If you’re here, I can just guess: the online world is increasingly making you want to:

• pull your hair out

• never see the internet again

• delete your Instagram forever and print photos of your life instead.

AND, if you’re here, I can also guess that you have a creative business that makes you {need} to:

• connect with other business owners

• tell people about the thing you’re selling

• be clear about the fact that you’re a person, not a robot or generic brand.

Ah, the conundrums these two sets of facts set up for us! The constant push and pull of needing to show up in order to “get your name out there” because you DO love what you do, and it DOES support your family— while also feeling so dissatisfied and done with the sludge of online marketing… well, it puts us business owners in a bit of a pickle.

Since I began copywriting in 2020, and rebranded as Studio Tell in 2022, I have been trying to figure out how to market my business through this tension. My clients have paid me to help THEM find the words to market their business through this tension. We both want to offer what we do in a way that feels (and IS!) different than the sludge.

I’ve learned many things in the last five years, but I was just thinking today about how marketing in this different way starts with thinking differently. We have to stop making assumptions about what is best and what we will potentially have to compromise in order to successfully sell our services and products.

Here are some mindset shifts that I think we have to begin with:

swap as fast as possible for as true as possible.

I use the word “true” here instead of the more obvious, buzzy “authentic” and “genuine.” Those words are accurate too, but have become so common that they’ve lost their meaning. We have to let go of the feeling that we have to market more more more and as quickly quickly quickly as possible. That rapid pace is what gets us stuck in creating content that screams into the void instead of says something meaningful, and starts overstating and “giving desperation” instead of being kind and invitational and understanding that our things might not be THE thing for everyone.

swap anyone who will listen for the right people will listen.

We business owners can slip into grabby, stingy people realll quick if we aren’t careful, trying to market in a way that will be comfy and relatable to everyone. The funny thing is is this actually has a NEGATIVE impact on our marketing. If you’re writing your copy for everyone, you’re writing it for no one. Get completely clear on who you would like to work with, what they care about, what they can’t find in your industry— and write to them.

swap more is better for human is better

I saw someone recently talking about the current “diarrea” of online marketing. It makes me gag a little bit, but it is an accurate word. There’s so often too much. It becomes distasteful and cringy and gross. Maybe putting out endless streams of content will get more eyes on you, but will they be the right eyes? If we use the more more more mentality with our copy and marketing, we will lose the one primary set-apart factor in today’s market: a genuine human touch.

If you’re a business owner that wants to market without noise, shift your thinking to remember that human is better than more. I know that you realize it with the content you follow— but it’s harder to remember when you’re the one trying to get your name out there. Of course, there’s a place for consistency, even if the content isn’t perfect. But don’t let it slip in to meaninglessness. The few extra pairs of eyes aren’t worth the trust and connection you lose with the people who matter.

swap hooking headlines for sat-with stories

I’ve been noticing lately that hook-style headlines aren’t capturing my attention anymore. You know the kind— the ones that make you click without thinking and then wonder where the content was that the headline promised. True, developed, fascinating stories will ultimately last longer then click-bait. And if you want to market thoughtfully and without so much adding to the noise, writing carefully about stories that matter to you will make such a difference.

here’s my plug for strategy help!

if you’re looking for help with figuring out the specific details of how you can write copy that is thoughtful and doesn’t just scream into the void, that’s literally my job! I would love to sit down with you for a copy strategy call— my easiest, cheapest way to help you with your copy and marketing. Click here to schedule a coffee/brainstorm date to talk all things about how to improve your copy ASAP.