Want to make your brand shine? Don’t neglect your microcopy.

You know when you’re mindlessly scrolling through a website, just skimming rather than really reading, when all of a sudden a word or phrase jumps out and catches your attention? Those personality-packed phrases are prime examples of brand voice and microcopy doing their jobs, making you sit up and listen (or read). Sometimes the most powerful way to make your brand memorable and your offering irresistible is by taking care in the tiniest of details. Like all forms of communication, especially in advertising and marketing, microcopy can veer from the wildly imaginative, to the staid and dull; it acts like a guiding light, or like a faulty compass. To stand out, you need to nail the functional aspects of microcopy, as well as the creative aspects.

Back up. What exactly is microcopy?

Micro may mean small, but microcopy is everywhere and it has a huge impact. Microcopy refers to all those little, written elements on a website or product that guide a user’s experience and path, from disclaimers and calls to action (CTAs), to explanatory notes and short context clues that increase ease of use.

Okay, so what’s the difference between microcopy and UX writing?

The differences between microcopy and UX writing are mainly in the names and nuances — but they’re more important than you’d think. Technically, both describe the same copy elements in a product’s or website’s user interface (UI). UX writing and microcopy both refer to all the little pieces of language that engage a user and provide guidance. However, writing microcopy also involves conveying important information about the brand through voice and tone in addition to improving the user experience.

Why does it matter?

Although it may seem frivolous compared to the pure (and necessary!) functionality of UX writing, bringing brand personality into the detail language makes an impression on users. It’s pretty easy for these copy elements to become standard and frankly, boring. While it should be useful, it doesn’t need to be utilitarian. Think of this as a great opportunity to flex those creative writing skills! This is where you can bring in your voice principles to really flesh out a narrative about your brand, beliefs, and offering.

Good microcopy is…

1. Short

Microcopy should be simple and to-the-point. Remember, this isn’t your body copy, and that shouldn’t feel like an essay either. The point of microcopy is to make it easier for users to understand the information you’re presenting and to find what they need. There are all sorts of little tricks to help them along their way, and correctly placed and well-written microcopy is one of them. For example, click triggers (those little reminders next to buttons that offer quick info and explanations about requirements) are helpful to get the point across quickly, as well as reassuring users. By reminding them that there’s a return policy, that checkout is secure, that there’s a free-shipping policy or free trial, you can build confidence and increase the chance of a purchase.

2. Authentic

When you read microcopy, it should sound real and relatable. Again, this isn’t body copy, and it isn’t rocket science, so it doesn’t need to be complex. It should, however, sound true to your brand. This is where we want to focus. Your brand tone and voice should shine through, and even dictate the smallest word choice. When writing every CTA, try to make them a reflection of the voice, mission, and purpose. Great copy should create enthusiasm for what you offer and build brand recognition, as well as recognition of the service or product itself. Consider Uber vs. Lyft — they offer essentially the same ride-sharing service, but are very different brands with very different voices across every touchpoint. The way that they present themselves in their apps (and of course how they act as companies) translates to how people perceive them, interact with them, and use them.

3. Clear

In UX, clarity is next to godliness. Not only does being straightforward give users context, but it also provides them with a much-needed sense of certainty and security. Brand voice is important, but if you get too clever at the expense of being clear, it also usually comes at the expense of your users, too. They want and need to know what will happen when they click a button, especially on e-commerce sites. When someone is putting down their hard-earned cash, the path to purchase should be reassuringly clear — for both their convenience and your bottom line. Simple, well-written microcopy is always a good way to smooth pain points by addressing common questions. Reassure customers that they are being taken care of: their info is safe, their purchase is safe, their whole interaction with your brand is safe.

4. Engaging

This really is a given, but your copy should be engaging. Microcopy especially should provide a clear course of action, and invite users to interact with the brand and website or product. You want to tell your audience why they should act, and make it easy for them to do so. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your voice, and therefore your microcopy, needs to be all rainbows and sunshine (although most brands don’t go so far as to be outright antagonistic, like darkly funny weight-loss app Carrot), but you should keep your users’ needs in mind as you write. What is helpful for them to know? How can you communicate it in a way that encourages them to keep reading, to keep clicking, to sign up, to buy?

5. Intentional

Along with the visual design and UX/UI, the microcopy should be written with a distinct purpose in mind. Each piece of copy should have an objective, whether to guide users along a purchase path, to answer a common question, to explain what a button does, even to apologize for long loading times or error pages. Not every module needs to have a CTA if there’s not a compelling reason to drive a user to another page. Not every piece of microcopy needs to be quippy if the humor gets in the way of the meaning, or if it doesn’t fit your brand voice. Keep your end goals in mind, and those of your audience, and write with intention.

Make your microcopy work, and it will enhance your brand.

When done right, microcopy forms an important, though sometimes undervalued, component of verbal branding. Good microcopy adds a crucial sense of delight or differentiation for the audience. It’s a key place for conveying a brand’s personality, it’s point of view. An injection of unique tone and voice sets the brand and product apart, and makes it a truly memorable and enjoyable experience for the user. The actual goal of these little phrases and questions may be bare-bones UX, but what drives users to actually sign up, click, or engage can come down to the emotions evoked.

Sources:

Peters, Adele. “Meet Carrot, The Judgmental Calorie App That Insults You Into Losing Weight.” Fast Company, Fast Company, Inc., 20 Jan. 2015, www.fastcompany.com/3040981/meet-carrot-the-judgmental-calorie-app-that-insults-you-into-losing-weight.

Yifrah, Kinneret. “Why We Can’t Let UX Writing Steal Microcopy’s Thunder.” InVision Blog, InVision, 12 July 2017, www.invisionapp.com/blog/ux-writing-microcopy/.