Why Your Copy Is Giving Decaf (And Why Writing With Personality Sticks)

Copywriting has an epidemic on its hands. Sure, AI is everywhere, but on a scale of 1-to-Worst Disney Villain, this isn’t Scar. It’s giving Yzma – often eccentric, everywhere, but hardly the thing keeping you up at night.

The real problem? We’re letting convenience dilute personality. In the rush to churn out content, brands are scrubbing out the quirks, the humour, the human bits and what’s left is safe, generic, decaf-tasting copy that could belong to anyone.

You know the kind:

• “Unlock your potential.”

• “Transform your life.”

• “Elevate your brand.”
  

Elevate it where, exactly? To the moon? Sephora? Sephora on the moon?

This kind of copy feels safe. It feels “professional.” It’s what happens when you try to sound like every other brand on the internet instead of your actual, living, breathing self, and do you know what it achieves? Absolutely nothing. It’s the marketing equivalent of a $99 shopping centre facial: fine at best, but forgettable.

And forgettable copy doesn’t convert.

Why Decaf Copy is a Problem

When your words sound like they could live on anyone’s website, they don’t feel like they belong to you.

Clients aren’t thinking, “Finally, someone sees me!!!” Instead? They’re scrolling.

Decaf copy:

• Tells people nothing about who you are

• Could be written by a robot with a thesaurus and half a clue

• Doesn’t give your audience any reason to care

• Means your words aren’t working as hard as you are, meaning you’re wasting money and missing opportunities
  

So, What Works Instead? Writing With Personality.

1. Clarity beats cleverness You’re not auditioning for a poetry slam. Stop dressing up your point; say it plainly. “Results-driven facials for stressed-out skin” says more than “Unlock your glow potential.”

2. Details sell Vague promises don’t open wallets. “Advanced laser treatments to reduce pigmentation in four sessions or less” is infinitely more compelling than “Transform your skin.”

3. Personality sticks Your people want to feel something. They want to see your quirks, hear your voice, and think, “They get me.” If you hate the word “empower,” then don’t use it. If you are witty and bold in the clinic, lean into it.

One of the biggest compliments I have ever received was when someone told me that they thought they'd "known me forever" (despite meeting that day) because how I showed up in my marketing was the same as the person I was IRL. This not only proves I was hitting the mark with my tone of voice (aka writing with personality), but it built rapport and instant trust with that person, and let's face it... our industry is BIG on trust.

Why It Matters

The brands that win online aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most polished. They’re the ones that sound like a real person wrote their copy. They know exactly who they’re talking to, and they use words that land.

People aren’t investing in products or services; they’re investing in a better version of themselves. The version they achieve when they purchase your product or service. If your words feel like they came from a motivational fridge magnet, you’re not building the trust to reveal that version. You’re building walls.

The Fix

Decaf copy doesn’t need a complete teardown. It needs strategy, specificity, and your authentic voice sharpened like a good winged liner.

And yes, you can outsource it without losing your personality. That’s literally my thing: making sure your words sound like you, just caffeinated, strategic, and ready to sell.

So if you’re ready to stop sounding like everyone else and start sounding like the brand people actually remember, click here.

Your 3pm flat white can remain decaf. Your copy? Not so much.