UNAPPROVED writing technique to increase engagement
To write relatable content that boosts engagement, break a few rules and bring your voice to the page.
The secret to more engaging content? Sound human. (Sorry AI and AI users.)
It’s a writing technique not usually approved by English teachers or some bosses, because it breaks the rules.
But sometimes you gotta (yep, gotta):
🙈 look the other way on grammar rules
💥 decimate sentence structure
🙃 get unusual with paragraphs
📣 sound like an actual — occasionally imperfect, pausing for thought, rambling from excitement — person
YES, you can use this technique and still sound intelligent. The key is to make grammar and writing choices, not mistakes.
NO, this isn’t for every audience and every writing situation. Focus on content where you want to engage and connect with your people. Think blog, website, newsletter, email, or social posts and comments.
Confession
I love grammar. I’m a bit of an enthusiast.
It took me a while to text without appropriately placed punctuation. Or to read social posts and comments without silently correcting every error.
(Just kidding, I still do that. But I like knowing there’s a human on the other end! And I don’t do it for on-purpose choices.)
WHY SOUND LIKE YOU?
When you don’t sound like you, you can sound like anyone. And everyone. (Read: GENERIC)
We’re human. We talk like humans … and that’s not always with grammatical perfection.
We pause and interject. We chatter excitedly or say what we need in a word or two. We use words and phrases unique to us and people think, “That’s so them.”
But does your writing do that? Does it elicit a “That’s classic [your name here]!” response?
Sometimes the brilliant words in our head come out formal and stilted when we write. It sounds nothing like us. I’ve written it, and I’ve read it. (A lot.)
It’s like we’re transported to composition class, writing properly structured three-sentence paragraphs. Or we’ve spent a career in corporate where grammatically pristine writing is lauded … along with words like lauded.
But when you write to your people the way you talk to them, it brings the intimacy of a conversation to the page. It builds familiarity, connection, and trust.
PROBLEMS with formally structured, grammatically perfect writing
I enjoy reading complex, beautifully written sentences. But not always. There’s a time and place for it.
Sometimes long, formal sentences and paragraphs feel like too much. And on a palm-sized screen, it’s like an endless wall of text.
Another problem with that academic, research-paper structure? It can sound impersonal and bland. A lot like AI.
Students, writers, and editors are even finding too much grammar correctness gets you flagged by AI detection.
BENEFITS of going rogue on grammar and writing rules
We’re online and on the move. We read and write by text, DM, social post, and comment. We communicate quickly and often on phones.
As readers, we scan, scroll, and move on.
Loosening the reins on perfect grammar and sentence structure makes your content:
🏆 a better fit for mobile readers
🏆 easier to understand
🏆 more relatable
🏆 more fun to read and write
🏆 sound like a conversation with you*
Win, win, win, win, win.
HOW to break grammar rules and sound intelligent
Foregoing a few grammar and composition rules is a style choice. It’s intentional. A choice you make for impact.
Your content gets to be yours to have fun with and make unique — like poetry or art. 🎨
It’s NOT a free pass for lazy writing or mistakes, especially when representing your brand.
So please edit. Review your writing or hire a proofreader. Spelling and grammar checkers don’t catch everything.
WRITE LIKE YOU TALK
Writing doesn’t have to be formal or impressive. It gets to be conversational.
It can feel wrong at first, because that’s not how we were taught. It’s unapproved.
But when you write like you talk, your audience connects. They get to know you. It feels authentic.
➡️ HOW TO DO IT
So … what does “write like you talk” mean? Record yourself and find out!
Do you talk fast, excitedly sharing lengthy, run-on sentences? Or interrupt thoughts with other thoughts?
Do you speak in incomplete sentences? Or start your sentences with conjunctions? *gasp*
Say what you want to say before you write it. Notice the rhythm, the pauses, the words that make you sound like you. Then write them.
BREAK THINGS UP
A proper, school-taught paragraph has three or more sentences. (At least in my day.) But facing that mass of words, especially on a phone, can be overwhelming and hard to read.
➡️ HOW TO DO IT
Go for shorter sentences and paragraphs.
Break it up.
One-sentence paragraphs are OK. They draw attention and make an impact.
Play with breaking sentences down. Way down.
Know what you get with a one- or two-word sentence? Impact. Attention.
ADD SOME STYLE
Adding visual flair lets you throw in some personality AND draw attention.
It gives your content visual interest and a break for the eyes, and guides your audience to what you think is important.
(Sidenote: I originally typed “visual flare,” 🔥 and my spelling and grammar checkers didn’t catch the error. Don’t trust them 100%.)
➡️ HOW TO DO IT
Bring attention to a word with CAPS or throw in some italicized style.
Show readers (especially skimmers) where they should go with bold, headings, and bullets.
And emojis aren’t just for text anymore. They’re wherever you want them to be! Emails, subject lines, social posts, blogs, and online articles. 👋
Have fun with it. Add your spark. ✨ These are rule-breaking tips, not rule-breaking rules.
I’d love to hear if your audience approves. Send me a message with YOU written all over it!
* A note to formal and grammatically precise speakers: I see you. 👀 You can stay true to that and add your “you-ness” in other ways. Try humor or storytelling.
Just keep in mind:
Your audience. Is that how they speak? Is it easy for them to relate to and understand?
Resonating with your audience is just as important as sounding authentic to you.
If you speak to a group of 1st graders, university students, or CEOs, you probably adjust how you talk. But you’re still you. Do that for your audience.
Where and how it will be read. Is your writing competing for attention on a website or social space? Is your audience reading on their phones?
Unless your audience is sitting down with your content on paper or a large screen, with time and attention dedicated just to you, make it easier for them. Try breaking some structure rules. You can do it! 🎉
