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5 times copywriting was like Fixer Upper by creative copywriter Ashlyn Writes

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Date:
April 10, 2017

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Reading time: 4 min.

It was coming, it’s fine.

My father’s a builder and studied building science.

My mother-in-law is a realtor.

My husband installed things like crown molding and ripped up carpet to expose hardwood flooring in our little 1970s ranch home.

So yes, of course watch Fixer Upper.

(For so many reasons other than flipping intrigue — love me some Chip and Jo!)

What do creative copywriting and Fixer Upper have in common? Get inspired from these 5 tips!

Today I want to tell you 5 ways writing copy is like Chip and Joanna wizardry, and by the end of this post, you’ll know:

+ The “Demo Day” you need to have in your biz before writing your website

+ Why your about page needs bloopers

+ What blog post titles do the best in my business — and why I want you to use them, too

+ 7 examples of the rule of three … and other sticky factor examples to inspire

Let’s go!


Demo Day is a thing — as it should be.

Hey. You. Lean in super-close — I have a little insider secret that I usually only tell my Copywriting for Creatives students once they’re inside the course.

The Copywriting for Creatives formula is actually broken into a two-step dance of two phases:

Phase 1: Master Your Message

Phase 2: Write Your Site

Why?

‘Cause you gotta have some #DEMODAY before you write your website!

Chip and his muscles whip out the ol’ sledgehammer to see what’s behind those linoleum cabinets, the SAME way you need to bust up your current biz messaging before — yes, before — you write your website.

Bust up your messaging and see what lies underneath, things like:

Your mission statement

Your vision statement

Your core values

Your elevator pitch

Your voice and tone

Then, you get to move into designing. ????


Go ahead — add in some bloopers on your about page.

Basically, show your brushstrokes a bit. What are your nerdy moments? How are you completely normal? Bake that in your about page formula (read up more on that in this guide I wrote for how to write an about page formula).

You know how at the beginning of every Fixer Upper episode, there’s a blooper moment usually involving Chip sticking out his belly, wiping sweat on Jo, or making her laugh while she deadpans at the camera and you grin staring at the TV (Wes, we’re just like Chip and Jo ………….…. right!?)?

That’s what you want to do on your about page a bit, too.

It’s kinda that “stars, they’re just like us” notion. Show your brush strokes on your about page!


They use numbers super-duper well to communicate info quickly.

You see numbered list blog posts all the time, right? Well, it’s because even after all these years, they perform so, SO well.

“Numbers are an incredibly effective way to both capture attention and keep the reader oriented.” – CopyBlogger

Want proof? Here are the top most popular articles on my blog, enough for you to have a mini-tracing in how mad-libbing your headline copy with numbers can make things even more inviting and eye-catching!

These are some of the recent stats from my website analytics. 6 are blog posts, and 5 of them have numbers in the title. These are some of the recent stats from my website analytics. 6 are blog posts, and 5 of them have numbers in the title.

Number your main points in emails to clients, blog posts, and process steps on your packages pages, and see how much easier things are to comprehend.


Compelling stories grab our attention.

Each couple on the show. Chip & Jo’s love story. The story of how Rising Tide Society started. Lara Casey’s story.  Young Living Essential Oils. Think Creative Collective. Kelsey of Paper & Oats. Amy Porterfield. Nancy Ray. Heather Crabtree.

Most my favorite brands tell stories that arrested my attention upon first encounter — and then held it past the point of 30 seconds.

In fact, most of brands above held my attention so long that … I spent money on them.

A good brand tells a story over and over again, so much that it seeps under your skin and wins over allegiance … and in turn, business.

“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories”. – Jonathan Gottschall

The same way that Fixer Upper grabs you outta the gate so much that — even if you hit FF on your remote just to get to the house renovation completion — work to build a story like THAT in your copy.

The same way that Fixer Upper grabs you with story — work to build a story like THAT in your copy, too. The same way that Fixer Upper grabs you with story — work to build a story like THAT in your copy, too.


Find something as sticky as #shiplap. ????

I’ve been going to job sites since before I could walk, and I’ll be honest, I had no idea what in tarnation shiplap was until Joanna introduced me to it.

Concise, memorable words or phrases have a certain sticky factor, so find your sticky word or phrase and hang on to it.

You can do this in 3s, with the copywriter Rule of Three:

  • Location, location, location (I had to in this article)
  • Friends! Romans! Countryman!
  • Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
  • Mind, body, spirit.
  • Stop, collaborate, listen.
  • Vini, vidi, vici.
  • Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Or, you can do it with a catchphrase, word, or promise.

“Grace, not perfection.” – Emily Ley

“Make imperfect progress.” – Lara Casey

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” – Rising Tide Society

Whenever I hear those things — even out of context — I think of that person or brand.

Joanna clued us all in on what shiplap is, so find YOUR sticky word and work it.


Ok. Thanks for indulging me — I think about this every time I tell my Copywriting for Creatives students that we have to Demo Day before we actually write their website copy … and then I realized 4 more ways one of my favorite TV shows mirrors my business.

Reading Time: 5 Minutes

Today I want to tell you 5 ways writing copy is like Chip and Joanna wizardry, and by the end of this post, you’ll know:

+ The “Demo Day” you need to have in your biz before writing your website

+ Why your about page needs bloopers

+ What blog post titles do the best in my business — and why I want you to use them, too

+ 7 examples of the rule of three … and other sticky factor examples to inspire

Let’s go!

4/10/17

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