Being a creative entrepreneur requires so many skill sets. Marketing is one of the biggest and least intuitive. Copywriting is at the heart of it all. Here’s what I wish every entrepreneur knew about copywriting for creatives.

5 Essentials of Copywriting for Creatives

1. Know your brand voice.

Copywriting for creatives starts with designing a brand voice. Treat it as a set of guidelines for all your marketing materials. You probably know how your brand looks – logo, brand colors, etc. How does your brand sound? That’s your brand voice.

“Brand voice” is an umbrella term. It includes:

• Messaging
• Tone 
• Style 
• Word choice

I help my clients create what I call a Unified Brand Voice. This helps them create consistency across all of their marketing channels, from their website and social media to their emails. If you love the idea of creating a Unified Brand Voice, you can access my webinar and workbook with membership to our Patreon community. Check it out here.

2. Toss out the thesaurus.

Word lovers and the word insecure alike often want to spice up their brand voice. They end up turning to a thesaurus. Here’s why that could backfire on you. You might end up using words that sound awkward and disconnected from the rest of your copy. Chances are that if the word is new to you, it’s new to potential clients, too. People don’t often Google words they come across in marketing materials. Instead, they’ll move on to other content. Worst case scenario, they feel downright alienated. Stick to the words you know and use.

3. Keep your ideal client, not your industry idol, in mind.

Creative entrepreneurs are amazing at supporting each other. In fact, they often really look up to leaders in their industries – people who gracefully combine great art with business savvy. The downside of this when it comes to copywriting for creatives is that some entrepreneurs end up with messaging that sounds like lots of other people in their field. 

Take time to answer two questions:

1. What makes you different? Client experience? Skill sets? 
2. How does that connect to the people you want to work with most? 

At the end of the day, your marketing is about how your ideal client feels more than it is about you.

4. Use your web copy as your foundation.

I often work with creative entrepreneurs who don’t consider themselves writers. They get stuck coming up with seemingly endless copy for social media posts, emails, and blogs. My best advice for copywriting for creatives who feel stuck? 

Go back to your web copy.

If your web copy is doing its job, it should share your brand story and values as well as the details of your services and client successes. It’s a source you can return to for direction and inspiration again and again. That’s why I’m so intentional about creating web copy grounded in clear brand messaging for my clients. (You can learn more about that process here.)

Aside from helping you get unstuck, using your website as a foundation for all your marketing keeps you consistent across channels. You return to the heart of your brand messaging instead of getting sidetracked.

5. Work with a copywriter for creative entrepreneurs.

Even if you do love writing, many creative entrepreneurs find they eventually need support to keep up with their marketing. That can be both an exciting and intimidating moment. You’ve expanded to the point where you can invest in help, but you have to find someone you trust to do right by your brand. 

There are lots of ways to pick the best copywriter for you. Whatever criteria you use, make sure you choose someone who has experience copywriting for creatives. It requires a unique blend of skills, including marketing, SEO, and industry knowledge as it’s relevant to your clients.

As an SEO copywriter, I’ve worked with wedding vendors, web designers, authors, social media strategists, business coaches, and videographers. Each client has a unique story that will connect with their ideal client. Sometimes it’s just a matter of articulating it in a way their clients can understand – and find on Google. 

Want support creating web copy, email marketing campaigns, or SEO blog posts? Reach out to me here!