A curated tour of secrets & tips around the world of brand copywriting from The Stitch Writer & Co.
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Welcome to Copy Secrets #46 by Martha Moger at The Stitch Writer & Co.
Hello, hello, hello again. This week, a free guide for you and some great links to things I enjoyed reading.
But first, a copy secret inspired by ‘Singin’ in the Rain’…
From the outside, she’s glamour personified. Perfectly coiffed blonde hair, sensational black patent shoes and a sleek black fur thrown over one shoulder. The problem is that Hollywood movie star, Ms. Lina Lamont, can’t deliver her lines in a voice that works.
“And I can’t stand him” says the diction coach with perfect elocution.
“An’ I cannnnn’t stannim” Lina drawls.
“Can’t!” the coach answers crisply.
“Cannnnn’t” replies Lina with a screech that would make milk curdle.
She may look the part, but once Lina opens her mouth, the game is up.
So goes the story in Singin’ in the Rain, the eponymous, Hollywood-golden-era classic that sees Grace Kelly tap-dance out of silent movies and into a brand new era of sound.
When the things a business says, and the way it says them, don’t fit with how it looks or what it does, nothing feels right. Instead of growing trust and sales, your audience forgets and moves on.
Here are 4 ways to make sure the voice of your brand or business is the right voice.
Define your personality. Why? Because knowing who you are, what you stand for and your key messages builds the strong foundation you need. Define a voice and visuals that are in line with your personality to bring the whole show together.
Write it down. What are the key features of this voice? What would you say or not say? Document and share with everyone that’s creating content.
Practice and review. Where has your voice been really successful? Created the most engagement? Keep asking why and tweak accordingly.
And finally...
Listen to your audience. What do they need or want and how does your tone of voice satisfy that? What phrases are your customers already using that you could adopt into your voice?
Which one of these most needs your attention?
THANKS so much for reading. If you’re enjoying it, please come and say hello here.
This week, I made something for you. A couple of years back, not long after the war had broken out, I found myself heading for the border of Ukraine in my friend’s car. (You can read about that here).
The only problem was, despite his laid-back and cheerful nature, it turned out he didn’t have any directions. We very nearly ended up on a ferry to somewhere we really didn’t want to go to.
Content is like this.
You’re writing away but you don’t know if all that thinking and effort is really paying off with your audience. This simple “stepping-stones” technique will help you to work that out.
It’s absolutely free and sums up so much of what I’ve learnt about writing on the internet over the past decade. It’s also rooted in tried and tested knowledge from some of the godfathers (and mothers) of copy and content.
And finally, three great things I read or listened to in the past couple of weeks, all about you becoming a better writer, marketer or storyteller.
6 and a Half Ways to Write Faster by Ann Handley
Let’s Make This More Interesting podcast by Eat Big Fish
Betsy Dickerson interview by The Subtext
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“The team are incredible. They're able to coax out answers to questions you haven't even thought about. This is much more than just copywriting."
Tom Bright, founder Bright Evolve
Lots of great information here--thanks!
Hi John! Thank you!