Between scrolling their phones, checking the news, and wading through work emails, the average person sees thousands of words every day.
But just 24 hours later, they’ve forgotten about 70% of them.
So how do you make your message stand out? By carefully crafting it to be easily understood. And one of the best ways to do that is by focusing less on your reader’s eyes ... and more on their ears.
Think about the last time you slogged through a dense legal letter or a confusing manual. Long sentences, jargon, and big words turn simple messages into obstacle courses. Who has the energy for that?
Now think about your favorite podcast or a radio ad you really love. Most likely, you can easily pick up what they’re throwing down. Instead of working hard to understand the content, you’re relaxed, entertained, and engaged.
The trick to good audio productions, like all good writing, is that the content is written for the ear.
Translation: Good content sounds like real people speaking.
Who the heck am I? Why should you give a shiny red penny what I think?
That all changed when I got a job writing content for "on hold marketing". Yep, I suddenly found myself writing the audio messages people hear on the phone when they’re stuck waiting on hold. You know, that thing everyone hates?
I had to find a way to turn that content into something that wasn't painful.
And along the way, I did it one better: I turned those "on hold" messages into something people actually enjoyed hearing.
Instead of listening to boring elevator music, my callers would get helpful tips, industry insights, answers to common questions — you know, news they could use. I also wove humor in where ever I could. Those unexpected jokes would bring an unexpected smile to their faces, maybe even make them laugh out loud.
The company I was working for — and more importantly, the audience I was writing for — loved it. Some callers even asked to be put back on hold so they could finish listening to an audio bit that I wrote!
You see, I realized I had to figure out how to build a personal relationship with these callers. I needed to write content that would travel straight through the phone and directly connect with them. I was literally writing for their ears. In that environment, I found out there was no room for stuffy language or overwrought prose. I had to be brief, impactful, and most of all, conversational.
A decade-plus and a few awards later, I still use those principles in everything I write. And they still work.
I hear you: “I’m not writing on hold messages — I’m writing a blog post, a newsletter, or an annual report. No one is ever going to say this stuff out loud.”
It's probably true that most of what you write is probably meant to be read, not spoken. But did you know that roughly 80% of us literally hear a voice inside our head when we read something?
This means everything you write is being “heard,” even if it’s just inside your reader’s head.
That’s a lot of power. And like they say, with great power comes great responsibility.
Compare and contrast these two bits of content. Which would you rather read?
“Taking care of plants doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Give them some sunlight, water when the soil feels dry, and talk to them now and then — yes, really. They won’t answer, but they’ll thrive, and you’ll feel like a gardening rock star.”
“Maintaining healthy plants requires consistent attention to environmental factors such as light, water, and soil conditions. Additionally, research suggests that speaking to plants may positively influence their growth, although the mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain largely theoretical.”
How far did you get into the second paragraph? I think I got bored right after “plants.” The first piece flows easily, with words you’d actually hear in a conversation. The second one feels like running through gravy. It’s full of heavy, clunky phrases that make your brain work overtime just to keep up. Instead of inviting you in, the overly formal tone and unnecessary complexity pushes you away.
When someone is reading your work, it's your job to remove obstacles and guide them through your ideas. You have to inform them while also holding their interest, which often means keeping them entertained (or at least not longing for the dulcet tones of 90s dialup internet noises.)
Lose their interest, and they’ll give up and navigate somewhere else.
And things written for the ear just sound better. They sound like conversations. Because after all, that’s what good writing is: It’s a personal conversation between the writer and the reader.
Even if your blog immediately gets 3,000 views (nice job, by the way!), you’re still talking to one person at a time. Each of those views represents a single human being, at their computer, hearing what you wrote inside their head.
So how do you keep them reading?
By talking to them instead of at them. By writing for their ears.
Remember, every single thing you write will ultimately be read and heard by a person (even if the "hearing" is just in the reader's mind). That means it’s always worth crafting your words with their ears in mind — not just their eyes.
However, that doesn’t mean your writing always should sound casual. The trick is to meet your audience where they are.
Writing an internal document for industry pros? A little jargon is fine if everyone gets it. Need to stick with a formal brand voice? Go for it.
Just make sure what you write is clear, flows smoothly, and — most importantly — respects your reader’s time and attention span.
Nobody should have to work hard to understand what you’re saying, no matter what the content is or who it's for.
We’ve talked a lot about why you should write for the ear, but when you're sitting at your computer and staring at a blank Word document, how do you actually do it?
Start by taking what you write and reading it out loud. You’ll catch things you’d never notice if you're only reading it silently. Our brains are great at filling in gaps — as the writer, you understand perfectly well what you meant when you wrote the piece, which means typos, awkward phrasing, and unclear ideas can easily slip right past you. But when you hear the content out loud, those mistakes jump out like a flashing neon sign. You can’t ignore what your ears make obvious.
When you’re reading out loud, ask yourself these questions:
Good writing isn’t about showing off; it’s about showing up for your reader.
Whether they’re scrolling a screen, skimming an email, or hearing your words out loud while waiting on hold, the goal is the same: to connect with them.
Write like you’re having a real conversation that your reader will want to stick around for. Because when you respect your reader's time and talk to them, not at them, they’ll listen.
And isn’t that the whole point?
Looking for more content tips and tricks like this? If you've enjoyed this article, we think you'll also enjoy our Persuasive Copywriting Guide!