Can A Copywriter *Really* Capture My Own Voice?
Why is it everyone’s always asking copywriters “Can you really sound like me?” and not “Can Daniel Day-Lewis really sound like Abraham Lincoln?”????
K seriously, though. Voice tends to be the #1 concern/Q/thing that people get tripped up on before hiring a copywriter, and I get it.
Sounding clearly, authentically like yourself is not only important so you don’t get the ick from the words that are supposed to be yours, but also because being believable is literally money.
People can sniff out a wishy-washy, insecure, or doing-my-best-to-sound-like-Marie-Forleo vibe online in an instant.
But what may feel to you like kind of an impossible task to you (you’re a unique, radiant star, you! How could anyone else capture it?) is fundamentally the art and science of my job!
So right here, I’m gonna share all of my secrets—aka walk you through how I uncover and capture the words that sound like YOU and only you, every damn time.
FIRST, THOUGH: HERE’S A PERSPECTIVE FLIP
Sometimes the copy that sounds the most like you isn't the copy that you write.
I’m gonna say that again.
Sometimes the copy that sounds the most like you isn't the copy that you write.
It's because (so. relatable.) when you’re tripping over your words, have SO much to say and aren’t sure what to say and in what order, are stuck in self-editing mode, and can’t figure out your own message…
… that’s gonna sound more like chatGPT trying to find its way out of a paper bag than you at your most confident, relaxed, and self-assured.
And you at your most confident, relaxed, and self-assured is the version of you that you want to share! This is the personality, voice, and tone we want to channel in your copy. This is the you that owns a clear message and broadcasts it freely. This is the you that embodies the guts you want your biz to project and the visibility that you deserve to claim.
So if you've ever worried that handing the reins over to a copywriter will come at a cost to your own voice, I completely get it, but 1) that would be a completely unacceptable outcome (!) and 2) that isn’t at all what happens.
Your copy = your voice, your message, your personality, your identity.
I find the words that amplify all of those things, but at their very core, they're all you.
And it all starts with… spying. (Let me explain, mmmk?!)
COPYWRITING IS A BIG ‘OL PERMISSION SLIP TO BE NOSY AF
It’s like when you aggressively use Google to snoop on your friends’ dates, but, you know, for business.
I do think there's an art to voice that good writers already have & naturally hone. But it's not all intuition either! So consider me the Annie to your Hallie. Here's how I twin you like Lindsay Lohan.
(*Don't ask me how devastated I was when I found out that there's actually just one Lindsay...)
It all starts with sleuthing. I soak up (& study!) how you naturally sound by drawing upon:
Your IG captions: Literally every. single. caption. you’ve ever shared. It's a gold mine for understanding your casual chit-chat, your go-to phrases, and those little glimpses of personality that make you, well… y-o-u.
Video content: I catch up on any videos you’ve shared, whether they’re Reels, IG lives, clips on YouTube, conference talks… wherever, whenever, I’m there taking notes. (Recently I transcribed a client’s voiceover on a Reel and snuck it into her copy because it was just too damn good!
Your website: Every page, every paragraph. If you’ve hired me, I know you’re not in love with your current web copy, but it’s still a great place for me to get to know your style AND your substance.
Blog posts: If you’ve written it, I’m reading it. I’ll scoop stories, even just tiny off-the-cuff references, that end up adding true-to-you color and personality to your future web copy. (And look, if you sort of have a blog… but haven’t actually updated it since 2016… I’m not judging.
Email newsletters: Every single one, again? You guessed it! I’ll join your list (and catch up in your archives), swiping any phrase, sentence, or story that I might want to reference later. You’ve already created this great stuff—we should make the most of it!
Interviews and podcasts: The way you express yourself in conversations is everythingggg. I tune into your interviews and podcast appearances to catch your voice in its most natural, conversational form.
Reviews and testimonials: So you didn’t write these, but someone who has experienced your work VERY personally did! And hearing how other people describe you really helps me get a feel for your personality and presence as a business owner.
Questionnaire responses: Before we kick off, I have you go deep in a thoughtful questionnaire that I’ve designed to help surface LOTS of insight. I tell you it doesn’t need to be perfect, and I mean it—because getting your messy draft rather than your perfectly buttoned-up responses helps me get to know the real you.
Our call recordings: I record (with your permission, obvs!) our calls, so that I can revisit anything you’ve said if inspiration strikes. Often, you’ll say something powerful, so naturally and perfectly and wholeheartedly, and have NO idea… but you bet I’m paying attention! And I tell you, in EVERY project there’s a moment where my client comments “omg this is BRILLIANT” and I get to deliver the glorious news that it’s word for word something they said on our call.
Basically, I put my star student tendencies + poetry school background + lifelong yearning to be a detective (but, like, not in a weird way) all together to create a really complete, authentic understanding of who you are.
I’m not pretending to be you… it’s more like I’m really tuning into your essence and then channeling that into words.
NOW, IT’S ANALYSIS TIME
Word nerd mode, activate.
Once I’ve absorbed all of that material, it’s time to start identifying your patterns and traits.
(I bet you’ve never given a lot of thought to your average sentence length, but I sure will!)
Here’s what I get really specific about:
Your language and diction: How formal or informal are you? What grammar rules do you tend to follow, and when do you break ‘em conversationally? Do you favor being more simple and straightforward, more technical, or more meandering?
Your sentence structure: Do you typically use short, punchy sentences, or longer and more complex sentences?
Your rhythm and cadence: You know those ads you’ll get on YouTube with bros who talk quickly and urgently in super short sentences? Now think about voiceovers on a slow, vibey day-in-the-life reel. Totally different speaking/communication styles!
Your emotional tone: What’s the vibe usually like when you communicate? Are you dreamy and inspirational? Reassuring and encouraging? Playful and self-deprecating? Serious and thoughtful?
What you do/don’t say (this isn’t just about swearing!): This includes slang, industry-specific terms, references you make, and general prefs.
For one of my florist clients, Althea Floral Design, we say “nearlyweds” instead of “bride & groom” because the term is way less gendered and way more inclusive (LOVE that). Simply You Nutrition, my dietitian client, really prefers not to use the term “struggling” when it comes to describing her clients’ relationship with food because it feels disempowering. And for Tonya Empowers, one of my career coach clients, saying, “Queen, straighten your crown!” is 100% on-brand. See? True to YOU.
Your stories and storytelling style: What types of anecdotes do you share? How personal do you get? How do you deliver them? Do you go OFF about Taylor & Travis, share musings on motherhood, or share provocative takes on online biz culture by pulling the curtain back on your own experiences?
Your references: What shows do you watch? Are you more likely to reference Britney or Beyonce? Do you love sourdough bread, or will you always be found with a matcha in hand? Is winter your favorite season? Do you root for the Celtics? If you’re going to make an analogy, it is gonna be about 90 Day Fiance or a cult documentary or Gilmore Girls?
Your values and beliefs: What matters to you? What do you believe in? What do you stand for? (This happens to be last on the list here but is FOR SURE not last in importance!)
It’s a total left brain + right brain thing: I’m part scientist and part artist as I get super specific with all of this info and start painting a picture of who you are and how you sound.
Your Brand Messaging Guide is basically your biz bible and includes “wow this is so unbelievably extra but also great” descriptions of your:
Brand Archetype
Voice
Tone
Values
Golden Circles
Positioning
Grammatical & Style Rules
(And a lot more but tbh I’m not here to give away ALL of my secrets, okay?)
This guiding document isn’t only there to be a deeply rooted, rock-solid reference for your unique flavor of brilliance, but it also becomes a North Star for you (and any contractors/employees) moving forward. You’ll come back to it again and again and again and smile.
AND *NOW* WE’RE ON TO THE ACTUAL “WRITE THE WEBSITE” PART
This is probably the part you’re imagining, right?
Now I put everything I’ve sleuthed and created into a blender and click a button… and your web copy emerges!
(If only it were that easy…)
Jokes aside, it *is* kind of easy, in that we’ve already done so much important foundational work.
That’s why I back the process way up instead of just jumping straight into the writing, and that’s honestly what makes the difference between copy that sounds like you and copy that sounds like chatGPT/ an underpaid freelancer on Fiverr/ your friend who’s good at reviewing resumes/ your competitor whose emails you just can’t quit reading.
Having a brand messaging phase, a copy sample phase (where I deliver the first page for your “omg YES” green light), and two rounds of revisions on the full copy doc gives us plenty of room to refine.
(But honestly, by that point, we typically don’t need to edit much if at all—thanks, thorough and thoughtful process!)
AND THAT’S HOW WE GET TO THE END FEELING LIKE THE WORDS CAME FROM WITHIN YOU
Because in a way, they really, truly did.
All in? There's a real process beyond just trusting the vibe, which = right-fit copy every time.
It lights me up to help people find the words to say what they really mean, to show others what they believe in, and to finally own who they really are. In life (and especially in biz!) it’s so easy to feel like there are parts of yourself you should hide. Like all of the “successful people” sound a certain way, and you should be like that too. Like you’re not free, or worthy enough, to show up just as you are.
But the world of online biz doesn’t need more of the same, and none of us need to spend any more time playing small.
When I finish brand messaging and website copy for a client, it’s like holding up a mirror to the truest, most confident, most fully alive version of themselves and their business, and that feeling is electric.
And if that feels like the particular flavor of energy infusion your biz needs right now, I’d love to invite you to check out all of my copywriting services or to join the Wishlist for updates on future availability!