We say it all the time here, because it’s true: most words are filler. Writing means nothing without the things that give it power: strategy, timeliness, care. Writing that lacks is a liability—at best passed over, at worst disenchanting.
Fortunately, the opposite is also true.
Good writing can open doors—and not just those within reach. Properly executed, your words can move your least likely convert to do the impossible—choose you, over and over.
Why? Because of the voice on the other end. Because it said something that lingered, made them listen. Because someone—you—saw and heard them in the only way that matters: like a human.
The how, of course, is the important part. That’s why we wrote Galvanize, a vivid dive into the mechanics of humanized copywriting. This ebook explores four key communication themes:
- Audience: Which brands are creating connections and making people feel seen?
- Messaging: What points of view break past defenses to create resonance?
- Style: Which voices express the most magnetic personalities?
- Innovation: How are brands using the written word to stand out from the pack?
Now, let’s take a brief look at the first theme.
To move audiences, scale the personal
Call out a common first name in any public space. At least a handful of heads will turn, right?
That’s precisely what it means to scale the personal. People listen when spoken to—especially when they feel seen, heard, and understood. Words can build valuable personal connections, bridging the gap between your brand and your audience: after all, you just get them. Maybe you laugh and sob in the same city, or you battle similar daily inconveniences. Or perhaps you, too, yearn for the same lofty achievements, or some other impossible until it isn’t. Or maybe you don’t, but at least you hear them—and they know it. Better yet, they feel it.
Some time ago, I found myself doing a double take on the train ride home. I began eyeing the new StreetEasy ads, all emblazoned with admittedly poignant one-liners:
THE DREAM IS DIFFERENT HERE
A front yard is a state of mind
Put your maximalist touch on a minimalist footprint
Find a buyer who gets what you’ve built here
Own a place that’s exclusively, reclusively yours
(I live in New York City, by the way.) I love this city—I have for a long time—but not in the wide-eyed way I used to. Even so, I felt moved: as a human, I felt understood, like the voice on the other end knew me, sought me out to tell me so. And as a copywriter, I knew immediately that StreetEasy had made something special—for me and nearly 9 million others.
The dream is different here. Front yards are a state of mind: having one would mean I’m somewhere that isn’t here, a place far quieter and cleaner and slower. Not having one—and more importantly, not needing one—is proof that I belong here, despite my moments of dulled fervor. And while I’m certainly not ready to buy or sell an apartment anytime soon, I do still get that corresponding copy—that shared understanding of building something here and not elsewhere, that we wait for the same train on our way to do so.
In just a few words, StreetEasy made me feel seen in a decidedly human way—as the person I am now, of course, but also the one who moved here eight years earlier. I’d heard that the dream was different here; now I know that it’s true.
Anyway, I suppose it worked: I found my current apartment—a studio that’s exclusively, reclusively [mine], at least for now—on StreetEasy.
Galvanize: your key to humanized copy
Words bring your story to life, moving the right audience along the way. I’ve seen it happen to myself—on the train, through my phone screen, above the fold on news racks.
At MarketSmiths, it’s what we do best. By combining razor-sharp strategy, timely storytelling, and a voice that’s consistent with your brand, we motivate your audience to look to you for answers—because, well, you have them.
Be on the lookout for blog posts on the remaining themes. In the meantime, download Galvanize to learn more.
