If you are a content writer at an agency, freelance, or work in a multi-branded company, it often means that you need to change your writing style to suit the audience you are writing for. This may be a very hard thing to do since it pushes the boundaries of what you are comfortable with, and the easiest way to learn this is by reading more varied content, and looking at examples.

It’s not just the brand-fit you need to be mindful of, but also the purpose of the article:

• Do you want to write an article to inform (such as a press release)?
• Are you interested in sharing your latest product features and posting that on the app store?
• Will you be writing content for your blog readers and want to teach them a thing or two?

There are many cases that we can draw examples from – but for today we’re going to explore the differences between two formal and informal writing styles.

Formal

EXPOSITORY

Expository writing is very formal and your goal is to inform the reader, or explain the topic. It is not very descriptive, and is normally to the point. This style is more suited to writing guides and manuals, or content targeted towards a more corporate audience. To pull this style off, you need to make use of strong words and avoid using the first person.

Brand and Pepper are proud to announce that during the month of February we signed agreements with 4 new clients to fulfil their marketing needs on a full time basis. These new additions to our client base enable us to further push the boundaries of marketing and communication within the Maltese islands and beyond.

Whilst this might not make the content seem very exciting and doesn’t really portray a creative agency, it is great to use in formal addresses, such as sending updates to shareholders. It’s not really going to win us over any favours as a creative agency – but it serves its purpose of informing the reader.

PERSUASIVE

Being persuasive in your writing is very important if the objective of your content is to generate leads. You can’t be vague or beat around the bush too much. Focus on being straight to the point and highlight all your key features, avoid the common mistake of being too boastful, but affirm your successes.

As a leading marketing agency, Brand and Pepper has signed agreements with 4 prestigious companies who have entrusted their marketing work to us! These new additions to our client base further strengthen our position as leaders within our industry, and highlights Brand and Pepper’s competences in delivering fantastic marketing projects. What are you waiting for? Get in touch and see how Brand and Pepper can help your company grow!

It is a slight twist on the corporate style, but it is highly effective at driving engagements as it gives the end reader key benefits about your business and why they should choose you, who else has used your services, and a reinforcement of your brands’ prowess. All of these key sales techniques rounded off with a clear CTA. However, both of the above options are distant and will not create a meaningful connection with the reader.

Less-Formal

NARRATIVE

When you write in a narrative style, you use a specific point of view that you hold onto throughout the content. The purpose of a narrative is to tell a story, and is a language style that is very common in marketing. This style can help to grow a bond and attachment between your content and the reader, in an attempt to create a conversation that sounds human. The narrative style is perfect for when you are sharing a story and want to build sentiment to your brand.

We are proud to announce that we landed another 4 clients this month! They have come on board so we can take care of their marketing needs, ranging from social media management, all the way to fully rounded campaigns with TVCs and radio. These new clients further enhance our portfolio and help us to grow in strength throughout the Maltese islands and beyond.

As you can see from the get go, when writing in narrative, it’s harder to keyword stuff your brand name, as you are removing it in favour of “I” “we” and “our”.  It does help however to write in a more personal tone and connect more to the reader.

DESCRIPTIVE

Descriptive writing is usually used in novels and journals, however you can employ it in just about any content body with just a little bit of work. The writing style is great for giving an account of how something works, including some of the finer detail that leaves no room for misinterpretation. This is great for educational content, how-to guides, and experience accounts.

The purple and orange marketing agency, Brand and Pepper, have managed to secure 4 of the most prestigious companies in sunny Malta to handle their marketing accounts. The deals were completed in a delightfully modern office set in the heart of Birkirkara during the unusually warm month of February. Champagne was opened, and as it bubbled away in the tall flutes, our 4 new clients rejoiced in what will become a beautiful and harmonised partnership, pushing both Brand and Pepper and the fresh faced clients to the plinth of marketing excellence in Malta.

As you can probably see, it doesn’t quite fit the purpose of a press release, it is more suited to explaining a product or event. 

Final Thoughts

If you are unsure about what your writing style should be, and want to discover which style works for your business, start by testing different types of content. Create a couple of versions of the same content and run AB tests to see which content is the most engaging. Have a look at metrics on analytics such as time spend on the page and check out the user journey using tools like HotJar to help you identify how people are digesting your content.

Once you have found your perfect audience and style of writing, stick with it – however continue testing for improvements and updating, as your customers tend to grow fatigue, and they will change over time. Consider this an introductory article on the topic, as there is more that we can explore. Let us know below whether you’d like us to delve deeper or if you think we missed something.