just calling out to be written.
Given a choice, that’s the one I would write first.
Why? Because readers love to feel that excitement. It’s contagious.
I’m not talking about the manufactured, carefully crafted excitement, so popular among some copywriters. I’m talking about the real thing.
In a world of cynical readers, and sound-bite copywriting, the “real thing” is irresistible.
Even the most hardened among us smile when we come across writing that is clearly coming from the heart, and overflowing with an almost innocent energy and honesty.
When you write like that, it’s as if you are truly revealing yourself to your readers.
For the reader, that’s a breath of fresh air. It feels good.
What about keyword optimization? How about a catchy headline? What about closing the sale?
Forget about all that.
Innocent writing can be extraordinarily powerful for your website or company, in its own way.
It is deeply engaging.
It will make people want to come back for more.
It is likely to be shared far and wide through social media.
Not because it is crafted to succeed.
But because it is not.
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You left out one point: Because innocent writing is keeping it real.
Smiles,
Betty
Thank you, Nick! It’s easy to get lost in the world of SEO and keywords—some of which is necessary because you want people to find what you’re writing. But when you start writing for the search engines *instead of* for your readers, then you’ve gone too far. Thanks for calling us back to the reason we started writing in the first place—to share something of ourselves, honestly and clearly.
Nick, this post articulates beautifully the reason I chose Genuine Communications as the name of my company. I believe that people are so tired of hype, phony positioning, interruptive marketing methods that truly genuine communication is welcomed with open arms. I am definitely adding you to my list of “genuine guys” on the web.
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