11 tips to nail microcopies
It’s never just text.
Microcopy is an art; it’s more complex than it seems.
One word can change everything.
Microcopy is not just an afterthought in the design process; it is integrated from the beginning.
Microcopy is a unique way to communicate and convey a message. A famous artistic expression using microcopy is Hai Kai.
Hai Kai is an often playful type of Japanese verse or prose created and used mainly in the later feudal ages. Yes… it's old!
And I could write awesome things like:
Microcoping is designing.
Designing is the wording.
Words are still the spine of communication.
or
Writing is having fun.
Reading is travelling.
Sitting and finishing a book needs a good chair.
So… without further ado and no more terrible micro poems, let's have quality time with the tips. After all, it's because of them that you are here:
Please keep it simple and easy to read!
Nice touch: check its readability.
Readability is how easy it is to read and understand something. Simple language makes texts delightful to read.
Oh, this is so important, my friends… When people find your content simple to read, they trust you more.
How to make it: your copy in apps like Hemingway or The first word. Test your content and aim for readability at a level no higher than 9th grade.
2. Keep your content consistent
Creating and using a Style Guide may help you and the team when writing.
But okay, what is a Style Guide? It is how we should write for the product.
It is a guide with writing principles that inform all the copy and content of a company’s products. More than just establishing rules and guidelines, this cornerstone shapes the brand’s personality and voice, giving it a unique identity and helping keep copy consistency.
3. Emphasise the benefit of the cta
Good CTAs (calls to action) are essential for digital products.
They can guide people to take the next step, like purchasing or signing up for a newsletter.
They’re easy to track, helping marketers measure success with its data and learn more about their audience.
If they are well written, they could become a trademark.
Telling people where or why to click/select the CTA you are showing them within the application/site.
No one wants to be blindsided or tricked.
People wish for the predictable, the next step without surprises
5. Use numbers and social proof
Imagine you are buying online for the first time. What do you check? Customer reviews, right?
It's intuitive!
When people see good reviews from happy customers, they’re more likely to trust your brand and want to buy something.
6. Use gender-neutral pronouns
Write thinking using inclusive design.
If you let users use pronouns in the app, addressing users as he/her and she/her will be perfectly fine. Otherwise:
Academic style guides agree that using a person’s correct personal pronoun is a matter of respect and good style.
7. Make your numbers user-friendly
Many people need help understanding numbers, which affects daily life tasks like managing money, setting up appointments, doing math, and telling time.
Using an accessible numbers design system improves the experience.
Nice tip: use numbers in digits. They are better to scan than written numbers.
8. Use words for the nearest dates
Ensure the label of the users’ time zone and that the system’s time is the users’ time today.
Empower them and show how long the task will take or how long they will have left.
Time is money, folks!
10. Be reasonable with humour
Be careful when using jokes or jargon; sometimes, it irritates people.
11. Read, read and read
Sometimes, I download applications on my cellphone to check the copy, the journey and the interactions.
Creating a reading habit and a reading mental portfolio has helped me enough and beyond.
Conclusion
Be nice.
Be informed.
Be empathetic.
We can change people's experience and gain loyalty if we deliver good copy.
