When we think about copywriting, we often think of pushy and overly persuasive writing that screams “buy me, or else….”.
From an audience perspective, these copy are not written to make us feel great. They are written to create a FOMO atmosphere and pressure us to make decisions on a whim.
But as conscious brands, entrepreneurs and change makers, we don’t want our customers to feel pressured, manipulated and pushed into a corner.
We are businesses with integrity.
We want to inspire our audience. We want to make meaningful connections with them. We want to provide effective solutions with kindness. We want to empower them to make conscious choices of their own. We want to generate a positive impact in our community.
And times have changed. Consumers are becoming more and more conscious of their consumption habits. They make deliberate buying decisions that make positive contributions.
So, how can we market our brands consciously without using distasteful, high-pressured marketing tactics and copywriting?
At Creative Kynde, we believe that effective communication starts with choosing the right words. We take a conscious copywriting approach to copywriting and content writing, helping our customers to establish clear, effective and kind language to communicate with their audience.
But this doesn’t mean we skip the data and SEO magic! We also balance writing from a strong brand personality perspective, in-depth market research and data-informed strategy.
So, what does it take to become a conscious copywriter?
Shift your mindset
First and foremost, having the right mindset is crucial to writing in a kind and conscious way.
Writing, in many ways, is similar to cooking. Food tastes so much better when it’s cooked by someone who cooks out from a loving rather than spiteful mindset.
Being kind and helpful to ourselves first is crucial to write copy that oozes kindness. It’s important to give yourself time and headspace to write from a place of kindness.
Of course, in reality, time is a luxury for many marketers and content creators. Even if you don’t have hours to indulge yourself in the writing process, shift away from fearful and doubtful emotions. Doubts like “Will this really help me generate more leads?” will affect your judgement on choosing the right words.
The writing process is a beautiful, creative process where we create something meaningful through language. So, gently push away the negative thoughts and focus on what you do best – write!
Really understand your words
These days, we see certain words so used by many brands. In fact, these words are used so much that we begin to associate certain brands and industries with these words. But what do these words actually mean?
Let’s take the word “disruption” as an example. This word is often used by startups and bigger giants in the tech industry to highlight how radical their products are in changing conventional business practices and ushering us into a new magical digital era.
But “disruption” is also an aggressive word that relates to drastic changes made in our lives – “a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.” according to Merriam-Webster. Other associations with this word include “disruptions on the road” and “economic disruptions”.
I can’t say for certain that “disruption” is a must-avoid word for all conscious brands. Because that also depends on your brand values, personality and tone of voice.
It’s ok if “disruption” is what truly describes your brand. But just because everyone else is using that word, it doesn’t mean you have to use the same words. What matters more is choosing the right set of vocabulary that resonates with your brand values and personality.
That’s why, as conscious copywriters, it’s our responsibility to understand all the meanings of double or triple-edged words to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations from our audience. And in the process, I often find many wonderful alternatives that I’ve never thought of before.
So, unearthing all the meanings of a word or phrase is also a great way to add new words to your vocabulary.
Write from the heart
As a successful entrepreneur, my dad often questions whether a person “uses their heart” (用心) to perform a task. 用心 literally translates to “being attentive to the finer details”.
And in many ways, the way we write at Creative Kynde echoes my dad’s sentiment. We write with heart, with attention to making deliberate decisions towards the words, punctuation and sentence structures we use in our copywriting.
Is this word necessary?
Can I say this in a better, more tasteful way?
If this phrase sounds too harsh, can I swap the words out for something else without losing the brand’s integrity?
Personally, these reflective questions help me focus on choosing the right words, focusing on the words that matter the most and editing out the fluff.
Help your audience imagine new possibilities
Another way to write consciously is to help your audience imagine what could be in an honest way. I’m emphasizing honesty here because it’s a copywriting technique that can be overly exaggerated with wild claims.
Instead, describe how your brand can add value and make positive changes for your audience with honesty. A great way of being honest is to describe what you’re doing. Take your audience on a journey through words about what you’ve done and your next steps to help generate positive change.
You can also keep your description as literal as possible so that you can help your audience visualize every step you’ve taken to ensure conscious outcomes are achieved. The best thing about this is that you can keep your copywriting simple and brief and allow your audience’s imagination to take flight. Because our imagination also helps to inspire and empower us with new knowledge and ideas.
If you’re still not sure how to pull this off, don’t worry. John Lenon’s lyrics will give you a great reference point.
At the heart of it all, conscious copywriting, coupled with ethical marketing practices, is all about connecting with people. It’s a human-first approach to crafting clear, effective and clever messages, headlines and content. Sure the data is important to inform us about the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, but our audience isn’t zeros and ones. They are people, like you and me.
Talk to your audiences like how you would talk to your loved ones – with love, care, kindness and respect – and they will, in return, reciprocate their affection towards your brand.
We are gifted with language to communicate with each other effectively. So, let’s choose the right words and use them for a good cause.