Writing in active voice allows you to avoid sounding like a brain-damaged Yoda evading the truth
A truth about modern marketing is that the Cheeto-fingered Java Script wiz who coded your software also needs to be able to articulate your product's value in a human manner. More and more, non-writer subject matter experts (SME) are being asked to crank out marketing content on what they know best. This usually leads to painfully detailed (though accurate) content, often wrought with bad Yoda speak and sentence structures only comprehensible to the Riddler.
The reason for this? Object-oriented technical explanation always wants to manifest in passive voice, leading to dull and confusing marketing copy that will instantly alienate a non-SME (i.e., your customer). Passive voice puts emphasis on a sentence's object, instantly negating your subject's agency and hindering the impact of your main verb. That's why the biggest step you can take towards writing hard-hitting marketing copy is to write in active voice. Because when you use active voice, your writing instantly achieves a higher quality:
Clearly identifies the subject
Maintains a sense of urgency
Engages the reader's imagination
Improves sentence structure (verbs, verbs, verbs).
Balances readability
Supports personal agency and empowerment
Strengthens author accountability
Demonstrates cause and effect relationships
Builds authoritative tone
Pushes the narrative flow
Here's the takeaway: SMEs can talk passive technical speak to each other all they want, but once they sit down to write that marketing blog you asked them to, it’s pleb tongue only—and us plebs want active voice. This blog is for all SMEs who find themselves out of their comfort zone, forced behind the keyboard and tasked with Don-Draper-level copy.
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
Writing in active voice refers to constructing sentences where the subject of the sentence performs the action described by the verb. In active voice, the subject is the "doer" of the action, and the sentence structure typically follows the pattern of subject-verb-object. This form of writing emphasizes clarity, directness, and engagement with the reader.
Active voice: "She wrote the novel."
In this example, "she" is the subject, "wrote" is the verb, and "the novel" is the object. The sentence clearly identifies the doer of the action (she) and highlights the action itself (wrote).
In passive voice, the subject receives the action, and the sentence structure typically follows the pattern object-verb-subject. Passive voice can obscure the doer of the action and may create a less direct or engaging writing style.
Passive voice: "The novel was written by her."
Here, ”the novel" is the subject, "was written" is the verb, and "by her" is a prepositional phrase indicating the doer of the action. The sentence does not clearly identify the doer of the action, shifting the focus to the object (the novel) instead.
Remember, passive voice is not the same thing as past tense
Past tense is all about time, whereas passive voice is about sentence structure. If an event occurred in the past, you are more than allowed to write it as such - just make sure your subjects, verbs, and objects are lined up in active voice.
Writing in active voice allows you to:
1. Clearly identify the subject
Active voice emphasizes the doer of the action, making it clear who is responsible for the action or event. It provides a direct and straightforward sentence structure.
Active voice: "John painted the picture."
Passive voice: "The picture was painted by John.”
2. Maintain a sense of urgency or immediacy
Active voice allows you to convey a sense of urgency or immediate action, making your writing more compelling and engaging.
Active voice: "The firefighters extinguished the blazing fire within minutes."
Passive voice: "The blazing fire was extinguished within minutes by the firefighters.”
3. Engage the reader's imagination
Active voice provides a more vivid and evocative description, stimulating the reader's imagination and creating a more immersive reading experience.
Active voice: "The vibrant colors danced across the canvas, bringing the painting to life."
Passive voice: "The canvas was danced across by the vibrant colors, bringing the painting to life.”
4. Improve sentence variety (and variety of verbs)
Active voice offers a wider range of verb choices, allowing you to use vivid and dynamic verbs that enhance the descriptive power of your writing. It helps to avoid repetitive and monotonous sentence structures.
Active voice: "The athlete sprinted, leaped, and soared towards the finish line."
Passive voice: "The finish line was sprinted towards, leaped towards, and soared towards by the athlete."
5. Improve readability and clarity
Active voice often leads to more concise and easily understandable sentences. It presents information in a logical and direct manner, making it easier for readers to follow and comprehend the message. This is why journalists love active voice.
Active voice: "The team completed the project ahead of schedule."
Passive voice: "The project was completed ahead of schedule by the team.”
6. Express personal agency and empowerment
Active voice allows individuals to express their own agency and assert their personal power, making the writing more empowering and impactful.
Active voice: "I made the decision to pursue my dreams and never look back."
Passive voice: "The decision to pursue my dreams and never look back was made by me.”
7. Emphasize responsibility and accountability
Active voice helps to clearly attribute actions to specific individuals or entities. It allows for a greater sense of responsibility and accountability, as the subject actively engages in the action.
Active voice: "The company announced the new policy to all employees."
Passive voice: "The new policy was announced to all employees by the company.”
8. Highlight cause and effect relationships
Active voice helps to clearly establish cause and effect relationships, making it easier for the reader to understand the sequence of events.
Active voice: "The heavy rain caused the streets to flood."
Passive voice: "The streets were flooded by the heavy rain.”
9. Provide a strong and confident tone
Active voice conveys a sense of strength and confidence, making your writing more persuasive and assertive.
Active voice: "I believe in your abilities to succeed."
Passive voice: "Your abilities to succeed are believed in by me.”
10. Enhance the narrative flow
Active voice allows for a smoother and more natural flow of the narrative. It enables the reader to follow the progression of events easily, creating a seamless reading experience.
Active voice: "She opened the door and stepped into the sunlight, feeling a sense of freedom."
Passive voice: "The door was opened by her, and the sunlight was stepped into, with a sense of freedom being felt.”
Using active voice, you can express personal agency, emphasize causality, engage the reader's imagination, maintain focus, and improve overall readability and comprehension. These benefits contribute to more impactful and effective writing.
