Chris Kenworthy – Embodiment Coach & Facilitator in Leeds

Category: Copywriting

Fretting your message doesn’t ring true? Try this 5-point checklist for your copy
OK. So you’ve been meddling with your marketing message. Maybe something’s set you off; a knock-back, a remark. Now you’re worried your marketing copy doesn’t quite ring true with the people you need to reach. Anxiety tells you you’re not presenting an accurate portrayal of yourself.
To allay your fears, I’ve pulled together a copy messaging checklist of sorts. Something you can benchmark against, to gauge whether you’re following best practice in getting your message across in an engaging way.
First, a broader point to put us all in a good mood.
For marketing messages that cut through the noise and endure, our goal is authenticity. By that I mean transcending mere honesty and clarity. I mean expressing what you truly stand for (your lived experience), in contexts and perspectives that the people you serve will recognise.
Because that’s where distinctiveness and resonance live. And this is especially crucial for independent creatives.
If you’ve put any amount of thought, even just five minutes, into consideration for your clients’ worldview in your messaging, then well done.
I mean that.
You’ve already got an enormous head-start over most businesses. So the style in which you write is now academic.
I’ve seen every sized company, from blue-chip to lone-wolf, give not a moment’s thought to who they’re writing about. It’s all me me me. History lessons. Empty lists of generic values.
But you’re better than that. You care about your readers. So you have my permission to feel good about yourself.
Now, on to the checklist. I’ve based this on the most common slip-ups I’ve remedied in almost 15 years as a copywriter.
To help illustrate my point I’m going to use a fictitious example.
Let’s suppose we know an experienced software engineer. She’s spent decades suffering in dysfunctional programming teams. Eventually, she grew tired of bearing witness to the same old mistakes and mismanagement. So she made it her life’s work to help her clients (software agencies) forge healthier, supportive, more collaborative and effective teams of programmers, through consultancy.
#1: Are you speaking my language?
If Phyllis wrote:
“I create high-performing, supportive teams of programmers. So you produce more stable, cost-effective and innovative software for your client, faster”
That’s fine. It’s not wrong and it works acceptably for most people. But to stand out we really need to focus on what really matters. Remember: authenticity. We want to resonate. Yes, this is partly about the diction you use but it’s more about the themes and nods to a particular worldview.
So how about our creative Phyllis tries this instead:
“Look at your dev team now. Are they doing what they’re told? Heads down, getting on with it until close of play? How about the chemistry? Could you always use some extra talent to help everyone raise their game?
“You and I both know there’s more to engineering than this. And it has very little to do with recruitment and competition. In two decades, I’ve yet to find an agency that doesn’t already employ the ambition and talent they so desperately crave. The secret is how you engage and unleash it.”
See how that’s different? We described familiar symptoms and gave the reader a bit of a lightbulb moment in terms they’ll recognise. There’s the kernel of a story here too.
People are preoccupied by their pain, pesky symptoms and tangled problems. To this end, have you stepped into that world? Are you talking about obstacles they know, situations they recognise, and phrases they use to describe them?
One more thing. If someone is curious about what you do then they it’s safe to assume they’re open to the idea of a journey towards relieving it. Copy should be a journey in itself – you’re the guide here. Talk them through this, let things unfold with pace and intention. More on that later.
#2: Are there outcomes or only products and services?
Sure, Phyllis could talk about what she does: team-building, engagement and empowerment, leadership coaching. But the problem is, everyone else in her arena says that too.
So instead, Phyllis talks in terms of real-world outcomes, with feeling:
“Our dream is of highly adaptive, truly agile teams of specialists. We’ll make your people a joy to hire. They’re always fresh-faced and ready on a Monday morning – tackling problems alongside your people. Ideas are what justify your price-tag now, not capacity.
“Speaking of clients – imagine they can’t help but feel curious about the way you coax such game-changing results out of your team. They’re in love with how you do what you do – that’s your edge. That’s why they keep coming back to you – not because you’re entrenched like every other software consultancy. Because you’re you.”
Phyllis demonstrates that she wants the same things as her readers. That her values are consistent with theirs. She knows that her clients don’t really care what vehicles she uses to get there, it’s all about outcomes, described in a familiar context.
#3: Is there a consistent thread that runs all the way through your message?
There are countless systems and techniques out there for organising your copy, and giving it structure. What the best ones all have in common is they start in one place and move the reader to another.
You’ll hear this called narrative, or occasionally, arc. And over a decade in copywriting leads me to believe that stories are still the original and best, indeed most emotive, way to create that thread your copy needs.
I know storytelling sounds like another wanky concept that marketing people go on about. But it really does work. And the best thing is they’re totally native to the way our minds work. Whether you like it or not, you’re already telling stories to yourself and your clients. You just have to become more aware of that instinctive way you make sense of the world.
So how do you know if there’s a consistent thread in your message? Here’s what to look out for:
- Does every sentence and paragraph flow together, or could they be shifted around with little impact on the quality of your message?
- Are there characters? Plot? Is anything at stake? Is there an ending? Do you describe transformation? Setbacks? You don’t have to describe them all, even just simple allusions to these elements are enough.
- Does it feel like you’ve taken the reader on a journey from where they are now to where they want to be?
- Who is the hero in your story? If it’s you it shouldn’t be. You’re just the guide who bestows your client (the real hero) with some magic power to overcome their challenges.
- Will this story move or otherwise emotionally affect people?
Here’s how Phyllis might expand her stories:
“Larry’s felt down about work for months. This isn’t the first job he’s lost his appetite for. Sometimes it just happens. But this is the first time he’s fallen out of love with programming. Now he doubts his own ability. Ever since his team leader demanded extra peer reviews of his code.
“So he keeps his head down, does what’s asked of him and no more. Meanwhile, he quietly trawls job sites on his lunch breaks (if he gets them at all). To him it makes no sense, considering he was hired for his first in algorithmic intelligence.
“One day though, everything changed. The day a vigilant manager intervened, and tested his new active listening skills. He took him aside and gave Larry space to tell all. In time, Larry got to know his team leader better in much the same way. It turned out they all felt the same pressure from above. And a culture of endless uncertainty was sucking joy out of the room, crippling trust in one another.”
It’s a bit lengthy, but Phyllis has the beginnings of another story here. With quotes it could even be a case study. Yet again, it’s a situation already familiar to her audience, one that develops in a way that presents possibility and hope in the reader.
You can tell it comes from somewhere personal too, through empathy and vulnerability. Guess who Larry is based on?
#4: Does this sound like everyone else in your industry?
Step back from your message for a moment. Depersonalise it from you. Could what you’re saying be said by someone else who does what you do?
I don’t mean the entirety of your copy. There are bound to be overlaps. What I mean is – are there enough glimmers of your own spin on things. Your values demonstrated through experience. The odd industry buzzword is fine, but where are the flashes of personality?
“I do this because I’ve lived your problem many times over. I’m that programmer, the one you’re thinking about right now. Dual monitors my shield against toxic culture. Just getting on with it. Work’s OK. It pays the bills. It could be so much more than a job but at least it’s not unbearable.
“When capable team members accept good enough as the best. Guess what kind of software you produce for clients? But when they’re thinking ‘what if… That’s when things get exciting. That’s when you unleash the true potential of your teams.
“I don’t have all the answers. Your people do. I’m just there to reveal what you already hold true. I, we, learn from them. So you tune into what’s really going on.”
Wherever you can, tap into your vulnerability. Because it’s strength, belonging and connectedness – never weakness. I’m fascinated to see more of this in copywriting.
As creatives, we’re expected to know everything and deliver flawless outcomes. There’s a lot of pressure to put up an even more flawless front – someone with everything under control.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear you’re only human after all? That you’ll arrive with an open mind, and concern yourself solely with listening. That working together doesn’t mean being a supplier or service provider, it means growing together. Learning.
What do you really stand for? What does that look like? How does that work? Be unafraid to describe it with energy.
Why? It’s that authenticity again.
#5: Show me your plan
In your eagerness, did you rush into writing (or editing) without an objective, and a step-by-step plan of things to write? Or can you show me how your copy follows a structure? Be it a story, AIDCA or whatever technique you followed.
Sadly, most people plan while they write. It’s not just the origin of writer’s block. It’s why messages meander into dead-ends. It’s why copy doesn’t sound like a story, an argument or an exercise in bonding or persuasion. It’s why only at the very end do we finally discover what the writer was going on about all this time.
At the bare minimum, your plan should unambiguously state your intentions: what you’re saying and to whom. Then everything that appears in your simple, enumerated list of points to make or ideas to explore, should be in pursuit of that intention.
If you gave your message lots of careful thought and planning beforehand, chances are it’s probably good enough for now. It’s just version 1.0. Which leads on to my final bit of advice…
#BONUS: Have you really had enough real-world feedback?
When we doubt ourselves, we often exert control over the controllable, rather than making peace with inevitable uncertainty.
I should know, I’ve been wrestling this for most of my professional life. Tinkering around the edges instead of tackling the hard stuff. In this case that might mean exposing your message to scrutiny, and getting feedback firsthand.
So, all this useful advice aside. Ask yourself this: has your message had a chance to live and breathe yet?
If your message is still fledgling – let it fly a bit longer. Make peace with feeling unsettled. Expose it to more scrutiny (and congratulation) first, before you start worrying whether it’s completely ‘wrong’.
Maybe it’s just not quite there yet but it gets enough meaning over the fence. Like all things business, your message is just an ongoing experiment, a developing work-in-progress.
February 21, 2020
Maybe it’s time you wrote your own copy
Yes, you read that right.
Despite being a professional copywriter myself, I’m about to encourage you to write your own copy. Naturally, there are strong against – many of which I’ve made myself.
But for today, met me focus on the arguments for writing your own copy.
Let me explain
With only a handful of exceptions, almost every client I’ve ever written on behalf of has tweaked the copy before they publish it.
This happens because people need to adjust for the platform – be it print, web or social media. Facts change. Messages need updating. In every case, the copy I write is just a manifestation of what’s gone into producing it.
Rarely am I ever the sole arbiter of copy I write on behalf of a client. It always ends up being theirs, to do with as they please. It takes on a life of its own
Which brings me neatly onto my second point
I’ve always said that copywriting is roughly 90% analysis and planning, 10% writing. Writing is only one small (albeit important) part of the craft. That’s what people really pay me for, when they hire me as a copywriter.
It’s honing their message, crystallising some argument or conveying a message succinctly. From my point of view as a copywriter, if I don’t actually write the final piece, all I lose is creative control (which as I’ve painted out above is a fallacy anyway!).
Copywriters still create an enormous amount of value for their client in the analysis and planning. That’s regardless of whether I write the actual copy or not.
I guess what I’m trying to say is you can still hire a copywriter in their capacity as a consultant, rather than wordsmith.
My last argument for comes down what type of client you are
I’m in the process of refocusing my business. That means targeting my expertise on a niche group of people I’m best placed to serve.
That’d be small, creative businesses – like freelancers, small agencies and specialist software engineers. And for them, I’ll be offering copywriting coaching. As well as workshops about creating lightbulb moments, using case studies and other copywriting techniques.
Small, independent, creative businesses are often unique because of who they are. Be it their tiny team of people or, as is more likely, person. They rely on personality and authenticity – that’s what makes them stand out (and often what they stand for).
If you outsource your copywriting to a third party, some of that individual personality can get lost. There isn’t really a collective brand to play with here (unlike larger clients). It tends to be just one person’s voice and worldview. Hence why there’s a compelling argument in favour of writing your own copy, if you’re a small creative business.
This led me to the conclusion that, on balance, it’s not so bad if you write your own. Especially if you fit the criteria above.
There’s another factor at play here
I’ve been at the coal-face long enough to realise that it’s far more rewarding all round if you write your own copy. If I write it on your behalf, sure you get quicker results, and we solve a problem in the short-term. But when it’s over, you still don’t have the skills to write independently. Authenticity risks getting lost in translation too, if you’re a small, creative business.
Likewise, as a freelance copywriter our jobs tend to fly in then straight out the door. There’s rarely enough time to nurture fruitful partnerships and meaningful connections with the people you serve. And that’s where the enduring rewards are.
That’s why I’m moving into coaching people in copywriting. I’ll be focusing on that valuable 90% preparation. Then hand-holding creative people through the remaining 10% – on their own terms. It’s more fulfilling for me, watching and guiding your growth. And it’s more fulfilling for you, actually growing and learning to express your value more clearly.
It’s an unorthodox position for a copywriter to take. I realise that. But if you fit the bill above, then maybe it’s time you wrote your own copy.
December 26, 2019
That beautiful moment when something just clicks
Picture yourself walking a route you’ve taken many times before. Plodding along, you notice an alleyway. You wonder where does that go?
So you take it, tentatively walking a little further.
Things seem different – unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. But that doesn’t deter you. You’re curious to know where it leads.
Then, all of a sudden, the unfamiliar turns familiar. You look around, recognise a landmark or two – albeit from a different angle.
You’ve gained new perspective on a familiar landscape. Or a short-cut perhaps, to the same destination. Maybe it was nice to just try something different and gain unexpected, yet useful results.
You might even smile as you assimilate this pleasant, enlightening new knowledge. You can almost feel a new connection forming in your brain.
However you describe it. Something just clicked.
This is what’s called a lightbulb moment
They happen when existing knowledge connects to new in a beautiful intersection. And thanks to timing, experience, circumstance and many other factors, uncertainty turns to certainty.
Fear becomes the familiar. Pride and confidence grow. And you’re empowered with insight that makes life that little bit easier, next time you face the situation.
What interests me about lightbulb moments isn’t just how the dots connect. It’s about how the dots came to be in the first place. I’m fascinated with the conditions that prompt beautiful realisations like this
Perhaps that moment of vulnerability, as you turned down the unknown alleyway, had something to do with it? Maybe you were looking for a shortcut to get somewhere quicker. Or was it just your adventurous mood that day?
And why will this knowledge endure? Over everything else you might learn that day you went for a walk.
Perhaps it’s the practical nature of knowledge? Or that the breakthrough was on your own terms? And it all happened at a time when you were subconsciously ready or susceptible.
I’ve been documenting lightbulb moments for the best part of a decade. I’ve written on behalf of renowned culture change experts. Created countless insightful cases studies. I’ve also captured the conditions and factors that influence lightbulb moments. Whether that’s a global food manufacturer boosting productivity. Or a renewable energy company keeping their people safe. Or a creative coach helping freelancers turn their businesses around.
I’ve also been creating micro-lightbulb moments myself. With persuasive B2B copywriting. I’ve painted virtual landscapes with words, laid new pathways, and tempted people on adventures.
To me, conveying knowledge, crafting a position, and helping people realise truths – that’s fulfilment. Because I feel like I’ve provided for them; helping them focus on what really matters.
Something fascinates me about the art and science of lightbulb moments
And I’ve an inkling that that fascination, coupled with my experience, could be useful to other, likeminded people too.
I suspect knowing how to sculpt the conditions could be a powerful tool for creative people. Especially creative people delivering projects with socially and environmentally useful outcomes.
Just an idea anyway. Certainly one that won’t go away. That’s usually a sign. It’s also what happens after a lightbulb moment. It’s a realisation that just keeps on wicking at you.
In fact, it was hearing someone else describe what I do back to me, that I realised. Because I take this insight for granted. Crafting knowledge, using it to influence behaviour, and having endless curiosity, is just part of being a copywriter.
I think I’m on to something here.
More to follow, undoubtedly.
December 23, 2019
Two pain-points for people with small, creative businesses
As you might have read, I’m reorienting my freelance business. That means transitioning from at-the-coal-face copywriting, to copywriting coaching.
And part of that transition involves defining the problem my ideal clients face – people with small, established creative businesses. But more importantly, expressing that in a way they can connect with. The messages I send to these people must be framed in terms they understand.
This is standard copywriting practice. Moreover, it’s just how copywriters like me organise our thoughts. I’d do the with any copywriting project – experiment with angles, tone and message.
So this post is another brain-dump to help along that journey of developing my freelance business. It’s also my collected thoughts after chatting to a UI designer about their pain points. It revealed two interesting angles I’m toying with.
The premise underpinning these messages is described on my homepage. It’s that their work doesn’t feel as fulfilling as it could be. They need more meaningful work with their ideal clients.
The proposed solution is my insightful case study product. This is where I teach creative people how to gather and produce case studies. They’d use these market what they do, as well as better understand their value. I’d deliver this as a masterclass workshop or one-to-one coaching.
Here are two principal angles:
1. What you take for granted
There are unique things about you, the way you operate and what you stand for, that you completely take for granted. Trust me. How you do what you do may as well be magic to the people you serve.
Likewise, the things you stress about – like delivering on-time to budget, don’t matter nearly as much as everyone thinks they do. Sure, clients will say they’re important. But they’re not qualities they really care about.
Wouldn’t you like to know what they really care about? What they really value.
You could ask them. But they probably won’t give you a meaningful answer. You need insight that’s useful. Insight you can act upon, and use to gain more clients.
The way to get that is to frame your request differently.
And one powerful way to do that is by inviting them to take part in a case study. A story where they share insight for the benefit of people just like them (but also for you). About what it’s like to be in their position, how someone like you helps, and what really matters to them.
2. It’s not easy promoting yourself
Selling yourself is difficult. It’s not a natural thing for creative people to do. Especially when it comes to writing about yourself – marketing your services to the kind of people you want to work with.
So let’s look at this from another angle.
What are you a natural at talking about? I bet it’s your craft. You could talk all day about the finer points of how you illustrate, programme or design.
That’s safer territory for you.
So, what if you could use that as your frame of reference when it comes to promoting yourself? Instead of a hard-sell, you’d write about your craft instead.
Well you can, with the insightful case study.
Think engaging stories of people eventually getting to grips with a problem. Thanks to your help – their creative catalyst, they’re able to surmount their challenge. And share insight all about how other, likeminded people can do the same. Likeminded people who also happen to be prospective clients for you…
Writing like this is more authentic and believable. It’s also more useful and valuable to the kind of people you want to serve. So it’s more likely to get read and shared.
It’s just marketing. But marketing you can get behind. Because it’s on a subject you could talk all day about.
December 15, 2019
Why it’s easier to write about what you know
Here’s another age-old writing adage for you. Write about what you know, they say. By that we mean experiences – the stories and things you’ve been involved with, or are passionate about.
The premise is that writing about what you know is easier. It’s safe ground because you’re confident about what you know – having lived the experience. It’s authentic.
But here’s another thing. It’s also really useful. Especially when it comes to marketing.
Now compare that to writing anything promotional about yourself and your business. By that I mean sales copywriting. Anything that advertises your service and sells what you do.
That’s hard. It’s awkward too
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve spoken with creative people with small businesses who keep meaning to update their website. Or write more copy about their services. It’s like a terrible burden to them
Why?
Because you’re no longer on safe ground. So you put it off, avoid it all together. Even if you do get around to it, it’s rambling and incoherent. It’s unstructured too, because without a story timeline (like those experiences above) people aren’t sure what to write. They wing it, without planning. Then a copywriter has to step in and take over.
This post isn’t about convincing you to hire a copywriter
Quite the opposite, in fact. What I’m about to advocate is that you write your own case studies. Because when your case studies are written by you, words come more easily. They’re more informed. More passionate. But most importantly – more authentic.
That’s why I’m launching a case study masterclass workshop to empower creative people, problem-solvers with the tools you need to write your own case studies. From planning, to interview techniques, right through to the edit.
Leave slick promotional copywriting to the pros but write your own case studies
But when it comes to case studies, if you have the time and inclination, learn to write them yourself.
Write about what you know. Draw on your expertise, and share it wholeheartedly. It absolutely does have marketing value. Because your genuine love of your craft will attract people with similar problems.
Publish your case studies, and soon you’ll build a new audience, brimming with prospective ideal clients with challenges you’re perfectly placed to overcome.
December 9, 2019
Now published: Want to know your value AND gain more meaningful work? Interview clients. Write case studies like this – 5 article series on LinkedIn
I’ve now successfully brain-dumped most of what I know about writing insightful case studies into a comprehensive series of articles on LinkedIn.
This post is to link them all together in one place, and follow-up on what happens next.
This series of articles begins with an introduction, called Why the world needs your case studies. It then moves on to more hands-on insight and advice in these core five articles:
(My objective was always to get this all out of my head and into the open – not to develop my clickbait headline-writing skills. Hence the repetition in the titles).
What next?
The plan is to edit and improve these – condense them into an eBook that’s perhaps more accessible than LinkedIn’s Pulse publishing platform. This’ll be a free download to encourage best-practice amongst copywriters, in-house writers, marketing, comms and PR people.
Next year I’ll launch my first case study masterclass full of insight and hands-on help. That’ll be to test the content, find out what people would like more of, and spread word that this insight is what I do best.
I’ll continue writing case studies myself, but I’ve found a real joy in helping other people be their best, by learning new skills to express themselves. Longer-term, the case study masterclass workshop will be one of my core products that support why I do what I do – empowering people to focus on what’s important, so they can realise their full potential.
Case studies are just one, perfect manifestation of that mission – empowering them to gain more meaningful work, ideal clients and a deeper sense of their value – through the eyes of people who matter most.
November 11, 2019