What Good Writing Does for Your Brand

Last month, I reposted a photo on LinkedIn that delineates ‘content’ versus ‘copy’. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was unsure about the difference between the two, and it seems others in my network weren’t, either. The post and subsequent discussion got me thinking about the various forms of digital text: copy and content writing, UX writing (used to help guide user experience within a digital product), and conversion copywriting (used to persuade and/or sell) and how they work together to grow a business — and build a personal brand.

For a business, the more effectively it communicates both its value and its values, the better it performs. Educating an audience with content, providing an engaging user experience, and influencing behavior through compelling, well-crafted copy leads to more sales and happy customers: the end goal of every profit-seeking organization. A strong web presence creates a vibe that tells a story, forms a connection with the reader, and inspires action.

As individuals, social media has transformed the meaning of “personal brand”, extending to both our personal and professional lives. Thinking of ourselves as a business is necessary to developing a well-rounded (and appropriate!) online presence that tells a good story. For professionals, a LinkedIn profile combines visuals with copy to tell the story of a career and academic life, and optimizing your LinkedIn profile with a well-developed headline and summary that showcases your skills, experience, goals, and values makes you more visible to recruiters, leads, and connections to attract the work you want.

The more effectively and consistently we tell our stories, the stronger our personal brand becomes. Whether you’re an employee or a business owner, communication is at the root of your success: writing and telling our stories attracts our tribe and begets opportunity. For organizations, good storytelling is essential for strong leadership and brand perception, leading to satisfied employees and customers.

Good writing is good storytelling, and sharing your story isn’t just good for the soul, it’s good for business — and for your brand.

(The image for this post is a detail shot of a project that Corey Carbo and I co-created: I wrote the copy, she handled the visuals, and the collaboration was a highlight for 2018. Prints of this are available for purchase in her online shop!)

resources related to this post:
Punchline Conversion Copywriting
Copyhackers
Conversion Sciences
Content Bistro