entrepreneurs

Business, Marketing
The personal brand paradox: How much of yourself should you really share?
- October 29, 2024
- 0 comments
- by allwordsbypeta
If I tell you that I had a colonoscopy, does it make you more likely to buy my Brand Messaging Guide?

If I explain, in excruciating detail, my holiday breakfast order preferences, will that land me more speaking gigs?

Probably not.

But knowing me better – my background, my experiences, my slightly odd sense of humour – does make you more likely to want to work with me. Somehow, the fact that I wrote my first paid piece of copy on my phone while trying to get Erica to sleep, or that I once wanted to be Prime Minister, or that I’m raising an autistic son… these snippets make me stick in your mind. They’re all a part of my personal brand.

This morning, I spent three minutes of a ten-minute business presentation talking about my family, my background, and various other personal bits and bobs. And when someone asked why, I told them straight:

“You can work out what products or services I sell from a four-minute conversation with me and a glance at my website. But good business relationships are built on getting to know the person, the passion, behind the business.”

So where’s the line? Between giving valuable context in your personal brand and oversharing? Between being authentically you and being that person on LinkedIn who somehow turns their breakfast smoothie into a lesson about venture capital funding?

Let’s figure it out together…

Why personal brands matter in business

Before we get started, if you’re competing solely on price or features, you can probably skip this article and go back to your calculator. But if you’re trying to build a brand that resonates? That creates loyal customers who actually care about your success? Then you should probably stick with me.

The last time I gave that networking presentation, a soon-to-be client leaned over and whispered to the person sitting next to her, “I HAVE to get this woman to write my website copy.” Not because I’d dazzled her with my extensive portfolio (though it is pretty dazzling), but because something in my story connected with her.

The same principle applies to your e-commerce personal brand. Sure, you could just list your product features and competitive pricing. But there are more effective tools.

Take Otbor Toys, for example.

When they came to me, they were struggling with credibility, and with getting people to pay premium prices for their products.

They made wooden heirloom toys, handmade in Bulgaria, with traditional Bulgarian techniques and local woods. And honestly, they’re gorgeous. If you saw them in a boutique, then you wouldn’t question the price. But there were trust issues from an Eastern European country, and nothing on the website made the case for the premium price tag.

The founders had thought running away from their Bulgarian roots was the answer. But instead, we dove into the story, educated the audience about Bulgaria’s history of incredible craftsmanship, and shared how the founders’ children inspired the collections.

We added in personal details, and they saw fewer abandoned carts.

(you find out more about my work with them here)

People don’t just buy products anymore – they buy stories, values, and yes, a strong personal brand.

The three circles of effective sharing

Think of your personal brand elements like a target (and no, this isn’t another one of those “start with why” lectures – I promise).

The Inner Circle: stories that sell

These are the experiences that directly relate to your business. Like how you created your sustainable fashion brand because fast fashion literally made you sick. Or how your own struggles with breastfeeding led you to develop a better pump (shoutout to my friends at Jevon Baby).

These stories aren’t just nice to have – they’re gold. They show your audience why you actually care about solving their problems.

The Middle Circle: relatable reality

This is your day-to-day stuff that makes you human. Like my Gran’s insistence on putting ages in birthday cards, or my millennial refusal to use “2” instead of “to” or “too” in texts (never happening, sorry not sorry).

For e-commerce founders, this might be sharing your morning routine with your own products, or the chaos of your latest product photoshoot. It’s the stuff that makes your customers think “Oh yeah, they get it.”

The Outer Circle: the TMI zone

This is where we building a personal brand ventures into “colonoscopy detail” territory. Or those LinkedIn posts that decide it’s appropriate to turn a breakup into a lesson about resilience in the supply chain. You know the ones.

Looking for brands that balance this well? Check out Plum Deluxe’s about page (yup, another client). They tell founder Andy’s story about his relationship with his mother and how it inspired his company. But they don’t milk it or overshare. (And they don’t make the whole page about him, there’s stuff in there about their ideal customer, too).

The real reason developing a personal brand matters

If you’ve joined my email list, you probably read this line in my welcome sequence:

“The personal/professional divide only serves to disempower those with caring responsibilities or other concerns.”

And I stand by it. (Otherwise, I’d have taken it out of my welcome sequence, obvs.)

Here’s why a strong personal brand matters for e-commerce founders:
- The ability to separate your work life and home life completely is a luxury most of us don’t have
- Your experiences and challenges often directly inform your product development
- Building genuine connections with customers creates brand loyalty that discounts just can’t buy
But there’s something even more powerful at play here.

There is magic in connection.

Finding your sweet spot

So how do you know what to share? Here’s my quick gut-check guide:
1. Does it help your audience understand why you’re qualified to solve their problem? Like how my background in youth work makes me excellent at understanding and connecting with different audiences. What experiences make you the perfect person to create and sell your products?
2. Does it build genuine connection without overshadowing your message? Sharing that I grew up on the poverty line helps people understand my drive to work with brands that help people. What parts of your story explain your brand’s mission?
3. Does it add value to your customer’s experience of your brand? My slightly sarcastic asides (you might have noticed a few) let potential clients know what working with me will be like. How can your personality enhance your customer experience?
Putting it into practice

Here are some ways you can start weaving your personal brand into your e-commerce business authentically:

Start small:
- Share snippets of your founder journey in your email newsletters
- Let your product descriptions tell the story of why you created them
- Add personality to your packaging inserts
- Have a social strategy that’s about building connection with your audience, not just selling to them.
But avoid:
- Turning every life event into a forced business lesson
- Sharing personal stuff just because you feel pressured to be “authentic” – you should share at a level that makes you feel comfortable
- Letting your personal story overshadow your products
- Getting too caught up in what other founders are sharing
The key? Be intentionally you.

When I share about my background in youth work or my experiences as a parent, it’s because these things directly inform how I help my clients. When you share about your journey, your struggles, your wins – make sure they add value to your customer’s understanding of your brand and products.

Think of it like a first date – you want to be open enough to build connection, but not so open that you’re sharing your entire medical history before the starters have arrived.

Need some help?

No matter what the massive LinkedIn bros say, people buy people.

Are you giving them reasons to buy you?

(Ok, well not *buy* you… but you know what I mean.)

If you’re trying to define what your personal brand really is, and how much of “you” it makes sense to put in it, then talk to me about a Brand Messaging Guide.

If you’ve built a personal element into your brand and you’re worrying about maintaining that authentic connection as you scale, then talk to me about a Brand Voice Guide.

Either way, book a call here and we’ll work out the next step for your brand.

Carry on reading
Marketing, Business
How to build a community that’s obsessed with you – and why it matters
- October 3, 2024
- Comments Off on How to build a community that’s obsessed with you – and why it matters
- by allwordsbypeta
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Let me tell you a story. A story about someone who knows how to build a community. Someone who’s community I’m a part of.

I got an email from Tracy this morning.

Tracy has been in my life for 14 years. I see her around 4 times a week, and we can spend between half an hour to 2 hours together. I know what her kids are getting up to, the books she’s reading, what causes she’s thinking about, the new ideas she’s coming up with. I know her favourite drink, the skincare she uses, and what she thinks about Taylor and Travis.

We’ve never met.

The community I’m obsessed with

Tracy Anderson is a fitness trainer. She’s developed a method that keeps my ADHD brain from getting bored, that’s put me back together physically after two pregnancies and births, and that kept me sane during my husband’s cancer diagnosis and death.

She has earnt my undying loyalty.

I’m also connected to the wider community of other people who follow her workouts. (I even met one of my first copywriting clients in a Tracy Anderson Facebook group!) We’ll check in with each other to talk about recent workouts, to compare notes on equipment, to try out new recipes. And I’ve never met any of them, either.

The result? I buy everything Tracy launches (well, almost everything – I’ve yet to stretch to the Vitality weeks she runs in the US, but they’re on the vision board). I have her DVDs, streaming subscriptions, leggings, and equipment. I’ve bought skincare and books she’s recommended. I am all in.

When she sends an email, I’m excited. And when she launches a new product, I’m already more than halfway towards buying it. I don’t need as much convincing, and I have fewer objectives.

I feel part of her community.

These are the kind of people you want in your audience. People who don’t feel like an audience of customers – they feel like part of a community.

Because, when they do, they’re much more likely to buy your stuff, and it’ll take much less time to convince them they need it.

But how do you get them to that magical state of obsession? How do you build a community that’s obsessed with you?

How to build a community and make people feel like they’re part of it

Do you want my advice as someone who spent 15 years building communities of young people?

It’s about more than a Boots or Tesco-style loyalty scheme that offers you a quick return on your investment, or extra perks (Although these aren’t to be sniffed at).

I think that more small businesses should strategically work to create that feeling of being part of a family. Knowing how to build a community is something you need to pay attention to.

And here are 3 tips to get you started:

Make them feel special

Send them emails on their birthday with a personalised discount code. Let them in on behind-the-scenes secrets, ask their opinions. Never underestimate the power of asking questions (and, you know, listening to the answers!).

Make them feel listened to

Regularly ask your members about their needs, preferences, and the things they’d love to see you offer…and then ACT on that invaluable information!

Would they find it easier to follow your course videos if you had captions or a transcript available?

Are they looking for a less involved offer at a lower price point?

Make them feel part of something

If you’re a brick and mortar business put on special VIP events that feel like secret parties. If you live online then give them early access to sales, or host a members area on your website with access to exclusive content or discounts.

And, of course, use the regular emails you send to your members to build on that feeling of being part of something, being special, and being listened to.

How a strong community can grow your business

We’ve had an uncertain few years in the business community, and we’ve seen how the sense of insecurity can affect people’s spending habits. But if you’ve figured out how to build a community, then you have an ace up your sleeve.

If you have nurtured a community, and a relationship with your customers, then spending money with you will feel secure and comforting.

When people already know, like, and trust you AND they feel part of your community, then you won’t have to work as hard to convince them of the value of your offer. They’ll be excited to see your email drop into their inbox. They’ll run towards the pre-sale link. And they’ll shout about you from the rooftops.

Not a bad return on your investment really.

If you’re looking for support – someone who will care as much about your business as you do, then book a strategy call with me. We’ll work out the best way to build your very own obsessed community.

Carry on reading
Marketing
How to build an emotional connection with your customers
- September 23, 2024
- 1 Comment
- by allwordsbypeta
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

In 2007, 14,000 people joined a campaign to bring back a discontinued chocolate bar.

Cadbury’s Wispa bar was discontinued in 2003.

But 14,000 people joined an online campaign group to try and convince Cadbury’s to reintroduce it. When the brand did a 7-week trial run in 2007, they sold 20 million bars. And they finally put it back on our shelves for good in 2008.

It’s just a chocolate bar.

And, frankly, it’s pretty similar to other chocolate options out there (here in the UK, anyway – I refuse to consider the stuff you eat over in America as actual chocolate!). You could get the same taste, the same ingredients, the same sugar boost (and crash) with an Aero.

But it’s not about the taste, the ingredients, or the calorie content. It’s about the story people attached to it.
- The after-school snack.
- The visit to the leisure centre vending machine with still-wet hair after swimming lessons.
- The Christmas morning selection box discovery as you’re sat in your pyjamas under the fluorescent glow of the tree lights.
Because story sells.

And it can help you build an emotional connection with your audience.

Why are stories so effective?

A story kickstarts an emotional connection that we build meaning around.

All the legends we’ve known since childhood have to start somewhere. Whether it’s Thor and his mighty hammer (the original or the Hemsworth version), Robin Hood and his band of merry thieves, or how the Colonel really makes his fried chicken. They all began as myth and reality woven into a compelling narrative.

Whispered to each other at twilight.

Human beings love stories, and we share the good ones. We used to share them around campfires at the mouths of caves, then we traded them in return for food and shelter as we travelled to new towns and lands. We wrote them in books and wove them into songs and turned them into multi-movie franchises where blonde Australians show off their arms. (ahem)

Now we click tiny arrows as we scroll through our phones, sharing the best stories with our friends and followers. And our reach is endless.

Why do you need a good brand story?

Brands come and go. You can seem like the next big thing – a potential unicorn, the TikTok product everyone wants – one day, and the next people have moved on to something shiner.

What makes the difference between your brand being a flash in the pan viral trend and a true lasting legend? Well, you need a good story. And you need to know how to share it.

If you’re not using your website copy and emails to help people weave a story around your business…then you’re missing out on building an emotional connection.

That’s what good copywriting and good messaging do for your business. They weave that story. So that people are invested in your brand. So it becomes a part of their life. So they form campaign groups to bring it back once you’re sunning yourself on your retirement yacht!

How to find the right story for your brand

Great Peta, thanks for that. But unless I founded my brand off the back of some epic Netflix special-worthy life event, how do I find this magical story?

Well, while some stories are more cinematic than others, every single brand has one, you just need to do a little digging. And here are 3 things you can try to get started:
1. Tap into your brand’s origin
Just like every superhero has an origin story, every brand does, too. How did you get the idea for your product or service? Were you struggling with something and couldn’t find a solution? Did you discover a talent and realise that you could help people with it? Did you experience something in your life that changed the way you look at the world? Did you decide to confront an injustice?

All of these origin stories will resonate with the right audience. But you need to be telling them (and not just in a small section on your About page)
1. Listen to how your customers use your product or service
Your brand story isn’t just about you – it’s about our customers too. Just like the stories people attached to the Wispa bar, people will attach stories to using your product or service.

The app that helps them finish their to-do list so they can make it to their kid’s tennis practice every week. The membership that helped them actually write their book.

The drink they always buy when they’re waiting for the train to go home for the holidays.

Spend time with your customers, and listen to how they talk about your offer. They’ll tell you what resonates. And you can use those stories and that language in your messaging.
1. Find the everyday emotions
If you’ve got a huge, sweeping epic of a story then great! Run with it. But the everyday can be just as good (if not better) at helping you form that emotional connection.

Find that everyday moment that people associate your product or service with. Tap into the emotions that are related to that moment. And weave that emotion into how you tell your story.

This is one of the reasons why User Generated Content is so big right now. People want to see stories they relate to – the mum who (just like them) struggles to get her kid to sit at the table and eat, and feels like a terrible parent. But then they found this card game they can play to keep everyone engaged and eating tea.

“This product changed my day/life/mindset because…” is a story – and an incredibly effective one. I’m willing to bet you can find stories like this within your customer base.

****

Stories are nothing new. But they can weave magic through your business.

Why not tap into that Wispa magic, and see what stories you can find?

If you’re struggling to land on the story that will build an emotional connection with your audience – or you can’t find one at all – then I can help.

Book a Get My Brain On Your Business call and we can choose the right story, and come up with a plan on how to share it, too!

Book a Get My Brain on Your Business Call

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Business, Email, Marketing
5 Lead Nurturing Email Sequence Examples to Wow Subscribers
- August 2, 2022
- Comments Off on 5 Lead Nurturing Email Sequence Examples to Wow Subscribers
- by allwordsbypeta
Get your nurture sequence to do all the work for you, while you sip on your latte.

Let’s talk about first impressions…

I sign up to a lot of email lists.

Partly because I’m nosy.
I like to know what people are saying, and I like to see different lead nurturing email sequence examples.

But it’s also because I like to know a brand if I’m going to spend my money with them.
And what better way to do that than to sign up for their list, and devour the 4-5 emails they send me introducing their brand, their ethos, their origin story, their funny little foibles, and what their dog did in the office that one time…

Except that often doesn’t happen.

Why you need an email nurture sequence

When I discover a new brand and sign up to their email list, I’m not just after the discount/freebie/special offer. I’m motivated (excited even) to find out more. I’m ready to get to know them, to dive into the story, to become part of their tribe.

Which means I’m waiting to spend money with them (and tell my friends about this great new business I’ve found).

When there’s nothing…except for maybe a 2 line templated email saying: “Here’s your discount code”…then I’m left deflated. I want my email nurture sequence. I want more!

This was their opportunity to make the perfect first impression.
To pick me up in my excitement and plonk me in front of all they had to offer.
So that I’d jump in and become their newest customer.

Without it…if I’m honest…they end up in the graveyard that is my Promotions tab, only to be noticed if they send a particularly interesting subject line in a month’s time.

Which is why I’m so passionate about getting all the businesses I work with to create (and continuously one) their welcome sequence – those 4-5 emails that get sent out to new subscribers.

It’s your one chance at a first impression. An opportunity to develop the initial excitement of a new visitor and turn them into one of your tribe.

Increased sales, increased customer LTV, increased organic referrals, you name it: your welcome sequence can hand it to you.

How to write a good email sequence

You’re sat, staring at the blinking cursor, your discount code already entered into your Shopify backend.

How do you sum up years of mulling over your idea in your head, the late nights struggling with stock levels, or tying down your USP, the bookkeeping, hiring your first team member, the way your product or service has made people’s lives better, what you want every one of your customers to feel like when they hear from you…

What can you write that will make them feel like they know you, and want to be a part of your story?

Well, that’s it really – you need to give them a story to be part of.

What is the story of your brand?

Human beings love stories, and we share the good ones. We used to share them around campfires at the mouths of caves, then we traded them in return for food and shelter as we travelled to new towns and lands. We wrote them in books and wove them into songs and turned them into multi-movie franchises.

Now we click tiny arrows as we scroll through our phones, sharing the best stories with our friends and followers. And our reach is endless.

Story nurtures connection – and that is how you get customers that buy from you, stick around, tell their friends (and Insta followers), and take your brand off into the stratosphere.

What’s your story?

How an email nurture sequence is your dinner party opener

Sipping your warm glass of pinot grigio, you glance nervously around the room.
Couples and small groups are scattered across the space. Some are staring at the comfort of their phones, some checking their watches, some trying to work out the best place to sit.

School performances, college reunions, company parties…
Life is full of situations where we have to make artificial connections with people we just happen to be thrown together with.

And what is the first thing everyone asks?
“So, what do you do?”

Your stomach seems to have made its way towards your knees.
As an entrepreneur, you often don’t have the luxury of an easily explainable job title or field.
“I’m a doctor!” is easy. Everyone fills in the rest.
“Oh, I refurbish antique furniture and sell it to rich women at craft fairs” is understood.

“Well, I own a business that helps female entrepreneurs find their joy” is likely to elicit a confused furrow of the brows and a nervous sip of wine.
- What do you say to people who ask what you do?
- What are the important things you want people to know about your business?
- What do you wish you had written down when you were trying to work out the best place to put your name tag?
Those things are what your welcome sequence of emails should be made up of.

A primer for your business, how it helps people, and why they should care

How do you make a connection?

You can’t make a connection if you don’t know who you’re trying to connect with.

Imagine walking up to someone at a party, and launching into a heartfelt story about how Airfix models have been the thread that pulls your life together.
And expecting that to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship/romance/lifetime filled with the smell of glue and balsa wood.

I mean, there is a chance that they delight in opening a new model aeroplane too. But you’re taking a pretty big gamble. Surely a safer way would be to start a general conversation, and maybe ask if they had ever heard of Airfix models? Before you commit yourself to going all in!

Emails are the same.
When you’re getting ready to build that connection with your subscribers – the one that will bring you sales, greater customer LTV, and free advertising from all your loyal fans – you need to know who you’re writing to. Who is the “lead” for this lead nurturing email sequence? Yes, I know using the term “lead” is a little dehumanising. But you all knew what I meant!

Who is your audience?

Were they die-hard Friends devotees who’ll spot a Ross reference a mile off? PIVOT!!!
Did they burst into tears at the news that BTS are taking a hiatus?
Are they spending their weekends trying to work out how to stop the pigeons eating their tomato plants?
Or are they balancing caring for their aging mum who refuses to have outside carers, whilst supporting their teenagers through exams?

This is why so much of my job when I start work with a new client is research.
There are many ways to say who you are and what you do.

But it takes finding out about your audience to pick the one way that will resonate with them the most.

So, before you even start with your “Hi! I’m just popping into your inbox to say thank you for signing up! email…

Take some time to investigate who you’re talking to.
You might even get to talk about Airfix models.

The importance of providing value

For me, marketing will always be about the long game.

Your welcome emails, your nurture sequence – they’re what draw new people in. You give them a taste of who you are, and a story to dive into – be part of.

But then you need to get them to stay. And that’s where your ongoing emails come in.
I’ve been on too many email lists that shift from an endearing welcome email, straight to “BUY MY STUFF!” with a shedload of high res images and lots of “SALE!” banners.

Now, I know that I am a customer. A way of making money.
But I’m also a person. And I want to know that a company has thought about how they can serve me, as well as sell to me.
I want them to play the long game.

Keep your customers on board by sending them value. Articles you think they’ll find interesting, stories you think will make them laugh, tips from your industry that will make their day easier.

This works for other sequences too. If you’re trying to work out how to write a good email sequence for a product you’re launching, or a membership you’re advertising. In any of these cases, you need to mix your more salesy content with serving your subscribers.

Because, when you do this, they feel less like a cash cow, and more like a valued part of your business.

And then they’ll give you more cash.

Getting this off your plate

If you think this all sounds great, but you don’t have the time or the inclination to do it yourself…

Then it’s time to bring in the big guns…

Me…

Head over to my email services page to find out about my packages. Or fill in my contact form and we’ll have a chat about the best way to introduce you to your people.

And, if you’d like more ideas on how to play the relationship marketing long game, then you probably want to sign up to my newsletter. It comes out on Friday mornings, and it’s packed full of value, funny stories, and things I think you’ll find interesting (see what I did there?).

You can sign up here

Carry on reading
Business, Marketing
How to keep up with politics without your head exploding
- August 1, 2022
- Comments Off on How to keep up with politics without your head exploding
- by allwordsbypeta
I talk a lot about UK politics.

I sit here sipping my Earl Grey tea and polishing my monocle, aware that my sphere of reference is ridiculously narrow. Even as I make a concerted effort to look beyond my borders.

The fact is, it’s impossible to stay up to date on every issue and event currently kicking off around the world. Unless it’s your full-time job. And as the internet makes our world smaller, it brings home just how interconnected we all are – for good and bad.

So, if you want to acknowledge in your messaging that you are a citizen of the world, affected by Roe V Wade, grain supply lines in Ukraine, and the melting Arctic ice…

How do you possibly stay in the loop?

1. Work out how much you can handle.

If you have the time and headspace to devour the entire Guardian website, and follow it up by listening to Radio 4 while you do your burpees then more power to you. But if (like me) both time and headspace are limited, decide the amount of content that will make you feel informed without feeling overwhelmed. And be OK with that.

Got 5 minutes, but still want to be informed? The Knowledge is a free daily email collated from across the media on all the issues of the day.

2. Take breaks.

I am a politics junkie. I will sit down at a party with someone I’ve only just met and spend 2 hours talking about how the PFI policies of the last Labour government paved the way for NHS privatisation. (And then regret it the morning after!). But even I need a break. Sometimes it all gets too much. When the world is tough, or your life is tough, or both – have the confidence to step away for a bit. We’ll catch you up when you get back.

3. Vary your sources.

Mainstream Media is not the balanced information Mecca that it used to be (well, if it ever was). And the Facebook algorithm does not provide a one-stop-shop for everything you really need to know. If you want to make sure you’re getting the whole story, and you want to be aware of what other groups are also thinking, then you need to triangulate your sources like a good little orienteerer! Mix it up, step out of your box, etc. etc.

Tortoise Media is another relatively unbiased place to find decent information. Especially on important issues that the mainstream media have moved on from.

4. Listen to people with lived experience.

Professional commentators are paid to have opinions on things. Journalists are paid to write interesting stories that make you buy their newspapers. The good ones do their research, and talk to the people actually affected by an issue. Those living it. But a lot don’t. If you want to know what it’s like being a poor single mum juggling childcare and DWP assessments, or a middle-aged mechanic who’s just been made redundant and is walking to the Job Centre every day, then seek them out.

Head to Twitter, find them. And LISTEN.

5. Don’t fall into the “what about the dolphins?” trap.

You’re a lovely person. You care about a LOT of things. And occasionally you might post about one of them. On your personal or business social media. Only for some plonker to come along and say “I can’t believe you’re talking about this! It obviously means you don’t care about these 3 other things!”

And of course, it doesn’t mean that you don’t care about those other things. Only that it’s impossible to talk about all the issues you DO care about all at once, within the character limit of your favourite social media platform.

It’s important that idiots like this don’t put you off voicing your opinion and advocating for important issues. You can talk about the importance of good sex education in schools, while also caring about the plight of bumble bees but not talking about it today.

And it’s important to remember that we can’t all campaign for all the things all the time. Share the load. Don’t feel you have to jump on every campaign that comes along. It doesn’t make you a terrible person if you don’t go on the dolphin march.

“But I’m so adorable!”

So, there you have it.

5 steps towards staying informed, and using that information to speak out about the issues that matter to you. Take this knowledge and use it wisely!
And if you really want to get started, but you have no idea how you can fit this into your business, then we need to talk.

Start with my “How to talk about politics without pissing people off” Framework.

And then, let’s chat about how you can make your brand speak for your politics, as well as make you money!

Book a call

Carry on reading
Marketing
Why you know too much – how to communicate your brand effectively.
- July 25, 2022
- Comments Off on Why you know too much – how to communicate your brand effectively.
- by allwordsbypeta
Every founder needs a good USP, a compelling elevator pitch, and a Product-Market Fit. This gets you your investment, sure. But your investors aren’t the only people who need clarity about your offer. If you want to sell anything, then you need to know how to communicate your brand effectively to your potential customers.

Even if you know exactly:
- what you offer (and how it hits your customer’s pain points),
- how it works,
- the customer journey (every single step they go through),
- your brand values (why you make the decisions you do), and
- your target audience (who you’re talking to)…
That’s not the end of the story.

Because while you’re the expert on your company…your ideal consumer isn’t.

“Why does that matter, Peta?” I hear you cry, “I can still talk to them!”

And you can. But you’re going to find it a lot harder to put aside all your expert knowledge, the hours you’ve spent obsessing over the meaning behind your brand logo, or the particular reason you chose this app layout.

Why being an expert on your business is a problem for your marketing

Ok, so maybe that’s not quite what I mean.

Obviously, knowing the ins and outs of your business, being an expert at what you do, and having the skills and information you need to help your ideal customer are super important.

But, all this prior knowledge stops you from putting yourself in your ideal customer’s shoes – inside their brain – and communicating your brand from where they are. What they know NOW.

You need to take these complicated ideas and make them accessible.

Not in a dumbing down “you’re too stupid to understand this so let me explain it with lego” way. But in such a way that, even without all your background knowledge, your ideal customer will grasp why your offer is so groundbreaking and be able to relate to your brand.

Whether it’s about:
- shedding light on the benefits of your product,
- giving an example of why you’re a better bet than your competitors,
- talking about nuances of different sustainability options, or
- breaking down a complicated tech or scientific concept to show how it helps you in real life
Your messaging needs to do all that without overloading them with information, or making them feel like they need to put down the playdoh and head to the nap corner.

And that’s hard for you, as the resident expert, to do.

How to speak to noobs – how to communicate your brand to the people who need it

“But Peta! I know exactly what my customers need, because I’ve spent hours, days, weeks, years of my life developing the perfect product/service/offer for them!

I’ve researched and honed and gone through beta testing. I’ve got a comprehensive breakdown of why it’s excellent and how it helps. I’m all set!”

But do you know how you’re going to start explaining all that to someone who knows nothing about your brand?

Do you know how to talk to a noob? (there is a LOT of Minecraft talk going on in my house, and some of it was bound to sink in!)

Here’s something to ruminate on:

Your customer isn’t stupid (but they know less than you)

A few months ago, I wrote a lead magnet for a Tech Security firm (yes, I am THAT versatile). Framed as a checklist, it outlined the things you needed to do to make sure your business was safe and secure. The audience was companies with 25-250 employees, who didn’t have their own IT departments.

Now, I’m not a tech security expert (surprisingly), so I needed to rely on the client’s knowledge of what businesses should do to stay safe and secure.

He sent me a document outlining the most common risks when it came to The Cloud, data storage, etc.

And it. Was. Dense.

No personality. No real way to make a connection or build trust. No compelling brand story.

There was no way that the majority of his ideal customers were going to get their heads around any of it, let alone work out why they should care. This was not a sensible brand communication strategy.

And so I got to work.

This is why you hire a copywriter (well, one of the many reasons – we’re pretty useful people to have around!).

You have a wealth of expertise and knowledge. But your ideal customer probably doesn’t. A copywriter bridges the gap between you. Explaining your concepts from the position of a non-expert. Helping them see why it matters to them. Showing them how you can help them.

Without overwhelming them with jargon, or being patronising.

It’s a fine line. But it’s a line I’m very good at staying on the right side of.

Why a copywriter is your secret weapon:

Have you gone too far down the rabbit hole of your brand messaging and can’t figure out a way to communicate anything to your audience? Then you need a copywriter.

A good copywriter and messaging strategist (so, someone like me, perhaps) will be able to bring the following invaluable skills to the table:

An outsider’s perspective

You know when you’re doing a jigsaw, and you’ve been sitting there for ages, staring and stuck? And then your mum/partner/4-year-old child prodigy nephew wanders over, picks up a piece and immediately puts it in the right place?

Yes – it is very annoying.

But you know how they did it? They looked at the problem from a different angle.

I bet you’ve spent days going over the problems in your messaging. Trying to find a content strategy that your ideal customer will relate to. Trying to strike the right tone between “buy my stuff because it’s, like, really cool!!” and “Here are 17 pages on our company culture, sales channels, and why this product is so amazing!”

Pulling in an outsider, someone who is probably learning about your offer too, means you benefit from a different perspective. You get someone who will see things you don’t, and make sense of it from the perspective of your customers, because you’ve been looking at the puzzle pieces for too long.

A strategic overview

Getting lost in the weeds of your messaging means missing things that might be even more important.

A good copywriter leads you away from the tiny piece of wonky bark on the sycamore in front of you, hikes with you up the nearest hill, and shows you just how far the forest reaches, the impact it has, and how many things it touches.

And then you are better placed to be able to communicate that impact to your audience, with clarity.

A window into the brain of your ideal customer

Not only is a good copywriter great at getting to the bottom of what it is you offer, and why it’s so great, but they also excel at getting into the minds of your perfect customer.

Copywriting isn’t just the writing bit – it’s a whole mess of research before we even put pen to paper (or fingers to crumb-covered keyboard). Taking the time to get to know the people you’re trying to reach, working out what problems they have, and why they’re looking for your solution. All these things are integral to crafting a message that will make an emotional connection with the people you want to speak to, get them to buy from you, and build customer loyalty.

A bridge between your knowledge and your customer’s understanding

And then we have the final piece. Where a good copywriter will take the storage unit of stuff that you know about your brand and your offer, pop it over a bunsen burner, and distil the chemicals that will make the most potent message possible. Ready for you to put out on your website, slosh all over your social media channels, and even help you craft your brand’s visual identity.

We’re the scientists bottling the perfume that will draw your perfect customer towards you.

We’re also pretty good with the words, too…

How I can help you communicate your brand

Yes, you have your pitch deck (if not, we can talk about that as well).

But a good pitch deck does not make a good brand message. Especially a brand message that your future loyal customers identify with.

My Brand Guides are the blueprint to your brand identity, your messaging, your content strategy, your go-to-market plans, your website copy, and even your packaging (if that’s your thing). It’s one (meaty) document that becomes the Bible for all your brand communications.

I take the expertise in your brain and make it relatable to your audience. And it’s just as relevant for a start-up as it is for product-based small businesses, or a personal brand.

If you’re serious about what you offer. And you want the world to understand how it can help them. Then you need a Brand Guide.

One client said:

“This is so what I needed to move forward. You have totally banged the nail on the head!”

Find out more about it here:

Carry on reading
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How to show up authentically online without oversharing!
- October 22, 2021
- Comments Off on How to show up authentically online without oversharing!
- by allwordsbypeta
This is my preferred selfie!

Authenticity is the big buzzword in the world of small businesses right now. Especially how do you show up authentically online?

You need to be showing up as your “authentic self” on your social media channels (cue “hilarious” reels of me pointing at invisible words on the screen trying to game the algorithm. Not really, I’m never doing that.).

Maybe it’s because of my naturally cynical British brain (yeah, it’s probably that).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that we’re slowly moving away (at least in some corners of the internet) from the performative posts online where we show off the tidy side of our perfectly arranged “home office” whilst ignoring the bit behind us where we’ve hidden all of the kid’s drawings, empty water bottles, crayons, and crumbs that are usually on the table.

But I’m always wary of just swinging the pendulum from one side to the other, where I feel a little like I’m letting down the sisterhood when I post a picture of my kitchen in the rare moments it’s actually clean. Or when I find an image of my kids in which they’re not trying to sit on each other’s heads.

And the thing is, buzzwords usually start off as great ideas with logic and analysis behind them. As a business owner or entrepreneur (pick the title that feels more “authentically you”!) being authentic online is good for engagement. Your potential customers see themselves in you, they relate. And this makes them more likely to buy from you and work with you.

As well as that, the drive for more authenticity was meant to make it easier for people to show up in the online space. You didn’t have to fit into a certain box, follow a certain formula, speak in a certain way, or build your website with a certain tool. You could be yourself.

But it turns out being yourself authentically online is still bloody hard.

Which “self” are you going to be?

How much of your life/principles/ethos/beliefs/personal vocabulary/mad earrings are you going to put out into the public domain for your potential customers to see?

When you’ve put yourself out there – the honest, real-life you – how do you cope when some people don’t like it? Now they’re not just rejecting your product, it feels a lot more personal.

And then, along with that, comes a whole heap of self-image issues that we like to think we’ve parked because we’ve “done the work” (read: liked the Instagram posts). Do I have to be in my photos? I can’t possibly do a reel right now because I didn’t wash my hair this morning. What if my kid walks into the background of my Story and pulls a funny face?

As messy as it gets!

Ways to show up authentically without making everyone within 5 feet roll their eyes:

If all that is running around your head then grab a cup of tea, and keep reading. Because it’s going to be ok…really.

Think about your audience: this can be pretty basic customer research, or you can geek out over it. But coming up with a customer avatar (ok, sorry, marketing speak: an image in your head of your ideal customer…excellent, the rash has gone now) can help you think about the sort of photos, captions, emails, and adverts that they would relate to.

Think about your style: If you’re a put-together person then a full face of makeup might make sense for your photos and videos, but if you can bring yourself to be a little less coiffed then you can own that and make it work.

If you’re pretty straight-laced (hey, no judgement, if everyone was punk we’d run out of safety pins) then coming out all guns blazing in your emails and marketing material is going to feel a bit weird, and be pretty hard to sustain.

Your authentic voice needs to contain some of you.

But don’t feel like you have to include it all: You might be really into Japanese anime or building bug hotels in your spare time. You might run a business making hand-pressed floral soaps but listen to thrash metal while you do it.

If you’re comfortable showing that side of you to your customers then that’s great! But if you’d rather not then that’s fine too. Your online “authentic self” doesn’t mean handing all elements of your life and personality over to the Facebook police. Pick what you want to share, and stick with that.

Look for the trends: Nope, not what everyone is dancing to on TikTok. Start noticing the patterns in how you speak when you’re comfortable and “in your flow”. That’s your brand/business voice. So if you can write and talk in that way, then your message will be that much more relatable.

People love consistency. They want to know what they’re going to get when they scroll your feed, or visit your website. No one likes surprises when it comes to their digital diet.

Get some help: writing about yourself is hard. You’re not being rubbish – it’s psychologically proven to be difficult for us to get our brains around. Our brains find it harder to recall things we’ve done well and much easier to flood us with all the things we’ve sucked at.

As well as this, when you sit down to write about your brand or business you’re doing it from the perspective of the expert and it’s difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. So you end up with a whole page of text that makes sense to you. But your audience has no idea why they should care.

Finding a copywriter and strategist who can give you that sense of perspective, help you relate to your audience, and pick out all the things that are actually awesome about you and your brand, is golden (I know, I would say that, but my clients say it too, so I have actual proof!).

So, if you’d like some help to work out what your “authentic” brand voice is (or you know a fellow entrepreneur who’s struggling), then I can help you with that!

Let’s chat.

Carry on reading
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8 Tips for Entrepreneur Parenting
- October 8, 2021
- Comments Off on 8 Tips for Entrepreneur Parenting
- by allwordsbypeta
Me and my gang!

You might have heard (if you follow me on social media, subscribe to my email list, or read this blog – yeah, I’ve banged on about it a lot, sorry), that I was on the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast this week.

I talked with Nikki and Kate about how I started my copywriting business from scratch with a tiny baby and a homeschooling 8-year-old. We also chatted about how most time management tips seem to forget the responsibilities of those of us who are caring for children full time.

You can catch the episode here, or watch it on YouTube here to see my smiling face (and yes, I am in a van. We were at a summer festival in the UK and it was the quietest place I could find!).

As with all great conversations, there’s always more to say. So I wanted to collect my best practical tips and mindset hacks here. Some we covered on the episode, and some we didn’t get to. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and not all of the ideas will apply to everyone’s circumstances. But I hope you find them helpful whether you have children to keep alive or you’re balancing other responsibilities.

Be realistic about your time

Don’t feel as if you have to do all the things. Yes, your Facebook groups and copywriting communities have Facebook Lives, and Study Hall hours. There are summits and live coaching and it’s all great, but be realistic about how much you can be involved in an online community. And don’t be tempted to feel as if you’re a 2nd-class online citizen because you literally don’t have time. Also, catching up afterwards (if you can) is just as beneficial.

Communicate clearly

Working part-time is ok, as long as you communicate clearly and realistically, with your clients and with your family. When it comes to your family, managing expectations is really important. You might not be able to read every bedtime story, and you might have to work the occasional weekend. But making sure everyone knows this is happening can stop frustrations

With your clients, communicating boundaries and turnaround times in advance as clearly as possible keeps everyone happy. If you can’t get a sales page written until Friday then tell them that. It doesn’t matter that you’ll be spending time watching your child play football and ferrying them to dentists appointments, rather than ploughing through a project for another client. Your clients don’t have the right to a 24-hour turnaround (unless you can do it and they pay you accordingly!). They’re here for your writing, not your attention 24/7.

Make the most of podcasts and audiobooks

You’re not going to have time to sit down and devour all the juicy marketing books everyone posts on social media. But you can listen to some brilliant experts while on the school run, cooking dinner, feeding the baby, and sorting the washing. There are so many great podcasts out there that, whatever your sphere of interest, you’ll find something you can learn from. Earbuds are a must though unless you want your baby’s first word to be “metrics”.

Realize your superpowers

Yes, you might be up through the night, but this means you are able to check and reply to messages from those in other time zones. When 2 am is a regular reality for you, why not embrace it and nab those jobs everyone else is sleeping through?

Also, as a parent (or someone with other caring responsibilities) you will have incredible powers of listening and understanding. You’ll be able to have a conversation and discern exactly what is actually going on behind it. Sure, your son might be talking about how he hates maths because the teacher is too strict. But he might actually mean that he’s struggling to understand and is embarrassed to say anything.

You can use these powers of discernment to get to the root of your client’s problems. Sure, they might be talking about how their sales page doesn’t convert, but they might actually need help developing a brand voice that sounds more like them.

Get a voice recorder on your phone

With a button right on the home screen. That way, if you have a great idea, or you remember something, you can note it down without having to move the baby and get to a piece of paper. I write some of my best copy via this app. You can also use transcription software like Otter to get it onto the page afterwards.

Ditch comparisonitis

Some people have entire afternoons to work through training modules or write 25 pitches in one go. You don’t. And that’s fine. There is enough work out there for everyone, and you bring things to the table that no one else can. Your journey may take a little longer, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Also, you’re often comparing your everyday reality to someone else’s highlight reel. You have no idea what sacrifices they had to make to get to where they are, or what help they had along the way.

Someone else’s success isn’t your failure – it’s just more success.

Be more open and honest about your reality

This is just as important with clients as it is with your fellow freelancers. I’m not talking about sharing stories of exploding nappies (there is still such a thing as TMI), but the more people stand up and say “I’m running my business while feeding my baby”, the more parents sitting at home will realize that it is an option for them too.

And the more clients will realise that the image of a professional freelancer/business person, is more varied than it used to be.

Get help where and when you can

If you have the option of childcare, even if it’s just a family member taking the baby out for a walk for an hour, then take it. Any opportunity you can find for uninterrupted writing time is worth its weight in gold. Also, bite the arm off anyone who offers to help with cooking, cleaning and laundry until you are doing well enough in your business to pay someone to do them!

And if you’re tempted to feel guilty for delegating, remember that your time has value. If you can earn more by working that you pay someone to do your ironing, or go through your accounts, then it’s worth it.

So, these are my top tips for how to run a business while keeping a baby alive.

I’d love to know yours…

Carry on reading
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Build Your Copywriting Business – The Family Edition!
- October 6, 2021
- Comments Off on Build Your Copywriting Business – The Family Edition!
- by allwordsbypeta
When I started my copywriting business there were a few podcasts that I binge-listened to while on the school run, cooking dinner, sorting laundry, you know the parenting drill. One was Filthy Rich Writer‘s Build Your Copywriting Business.

Nicki and Kate always had great advice and really interesting guests.

And now I’m one of them! *screams a little*

You can listen to my episode below, hear me giggle too much, and say “um” a lot, but also talk about:
- How I got started as a copywriter
- What I think abot Upwork (spoiler: this might surprise you)
- How big a part laundry plays in my day
- How I manage client expectations
- How my previous career as a youth worker helps me deal with comparisonitis
- What time management tips really help when you have small people you’re meant to be keeping alive.
I’d love to know what you think, and if you have any tips you could add.

Raising a Family and Building a Business: Peta’s Story

I’ll be sending out another blog post later in the week with some of the things we didn’t manage to cover on the show.

See you then!

Peta

Carry on reading
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When you can’t see the wood for the trees
- September 21, 2021
- Comments Off on When you can’t see the wood for the trees
- by allwordsbypeta
Today’s blog is a little different. I’m sharing a little bit about how I work with my clients, and what I bring to the table.

I’ve just wrapped a fun project with a UK-based client (which makes zoom call scheduling a lot easier, I’m not going to lie!).

When you get to see your work in real life (or on a screen) there’s this little shiver of excitement. A lot of what I do as a copywriter feels abstract and amorphous most of the time like I’m drawing in the air. The moment when all my hard work coalesces and appears in front of me on a snazzy webpage with a funky design still gives me butterflies. It’s also quite nice to have something to show to my father-in-law to help explain to him what a copywriter actually does!

One of the reasons that this project was so much fun was the big picture thinking I was able to do.

Some clients just need you to write words.

They need a description of a product or a blog about why mums should buy their baby bottles. These things are important, don’t get me wrong, and they take skill.

But, while jobs like that do involve a lot of Listening, Empathising, and Directing (you can find out more about these 3 Youth Worker superpowers of mine on my blog), the client has probably already sorted out who they are, what they do, and how to communicate this. I’m just helping them speak more effectively to their ideal customer.

But occasionally I get to work with clients on a higher level, and it’s hands-down my favourite thing about my job.

This client was an established stationery company who was relaunching, with a new website and messaging. This gave them an opportunity to rebrand and be clearer on their marketing message.

But they were lost.

They’d spent hours and hours trying to come up with one strapline that explained everything they did. But they sold loads of stuff, so this didn’t seem possible.

They needed another way to stand out and get people to stay on their home page, rather than wandering off because it was all a bit vague.

So, what did I bring?

How could I help when they’d already been struggling for so long?

Well, a few things:

An outsider’s perspective:

You know when you’re doing a massive jigsaw and you’ve been looking for one particular piece for AGES? And then your partner/child/mother comes along and immediately picks it up from the pile of loose pieces? Annoying, isn’t it? But they looked at the problem from a different angle.

We’ve all been there. Stuck staring at a blank page for so long that you can no longer see any possible solution. Going around and around in circles. The issue? You’re too close to the problem. Grab an outsider (preferably one with some understanding of your field or business, don’t draft your dog walker in to look at your sales page unless they’re your target audience!) and explain the issue. They can help you find solutions you hadn’t even thought of, because their perspective is slightly different.

I helped the client look at his webpage from a different angle. We looked at how you could use it to take the reader on a journey that fit with their needs, rather than just focus on showcasing products.

A strategic overview:

Was finding this one phrase really the most important thing? Perhaps focusing on the feeling that you wanted to create on the page could draw people in more effectively than making sure that a reader instantly knew everything you did after reading the headline of your home page.

Strategically, this client operated in a fairly crowded marketplace. It made more sense to find a different way to engage their customer. So we settled on creating the feeling of a tribe, finding people like you and products that fit with that feeling.

That way, the company stands out, there’s no need to try and fit hundreds of different product lines into a single magic sentence, and you end up with intrigued visitors who turn into loyal customers.

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So, I’ve ended up with a very happy client, and they’ve ended up with web pages that will bring them more traffic and more sales.

Fancy some help with your bigger picture?

If you’re a business owner and you’d like to work with me then fill in my contact page here.

Or, why not send me an email and tell me what your business is struggling with right now. I’d love to lend you my outsider’s perspective!

Carry on reading