You’ve seen the headlines. Mark Zuckerberg is currently scrapping fact-checkers (only in the US) on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads and replacing them with community notes.
Why?
He wants to reduce the amount of censorship on the platforms and prioritise free speech. The main fear is that this will lead to more false and misleading information on social media. I’m all for free speech, but you only have to look at the recent impact of misinformation in the case of the tragic dance class attack in Southport in 2024 when ‘fake news’ fuelled the riots and violence against Muslims to understand the dangers involved.
What does this have to do with copywriting?
Copywriting un-checked
How many times have you landed on a web page for a product or service only to be told:
- We’re world-leading
- Our revolutionary approach to…
- We are the UK’s leading provider of…
- Our industry-leading…
- Our world-class service…
Without copywriters to fact-check their clients’ content, the internet would be inundated with hyperbole. How can you know what to believe? After all, not every company can genuinely be a ‘world leader’?
Be authentic in your copywriting
If you come to be and want any of the above phrases in your marketing, one or two things will happen.
I’ll either say ‘no,’ explain why, and hope you’ll agree to let me create content that works, or after explaining if you insist on keeping the phrases, I’ll walk away from the project UNLESS you have indisputable proof that the statement is true.
It’s time to be honest. Forget exaggerated claims. Show your customers this is who we are by being authentic and real.
How to make your content real
Now that you get the idea let’s see some examples of how you can create authentic content to strengthen your brand marketing.
A spade is a spade
Don’t try to be something you’re not. Show your customers what you do and why you do it. Being open and transparent about your business will help you build trust.
Chatty
No one likes to read boring content. Your marketing should sound natural, not forced. Be conversational in your style. Ignore grammatical rules that make you sound stilted—keep that for formal writing.
Valuable information
Your reader wants to learn something from you so they can make their life better or easier (or even both). If you fill your content with jargon, they will switch off. Be straightforward and write like a real person (yup, that means no AI!)
Connect
If you follow the above tips, you will connect with your reader. Because you’re being honest with them and not trying to pull the wool over their eyes with jargon or hyperbole.
Remember, in your copywriting, honesty is always the best policy.
Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting.