In the early days of copywriting, I went for walks, cleaned stuff (yes, this helps me think), waited and wondered, hoping that inspiration would come to me to help me decide how I would market myself.
After much procrastination and waiting for divine intervention, I took to Instagram and the web to see what other Copywriters were doing. I saw lots of content, but nothing excited me. I got bored listening to videos of copywriters talking for an age whilst silently missing the pre-reel fast-forward button. I looked at the format, the colours, the fonts, and what angles people were using, but still, nothing inspired me.
Then my dear friend, a fine art Wedding Photographer with an eye for detail who would give Anna Wintour a run for her money, sent me an Instagram picture and article of a Copywriter who works with photographers and creatives. The photo showed a lady sitting on the floor of her light and airy home. She looked happy, friendly and relaxed. She was barefoot, wearing ripped jeans and smiling whilst casually holding a cup of tea.
‘This is the kind of photo I see of you in your home’, my friend wrote. ‘Yes’, I replied, ‘Only I’d have dog toys littering the floor, and I’d look like a homeless person covered in mud where I've had to carry the dog because she won't walk”. ‘But that’s you… that’s your secret sauce – a mess,’ my friend replied. Luckily, we are very good friends; otherwise, I might have slapped her. (obviously, I wouldn't).
Like that, the penny dropped. I was trying to be someone I'm not. I may have been an inexperienced Copywriter, and there were times I felt like a fraud. I felt like my lack of experience didn’t qualify me as a writer, so I struggled to define myself and what message I wanted the world to see.
I'm sure every one of us has felt this at some point in our lives. ‘Imposter syndrome’. The feeling you get from not having the confidence to put yourself out there. The fear of being ‘found out’ that you’re not as quite as capable as you’d written on your cv. Or that someone will make fun of you if you make a mistake.
But that’s only natural, especially when we’re starting out, but we need to be kind and truthful to ourselves. Honesty builds trust and is what helps us form connections. Trust is what people buy into and how relationships are formed. Whether that’s a customer deciding to buy a product or a service or if it’s the person or business you entrust to work with.
Be honest; I mean not totally honest; I'm pretty sure your client doesn't need to know everything single thing about you, but at least by being authentic, you are being true to yourself, and they will either like you or not.
So, from that point on, I decided I was going to be honest, warts and all. I was fresh out of ‘copywriting school’; I didn’t have years of experience behind me, but I did have every other quality you would look for when choosing someone honest and reliable to work with.
I will listen. I will hear what your needs are. I will deliver on time, and I will write to the very best of my ability. And if you're unhappy, we will find a way to change that.
Frida Kahlo didn’t go to art school or do a course (ok, maybe she did), but she did a pretty all-right job, so when you're deciding what your special sauce is, don’t let your lack of confidence or experience define you. Instead, live and breathe every other quality that makes you absolutely perfect for the job and let that be your sales pitch: passion, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn counts for much more than you think.
So, when trying to find your special sauce, niche or angle, look within and ask yourself? Who am I really?
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