Finding your love (brand) language.

Can’t sound human without quirks.

If you want to come off as human, to make people want to read what you have to say, embrace a bit of funny. At least here and there.

Individuality comes with a sense of humor. We all have a go-to way of getting our friends to chuckle — from sarcasm and mischievous banter to self-deprecating or observational comedy.

And sure, not all wordplay will land. But even if it doesn’t, sounding human gets you off the hook.

Think about it. Person to person, a failed joke actually evokes good emotions: "Aw buddy, you tried." “Been there, my dude.” “You're weird. I like you."

Can’t connect through punchy claims alone.

There’s this newfangled idea that taglines have to be aggressively short. The three-word trend: Innovative. Bold. Transformative.

It’s everywhere and it hurts. Brands aren’t recognizable anymore, having merged into one bloated, pretentious blob.

And when you do come across a company that explains things like a pal would, you just want to give the people behind it a hug because YES. THANK YOU.

You can’t confidence-bomb people into trust. Today’s consumers see right through sales tricks and inflated truths. They need to connect with what you’re saying, and how you’re saying it.

Can’t have a voice without consistency.

For your brand copy to matter, it has to embody one person. Imagine it’s you. What defines you? What are you like? How do you show it?

The brand voice is your personality, which directly and indirectly represents your values. The tone of voice is your range of emotions, expressed through communication.

Grammar and syntax show your intelligence, which is arguably the most consistent part of any adult.

Consistency means being “you” all the time. I’m talking cookie popups, 404 pages, the works. This is how your words become reputable, share-worthy... all the best stuff.