Understanding context

Ever seen an ad placement that really doesn’t work? It can be hugely detrimental to brand image at best, and deter a customer from your product or service completely, at worst.

Always consider where your copy will appear, and what the mindframe and emotional state of the person reading it is likely to be. Don’t try to be funny when someone’s opened up a serious error message; or push offers when they’ve barely had a chance to read your email.

And finally, not every touchpoint can incorporate tone. There’s character lengths and writing guidelines to be mindful of. High-profile places that are vehicles for conversion and brand should get the tone treatment; think online ads, videos, or web copy, maybe even the signup flow.

Product copy, for things like button labels, and menu text, require clarity and guidance above all else. And that’s ok – our job is to be invisible and unintrusive. Only when the situation is appropriate, like for empty states or placement text, can we add some play. Choose wisely.