Why I love ‘you’

Somewhere in the world, sometime ago, someone decided that businesses should avoid talking ‘to’ customers. And so, company websites started referring to themselves in the third person. And rather than addressing a potential client directly, conversation style, business communications talked about ‘clients’ or ‘customers’ collectively. As if they weren’t talking to a real person.  

Not to mention that fact that said websites also spend far too much time talking about themselves and not making it about the customer. But that’s a rant for another blog. 

I should say that there’s also a huge amount of amazing copy out there. But I’m still surprised at how many websites employ this style of writing and manage to detach themselves from the reader by talking about themselves and their customers in the third person. And with a few simple tricks, you can make your marketing communications so much more compelling.  

So if you’re afraid of talking to your customers directly and you avoid using ‘you’ like it’s a dirty word, this blog is for you. 

Not a grammar lesson  

I am a self-confessed grammar geek. BUT, this is not intended as a grammar lesson! It’s not about being correct, it’s simply a technique that will make your comms more compelling. So you are using your marketing communications to have a conversation with your customers. Just as you would in person.

How not to do it  

Let’s start by taking an example of what not to do and dissect this line by line. 

“Company A were established in 2000 and are now considered as one of Birmingham’s leading IT consultants. Company A provide a comprehensive range of services to a wide range of clients.”

1. Don’t distance  

“Company A were established in 2000”

First of all, this sounds very cold. Referring to your company as if you’re talking about someone else, distances you immediately from the reader.

Secondly, ‘were established’ uses the passive voice and so lacks impact. 

Finally, the use of ‘established’ is just a unnecessarily fancy way of saying set-up or started.

2. Own it

“Company A are now considered as one of Birmingham’s leading service consultants.”

Where to start? 

“Company A are…”

First of all there’s no ownership. When I read this, my first thought is ‘Great, can you introduce me to them please?’ 

You may be the leading company in your industry but unless you say ‘we’ or ‘I’, you’re not owning that statement. 

“Considered”

Considered by who? Don’t use empty words because they sound good. You need to back it up with social proof.

“Birmingham’s leading”

Don’t tell me you’re great. You need to show me how you’re the best and why this matters to me! 

3. Don’t fear the ‘conversation’ 

“Company A provide a comprehensive range of services to a wide range of clients.”

This is a bit of a bug bear of mine. I’m not sure when, or why, people decided to avoid the use of ‘you’. Perhaps it was a fear of seeming too informal. Or not wanting to promise something ‘directly’.

Whatever the reason, you should always talk to your reader as if you are having a conversation directly with them. 

Think about how you would talk to a client in person. You wouldn’t refer to them as ‘they’ or ‘our clients’. It’s no different in your marketing communications. So when you write, imagine you are talking to one person. Address your reader as ‘you’. And talk about ‘your’ reader’s problems.

Check   

The easiest way to check for this is to copy / paste your content into a word doc and do a search for ‘your company name’ and the words ‘clients’  or ‘customers’. 

You don’t need to use your company name in your website copy or marketing. Just use ‘I’ or ‘we’. And instead of talking about ‘clients’ or ‘customers’ simply replace with ‘you’.

Love ‘you’

Websites that talk directly ‘to’ your customers will always be more compelling than copy that distances through corporate style. Be direct. Own your actions. Engage with your customers and don’t be scared of ‘we’ and ‘you’.

And maybe one day someone will invent a different word for the plural of you in English!

For more ideas to grab your customers by the eyeballs, book a chat with me today.