Some things happened last week that made me want to go full Lady Whistledown on this newsletter.
But I’m a measured lady, so I delayed writing this email and enjoyed my weekend instead, hoping to return to my desk this morning feeling like my normal, cheery self.
Unfortunately, between BBQs, ballet lessons, and packing for our move to the UK, I stewed, tried breathing out the bad energy, and stewed some more.
It’s Monday. I’m still peeved. And I want to talk about it.
Let me preface this letter by acknowledging there are much bigger things going on in this world and I am but a silly little speck of matter attached to a rock spinning 67,000 mph through space within a potentially infinite universe.
But I’m also human and I’m petty and I have a lot of feelings, so strap in. 🍿
I received a couple of new client inquiries this week that made me feel like packing it in:
“How much for 10,000 words and what’s your timeline?”
(Didn’t use my inquiry form, did not take the time to review my services page, websites shouldn’t be charged by the word…etc.)
“I need a logo. How much do you charge?”
(Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s.)
“Can you write my headlines for me?”
(I need you to Google the term “free association” and never ask a copywriter to do this, kk?)
You can probably insert similar scenarios for your business, Reader.
(Many a DM has been sent between me and my photographer/designer friends in commiseration.)
I’ve been running this solo business for five years now. These are not my first eye-roll inquiries.
But the uptick in unhinged inquiries is worrying, here’s why:
NUMBER ONE:
It’s all too easy to watch someone build an entire website in a 10-second reel, which devalues the mental process behind the output.
That's pretty shitty.
NUMBER TWO:
When I don’t know much about someone’s job, I assume it’s because it’s really complex, and hard to do, and probably costs a lot to execute.
AND YET most people don’t know much about copywriting and assume it’s easy to do, cheap to hire, and doesn’t involve much skill.
Why is this?
Writing for the web is *nothing* like what you learned in 11th-grade English class. It’s a different medium.
You’d never tell a doctor to hand over the scalpel because you took a first-aid course as a Girl Scout.
What about my profession, my website, my portfolio, 15+ years of experience, and the pricing on my services page says I’ll pull 1,000 words out of the sky for a tenner?
It looks easy because I’m not making you watch the 40 hours of work it took to hand over seven pages of pristine copy.
NUMBER THREE:
This false narrative around copywriting sets businesses—especially DIYers—up to fail.
You’ll hire bad copywriters who aren’t trained to look at the BIG PICTURE and don’t know how to build a messaging strategy that reflects your brand elements, audience desires, and business goals. Your copy will feel generic, voice-less, and stale. (Just like ChatGPT.) Your website will always feel like a thorn in your side because it’s never *quite* right. (Because there was no strategy behind the copywriting.)
If you plan to DIY, passive copywriting courses give you the impression that you simply need to follow a couple of templates, watch a few videos, and voila! You’ve got 5-7 pages of SEO-enriched, conversion-primed words on a page!
They don’t mention the fact that before you write a SINGLE word (or in my inquiry’s case, a single headline) you need:
a comprehensive brand strategy
audience personas and mapped messaging points
a client-facing brand story
mapped out offers/client process/process/deliverables/and ability to articulate WHO these offers are for, their stage of awareness, their logical and emotional motivations, objections…
an understanding of how those random adjectives you use to describe your voice/tone/personality sound IRL
an SEO strategy, not only for your copy but your meta descriptions and page titles (YEP, your copywriter should write these for you too!)
(This is exactly why I created my annual Copywriting Cohort Course—you need a developmental editor (me), not a bunch of overwhelming worksheets and a surface-level video tutorial.)
NUMBER FOUR:
Service providers are being devalued.
And are responding by performing “need to have” services with “nice to have” pricing.
Come close, for a second, because I need you to hear this.
⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
Done For You services means the. work. is. done. for. you.
You don’t have to interview your ideal clients. I do.
You don’t have to write the copy or content. I do.
You don’t have to articulate your voice. I do.
You don’t have to set up the meetings. I do.
You don’t have to understand SEO. I do.
You don’t have to do the research. I do.
You don’t have to fact-check. I do.
You don’t have to try and figure out how all the pieces of your life/business come together to form a brand story that resonates with your audience’s goals. I do.
You don’t have to articulate how you’re different, better, or the best fit for your people. I do.
You don’t have to translate audience persona messaging into website copywriting. I do.
You don’t have to write or execute a darn thing. I do.
Here’s the kicker, Reader:
A good email funnel can make you money on auto-pilot for years.
A stellar website can generate new leads on auto-pilot for years.
An optimized blog post can build your search authority and drive traffic to your site for…you guessed it…YEARS.
It makes me MAD that there is a pattern developing whereby we treat freelancers and service-based businesses like cheap commodities instead of highly skilled professionals who are doing the work for you.
It makes me MAD that there is a pattern developing where business owners are spending money on the wrong things, or doing it in the wrong order because they are getting bad advice from #notall coaches/social media.
Which brings me to the first Q in my Summer FAQs Series:
(I did not think I could wrangle this email back into its planned content pen, but by the grace of God, here we are. 😮💨)
If you’re a DIYer or just starting out, I know you’ve got a lot to figure out, so get your Order of Operations right and start here. Then grab the DIY Copywriting Roadmap.
If you’re a founder, startup, or growing business with an existing website…
…a copywriter can absolutely help you refresh your copy, but a good copywriter worth every penny they charge will start with a strategic assessment, suggest moving sections around, create new sections, and new copy might require new visuals. They also might tell you you need to start from the ground up.
Effective copywriting isn’t about plugging in random power words for .10¢ a pop.
It’s a strategic role with deliverables that pay dividends.
Our job is to make your website a marketing asset that informs your audience to make an empowered decision about your product or service.
You “need to have” strategic copywriting not words that fit a design.
(If you’re like, damn, she knows what she’s doing and I want some of that, work with me, and I’ll do the strategy and writing for you + work with your designers to implement.)
So there you have it, Reader. The most long-winded intro to what should be a delightfully light-hearted series going forward.
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