How To Choose Between “I” and “We” For Your Website Copy
Written by Rebecca Holland
Picture this: you’re staring at a partially filled Google doc. Your cursor hovers over the word “I”. You pause and then hit the backspace. Type in the word “we”. You ponder. After a few seconds, you furiously double-tap the backspace, stand up in frustration, and leave your desk chair spinning as you hunt down a slice of cake.
That’s a pretty dramatic rendition of a very real predicament. I’m a copywriter + brand voice strategist, and my clients describe having this struggle with everything from their emails to their website. More so for their website copy, because it’s a foundational part of their business. If you’re here, I imagine you’ve also been asking: how do I decide which to use? So, today, I’ll share the pros and cons for “I” and “we” so we can workshop which positioning is best for you.
Sounds good? Let’s jump right in with “I”…
Embracing Personal Touch With “I”
When I mentioned I was a copywriter, did you feel like you were hearing from me as a person? Despite the fact you’re probably reading this long after I wrote it, using “I” immediately creates a personal connection. It feels authentic because I’m showing up as Copywriter Rebecca, regardless of whether I have a team of ten or no team at all.
Embracing my individuality by using “I” showcases me as not only the face but the personality of my business. It positions me as the expert or authority here to help you.
That’s because there’s an understated power in using “I”. If you also want effortless authenticity and to connect to your audience on a personal level, then using “I” on your website could be the right choice for you.
Establishing Presence With “We”
Conversely, “we” has an instant professionalism. If I’d started this blog post with “at Velvet Opus, we hear…” it would have immediately created a sense of size, expertise and trustworthiness.
Like many people, I assume that if a website uses “we” they’re an agency, group, non-profit or have multiple people with distinct roles. An established business with a credible presence.
That’s because there’s a clear power in using “we”. If you want to communicate to your audience with this gravitas, then using “we” could be the right choice for you.
How To Choose Between “I” and “We”
In law school, I used to do something called mooting. It’s where two teams argue opposing sides of a case. Typically, there’s no “right” side: but the side with the more compelling argument would win. The same is true of your decision between “I” and “we”.
To help you decide, here are some factors that might sway you to one side or the other:
- Size. How large is your business? I sometimes see solopreneurs try to hide behind a vague concept of a team by using “we” only for it to read as disingenuous when they’re revealed as one person. The opposite is also true. Using “I” if you outsource all your projects to internal or external contractors might not read as authentic if you’re not upfront about it.
- Audience expectations. Am I speaking to “Rebecca, the founder of Velvet Opus” or “Rebecca Holland Copywriting Inc.”? In each case, there’s an expectation in my mind of what I’ll read on your website. For personal brands, “I” is what I’d expect. When it comes to brands, it depends on whether there’s a “face” of the business. To consider this angle, ask yourself: will your audience value the personal connection of “I” or a more formal, business-first approach with “we”?
- Your voice. It goes without saying that consistency is key. So, do you use “I” or “we” on your social media, in your emails or your sales copy, for example? That might guide what you use on your website.
Still can’t decide? How about using… both?
The (Not-So) Secret Third Option: The Hybrid Approach
If you’re making this decision without the input of a brand voice strategist like myself, you could test both approaches. For example, talk about “Our Mission” on your About Page while also recalling the founder’s story from their perspective with an “I”.
Other ways you could incorporate a hybrid approach:
- As a personal brand, use “I” except when you talk about your team
- As a professional brand, using “we” but having a first-person founder bio
- As co-founders, where one is “the face”, use “I” except when you talk about service delivery
Whether you choose “I” or “we” (or both!) the most important thing is choosing what feels right for you. Despite what everyone says, you can change your mind later. You can scale from “I” to “we” when it feels right. You can decide to pivot to having a “face” of your professional business if it feels right. There’s always room to try it out, see what fits, and later open a new chapter with different pronouns. As long as you do what feels right for you, you can’t go wrong.
Rebecca Holland is a writer who “just gets it” on a deeper level. In true dream-chaser fashion, she quit her 9-5 in law to pursue a childhood dream of being a writer. Now she runs a virtual Writing + Brand Voice Studio called Velvet Opus where she reflects her clients’ voices into words that captivate. When she’s not thinking about words, she’s devouring books, strategising the best play in board games or crafting another variation on a tomato-based dish. You can connect with Rebecca on Instagram at www.instagram.com/velvetopus.
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