I spent a long weekend in Melbourne where I attended my third CopyCon, Australia's leading copywriting conference, on the 4 May 2019. CopyCon19 promised to be a day jam-packed with helpful content for copywriters to build their business. And it was.

We heard from successful entrepreneurs about how to overcome your imposter syndrome, how to build an unbeatable brand and stand out from the crowd, and how to write irresistible taglines. We also learned a proven formula for writing copy that gets results, how to approach an agency for work, and how Americans write better sales pages. Our very own Kate Toon, owner of the Clever Copywriting School, shared her secrets of surviving the copywriting client dating game. Furthermore, members of the Clever Copywriting School revealed their stories to success through niching.

Follow your passion when niching

Not everything is for everyone, but I certainly heard a few golden nuggets and made some mental (and written) notes what to action after the event. First thing: delete the word 'passionate' from my home page! While I listened to the presentations, I also realised that what I love writing about today has evolved with my life's journey.

13 years of experience in IT and Technology PR have left their mark. After moving to Australia in 2008, I followed my creative calling and studied Colour and Design at iscd in Sydney. As a result, I wrote freelance for houzz Australia and interior design magazines. Organically, I developed into an interior design copywriter and have helped quite a few design clients with website copy, case studies, and portfolio pieces. Significant changes in my personal life led to writing copy for spiritual healers and transformational life coaches, as my own experiences made it easy for me to express what these clients have to offer.

CopyCon helped me to become clearer on my niches: IT and tech, interior design, and transformational coaching are the three areas that I am going to build and focus on. The day after CopyCon, I changed the copy on my website and instantly got positive feedback from a prospect.

Apart from the content, three things stood out for me at this year's conference.

My key takeaways from CopyCon19:

  1. Dare to reveal your kinkiness

What is it that makes you unique? Peculiar? Different? Who is your tribe? Who are the people who are similarly weird than you are?

Questions that I have been thinking about a lot in the past couple of years. And I finally found my tribe last year at dance school. Following Kate's advice, I changed my home page, contact page, and LinkedIn profile and included my passion for ballroom dancing in my business description. As Suzanne Chadwick emphasised, Take a stand, claim your space, and spread a unique message. What is yours?

 

  1. Lead from the heart

"After the industrial revolution, we went through the technical revolution and are now entering the heart revolution," Suzanne Chadwick revealed in her talk about building a unique brand. People including your clients want to feel good when you interact with them. How are we showing up when we communicate with our clients? What do they remember about us? What is the unique identifier that makes them think of us? Great stuff to reflect on.

 

  1. Real conversations matter

I love dancing the Argentine Tango, which is one of the classiest and most sophisticated dances. The secret to getting it right is finding the perfect connection with your partner. The same applies to our client relationships. How are you connecting with your clients? Via email and text messages? Or, are you picking up the phone to have a conversation? What about a video call?

I started working for a US-based client recently, and our first conversation happened as a video call on Zoom. Seeing each other broke the ice instantly, and we had a great conversation where the client shared his project and expectations. I feel that this initial video call made the working relationship, aka the client dating game, so much easier. The moral of the story: Stop hiding behind emails and text messages and show up for a real conversation.

 

Posts from fellow 'copybeasts':

How to show up in your business like a boss

5 Smashing ideas to Lift your Marketing

CopyCon 2019: incredibles, insatiables, and an inflatable

 

 

 

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This