blackcanyontickets/styleGuide/microcopy-client.md

📝 Crispy Goat Microcopy Guide – Client Projects

For client-facing websites, our copy must reflect their tone, not ours. That said, all Crispy Goat projects share one thing: copy that feels human, intentional, and never robotic.

---

🧠 General Tone & Voice

• Clear, direct, and human
• Friendly but not casual unless the brand calls for it
• No marketing clichés or AI-sounding nonsense
• Helpful microcopy beats witty microcopy — but we’ll take both
• Tone should reflect confidence, not desperation

---

✅ General Writing Principles

• Keep sentences short and clear
• Prefer active voice
• Use contractions (“you’re,” “we’ll”) unless it feels off-brand
• Avoid jargon unless it’s native to the audience
• Avoid anything that sounds like ChatGPT 3.5 wrote it in a rush

---

✍️ Button Copy

Purpose	Text Examples
Primary CTA	Get Started, Book a Demo, Explore Plans
Secondary	Learn More, See How It Works
Form Submit	Send Message, Submit Inquiry
Danger / Delete	Delete, Remove, Yes, I’m Sure

---

📋 Form Microcopy

• Labels must be clear and expected
  • Full Name, Email Address, Company
• Placeholders may add a touch of tone
  • you@domain.com, Let us know what you're looking for
• Error messages:
  • This field is required.
  • Please enter a valid email address.
  • Passwords must match.

---

📭 Empty States

• No data:
  No records yet. Check back soon.
• Search no match:
  We couldn’t find anything. Try a different filter.
• Form not started:
  Fill in the basics to get started.

---

🚫 What to Avoid

• “Welcome to our website”
• “Please don’t hesitate to contact us”
• “Innovative solutions for modern problems”
• “We pride ourselves on excellence”
• Any vague industry filler phrases

---

💬 Footer & Utility Copy

• © 2025 [Client Name]. All rights reserved.
• Built with care by Crispy Goat. (Optional tag)
• Made in [Location] · Powered by [Tech or Platform] (Optional, clean)

---

🎨 Optional Personality Touches (Use Sparingly)

If the brand tone allows a little playfulness:

• 404 Page:
  Looks like you took a wrong turn. Let’s get you back.
• Confirmation screen:
  We got your message. Someone will reach out soon.
• Easter egg:
  Nice hover. You’ve got good taste.

---

🧠 Summary

Client-facing copy should:

• Reflect their brand voice first
• Be smart and human, never stiff or soulless
• Help the user, not distract them
• Include subtle personality — but keep it their personality

---

If you're unsure, ask:

Would this sound natural coming from a person, or does it feel like filler?

If it’s filler, rewrite it.