When my clients come to me, they usually fall into two camps. The first group knows what they want to say. They just don’t know how to say it. The second group has absolutely NO idea what they want to say or how to say it.
And I completely understand both situations! There are so many how-to blogs out there telling you how to market your business, and unfortunately, a lot of them give conflicting information.
One thing is always true: No matter how you tell your business’s story, it’s important to make sure your copy authentically tells the story of your company, your products/services, your customers/clients, and how you can help them.
Why Authentic Copy is Important
Staying authentic and true to yourself in every stage of business is important, regardless of whether you’re just starting out, you’ve been established for quite some time, or you’re making a career shift.
Why? Well, authentic copy helps you establish trust with your audience! When your audience trusts you, they are more likely to feel a connection with your brand, purchase what you’re selling, and refer you to others.
In an age of endless gimmicks, click-bait headlines, and spammy advertising tactics, people are skeptical. They can see right through disingenuous tricks, such as creating false urgency, offering contradictory information, or sounding like a hype machine.
How Authentic Copy is Helping My Client Make a Career Transformation
To give you an example of how important authentic copy is, I want to share a story with you!
One of my clients is currently working towards a long-term transformation. She’s had a very successful career, but in the next year or so, she wants to move into consulting to better fit her current passions.
To help her make this shift, we’ve been posting on LinkedIn about her current work while also including some big themes and concepts that she’s passionate about now, such as social impact, arts & culture, and self-care. In addition to using her platform to highlight the work she’s doing and what she’s interested in, we’re also using it to spotlight leaders making an impact in her region.
This major shift in her content writing has resulted in exponential growth in both the size of her network and her post engagement! People feel comfortable interacting with her, regardless of which area of her life she’s focusing on, because of the conversational and authentic tone of her posts. Because we stayed true to who she really is, regardless of where she is in her career change, her network still felt connected to her.
3 Tips for Creating Authentic Copy
Identify 4-5 Key Areas
The best way to come across authentically is to identify four to five key concepts or topics you’d like to talk about in your social media posts. It doesn’t necessarily have to be work-related, although they should all be topics that your target audience cares about or would be interested in learning about.
For example, if you are a pastry chef, one of your topics should definitely be samples of your work. Another could be your take on popular pastry trends and another could be highlighting brands or people you’ve worked with.
For the final few areas, because you are a personal brand in this example, feel free to embrace your personality. Maybe you’re really interested in social justice, urban farming, or dogs. Whatever it is, topics that are personal to you make it easier for your audience to relate to you on a personal level. When it makes sense, try to tie it back to the work that you do!
Just Start Freewriting!
When you first sit down to write your copy, do a brain dump. Just write whatever is on your mind. Getting all of the information out of your head and down on paper will make it easier to organize into usable copy.
Remember, it’s okay to use your own voice. This isn’t a high school English essay. It doesn’t have to be formal or follow MLA or APA format. Copy on social media, marketing emails, or your website is allowed to take on whatever tone you want it to have. So if conversational is what matches the tone you’re trying to convey, go ahead and use it!
If you’re feeling stuck, try using AI to get your juices flowing or check out one of my tips for overcoming writer’s block.
Hire a Writer
If you’re still struggling or you simply hate writing, it’s okay! Copywriting isn’t for everyone, and just because you CAN do it, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. As a business owner, you could very well put your time and efforts elsewhere!
Professional writers are adept at capturing their clients’ personalities and tones. Some will ask for a live interview where they take notes on what you’re saying and others will craft your copy from voice memos you send them. I always invest hours into watching any videos my client has created, listening to their podcasts, and reading prior content they’ve written to really understand and capture their authentic voice. Regardless of how they write, once you receive your draft, you will probably be surprised that you didn’t write it yourself!
Authentic Copy is the Key to a Successful Brand
When it comes down to it, you can try whatever marketing tactics you want… but if you don’t stay authentic and true to yourself, they won’t be sustainable. Instead of grabbing at shiny objects and just trying to make something stick, follow my advice for creating authentic copy. It will form a bond between you and your audience on a level that gimmicks just can’t achieve!
If you need some more personalized advice, book a consultation with me! My team and I specialize in capturing the personality behind small businesses and will know exactly how to capture yours as well.