It's all about me, me, me...

When it comes to promoting myself or my business, I'm not exactly one of LinkedIn or social media's 'stars'. I'm uncomfortable in sharing selfies, I don't believe in sharing (or believing in) meaningless motivational quotes, and unless I can think of something 'witty' to go with it, I don't share any old shit about my personal life in an attempt to ramp up my content.

I'm aware of that last point being subjective, by the way.

Having said all that...

I'm massively 'all about me' when it comes to my website and online profiles.

There's nowhere on my website where you'll find reams of info explaining what a copywriter is, what a copywriter does, or why a copywriter is massively important to your business. In fact, the whole of my home page is all about me. That's it. My social media posts are similar. They consist of the ridiculous things my mum says, the bizarre things my kid does, and the worrying things Netflix suggests that I'd like to watch.

I know that this all flies in the face of all the shouty, contrived and done-to-death marketing advice we have flying around out there in paid ads and impassioned videos (how in character of me to go against this), but in my view - which may or may not be right for you - spending all of your time and energy trying to convince someone that they need your product or service is only strengthening said product or service. In a competitive market, people can go and get those things pretty much anywhere. None of us are doing anything uniquely special. Sorry about that.

Yes, people need to know what your stuff is and why it's going to be brilliant for them, but honestly, I think this is where sales copy goes into overkill. When I write my own stuff, I think about what I'd want to read if I was buying from someone else. For me, I really want to know if I trust the person I'm handing my money to, and if I like them enough to want to give them my custom over any of their competitors. Isn't that how brand loyalty is built?

I'm open to be proven wrong on this point, but to my mind, there is ALWAYS someone else doing what you do or selling what you sell. You may argue that there are differentiators, though, and that's why I'm so keen to point out that one of those differentiators could (and should) be YOU as a person. Unfortunately, people won't know that if you never talk about yourself.

I'm not suggesting you give chapter and verse about your childhood, a detailed dissection of your divorce, or a blow by blow-dry account of your beauty regime, but if there are a good few snippets of info that paint a picture about who you are and why you'd be a good person to work with/ invest in/ buy from, then share them! People often talk about working with ideal clients, but what about your clients wanting to work with an ideal provider?

I find it odd that the people who shout about the importance of 'know, like and trust' in building a brand a customer relationship (which I VERY much agree with, btw) are the same people then telling others to focus 100% on the customer. That maths doesn't add up, for me.

When it comes to a service, I'm of the opinion that if people need what you offer (so in my case, a copywriter), they'll already know that they need one - and why. Either someone they trust or have faith in will have advised them to get one, or they'll have read something somewhere on the subject that's sparked their curiosity/ hit a nerve/ opened their eyes. Either way, they'll subsequently set out on a path in search of the person they want to work with who is now going to carry out all that copywriting goodness which they seek. They have a problem, and now they're looking for someone to solve it. Simple.

So, on my homepage, that's the assumption I've made about anyone who lands there. I even state in the first paragraph that it's likely you already know what a copywriter is, before then spending all of the paragraphs that follow telling those lucky visitors all about me, me, me. Well, the stuff I choose to reveal, anyway.

From a purely business point of view (because we're all in this to do good things for our reputation and finances), I don't want people to invest in a copywriter. I want them to invest in me.

When looking for a product or service (let's stick with copywriting in this case), some people will only ever go looking for the cheapest option. They're identifiable by their LinkedIn posts where they specifically request recommendations for a "reasonably priced" or "affordable" copywriter - because god forbid a few well-chosen, hard-hitting and correctly placed words should cost money.

Similarly, some people will only ever go looking for the quickest option. They're identifiable by their LinkedIn posts where they specifically request recommendations for a copywriter who can "start immediately" or "be available straight away" for a project that suggests they're either shocking at planning and time-management, or that they've spectacularly lost another copywriter at the 11th hour because, well, they're likely shocking at planning and time-management...

The rest of the businessfolk who go looking for a copywriter will do some research, however. This will either be through their own means, or on the recommendation of people they know, like and trust. That's when they find themselves on your website or profile - because other people feel like they know, like and trust you, and are therefore playing a big part in doing a great bit of marketing for you in throwing people in your direction.

Yes, I know you can argue that if I don't talk massively and regularly about copywriting on my website that it's damaging for my SEO and I won't come up in searches and blah blah blah, but honestly, certainly since the pivot pandemic, everyone is now a copywriter, and we're all drowning in a sea of c-words (copywriters) everywhere. I reckon it's unlikely I'd be found on a generic search anyway, and since the day I started doing this for a living, I don't think anyone who's approached me has uttered the phrase, "I found you on Google and that's why we're having a conversation". Not for copywriting, anyway. I'm going to continue doing all my 'optimisation' by proving on a fairly regular basis that I write good stuff. And why should it be all about me? Because that's who you'll be paying your money to, and that's who you'll be stuck on a Zoom with at some point. I don't see anything wrong with giving you all the information you need so that you can decide if either of those commitments are worth your investment.

We usually get a good feel for if we want to work with someone or not based on a first impression. Even before the days of being confined to our own homes, and before the pivoting online that proved a pandemic in itself, that first impression was likely coming from something written down. So, that's why I'm all about using my website and my online profiles to showcase primarily that I can write, but also a close second that I'd be a bloody good fun, straight-down-the-line, making-an-impact kind of person to trust with your time, money and marketing.

When people come to my website, I don't want them to just find a copywriter. I want them to find the copywriter that they really want to work with.

And yes, I know that some people will land on my site and find the complete opposite.

Featured image - me and my kid. Because why else would I be working so hard?

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