I have always enjoyed creating my medical copywriting blog updates in an edgy, conversational voice. It’s just my style and I think it makes my writing a little more engaging and down to earth.
That means from time to time I use sentence fragments, split infinitives, one-sentence paragraphs, end sentences with prepositions and do a few other things that would annoy my old English teacher from high school. Put simply, I write the way I speak and I’m fine with that.
The voice you create for your medical marketing copy is determined by your target audience and the identity you are creating for your brand. For example, when writing patient education pieces, it’s good to write in an easygoing conversational voice to keep readers engaged. However, this may mean breaking a few rules. Consider these two sentences.
He is a nice physician with whom to have a conversation.
He’s a nice physician to talk with.
The second example ends with a preposition, which violates good grammar rules, but it’s a little more conversational in tone and less stuffy than the first example. In the world of medical copywriting, either approach would be acceptable.
The same can be said for medical sales copy aimed at physicians and clinicians. Here is an example of some edgy, confident copy I wrote a few years ago for a product called MemoryLens, which is a pre-rolled intraocular lens that is inserted in the eye during cataract surgery.
We Think Two Steps Are One Step Too Many
MemoryLens is pre-rolled for one-step delivery. All you need is a standard pair of forceps. No special tools required. No fancy folding steps to learn. Because you have better things to do with your time. Like save it. MemoryLens. One step will take you a long way.
Did I violate a few good grammar rules with this copy? Yes I did, but the copy has a confident edge to which physicians really responded. Would my English teacher give me high marks for this? Probably not. But the company CMO sure did.
Bottom line, it’s OK to break or bend a few grammar rules to give your copy a distinct conversational voice. Just don’t cross that fine line that divides creating a distinct voice from being sloppy.