Is your web copywriter being too casual on social media?

In a recent article over at Bloomberg Business Week, entitled ‘Hypercasual: When the web gets a little too friendly’, Bobbie Johnson takes a jab at “companies that are way too friendly on the web.”

“You click on their website and it’s stuffed with messages like ‘Yay!’ and ‘w00t!’ Johnson rants. “You look at their Twitter accounts and they’re asking what crazy capers everyone got up to this weekend. On Facebook, it’s all “why not look at this funny cat video? LOL!”

These are of course extreme examples of using the wrong tone of voice, but you don’t have to look far to find a company who, as Johnson puts it, are, “confusing being friendly with being flippant.” Often the worst cases are to be found on corporate social media accounts, where even the most dependably serious and sombre companies can be found not only with their ties loosened but their sensible shoes swapped for a pair of flip flops. It’s hard not to cringe as they encourage everyone to jump in the pool and ‘get their party on.’

If you can recognise your own company’s social media efforts in any of this then it may be time to have words with your freelance copywriter to discuss the image you’re projecting online.

Finding a balance

Clearly the web is a far more casual arena than ‘real world’ communications and people expect a little levity, but there are limits. Just because people are ‘friends’ with your company on Facebook, it’s important to remember that this is not the case - these people are not your friends, they are customers who are looking to you for a service. They don’t want to know what you did at the weekend, they don’t care that the office coffee machine isn’t working, and they certainly don’t want to hear how you ‘LOL’ed’ at a sneezing panda. 


A conversational tone is fine, but be sure your copywriter limits the topics of conversation to those that are appropriate between a business and its customers.

Is your web copywriter maintaining your company’s professional image online, or are they asking web users for help with their crops on Farmville?