How to cure the COVID in your copy

Remember 2020? So does your website.

While the rest of the world has mostly moved on from elbow bumps and sourdough starters, some brand content is still stuck in lockdown. Still pivoting through uncertainty. Still here for you in these unprecedented times™.

And while that kind of language made sense back then — when everything felt fragile and weird — now it just feels… stale. Like finding an old QR code poster in a café window. Faded. Forgotten. A little cringe.

If your homepage still opens with cautious optimism and soft disclaimers, it’s probably not inspiring much confidence. Especially in industries where trust, clarity, and credibility actually matter.

So, no — you don’t need to rewrite your entire site.
But you do need to check if your copy is still carrying pandemic baggage. Because if your tone sounds like it’s stuck in 2020, your audience might assume the rest of your business is too.

Symptoms of post-pandemic copy

Your copy might not be sneezing, but it’s still showing symptoms. And while you may not notice them day-to-day, your audience probably does — in the form of vague messaging, cautious tone, or the overwhelming scent of “we forgot to update this.”

Here’s what to watch for:

😷 Language frozen in crisis mode

If your site still says things like “supporting our clients through uncertain times” — it’s not reassuring. It’s revealing. That copy was written for a moment that’s long passed. Time to unstick it.

📆 Service messages that never left

You know the ones — “Due to COVID-19, our support team may take longer to respond.” It’s now 2025. If your processes haven’t improved by now, it’s not the virus. It’s the ops.

💭 Over-cautious tone

Everything reads like it’s trying not to offend. Passive voice. Vague statements. Sentences that hedge so hard they fall off the page. Confidence builds trust — and this reads like the opposite.

📉 Generic phrases that say nothing

“The new normal.”
“Times of change.”
“We’re navigating uncertainty.”
If your audience could read that sentence on any competitor’s site… they probably have.

🧊 Tone that feels emotionally frozen

You don’t need to sound chirpy. But you also don’t need to sound like you’re gently breaking bad news every time someone lands on your About page. Speak like it’s today — not a cautiously-worded press release from 2020.

Why it matters (especially in regulated spaces)

Outdated copy doesn’t just sound awkward. It can quietly erode trust — which is a problem when your audience is already cautious, risk-aware, or needs to justify their decisions internally.

Here’s why letting your content linger in pandemic-speak does more harm than you think:

🕰️ It signals you’re behind

If your website still talks like it’s 2020, what else hasn’t been updated? Your processes? Your product? Your security settings?

In high-trust industries, language doesn’t just inform — it signals credibility. And stale copy sends the wrong one.

🌀 It makes you sound vague — when clarity is everything

Sectors like finance, HR, law, or healthcare need to be clear. The moment your tone sounds fuzzy or non-committal, it raises red flags. Not just with your audience, but with the legal and compliance teams reviewing your content.

🧱 It creates distance instead of connection

“We’re navigating these uncertain times together” isn’t just a tired phrase — it’s impersonal. People want to know what you actually do and how you help them. Not how you “pivoted.”

🎭 It makes you sound like everyone else

In 2020, everyone said the same thing. It made sense then. But now, sounding like everyone else is a strategic mistake — especially if your goal is to build authority or stand out in a complex category.

What confident, current content looks like

You don’t need to overhaul every page. You just need to lose the vague language, drop the disclaimers, and speak like a business that’s still alive in 2025.

Confident content doesn’t mean loud, or overly casual. It means this:

✍️ It says something specific

Specificity feels like leadership. Vagueness feels like filler.

🎯 It’s clear about what you do — and who it’s for

You don’t need to apologise for existing. Just say what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters now.

💬 It sounds like a human wrote it

If your copy reads like a press release, it probably won’t connect. Confident brands don’t speak in corporate riddles — they say what they mean.

Quick checklist: is your copy stuck in 2020?

If you’re not sure whether your content needs a refresh, run it through this quick diagnostic. If you’re mentally ticking more than a couple of these… you know what to do.

• ☐ Your homepage still mentions “pivoting through uncertainty”
• ☐ You have a COVID-19 update banner live (and haven’t checked it since 2021)
• ☐ Your tone still sounds apologetic, soft, or passive
• ☐ You’re using phrases like “the new normal” or “these unprecedented times”
• ☐ Service delays are still blamed on “the current climate”
• ☐ You haven’t updated your core content since 2020–21
• ☐ Your copy feels like it’s bracing for bad news, not sharing useful info

No shame — we all let things slide. But now’s the time to give your copy a mask-off, deep-breath, let’s-actually-say-something moment.

It’s time for a rewrite (not a rebrand)

You don’t need to throw out your whole tone of voice. You just need to lose the lingering disclaimers, the dusty crisis-mode language, and the impulse to hedge every sentence.

Your copy deserves a booster shot — not a full transplant.

Because let’s be honest: content that still sounds like 2020 doesn’t just feel outdated. It makes people wonder if your thinking is, too.

So take a red pen to those “new normal” phrases. Kill off the COVID-era banners. Inject some clarity. And for the love of good messaging:

If your About page still references “pivoting through uncertainty” — it’s time for a rewrite.