Marketing muses: copywriting inspiration from Duolingo

The best copy is always authentic and unique to your brand, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look elsewhere for inspiration. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiration and insights from major brands* that are killing it with their copywriting. First up is everyone’s favourite language learning app, Duolingo!

*Although I’m a fashion and lifestyle copywriter, sometimes it’s nice to look outside of these industries to see what other brands are up to. You can find a lot of inspiration when you switch things up and step away from what you know!

Brand spotlight: Duolingo

Is it safe to say that we all have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Duolingo?

I’ve been using it on and off for years, but I just hit a personal record breaking 47 day streak, which is partly what inspired me to create this post. That, and their marketing game has been fantastic lately.

As a multilingual person and a former student, I have my qualms with some of Duolingo’s exercises. They can be repetitive to the point of being dull, and some of the phrases are downright nonsensical — I once went through a whole unit where I learned to talk about animals doing things that they are 1000% incapable of in real life. But hey, if I ever see a horse driving a car in a Spanish-speaking country, I’ll be able to describe it to onlookers.

Anyway, curriculum aside, Duolingo’s marketing and copywriting techniques are on point. There’s a reason why it’s become the most popular language learning app, and a bit of a cultural phenomenon to boot. I’m sure we’ve all seen a Duolingo owl meme or two in recent years. Maybe you’ve even used it as a reference in your own everyday life?

Either way, pretty much everyone knows about Duolingo. I’m sure it’s the go-to name for many of us when it comes to language learning. So, what exactly is it they’re doing right? Let’s break it down.

Playing on human psychology & competitiveness

We know one thing to be true with Duolingo: every user that has downloaded it came with the desire to learn a new language.

However, if you’re someone that has started a new endeavour of any kind, you’ll know desire alone isn’t enough to maintain a commitment.

I’ll admit, Duolingo wasn’t the best with this in the beginning. I’ve gone months without opening up the app in the past because I got disinterested with the content.

But lately, they’ve been more clever with bringing people back. They’ve diversified their lessons by adding in exercises involving stories, mini podcasts, and interactive games. They’ve added in challenges, like bonus speed rounds — I’m not the most competitive person in the world, but even this challenge brought out my inner All Caps Abbi (IYKYK).

Then there’s the almighty streak. I am feeling a great sense of accomplishment now that mine is at a record high. Duolingo has really honed in on the parts of human psychology that make us want to succeed lately, and as a result I’m more committed than I’ve ever been.

If all of your content has been feeling too same-same lately, why not think of ways to diversify? Make it fun and interactive by doing a hunt-style product release campaign. Create quizzes that lead customers to their ideal designs. Share playlists. It’s not just about showing off your products. It’s about making people connect with them.

Capturing attention in creative ways

Remember when the Duolingo owl died at the beginning of the year? That was pretty great, at least from a marketing POV. Before you call me cruel or twisted, he didn’t actually die — he was being dramatic. Duolingo launched a campaign saying the owl was about to die from a lack of attention from all the users that haven’t been on the app for a while.

It was funny and memorable, and it certainly created a buzz. Google has pages and pages worth of news and media sites covering it.

On my own phone, I noticed the owl icon changing into funny graphics during my off periods. It looked a bit sick or weird, which definitely captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going on with the owl, and how I could get it back to normal. I realized that it was sick because of neglect (Tamagotchi/Neopets throwbacks, anyone?) and that the only way I could fix it was to restart my lessons. Now that I’m deep into my streak, Duo has once again transformed. Only this time, he looks like a razor-sharp spy on a mission. I look forward to seeing his next makeover!

I realize this is more of a design tactic than a copywriting one, but the principle of creating something attention-grabbing remains. If I’d opened up my inbox to see a subject line like “Duo is on his deathbed, and only you can save him”, I’d pay attention.

Using relatable examples

Oof, when I saw this upsell ad, I knew I had to show my respect somehow! It’s much more relatable and effective than just saying “Our Super Family Plan is affordable” or “we offer the best price on our Super Family Plan”. Because it’s true that I maybe have one too many streaming services, so paying the equivalent price of one more or (probably the smarter solution) swapping one for a Duolingo premium plan wouldn’t break the bank. And it would be an investment that sharpens my brain — not sure I can say the same for a Netflix subscription.

Showing real life comparisons that users can understand goes a long way. It can be a bit trickier in the more product-based fashion and lifestyle industries, but this tactic can be a great way to show off value in terms of longevity and quality. For example, “you can buy a gold-plated necklace that turns green in a few weeks, or you can invest in a solid gold one that’ll shine forever.”

Having a playful brand voice

Now, this certainly isn’t for everyone, but I think having this fun, playful brand voice works really well for Duolingo. Anything related to learning and academics can risk seeming boring, but Duolingo have avoided that with their cutesy, cartoon-like graphics, vibrant colour palette, and cheerful language.

I believe that fashion and lifestyle brands can benefit a lot from a bit more fun. After all, these industries tend to be about creative expression and not taking life so seriously. You don’t need to go all out whimsical like Moschino — brands like Reformation, Duke & Dexter, Vitaly, and Mala candles are standing out with their subtle humour and casual tone.

I see a lot of independent fashion and lifestyle brands think they have to have a luxury voice to sound good. You know, grand and poetic, à la Louis Vuitton or Hermès. I won’t lie, it sounds good, and I use versions of it a lot for my clients. But I find that the brands that sound more conversational and down to earth can end up being more memorable.

Moral of the story: be clever, but have fun with your copywriting!

Ok, I’ll acknowledge it again: it’s not just Duolingo’s copywriting that’s giving them success. It’s the branding, the design, the interface, and copywriting all coming together.

But they’ve really been upping their marketing game by adding in humorous touches while playing on human psychology.

Their copy is fun, relatable, and creative. Whether you’re a clothing, jewelry, or home décor brand, there’s a lot to learn from Duolingo!

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