Why I’m Dropping the “We” and Owning the “I” in My Business Posts

I’ll admit it … I sometimes make my business sound like there’s a full team behind it when really, it’s just me. On my Instagram business page GPbyCG, I often write captions that say “we” instead of “I” because “we” sounds more official, more like a real company. Lately, I’ve been rethinking that after reading On Writing Well by William Zinsser.

Zinsser’s insights on good writing really made an impact on me. He talks about how writing should be clear, simple, and true to your own voice and I realized I might be hiding mine behind unnecessary words and a made-up “we.”

Here are a few takeaways that made me rethink how I write for my business:

• Clarity matters more than sounding big.
  Zinsser says most of us use way too many words that don’t actually say anything. Very true! When I look at some of my older posts, I can see that. I was trying to sound polished, maybe even “corporate,” but ended up sounding less like me.

   

• Simplicity doesn’t mean boring.
  There’s this fear that plain language won’t catch attention online. Zinsser reminds us that simple, honest writing connects better than any fancy clutter. People scroll fast; they want to know what you’re offering, not figure out your caption.

   

• Your voice builds trust.
  When you’re the brand, your audience is really buying you. Writing with “I” instead of “we” feels more personal and real. It’s honest! I want to try to make my posts more honest and honesty builds stronger connections; which can lead to those “DM sales” I’m hoping for.

   

• Writing for sales vs. writing for yourself.
  Zinsser says we should write for ourselves first, but I get that business writing is a bit different. I still want my posts to bring in sales, but I think I can do that by being genuine, not by pretending I have a whole team behind me.

   

Going forward, I will try to cut the clutter by keeping my captions simple, writing more like I talk and proudly use “I” when it’s just me! Maybe being small isn’t something to hide; maybe it’s what will make my brand authentic.