This title, I tell you, I do not like: but it has an SEO value and therefore I use it cynically to take you to read what I have written below.
In fact, at the bottom of the article you will find his real title: the one who puts into practice what he preaches.
“What don’t you like?” You will ask.
First of all the word “inclusive” , because it implies a scenario in which someone decides to welcome someone else, as if they had special rights: a sort of St. ‘inclusion, he does it because he has a papal bull in his pocket – and the others don’t.
Inclusive says that there is an inside and an outside, and that the inside is stronger than the outside.
“But that’s the way it is,” you say. “Even if you don’t like it”.
I know, historically it has been like this. But words change the course of history, they direct traffic more efficiently than St. Peter’s and then… we begin to choose words to reflect the heterogeneity of the world we live in.
Practical example: inclusive alternatives to the word “readers”
If we have a blog, we have readers. Quite right?
So let’s start with “the readers”. We could use the definition “the reader ”: an abstract ecumenical concept that does not simply indicate so many little men and zero little women.
Or we could call it public.
Or even users, which in the plural is the same for everyone, especially if you manage to avoid the article; users go back to being people in flesh and blood: little men + little women + people with non-binary identity.
But the truth is that no one has only readers or only female readers or only people with non-binary identities.
Then we can try to use periphrases such as:
- who reads us
- who reads me
- who reads this blog
Let’s try?
“If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know …”
- “If you regularly read this blog you will know …”
And you die of avarice, we also disturb Manzoni:
“Now let my twenty-five readers think what impression it should have made on the soul of the poor man, what has been told”
- “Now think the 25 people who read me what impression he should have made on the soul of the poor man, what has been told “
Other examples of circumvention of the kind defined
In my work as a copywriter it is essential to provide a pleasant user experience, with clear text as possible, without running into the classic, pathetic: “Hi Luisa, thanks for subscribing!”.
Because as Luisa Carrada writes in “ But I’m a lady! “, Being challenged with a genre in which you do not recognize yourself is annoying:
“The annoyance isn’t always the same. It is maximum in:
- short and highlighted texts, which immediately catch the eye, such as titles and subtitles
- texts that address you directly, giving you the you, such as newsletters, calls to action, chatbots
- all microcopies, which are nothing but clarifying and persuasive micro-conversations face to face
- texts from companies that would like to pamper you and build loyalty as a customer, which tell you that “the service is designed for you”, that you are “at the center” and then write to you “Hi Luisa, what did you miss in 2019?” my telephone provider. “
It is not just about calls to action, greetings, instructions, surveys that we find in the interfaces of the Public Administration, e-commerce, newsletters etc.
As bloggers and social media managers of our own channels, we address directly to those who read and follow us every day (nb – I didn’t write “to our readers and our followers”) , and with a little training we can create texts that they cover all the bases (nb – I didn’t write “inclusive”) .
Let’s see some practical examples:
- Thanks for signing up
- Thanks for signing up
- Welcome on board!
We are happy to have you on board! / We welcome you!
- Welcome to my blog!
How nice to see you here!
- If you are happy with the recipe, leave a comment!
- Does the recipe satisfy you? Leave a comment!
- If at the end of the day like me you always feel tired …
- If at the end of the day like me you feel great tiredness …
Are you sure you want to proceed?
- Are you sure you want to proceed? / Do you want to proceed? / Go on?
My Instagram profile has a lot of followers
- My Instagram profile is followed by a lot of people
- Tag a friend who may like this postTag a person who may like this post
Doctors and nurses
- The medical team and the nursing staff
And to quote Luisa Carrada again:
- If you have read this far you will be curious to know if …
- At this point, you will have the curiosity to know if …