Hello everyone!
I have been making this dreaded mistake in my writing for a long time.
But here’s the trick.
I didn’t even realize I was making this mistake until I was told my writing was getting creepy and manipulative… like a good guy.
Oh.
It’s not something anyone wants to hear, especially copywriters and content-driven businesses.
Which brings me to my point.
This is a mistake that many content-driven businesses, email-driven businesses, and copywriters make and don’t even realize.
The dreaded good guy mistake.
Let’s do it…
Write in the passive voice.
Think about this about the “nice guy”,
When you’re being “nice” to someone, you’re not being yourself. You are being a manipulative little weasel because you want something from the other person. And those who receive their kind gestures notice it, feel it and fear it.
When you’re that “nice guy,” you finish last.
And guess what? Your readers can see that “nice guy” in your writing. And that kind of writing is called writing in the passive voice.
But that is not all…
Writing in the passive voice also causes problems like…
…turning your writing into a mosh pit of clutter.
Your ideas get lost, you don’t speak with a direct voice, and you lose all your power in your writing, weakening your call to action.
So how can you fix this, “passive voice”. problem?
First…
What is a “passive voice”?
In a passive voice sentence, the subject acts on the verb. You never want to write in the passive voice. All of your content, emails, and copies must be in a direct voice.
What is a “Direct Voice”? (Also known as Active)
The direct voice is when the subject performs the action of the verb.
And this is where you want your writing to be.
Look at these examples and guess which one is active and which one is passive.
… Demetrio ate the six shrimp for dinner.
… The six shrimps were eaten by Demetrio.
Can you guess which one is passive and which one is active?
The top sentence is the active one and the second sentence is the passive one.
Here are some more examples…
… Click the link right now to get your deep and fast skin cleansing formula and say goodbye to acne FOREVER.
… If you want to buy the fast deep skin cleansing formula to treat your acne, click on the link.
You see the difference? Do you see how having a passive voice in your writing can make you sound like a manipulative sociopath and kill your response, content, and sales letter?
But that is not all…
… You can’t forget the details about what you write (or say) You have to be clear and specific because your message gets lost.
Here’s an example of Hillary Clinton accepting the presidential nomination.
First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us that our children are watching and that the president we elect will also be their president.
And for those of you who are just getting to know Tim Kaine, you’ll soon understand why the people of Virginia continue to promote him: from Alderman and Mayor, to Governor and now Senator.
You will make the whole country proud as our Vice President.
And… I want to thank Bernie Sanders.
Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who poured their hearts and souls into our primary.
It has put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong.
And to all his supporters here and across the country:
I want you to know that I heard you.
Your cause is our cause.
Our country needs your ideas, energy and passion.
Now let’s look at an excerpt from Trump.
When I see the roads and bridges crumbling, or the airports in ruins, or the factories moving to Mexico or other countries, I know that all these problems can be solved, but not by Hillary Clinton, only by me.
The fact is, we can come back bigger, better, and stronger than ever – jobs, jobs, jobs!
Everywhere I look, I see the possibilities of what our country could be. But we can’t solve any of these problems by trusting the politicians who created them.
We can never fix a rigged system with the same people who rigged it in the first place.
The insiders wrote the rules of the game to stay in power and money.
You see the difference?
When you read Trump’s speech, he goes into specific detail about what he’s going to do and why he’s running for president. Clinton’s speech is more vague and confused. Due to her lack of clarity in his messages, his platform was confusing.
How do I solve my passive problem?
To fix this problem, you need to be more specific and detailed when you write copy or when you write your emails. Be clear about your message. If you have an editor, use it! Give him your copy, content, or email and have him mark the passive sentences.
Please use Microsoft Word. When you use the spell checker, the program also checks for passive sentences.
Second, be aware that you are writing in the passive voice. Learn to recognize passive sentences in everything you read. You’ll start to notice that the world is full of people who type and speak in the passive voice (even the mainstream media!)
When you become aware of passive writing, you will instantly know when passive sentences are in your writing.
Another thing you can do is recognize the subject in all your sentences. Rewrite the sentence and have the subject do the action of the verb.
Always keep your audience in mind when you write. Remember that you write to them and not to yourself.
Until then stay hungry
Demetrius R.