Here’s the thing:

Whether you’re a coach, web designer, copywriter, realtor, interior designer…  you’ll likely know by now your words and messaging matter. 

You can have the most amazing design, the best systems in place, but if what you say isn’t moving your readers in some shape or form, you’re going to lose them during the user/buyer journey. 

As a freelance content writer, I’ve written for countless service-based businesses – from counselling clinics and photography studios to almost all the copy for my own company. I’ve read existing content, edited entire sites, drafted from scratch. You name it. So today, I’m sharing my process and tips on how to connect and convert the right people across different touchpoints of your brand.

Getting Started

Understanding your purpose

Before anything I write or edit, I always draft a creative brief. One of the most important aspects to this process is outlining who the copy is for and what key messages I want to include to achieve our goals.

The worst thing I believe you can do in business is write without a clear purpose. There’s always one million and one things you COULD say in your copy, but you need to think strategically to get people to click, sign up, or purchase.

Freelance Content Writer Tip Number One // Your Website

Your website is the illuminated, shiny glass window for your service-based business. And the thing you can’t do, is try to get away with sub-par copy that you wrote late last Saturday night and hope something sticks.

One of the best tips I can share is to invest the time to nail your homepage, about page, and service(s) page. 

• Your homepage should immediately tell people what you do and how you do it. There should be a clear user journey from your hero headline to glimpses into your offers / company – coupled with effective CTAs to learn more. Beyond that, it should also be a springboard for your brand voice, USP, and proven expertise (think testimonials).
  
• Your about page needs to include your company/founder story, values, and mission.
  
• Your service pages need to be detailed and accessible. Think product descriptions, but for your service. They can be fun, bold, intriguing, interesting… make sure you address your customer pain points/ needs and don’t overlook giving each service/offer its own home to shine. One of the main issues I see is lack of information or trying to fit all the information into one page.

Freelance Content Writer Tip Number Two // Your Email Campaigns

One big challenge for service-based businesses is: how to make information exciting. 

You don’t have cool aesthetic product images to share like a new blanket design or a celebrity spraying your orange zest suntan lotion. You may have some brand images of you and your team etc, but even so – for people like us, words are all the more important.

After sending out hundreds of emails for clients and for myself, the best advice I can give is keep it simple. 

• Don’t give users ten different actions to choose from
• Don’t include long walls of text
• Don’t try to include multiple ideas in one email
• Don’t sound like a historical document or information leaflet
• Don’t write an email just because you “have to”

But what you SHOULD do, is brainstorm unique and exciting ideas, format properly, tell a story, check your open rates, adjust accordingly.

Freelance Content Writer Tip Number Three // Your Newsletters

The thing to pay attention to here, is that your newsletters are different to your email campaigns. Newsletters are a place where you want to cultivate your audience, woo them by offering freebies and a peek inside your company, rather than pushing out a hard sell.

As a freelance content writer, my main tip for your newsletter is to stray away from the generic. So often, I see brands sending newsletters that feel like they’re doing it because they know they should. Rather than finding enjoyment in reaching out to their community.

When we move away from links to boring blogs, generic tips like “post consistently on IG to build your following *yawn*, and bland copy that sounds like your Grandma could have written it – that’s where the key to connection and conversion lies.

And lastly, name your newsletter. Ours is called WordsFirst to tie into our USP and the fact that it only contains copy rather than a bunch of videos, buttons and images. When you give your newsletter a name, you can market it in a way that builds excitement or curiosity.

Freelance Content Writer Tip Number Four // Your Blogs

As I mentioned above regarding sharing in your newsletters, boring blogs are common. Often because people write blogs for SEO and search engines, rather than for the actual people reading them.

My number one tip for writing blogs and positioning yourself as a leader in your industry is make sure you’re sharing your own ideas and opinions. And this is where platforms like ChatGPT will only take you so far. You can certainly use AI as a place to get a blog outline, but when it comes to writing copy that connects and converts, you’ll need a fresh idea or piece of information to get it working hard for your business.

Also, make sure you share share share. So often I see businesses writing blog and blog that solely live on their website. Whenever you’ve created a good read for your audience, get it in front of them wherever they are spending time online.

Key Takeaway

Writing for your service business takes time and effort. But I promise, it’s SO worth the investment. Whether you’re writing yourself or hiring someone (like me!) to do the heavy lifting for you, there’s nothing the power of great words and messaging can’t do for your business. The proof is in the pudding!

Get in touch today if you’d like help content writing and article writing for your business.