Writing in a conversational tone is necessary for a business to implement when addressing clients and staff because the reader connects and understands the message easier than formal writing.

Conversational writing is best described as an informal style of writing. Forge and Spark, a content and marketing agency, said this style of writing should feel like the writer is having a one-on-one conversation with the reader.

Enchantedmarketing.com emphasizes how a conversational tone can make the writing feel more personable, which avoids individuals skimming over the content or scratching their heads wondering what the purpose is. Conversational writing isn’t just simply writing how we talk, however. Despite it being an informal style of writing, structure, clarity and conciseness are all still required.

Here are some pointers to help your business achieve conversational writing to staff and clients:

Masterclass.com highlights how conversational style has short sentences. Long sentences run the risk of the reader not understanding due to an overload of information. Every sentence should push the reader along and have a point related to the focus of the piece.

Paragraphs should not include more than four or five sentences. Large paragraphs can make the piece look long and boring at first glance. Don’t be afraid to use “you” or “I” in your content either, as this can help the reader feel even more connected to the message.

Sentences should also include easy-to-understand words. The bulk of the content should use straightforward language, only use complex words if it’s needed for the subject matter.

Writing in an active voice is also important. When a sentence is active, the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example, “John posted the article online” sounds more direct and on point than “The article was posted online by John.”

Developing your own style of conversational writing is important as well. Do not use words just because you think they will be “conversational.” Use words you that use in your daily conversations and avoid words that you don’t. Reading the copy out loud is another helpful tip suggested by Masterclass.com. This tip helps you notice if sentences are too long and can be shortened, or if ideas are unclear and don’t make sense.

Last, but certainly not least, knowing your audience and the situation is key. Conversational writing will look different based on who your audience is. For example, writing conversationally to a younger group of teenagers will look different than writing to seniors. The situation or circumstance is important as well because in some cases a portion of the writing may need to be more formal or professional depending on the focus.