Creating value-driven blog or long-form content for your audience will help you build customer trust and boost brand awareness. But have you thought about sweating the small stuff?

User experience (UX) and microcopy may not always be at the forefront of busy marketers’ and business owners’ minds. However, those two components are essential to engaging your customers while creating a seamless customer experience (CX).

Here, we’re going to consider the value of UX and microcopy writing while looking at five essential principles for success in the modern age.

What Is UX Writing? What Is Microcopy? And Why Does It Count?

Both UX writing and micro copywriting fall under the same umbrella. UX writing is any text-based communication that helps to guide a consumer through a web page, landing page, app, or interface. UX writing is information that serves to enhance the user experience. Page redirect copy, sale alert banners, and newsletter signup instruction pages are all examples of UX copywriting.

A prime example of UX writing. (Screenshot) 

 

Microcopy writing is the information that guides a user through their journey—it’s the finer details of UX writing. Examples include cursor captions that tell a user where to click and small pieces of instructional text displayed beneath or within a search bar or text box.

An excellent example of microcopy. (Screenshot) 

 

In today’s digital age, consumers expect a seamless user experience and command strong connections with brands before they part with their money.

Studies show that each dollar invested in UX offers a return of $100—that’s a return on investment (ROI) of 9,900%. Wow.

In addition to offering an amazing ROI, UX and microcopy writing will:

• Help you build consumer loyalty
• Set you apart from your competitors with a strong tone of voice
• Improve engagement and drive conversions
• Make every one of your web pages frictionless and easy to navigate 
• Boost your brand reputation

 

5 Essential UX Writing & Microcopy Tips for the Digital Age

Now that you understand the value of sweating the small stuff, let’s explore some essential UX writing principles and microcopy best practices.

1. Steer Clear of Big Text Blocks & Double Negatives

First of all, when you’re talking UX marketing, making every piece of copy as scannable as possible is essential.

If you want to deliver key messages to your users at exactly the right time in their journey (and boost your sales), you should avoid big blocks of text. Most consumers want to access specific information or carry out a function without thinking, and big blocks of text will only slow them down.

As well as breaking down your UX copy into smaller chunks, it’s important to avoid double negatives. Double negatives cause confusion and will dilute your messaging.

For example:

No:

I don’t want to unsubscribe.

Yes:

I want to keep subscribing.

2. Be Clear, Concise, & Active

Whether you’re writing UX or microcopy for a landing page or a web app, you should aim to squeeze maximum value out of the fewest possible words.

When you’ve written a piece of UX or microcopy, read it out loud and pick out any words you can cut or phrasing that sounds clunky or awkward. If it’s long-winded and sounds unnatural, it won’t work.

One of the best ways to keep your UX content and microcopy clear, concise, and natural is writing in the active tense. When you write in the passive tense rather than the active tense, your copy will become long-winded and lose its impact. This will have a negative impact on your sales and conversions.

Here’s an example:

Passive (no):

Subscribe to our newsletter written by crypto content pros.

Active (yes):

Subscribe to our crypto content pros newsletter.

3. Lead with the Key Message. End with the Intent

Another essential key UX writing principle is leading with your key message or most vital information first, then ending with the intent (or desired user action).

This screenshot from email marketing platform provider Mailchimp is a solid example of loading the key information first and ending with a user instruction or intent.

The headline clearly outlines the function of the page, and the concise block of UX or micro text directly below outlines three benefits of using the service before asking existing customers to log in and presenting signup information boxes for new users. All bases covered.

The formula here is: state the function > showcase benefits or demonstrate value > communicate next steps. Follow this format, and your UX copy will engage your customers at every step of their journey.

4. Add a Little Brand Personality

While it’s true that your UX and microcopy should always be clear, concise, and functional, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it. In fact, seasoning your content with a little brand personality will set you apart from the competition while keeping your customers engaged throughout their journey.

This page redirect screenshot from Atlassian is informational and easy to digest while using striking imagery and a clever rhyming couplet to showcase the company’s unique brand personality—a testament to the brand-boosting power of UX copywriting and microcopy.

Here are a few tips to help you inject a little brand personality into your messaging:

• Outline your key message and intent.
• Write something functional using the “key messaging” formula from UX writing tip #3.
• Read your copy out loud and trim any redundant words or phrases.
• Think of a concept or imagery related to your brand, niche, or industry. For example, if you’re a running shoe seller producing an email signup headline, you could write, “Email alerts that go the extra mile” rather than “sign up for email alerts.”
• Replace more functional verbs or adjectives with more interesting alternatives—as long as it does not dilute or alter the messaging.

5. Work Closely with Your Designers

Last but not least, when you’re producing any form of UX or microcopy, you should work in collaboration with your designers. This will give you a panoramic view of each web, landing, or app page and discuss ideas for improving the customer journey from top to bottom, left to right.

Together, you can test your designs and copy to ensure they work in harmony and create an experience that is engaging and completely seamless at every stage of the journey. 

Final Thoughts

By sharpening up your microcopy and UX writing skills, you will offer your audience an extra layer of value that will set you apart from the pack while inspiring your customers to come back again and again.

These five UX writing principles and microcopy best practices will help you establish a strong brand voice while accelerating your business growth. Take the time to get to grips with each idea, and you’ll be earning more conversions before you know it!

We wish you the best of luck! And if you’re looking for more essential copy-based insights, read our guide on four ways to optimize your content marketing budget.