That time a client told me my blog posts were 'too corporate' and boring

I was running ads for a plumbing company in Cincinnati back in 2019. One client finally sat me down and said, 'Your writing sounds like a robot trying to sell me a pipe. Nobody talks like that.' It stung but he was right. I had been using all these buzzwords like 'leveraging our expertise' and 'delivering comprehensive solutions.' After that I rewrote everything to sound like a real person talking to a neighbor. It felt weird at first but within 3 months their lead forms went up by about 40 percent. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you totally ditch your old writing style?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_roberts29d ago

Good lord, I've been there. Ditch ALL the corporate fluff and just write like you're explaining it to your buddy over a beer. Trust me, once you start sounding human, the leads come way easier.

white.seth28d ago

And the thing is, most people don't realize how much they're hiding behind that corporate language until someone points it out. I'm curious though, what was the hardest part for you about breaking that habit? Was it just the fear of sounding too casual, or was it more about your bosses or clients expecting that formal tone? I've seen folks struggle with both, and it's a tough spot either way.