I was checking out one of the educational marketing courses offered at the HubSpot Academy the other day when I was struck dumb. Dumbstruck, even.

The lesson I was watching involved content marketing and the choices writers face when drafting copy.

Things started out fine. HubSpot explained that one of the first decisions a writer makes is choosing a point of view: First person, second person, or third person. HubSpot’s educators provided a few details on each style before making a claim that caught me by surprise:

“There’s no right or wrong when it comes to point of view.”

What?

Is HubSpot serious?

In marketing circles, the HubSpot team is more or less the final word when it comes to strategy, so I was surprised to hear them say something so…stupid.

Of course there’s a right and a wrong when it comes to point of view! Allow me to explain.

Your POV Options

What I think HubSpot was trying to say was that there’s no universal best option for POV; that no single POV will work in all circumstances. That, at least, is true. So why the heck didn’t they say that?

The way they so cavalierly stated that POV rules are flexible really rubbed me the wrong way, so naturally, I’m here on our blog to set the record straight.

Let’s consider the virtues of each POV and why some POV choices are just plain wrong for your marketing copy.

First Person

In first person POV, the writer is the narrator. I’ve found that most personal blogs (and corporate blogs with known entities behind them) are written in first person. Allow me to review the pros and cons of this style:

The Good

• It builds trust. First person is an honest, almost confessional writing style—great for building trust with strangers.
• It lets you show off. It’s easy to establish yourself as an industry authority in first person POV, as the knowledge you share will come across as personal experience rather than general advice.
• It’s easy to use. In my view, first person is the easiest style to implement. It’s a writer-centric format that lets you draw on your own experiences and emotions to connect with readers. Have you ever journaled in your spare time? Boom. You know how to use first person POV.

The Bad

• It needs an author behind it. First person doesn’t really make sense for general business blogs that don’t feature a clear author. Readers will wonder who’s talking at them if they can’t put a name with the ideas.
• It can be tinged with bias. The personal nature of first person is a double-edged sword for marketing copy. Readers will lose trust fast if it seems like you’re pushing an agenda rather than sharing objective knowledge.

Second Person

In second-person POV, the reader is the character. You’ve probably seen this style used in plenty of online materials. It’s a particular favorite for headlines:

10 Best Marketing Secrets You’re Not Using!

Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Inbound Marketing!

And so on.

The Good

• It’s a great way to connect with readers. By addressing readers directly, you get their attention and make it clear that you’re specifically addressing their issues rather than simply waxing about a topic.
• It’s action-oriented. Second-person is the most action-oriented POV, perfect for marketing copy. Which of the following is more powerful?
  • “You have to pay attention to this example!”
  • “Blog readers have to pay attention to this example!”

Obviously, option one is preferable if you’re trying to convince prospects to click your CTAs or enter details in your landing page forms. Of course, this POV does have its drawbacks.

The Bad

And don’t you forget it.

• You have to know your audience. Second person requires a deep understanding of your target audience. Get your buyer personas out because this POV will fall flat without them.
• It can be accusatory. It would not be incorrect to say that second person puts words in your readers’ mouths. You’re making claims about them (much like I’m doing now) that may come across as confrontational if done poorly. When using second person POV, you’ll want to tread lightly unless you really know what you’re doing. And on that note:
• You have to really know what you’re doing. In truth, you should consider this the primary drawback of second person POV. Second person means getting in your readers’ heads and trying to address their concerns in their own words. As such, it’s easy for them to tell when you’re winging it. And if this is the case, all of your trust and authority will go out the window.

Third Person

In third-person, the narrator is outside the story and describing the antics of other characters. This POV is probably the most common style for marketing content, but readers shouldn’t believe it’s more effective than the others. In fact, it may be the weakest option of the three when it comes to creating action-oriented copy.

The Good

• It’s accessible. Third-person POV is less presumptuous than first or second person and can be a good way to make a piece of copy accessible to wide market.
• It’s a great for storytelling. While any POV can be used for storytelling, third person naturally lends itself to hypothetical narratives. While this feature is great for marketing copy, there’s one serious downside to consider.

The Bad

• It creates distance. Third person creates distance between reader and author. Rather than engaging with them personally (with “I” and “You” language used in other POVs), third person takes a step back and offers an “outsider” perspective. This distance makes third person great choice for large, sprawling narratives, but a poor choice for trying to connect with individual readers.

Which is right for you?

It’s fallacious, and yes, irresponsible! to say there’s no one right answer for POV selection. Writing POVs aren’t nebulous concepts; they’re tools that offer different advantages:

• First person is honest and confessional, best used for sharing personal stories.
• Second person is action-oriented and direct, best used when trying to persuade and convince readers.
• Third person is accessible and broad, best used for sweeping overviews of concepts and ideas.

Based on this rundown, it’s clear that second person is the most engaging option for your marketing copy.

A key rule of thumb for copywriting is that the closer the reader is to the author, the more engaged he/she will be. Keep this in mind before drafting any marketing materials.

Greg is a content writer by day, and by night, he’s a…content writer. There is no off season for marketing copy.