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Date:
May 8, 2017

Author:
showitadmin

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Hey! Ashlyn here, OG copywriter for creatives—reporting for duty. 

Let's get you a message so tight you can bounce a quarter off of it. Around here, we serve up science-based storytelling strategies the creative set.  Even while raking in more than 1.26M in agency work since I've been at it, I firmly believe working from a place of rest (not hustle) IS possible—and I want the same for you. Words matter. Best be sure they work (and oui, with math) ... and know how to party while they're at it. 

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Reading time: 6 min.

Let’s play would you rather.

You’re growing a creative business (go you!) & it’s time to start writing to sell on your website. Do you …

  1. OUTSOURCE THAT SHIZ … you’ve got thousands & are ready to throw them at someone because you’ve got more money than time these days.
  2. Can’t #outsourcethat quite yet. Plus, you want to be a better Chief Marketing Officer for your own biz … you want to learn how to DIY it like a pro.

#2? Good game, good game … Keep reading!

If you’ve dreamed up a creative business, then you’ve met a little something called messaging & copywriting.

Basically, copywriting is whatever fills “lorem ipsum” text anywhere from your website to Instagram captions.

And if you’ve taken your job PAST the expensive hobby mode, you’ve been working on SELLING with your words … because that pretty feed doesn’t make them hit “add to cart” quite like the words that accompany that image.

So why does the idea of figuring out your brand’s message have you scratching your head?

Lemme guess:

  • You either ignore or dread the writing part of business, and have no idea what your brand voice is.
  • Or for that matter how your own personality and story fit into your branding.
  • You’re surrounded by every business printable freebie that’s ever been offered on the internet.
  • You love the idea of people meeting you in person saying, “You’re JUST like you are on your blog!”
  • You’d be down with wannabe clients emailing “I feel like I know you!” post-website browsing.

Busy creatives like you and me can’t afford to spend a single second on something that’s not directly linked to keeping the lights on … we’ve got families to support and Friday paydays to give ourselves. If you’ve ever tried writing your website or email templates to make your biz move faster before, you totally know the feeling of staring at the blinking cursor.

In my experience, I’ve found 4 major myths that trip up creatives when it comes to their brand message.

I’m going to debunk those myths now, and show ya how to switch ’em up with TRULY effect strategies that will reward your hard work, make you not hate writing, and help get you paid.

Let’s go!

Oh, and don’t forget your spot in the FREE masterclass about 5 brand messages to get you more leads in 8 weeks!


Myth 1: My message isn’t THAT important.

What most creatives think of as “branding” is really just a tiny fraction of what it ACTUALLY entails.

Most creatives view branding as just the logo, HEX codes, and mood board you’ve pulled. But in fact, a true branding strategy is based 75% on MESSAGING. (see study)

A truly stand-out creative brand needs to have 5-10 Key Brand Messages … all of which work in tandem to support the imagery, and drive to sales so you can get you some money, honey.

In short. branding isn’t based on visuals alone … and typically, the messaging should come before the visuals. Branding has a LOT of moving parts, including:

Brand Positioning

Tagline

Personality & Voice

Promise & Unique Value Proposition

Name

Logo

Color Palette

Specifically, my brand messaging system includes a 6-step strategy designed to get the “big stuff” in place before you head to a designer, or layout your website. THEN, it includes a website writing component, social media marketing plan, conversion focus, and special email template copy to eliminate objections and communicate your brand through any emails you write.

When your messaging lines up perfectly with your brand, your creative biz grabs ATTENTION on the scene: Forbes cites 35% of the American workforce are freelancers, so standing FIRM on the backbone of your branding gives you the opportunity to stand out in a saturated market.


Myth 2: I’m overwhelmed at the idea of even knowing how to start .

True.

Putting your brand messaging in place ISN’T a simple, 1-hour task.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a cinch when you have the right A-to-Z blueprint in place, leaving nothing to chance!

From starting by doing target audience surveying and data mining to knowing exactly how to organize your home page or services page to max-out conversions, a step-by-step road map can take an otherwise eyes-wide-emoji ???? task and make it attainable for even the most “but I hate writing” entrepreneur.

And for the creativepreneur with a cheatsheet in hand, the complexity factor of excavating your brand voice, tone, personality, and key statements actually becomes a HUGE competitive advantage, giving you a chance to stand alone in a noisy market.

Just to name a few, some of the best copy pieces you can have in your arsenal include your:

mission statement

elevator pitch

welcome sequence

professional bio (NOT your about page, but a bio that you send for podcast interviews, etc.)

a word bank

tone & voice guide

I encourage you to work on writing some of those as part of your branding strategy!

OH … and yup, yup: executing a brand messaging & website writing strategy requires effort, but you’re my type. ???? You’ve already proven you’ve got the gumption to put in the effort–I just want to reassure you that the energy you put into sound messaging comes back tenfold … and in the form of money in the bank.


Myth 3: I’m fine! I’m a pretty decent writer.

Well, I’m high-fiving you for being a good writer, but want to then do my best to make sure that same advantage doesn’t become a detriment by failing to embrace conversion copy formulas that take into account psychological factors that affect our habits.

Attention spans are different.

Our media consumption diet is different.

Consumer buying patterns are different.

And to top it off, it’s easier than ever to start a business … meaning competition is fierce.

Hint: It’s not just about sly wordsmithery and hope they click “schedule consult.” There are specific messages & copy you MUST lace into your website to coax a conversion, so your target shows up excited to get to know you even more. (Click here to get a spot in my FREE class so you can see what I suggest  you do to get ideal clients across the finish line.)

So, add up all those English paper A’s, and–while they help!–there’s still some missing pieces and tactics you’ll need to employ if you’re wanting to success in the paradigm shift of branding strategy.

Leading me to …


Myth 4: It’s too late for me to figure all this out. I’ll just outsource it when I can afford it.

And leave money on the table now!?

No ma’am. Not gonna let you do that.

Business isn’t a zero-sum game, and it’s MORE important for you to learn how to fish, so to speak. Sure, you can hire out copywriting. But that’s a $2,000+ job for a good-size, conversion-focused package, and you’ve still got emails … blogs … captions … posts … etc. to write.

And it’s not too late to learn …

Brand messaging to make you stand out in a saturated market.

And if you’re reading this post right now, well my friend, that puts you in a unique spot to capitalize on something that MOST people in your niche aren’t doing, and in doing so, get a leg up on the competition by positioning your brand as a stand-alone voice in a sea of noise.

Chances are that most of your competition is focusing on visual branding primarily: you can gain a competitive edge by matching your killer visuals with a complete branding framework based on the messaging strategies, techniques, and tips I’m about to share with you.

So, I’ve created a FREE, detailed masterclass to help you determine 5 brand messages that will get you noticed in a saturated industry!

My wish is for you to sidestep the countless traps that make creatives in the workforce of 55 million freelancers and thousands of wedding entrepreneurs make mediocre sales.

I’ve been helping creatives like Katelyn James, Jenna Kutcher, Hilary Rushford and more with their messaging and have worked in marketing for more than 10 years now–I’ve TOTALLY seen my share of mistakes over these years, and I don’t want you to do the same!

I’d love to see you in the FREE training! Get your spot here! ????????

Reading Time: 6 Minutes

In my experience, I’ve found 4 major myths that trip up creatives when it comes to their brand message.

I’m going to debunk those myths now, and show ya how to switch ’em up with TRULY effect strategies that will reward your hard work, make you not hate writing, and help get you paid.

5/08/17

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