PSA: A client told me my ad copy sounded like a robot and it actually helped

I was running a campaign for a small brewery here in Portland about six months ago. The owner looked at my draft and just said, 'This reads like a terms of service document, man. Nobody talks like this.' I mean, he was right. I was using all the 'industry best practice' jargon. I rewrote everything to sound like I was just telling a friend about their new IPA. Click-through rate went up by like 15% on the next round. Has anyone else had a client give you blunt feedback that actually improved your work?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_patricia18d ago

Honestly some clients just want that professional robot voice though.

pat_coleman18d ago

Ever notice how everything official sounds like it was written by a robot these days? Insurance letters, bank emails, even the instructions on a box of pasta. It's like they're scared to sound like a real person. Your story about the brewery is the perfect example of why that's a dead end. People just tune out the corporate robot voice. When did we all decide that sounding human was a bad thing for business?

josephbutler18d ago

Exactly, Pat. It reminds me of when my grandson showed me his school textbook last week. The whole chapter on the water cycle read like a software manual, no life to it at all. We ended up just going outside and looking at the clouds instead. That sterile language just builds a wall. You're right that people tune it out, because it feels like nobody's home on the other end. It's a shame, because a simple, clear voice shows you actually care about being understood.