You’ve been running your service-based business for a while and have built a network of enthusiastic clients (go, you!). So, you know they’re always going to send their friends and peers your way. It’s a foolproof system, isn’t it?

Well, not really. 

Relying on referrals in business is a DANGEROUS “strategy”. And I used the inverted commas because… it’s not a strategy at all. It’s more of a crossing-your-fingers-and-hoping-for-the-best kind of decision.

Here’s why and, most importantly, what you should do instead to make your business more sustainable, grow it, and be in control.

What exactly do I mean by referrals in business?

By referrals in business, I simply mean word of mouth. A client you worked with recommends you to one of their friends or peers who’s looking for your types of services.

A LOT of service providers—from coaches to photographers and more—tend to rely on referrals in business.

So, you can be excused for thinking it’s a good idea. But here’s why it can backfire and sabotage your income, systems, and growth.

8 reasons why you should STOP relying on referrals in business

1. Referrals are unpredictable and outside your control 

Relying on referrals in business would be like trusting the sky to keep you dry during your daily walk instead of taking the matter in your own hands, like wearing a waterproof coat. Sure, it could be sunny all day… or it could rain like hell. 

YOU have ZERO control over that. And that’s the same with client referrals. 

You could end up being fully booked for months thanks to word of mouth. You never know when it’s going to die down, though. And if you RELY on referrals, you also have no idea where your next client is coming from and… if they’re coming at all!

2. Referred prospects are not necessarily your ideal clients 

Just because they were sent to you by a client who was the right fit, it doesn’t mean it’ll be the same for the actual referral.

Maybe this past client referred them to you because they’re friends and they know this prospect is a lovely person. But being a lovely person doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be a good client, too. Or a good client for your specific services, business, and preferences.

After all, you know next to nothing about them!

Are they experiencing the pain point you solve with your services? Do they share your values? Are they willing to trust your expertise? Have they got the right budget to work with you?

3. You’re starting from scratch 

Just like you know next to nothing about them, these prospects know next-to-nothing about you.

All these referred prospects know is that their friend or peer recommended you, and they probably have a vague idea of the services you offer. Usually, that’s about it.

They haven’t been consuming your content for a while and aren’t familiar with your brand and offer suite. This becomes an even BIGGER problem if you can’t send them to the clearest and strongest website copy!

So, in most cases, you have to start from scratch, over-explain things that your ideal clients would already be aware of, and win them over.

(= time and effort)

4. Client referrals often expect to bypass your process 

Hopefully, you don’t jump on free calls with EVERYONE who gets in touch, do you? When you are the business, it’s important to protect your time and energy.

Maybe you usually ask them some strategic questions via email or DM? Or you require all your prospects to complete a contact/application form so that you can pre-qualify them properly? 

Unfortunately, when they find out about you through someone else, many prospects seem to think they can just ignore your process.

“Hi, I think I might need a coach, and Julia mentioned you. Can we jump on Zoom to see if we’re the right fit?”

For example, a while ago, a lovely web designer tried to send a potential website copywriting client my way. For context: for that type of project, I always start with an application and, if I genuinely think we could be a good fit, a paid consultation. But this was part of the message I received:

While I appreciated that this web designer thought of me, this was a big NO. 

I have all kinds of free content answering those very questions. If someone isn’t happy to go through it and, instead, they expect me to use my limited time to educate them for free and maybe even share free value on a 1:1 basis and create a free proposal… we would NOT be the right fit. 

And personally, I’d rather miss out on that potential sale than bend over backwards to follow someone else’s lead (especially when my ideal clients are actually happy to pay for my time and expertise).

What about you? Do you really want to keep wasting hours on so many directionless free calls with random referrals?

If the answer is a loud “NO” or even an undecided “Mmh, now that you put it this way, it doesn’t sound very productive,” keep reading—especially the following point.

5. You have to take whatever comes your way  

If you rely on referrals in business, you can’t really afford to be picky.

After all, you don’t know when and where the next client will come from!

So, I wouldn’t be surprised if you often ignore red flags or your gut feeling just because you need that sale, regret it later, tell yourself “Never again!” and then… do the same with another client referral.

6. Referrals in business give you a false sense of security

You could easily find yourself being fully booked for months and thinking “This is fantastic! I don’t have to worry about finding new clients.”

But then those projects end, a couple of clients drop you, and still… no referrals have magically come through. But because you were expecting them, you didn’t market your business consistently over the previous months either.

So, what exactly are you going to do next?

Try and remove the cobwebs from the email list you neglected for a full quarter? Reappear on social media out of the blue with a post along the lines of “Remember me? I’m open to work, now!”? 

Err, good luck with that.

If you only show up for your audience when you need sales, it’s too late by then.

So, realistically, your solution would probably be spending hours on cold outreach to find new clients (and miss out on sales in the meantime).

7. Relying on referrals in business makes it hard to grow it

As seen before: if you have the capacity to take on new clients but you just keep waiting or leave it until it’s too late? You’ll miss out on sales and money.

Sure, client referrals can certainly keep you going for a while. But what if you want to do better than just ‘keep going’? What if you want to grow and thrive, not just get by or run a stagnant business?

Then, you must take full control of your lead generation (more on that soon!).

8. Client referrals are usually looking for “a”, not “THE” 

In most cases, a referred prospect was simply looking for A graphic designer, A business coach, A consultant, and so on.

In fact, I bet they literally asked your past client “Do you happen to know A graphic designer / A business coach / A consultant…?” And I doubt they only spoke about it with them. They probably asked around and got recommendations from a few more people.

So, when you start talking to this referred prospect, you’re usually competing against a bunch of business owners.

And because these prospects know next-to-nothing about you, they don’t usually see you as THE go-to solution. They’re not like those ideal clients who’ve been following you for a while and are beyond excited to work with YOU and you only!

So, you could waste your precious time on calls and proposals that lead to… tumbleweed.

So, are referrals in business bad?

No, not necessarily. Referrals in business can be good news. 

First of all, if you get many referrals, it means you’re doing a fabulous job and leaving your clients more satisfied than my morning oat latte. And of course, some types of referrals in business can turn into actual work.

So, I’m not denying the importance of referrals in business… to a certain extent. Overall, I’d say client referrals are bad in business when:

• You rely on them

• You haven’t got a strong strategy to pre-qualify them and boost your chances of turning them into clients (without wasting a tonne of time on random calls)

What to do instead of relying on referrals in business

Are you ready to leave all this effort and uncertainty behind and be in control of who you work with? 

Then start seeing client referrals as a nice to have—not a given or something you expect and rely on—and focus on the following.

Prioritise your marketing, even when you’re fully booked

This is one of the most common mistakes among service providers: only marketing your business when you need clients. But by then, as we’ve seen before, it’s too late.

Organic marketing is a long-term strategy, and it must be consistent for it to work.

This isn’t to say that you MUST show up daily if that wouldn’t be sustainable for you. But it is important to build your online presence and turn marketing into a proper habit (yes, even when you’re so busy that you couldn’t possibly take on any new clients).

Are you serious about taking control of your lead generation?

Then, you must keep creating content for your specific target audience, engaging with them, and nurturing your relationship. In other words, position yourself as the only logical next step and stay top of mind.

(More on that soon! For now, just get in the mindset of marketing your business regularly) 

Fine tune your brand messaging: become “THE”, not “a” 

Tired of wasting time on lots of discovery calls with people who’re looking around for A graphic designer, A business coach, A consultant, and so on? Then stop showing up as “just another option.” 

Position yourself as THE go-to solution in the eyes of a specific ideal client. That way, even with someone who’s only just found out about you (or that was sent your way by a friend or past client), you’ll set the right expectations FROM. THE. BEGINNING. How?

A strong brand message is key. It should be your solid foundation, and you can then amplify it through your content marketing.

Without that foundation, though? You’d be building your marketing on shaky pillars of sand.

(And that’s why, during my 🧲Magnetic Messaging & Marketing Strategy Day🧭, we start with the brand messaging side of things)

Take control of your lead generation

Stop expecting new prospects to come to you through unpredictable referrals in business. Start attracting them, instead.

There are so many options, but here’s a basic funnel idea:

• Make your website copy SEO-friendly, and blog on your website to attract your ideal audience through Google

• Show up on different platforms or channels, creating content and engaging with your ideal audience to attract them organically

• Have a lead magnet that solves a small problem for them

• Direct your social media followers and online audience to your lead magnet and newsletter, too

• Target them with an automated email sequence to turn some of them into clients

• Keep emailing the rest regularly, building trust and staying top of mind until they’re ready to invest in your services

Of course, it’s all about finding the right lead generation and marketing option for you and your audience. That’s one of the things we can cover during a 🧲Magnetic Messaging & Marketing Strategy Day🧭

Keep sharing magnetic content that attracts your ideal clients and puts off the wrong-fit prospects

Your marketing shouldn’t be all about yourself (sorry!) or just… shouting about your offers.

It should be built around your target audience. In fact, think of your content as a magnet!

It will:

• Attract your ideal clients

• Repel the wrong-fit prospects, saving even more of your time and energy (bye bye, endless discovery calls that lead to nothing)

• Bring you enquiries from prospects who are pretty much sold by the time they get in touch with you

For example:

• What are their pain points?

• How are they affecting them, specifically?

• What have they already tried to do to solve them?

• Why did it not work?

• Why are you the best possible person to help them?

• Who is and isn’t a good fit for your services?

• What’s stopping them from investing in you right now?

• How would their life/business change if they were to solve that problem with your help

and so on.

You probably guessed it by now, but… only ‘giving value’ and sharing how-to content and tips? That won’t cut the mustard either. If you want to attract your ideal clients instead of relying on unpredictable referrals in business, you must get strategic.

(During my 🧲Magnetic Messaging & Marketing Strategy Day🧭, we cover exactly what type of content you should focus on to turn this into your new reality)

Make your website copy clear and strategic

By now, you know that… jumping on a call with every Tom and Dick who were sent to you by Harry? That’d be so time-consuming and energy-intensive. 

Instead, direct new prospects and client referrals to your website, and let the latter do the heavy-lifting for you. That way, THEY will be able to tell if your services are what they’re actually looking for and if they can afford your prices. 

If that’s a yes, that’s great news.

If it’s a no, guess what? That’s great news, too! It’s much, much better to find this out straightaway than after spending hours talking to a referred prospect.

Plus, when you rely on strategic website copy, it’ll also help you:

• Attract more of your ideal audience through Google

• Take more of them from prospects to paying clients, generating leads for you even when you’re sleeping

Has your website copy not been doing that for you? You can change it with the 🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨, my VIP offer combining brand messaging, SEO-friendly website copy, and frameworks to inform all your content marketing.

The most important things to keep in mind to run your service-based business more sustainably and thrive

Overall, if you want to get more clients, save time and make your life easier, you must focus on:

• Attracting your target audience

• Helping wrong-fit prospects disqualify themselves so that you don’t keep wasting a tonne of time with them

• Getting your ideal clients to see you as THE go-to solution 

The second and third point, in particular, must apply regardless of whether someone found you organically or through a referral.

And remember:

referrals in business should only be a nice-to-have, NOT something you rely on.

How I can help you attract your ideal clients without relying on referrals in business🧲

I’m Giada, the brand messaging strategist & copywriter for women entrepreneurs.

Specifically, those who provide the best services but can’t articulate it in a way that sets them apart and attracts their ideal clients (yet!).

Tired of relying on unpredictable referrals in business, time-consuming cold outreach, and lots of draining discovery calls with wrong-fit prospects?

Then, here’s how we can get your target audience to come to YOU.

🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨ – Start relying on website copy that actually attracts you ideal clients and sells for you 24/7! And follow your new frameworks to amplify your magnetic brand message through your content marketing

🧲Magnetic Messaging & Marketing Strategy Day🧭 – We’ll make your brand messaging MAGNETIC and create a bespoke plan so that you finally start ATTRACTING your ideal clients with your content marketing (and can actually keep up with it without getting overwhelmed)

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

You’re excellent at delivering your services, but when it comes to marketing your business online? Eeeeeeeeeek!

Do you find yourself jumping from one strategy to the next, throwing marketing spaghetti at the wall and praying that something sticks? Still relying on unpredictable referrals and time-consuming outreach? 

YOU shouldn’t be the one doing all the heavy-lifting! Your marketing should actively work for you and bring you results. Regularly.

So, I’ll show you how to market your business online in a way that actually works for you.

Because it’s NOT about going on marketing sprees, getting overwhelmed, disappearing, and doing it again (and again).

You must be BOTH strategic and realistic when you market your business online. Here’s how!

Setting the right expectations when marketing your business online 

Most of my clients are women solopreneurs and founders of service-based businesses. And even though they work across all kinds of industries? I’ve encountered the same mistakes so far.

Maybe you’re still holding on to outdated marketing misconceptions. Perhaps you’ve been putting too much pressure on yourself—even though you’re just one person.

You see, I really want you to go into this with the right mindset and expectations. So, I’ll start by giving you the same tips I share with most of my clients.

You must market your business online consistently, NOT just when you need new clients

SO many business owners make this mistake.

They go all in with their marketing. Super pumped up! Two coffees and three Red Bulls in. They start posting on social media every day, sending a weekly newsletter, offering all kinds of free webinars… 

But then, as soon as they’re fully booked? POOF! They disappear.

And then guess what?

Months later, once they actually need new clients, they reappear as if nothing had happened.

That’s NOT how marketing works, especially if you want to rely on organic and inbound strategies (= getting your dream clients to come to YOU). Instead, you must be consistent and stay top of mind with your audience.

So, get in the mindset and habit of marketing your business regularly, EVEN when you’re fully booked and can’t take on new clients.

But don’t worry: you can do this at your OWN pace

Learning how to market your business online consistently doesn’t have to mean “posting on social media every day, jumping on every new trend, and hustling 24/7.”

In fact, that could actually backfire! 

If you force yourself to stick to a schedule that doesn’t work for you? You could easily end up being busy and churning out content just for the sake of it. And that WON’T move the needle.

So, remember:

when marketing your business online? Quality, consistency, and an actual strategy > quantity.

Find the right balance: not too little, not too much

I have two main tips (and it might sound like I’m contradicting myself, but bear with me):

• Don’t put all your marketing eggs in one basket – Some business owners seem to think that being on Instagram (or LinkedIn, or just having a website…) is enough to call it ‘marketing.’ Sorry to burst your bubble, but that ain’t gonna cut it. For example, what happens if the algorithm changes or you lose your account?

• Don’t spread yourself too thin – At the same time, you don’t have to be on every single platform, jump on every new trend, or have dozens of marketing tactics in place. You’d burn out! And you wouldn’t get the best results

So, you need to find the right balance for yourself.

This will look different depending on your business, audience, and personal preferences (as I keep saying: your plan and schedule must be realistic for you). That’s why I help my client with their marketing on a 1:1 basis.

But as you go through my list of ways to market your business online, you should be able to find a few that sound good and make you think “Yeah, I can see myself doing this.”

If in doubt, start small. You can always increase your marketing frequency or try new strategies ONCE you’ve mastered your initial ones (and only if you actually need to).

How to market your business online and get your dream clients to come to you

Full disclosure? There are so many other tactics and ways to market your business online! 

But would it be helpful to overwhelm you by listing every single one of them? Me thinks not.

Instead, I’ve decided to focus on the marketing tactics that I discuss the most with my clients (fellow women solopreneurs and founders of service-based business) and that’ll help you get inbound leads.

1. Get clear on your messaging

Before you send out a single newsletter or open a new social media account, WORK. ON. YOUR. MESSAGING.

What do I mean by that?

Your messaging is how you talk and write about your business and services. It’s what you focus on the most and how you convey your value proposition, mission, story, and personality to your target clients – across ALL your marketing channels.

Marketing is really about amplifying your core messaging. If YOU are not clear on it and on what sets you apart from your competitors? 

• You can’t expect your audience to get it

• Your marketing won’t work (or it’ll require a lot MORE hard work than it should)

For example, before working with me, some of my clients used to struggle to talk about their business in a way that made them stand out against their competitors. 

They used to position themselves as “just another option in their niche” (e.g. “I’m A business coach”), use vague buzzwords that confused their audience (e.g. “I’ll help you supercharge your business” or “I offer business solutions”), and they kept changing their wording (e.g. they were “a business coach for solopreneurs” on their website but a “passionate business consultant” on Instagram).

Instead, I specialise in turning women entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in the eyes of their dream clients.

And that’s what you should do before thinking about marketing your business online.

So, fine-tune your messaging first! You must always be able to tell us:

• Exactly what you do  / what type of business you run – Be clear and specific. For example, I’m a “messaging consultant and brand copywriter” (not a generic “copywriter” or “consultant”)

• Who for – When you try to speak to everyone, you end up connecting with… no one. So, if you want to market your business online successfully, you must be crystal clear on who your target clients are. Not only that: how you refer to them. For example, I work with both women solopreneurs and founders of service-based businesses, so I usually say “women entrepreneurs”

• How this benefits them – It’s not about features. It’s not about you being “passionate about your services.” Your core messaging should show your audience what you can do for them. Otherwise, we can’t expect them to care, can we? For example, I help my clients attract their audience organically and sell more easily by making their messaging and marketing magnetic

You must always be able to convey all this in one or two sentences and in a way that sets you apart from EVERYONE else.

For example: “I’m the messaging consultant and brand copywriter for women entrepreneurs. I’ll make your messaging and marketing magnetic so that you can get your dream audience to come to YOU and take them from 'prospects' to 'paying clients' more easily.”

So, brainstorm your core messaging, and start keeping it consistent across all your marketing materials.

2. Have a strategic business website

Don’t make the mistake of only relying on external platforms that you don’t own (*cough cough* social media). Plus, 56% of consumers don’t trust a business without a website—and I can’t blame them.

A business website can:

• Set the right tone from the beginning, positioning you as an actual professional and expert (not an amateur) 

• Attract your audience organically (more on that soon!)

• Take them from prospects to paying clients for you, even when you’re sleeping

But if you want it to do that, you can’t fill it with random words.

So, get strategic copy for your website: copy that amplifies your core brand messaging and story, speaks to your specific dream clients, and actually sells your services.

Keep going through my guide on how to market your business online, but consider bookmarking my article on how to write your own website copy (so that you can go back to it later).

And if you’d rather leave it to a professional, check out the 🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨, my premium offer combining messaging, consulting, and done-for-you website copy.

BONUS TIPS!

Once you’ve got a business website:

• Create a Google Business Profile, too 

• Create listings on relevant directories (like Yell or industry-specific ones like TripAdvisor)

3. Optimise your website copy for SEO

Sure, you can always link to your website on social media or direct your audience to it.

But why miss out on…. err, AAAAAAAAAAAAALL the people who are actively looking for the types of services you offer (and don’t follow you on social media or know about you just yet)?

It’d be cray-cray, wouldn't it?

For example, some of my clients had never heard of me before but they found me because they were looking for “website copywriting services”.

So, use some keyword research tools to find out what your audience is googling and what words they use when talking about your services or type of business.

Then, include them in your website copy!

Psst. My 🧲Magnetic Message & Web Copy Makeover✨ includes keyword research and on-page SEO, too.

4. Blog on your business website

No, blogging isn’t dead, and it’s not about sharing random company updates (like that new award you won).

When done strategically, blogging on your business website has so many benefits, like:

• Reaching the 95% of your audience who are NOT ready to buy just yet

• Nurturing your audience and smoothening the sales funnel (so that, when they are ready to buy, they’ll think of YOU)

• Helping you rank for more keywords 

• Making your entire website rank higher, too (you can’t just optimise your main pages for SEO and never touch your website again! If you want it to rank on Google, you NEED to publish fresh content regularly)

• Positioning yourself as a thought leader

• Giving you high-quality content that you can repurpose and turn into newsletters, social media posts, and so on

• Bringing you more clients (businesses that blog regularly get a whopping 67% more inbound leads)

So, create unique and valuable blog content that answers your audience’s questions, shares a new perspective, and positions your services as the logical next step.

Oh, and optimise each blog post for SEO (whenever possible) to have the BEST chances of attracting your dream clients through Google.

Remember: most of your audience is still trying to understand their current problem and how to solve it.

So, for example, they’re not googling “business coach for solopreneurs” (yet!). They’re asking “why is my business not growing,” “why did my launch fail” or “do I need a business coach or a consultant?”

If YOU don’t answer their questions and get them to discover your brand through your blog, your competitors will. 

Not sure where to start?

I wrote a step-by-step guide to show you exactly how to blog on your business website in a way that grows your audience and brings you leads—even as a complete blogging beginner.

Or if you’d rather outsource it and save a tonne of time, I offer blog writing services and consultancy through the Blog Business Booster🚀

5. Be on a couple of social media platforms

Social media marketing will allow you to grow your brand, reach more people, and turn some of them into clients… when done right, at least!

So, here’s how to promote your business on social media strategically:

• Pick a couple of platforms – Honestly: you don’t need to be everywhere! I recommend choosing 2 platforms where your audience is active. Ideally, platforms you will enjoy using as well, otherwise you’ll struggle to be consistent (for example, I used to be on X back when it was still called Twitter, but we didn’t vibe. So, I closed it and never looked back)

• Optimise your profiles – Treat them as mini landing pages. As soon as someone lands on your profiles, they must be able to understand your core messaging. So, be clear and specific

• Create content for your specific dream clients – It sounds obvious, but I keep seeing the same mistakes: people posting just for the sake of posting or… creating content that’s actually more useful to their competitors than their target audience (like fellow copywriters giving “7 tips to become a better copywriter” or graphic designers sharing “How I started my freelance graphic design business, step-by-step”). Instead, if you want to learn how to promote your business on social media successfully, every single piece of content should speak to your dream clients

• Experiment with different formats and types of content – To figure out what actually resonates with your dream clients, you might have to experiment a bit first. Plus, it’s also important to consider what YOU actually enjoy creating and can commit to. For example, short-form video keeps on growing, especially on Instagram and TikTok. But if you’d really struggle to film and edit these videos (and haven’t got the budget to outsource them)? It’d make more sense to focus on carousels instead

• Engage with your audience – Don’t just post and ghost! Interact with your followers, reply to comments and DMs, and start conversations. That’s another reason why I recommend being realistic with your number of social media platforms: because it’s not just about scheduling content. You must engage with your audience, too

6. Have an email list (and don’t let it gather cobwebs)

Listen: I do like social media, but we need to be realistic.

YOU. DON’T. OWN. THEM.

If you’ve already been posting on at least one platform for a while, do you ever get frustrated because the algorithm hides your content?

And it’s not just that: your profiles aren’t really yours. They’re rented space.

You could get restricted or banned anytime. And before you say “It’s never going to happen to me,” trust me: I’ve seen it happen to so many people, and NOT just those who posted controversial or problematic content.

The irony? One of them was a lovely Instagram trainer… and Instagram deleted her profile! It took her a month and a half to get it back.

Honestly: I’m not saying this to scare or discourage you.

By all means, DO promote your business on social media. But don’t rely on those platforms alone. Focus on channels you own, too. And one of the best? Email marketing

• Come up with the right newsletter angle – Just like with the blog on your business website, your newsletter shouldn’t be about updates and news (even if it’s called ‘newsletter’). You must show up in your audience’s inboxes with content that’s insightful, useful, or entertaining (or all three) for them. For example, my newsletter includes advice and content prompts to help women entrepreneurs make their messaging and marketing magnetic 

• Choose a realistic schedule – I love emailing my list every Tuesday. Some people email theirs twice a week. But if that already sounds like a lot for you, don’t stretch yourself too thin. It’s better to stick to (say) a bi-weekly or monthly newsletter consistently than to send a few weekly issues, get overwhelmed, and disappear for months

7. Consider creating a lead magnet to get people on your list

When marketing your business online, your goal is to turn your followers, website visitors, blog readers, and lurkers into:

• Clients

• Newsletters subscribers (so that you can contact them directly and in a more personalised way, without losing them forever or worrying about algorithms)

And while having a newsletter is a fabulous start, make your life easier:

create a free lead magnet. This can be a PDF resource (like a checklist or guide), an eBook, an exclusive offer, a webinar, a quiz, and so on. Something that your audience would actually be interested in and that’s relevant to your services and goals.

Even better? Turn it into a simple funnel by having:

• A valuable lead magnet

• An automated email sequence that acts as a bridge between that free resource and your paid offer

8. Consider other marketing strategies—IF relevant and realistic

If you commit to it properly, everything I’ve covered so far will allow you to market your business online successfully and get dream clients to come to you. 

For example, at this stage, I get my own clients through:

• My strategic and SEO-friendly website copy

• The blog on my website

• LinkedIn and Instagram

• My lead magnet and email sequence

• My newsletter

However, if you want to try different tactics too (as long as you actually have the capacity for them), here’s what you can consider:

• Start a podcast – Much like your blog or social media content, a podcast can attract your dream clients, get them to engage with your brand, and grow your audience

• Paid ads – Most of the marketing strategies we looked at so far are about the long-term game. If you need new clients fast, it might make sense to invest in paid ads on Google or social media

• Run webinars and lives – Offer some free (or paid) training to your audience, and help them familiarise themselves with you and your offers

• Collaborate with other experts – Did you ‘click’ with someone who targets your same audience, perhaps because they offer complementary services? Help each other out by collaborating! For example, you could run a webinar or event together

• Consider influencer collaborations – Depending on the types of services you offer, you could even partner with an influencer who’s followed by your dream clients

• Write guest posts – Choose relevant publications (hint hint: those that are read by your audience) and pitch them an article idea that would be beneficial to their readers while positioning you as an expert

• Appear on other people’s podcasts – Different format, same logic 

• Join online groups and communities – Find groups where your dream clients are active (like Facebook groups for women in business or LinkedIn groups for people who are interested in mindfulness), and engage with them there, too

9. Create a realistic marketing plan

Oooooooooof, that was A LOT! So, how can you bring it all together without getting overwhelmed?

• Is there anything you can outsource? – A professional website, new copy for it, your blog, your social media… If you have the budget for it, it makes sense to invest in your business by hiring an expert to take care of some of your marketing

• If it’s just you, be both strategic and realistic – As we said before: quality, consistency, and an actual strategy > quantity

Learning how to market your business online is also about coming up with a plan to keep it up regularly without burning out.

Sure, some strategies are more evergreen, like your website copy, lead magnet, and email sequence.

But as for your ongoing marketing, ask yourself (and be honest!): what can you actually commit to?

For example, you could try writing a monthly blog post, a bi-weekly newsletter, and posting on two social media platforms 3 times a week while engaging almost every day. Or a different combination altogether! 

Once again: start small. You can always increase your frequency later down the line.

And when you’ve picked the right plan and schedule for you:

• Put your own marketing in your calendar or project management platform – Otherwise, we both know it’s not going to happen!

• Batch your content – Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference. Some people would rather come up with new ideas on the spot. But personally? I think it’s a huuuuuuuuge waste of your time and energy! And you might end up posting content just for the sake of it instead of focusing on your overall strategy. So, I recommend setting some time aside for batching it every week (or biweekly, monthly, etc.)

• Repurpose your content – Work smarter, not harder! You don’t have to create new content for every single platform every time. For example, you could turn one blog post into two newsletters, a carousel, and 5 or 6 social media posts. And I promise: it’s ok to repurpose or even reshare your best-performing pieces every once in a while! Not everyone has seen them the first time

• Keep your messaging and focus consistent – Jumping from one topic to another every day? Describing your services in completely different ways every time? You can’t expect your dream clients to associate you with the problem they want to solve and the outcome they want to achieve. So, refer to your messaging and pillars when planning your content. You might think you’re being repetitive, but trust me: the opposite is true! Your audience needs to see the same message multiple times to actually understand it and take action. So, find new creative ways of talking about the same core topics

Make your messaging and marketing magnetic, and get a custom plan during a 1:1 strategy day 🧲

I hope my guide on how to market your business online was helpful! 

But here’s an uncomfortable truth: most people read all kinds of how-to content and then… not take action. It becomes yet another task that gets buried underneath their to-do list.

Are YOU serious about starting to market your business online successfully and ASAP? And to do so in a way that feels manageable so that you don’t get overwhelmed?

And to also:

• Get the 1:1 help of a messaging and marketing expert

• Receive both accountability and support

• Explore strategies that are tailored to your unique situation

• Have all your questions answered

• Get proven frameworks and a custom marketing plan

Then, guess what?

We can take your messaging from ‘messy’ to ‘magnetic’ and make your marketing easier and more effective together—in one day (+ 2 weeks of 1:1 support).

My online marketing strategy days are perfect for women entrepreneurs who have the right offers for their dream clients but struggling to convey it or see results from their marketing.

So, they’ve mainly been relying on:

• Unpredictable referrals

• Time-consuming cold outreach

• Loooooots of discovery calls with prospects who often ghost them

If that sounds like you, we can fix it together.

Ready to become THE go-to solution in the eyes of your dream clients and actually enjoy your marketing? 

Then, let’s create a plan to get your dream audience to come to YOU and take them from 'prospects' to 'paying clients' more easily.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

You’re probably wondering how long should a web page be so that it can rank higher on Google, but here’s the thing: the optimal web page length for your business website shouldn’t be just about SEO.

Let me show you what you should focus on for the best results and conversions. 

Understanding optimal web page lengths

From your home to landing pages and your contact section, here’s what to consider when writing your website copy.

How long should a web page be for SEO?

Take if from a professional website copywriter: when it comes to SEO, a web page should be at least 300 words long. 

This is because Google tends to classify anything below that word count as ‘thin’ or ‘low-quality’ content. 

Think about it: whenever a user types a keyword or some kind of query (e.g. in our case ‘how long should a web page be?’), this search engine wants them to find the best possible answer.

Can that really be given in less than 300 words?

Unlikely.

If, instead of the blog post that you’re reading right now, I had written a couple of paragraphs telling you to aim for at least 300 words, I would not have given you a good enough answer.

Why? Because there’s so much more to take into account!

Google knows this. So, if you try and get away with 150 words or so while most of your competitors dish out 600, 1000, or +2000 word pages, Google is not gonna trust your answer.

So, does this mean that the longer the better when it comes to web page length? 

Actually, no.

Focus on VALUE over fluff or strict word counts!

While 300 words is an important starting point, you should always focus on writing copy that serves the specific purpose of that web page on your business website.

Because this varies, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for web page length.

There is absolutely no point in stuffing your web pages with useless or repetitive sections, nor using twenty words when four could do just so you can obtain a longer word count. 

No point.

You’re just going to bore or scare your readers away… and that will backfire from an SEO point of view too. If too many visitors abandon your website too quickly, you’ll end up with a high bounce rate, and Google doesn’t like that. 

And let’s be realistic: from your home to your About or a Sustainability page, that will be over 300 words. Even if you’re not actively striving for that number.

A popular exception is the Contact page: I mean, do you really have that much to say by that point, other than a couple of paragraphs that further encourage your visitors to get in touch?

I doubt it. 

I mean, if you do, that’s great. But, if you don’t, don’t worry: having one or two pages that are shorter than 300 words isn’t going to penalise you on Google.

Just as long as your core pages (e.g. home, about, services, etc.) are a bit longer.

How long should a landing page be?

There’s no right length for sales or landing pages. However, while they should still be at least 300 words (like other standard pages) from an SEO point of view, it’s only logical to have much longer landing pages.

Why?

Because they must be optimised for conversions and move your visitors aaaaaall the way down the funnel. 

Can you really do that in 300 words?

Maybe, if those who find your landing page are already towards the bottom of the sales funnel.

In most cases, however, the answer is a big fat NO.

Are you asking them to give you their email address in exchange for a free ebook? That’s not a big commitment, so a fairly short landing page will do.

Are you asking them to invest thousands of pounds into your high-ticket programme? Then your landing page will need to be waaaaaaaaay longer. 

Not for SEO reasons, but simply because… well, you must convince these people to part with thousands of pounds! 

And, for this to happen, you’ll need to:

• agitate their current pain points

• tackle all of their most common worries and potential objections

• show social proof

• paint an irresistible picture of what their reality will look like once they’ve invested in your products or services

Basically, you need more words. 

Best practices when it comes to web page length

While I always recommend remembering that magic number (a minimum of 300 words), here’s what you should actually focus on when writing copy for your business website.

1. Write excellent copy where EVERY. WORD. MATTERS.

Here’s the thing: when it comes to word counts, best practices change, and people have more opinions than on the Game of Thrones finale.

For real.

While 300 words is a consistent number since it’s one of Google’s ranking factors, you’ll find blog posts telling you to only publish content over 1000 words.

No, actually, 1500.

No, wait! +2500.

Honestly? Forget about all that.

So, focus on strategic website copy that grabs your audience’s attention, show them why you’re the best at what you do, proves how your products or services can benefit them, and helps them move down the funnel.

That’s it.

Don’t get too hung up on specific word counts!

2. Make your above-the-fold copy unmissable

Regardless of how long a web page should be and all that, let’s be realistic: nobody will read the entire thing if the first part doesn’t hook them in.

Your above-the-fold content consists of everything that your website visitors can see before they scroll down.

Its aim is to convince them to stick around and read the rest, which is why it’s the most important part of your page. No wonder users spend over half of their page-viewing time above the fold!

For example, when it comes to your home page, your above-the-fold copy should convey:

• Exactly what you do

• For whom

• Why that matters/how it benefits your target audience

3. Use headings

Nobody likes a page full of lines and lines of text in the exact same size!

You need to use headings to help your readers read or skim your page without getting put off by a huge wall of text.

Plus, headings are excellent for SEO, too: they’re ideal to create a hierarchical structure and use your keywords strategically.

4. Break up your text even further

Headings aren’t the only way to break up your text. 

For example, to further facilitate readability you could use:

• Bullet points (how meta!)

• Different sections

• Images

• CTA buttons

No matter how long your web pages are, using these tricks (together with the right copy, of course) will help readers stick around and take action.

Grab the right words for your female-founded business website

Now that you know how long web pages should be (and why it doesn’t always matter that much), you have two options: write them on your own, or outsource them to a professional.

If you’re a fellow copywriter, the first option makes a lot of sense.

Not your area of expertise?

I’m a website copywriter & brand messaging consultant turning female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes.

My copy will allow you to attract more visitors organically, turn them into leads and sales, and stand out against your competitors.

Let me fill your website with copy that brings actually results, not just ‘words on a page’.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

“Copywriting mistakes? Pff, puh-lease. Writing about my own business is easy.”

“Peace of cake.”

“After all, I’m the one who knows it better than anyone else.”

Well, not to rain on your charade, but that’s... exactly the problem. 

5 copywriting mistakes you’re probably making if you write about your own business

As a website copywriter & brand messaging consultant, I have a superpower: whenever I bump into a business website, I can immediately tell whether it was written by a professional copywriter or the founder (or a cheap UpWork writer).

Here are the copywriting mistakes I’ve encountered the most.

And we’re not talking about being petty with grammar: this is stuff that can (and probably already is) cost your business money by making you miss out on sales.

1. Making your marketing materials all about yourself

Well, it’s my business website, blog, and social media: of course they should be about myself, right?

I mean, sure: they’re there to promote your business.

But the focus shouldn’t be on your company: it should be on your target audience.

A popular copywriting mistake is to make them extremely corporate and bore your leads with information they don’t actually care about.

For example, ‘we’re a company with twenty years of experience in the tech industry. We’re passionate about what we do. Our values are…’ blah, blah, blah.

Paint a picture of how confident/happy/enthusiastic/relaxed they will feel once they invest in them.

Position your business as the helpful guide that will solve their current pain point: not the hero.

Your customers are.

#soz

(#NotReally)

2. Thinking your audience cares about the same things you do

Let me know if any of these sound familiar:

• “We’re delighted to announce that we’ve just been nominated for…”

• “Read our new blog post to see how we’ve adapted to…”

• “We’re proud to announce that we now stock…”

BO-RING.

Ok, I’ll try and be more tactful about it, because I actually do get it.

It’s your business. You freakin’ love what you do. So you expect everyone else to care about the same things: your awards, announcements, and company news, right?

Unfortunately, they don’t (except for your supporting relatives and best friends).

In some cases, you might have to rethink your content strategy altogether (e.g. start posting blogs that answer your audience’s questions about your industry, not company news).

In some others, it might be more about changing the focus of what you were already planning on posting (e.g. don’t say “we have new dungarees in stock”. Go for something like “Get ready to remix outfits like a pro. Here are five different looks that you can achieve with one pair of our dungarees”).

3. Taking too many things for granted

Another one of the most common copywriting mistakes that people make when writing about their own business is that they don’t realise how much they’re taking for granted, both when it comes to their industry and their actual brand.

What steps should your leads take in order to invest in you? What can they expect once they do? How will this benefit them in practice? What does that acronym stand for?

But what if you’re just reading about it for the first time? What if you don’t know much about the industry itself as you’re only there to have your problem fixed?

You’d just be really confused and most certainly not compelled to invest in something you’re not fully understanding.

4. Using jargon, buzzwords, or (boring) corporate language

This copywriting mistake is actually the direct consequence of the previous three: if you make your marketing all about yourself, don’t understand your audience and take stuff for granted, you’re going to write copy that doesn’t connect with your readers.

This can involve:

• Complicated jargon that immediately confuses them and puts them off 

• Overused buzzwords that become white noise to your audience (e.g. cutting-edge solutions)

• Corporate-sounding language that bores them to death (e.g. “our company values are....”)

Don’t forget that your customers are human (yes, even in B2B marketing) and aren’t up for deciphering your essay-style text.

Speak their language instead of sounding like a robot.

5. Writing without a strategy in mind

“Writing about my business is easy.”

“It’s just words to fill up a website and tell our potential customers about what we do.”

“Anyone can do it.”

“In fact, I used to be pretty good at English.”

Well, no.

To you, they might look just like ‘words on a page’, but there’s actually a lot more behind professional copywriting. 

Do you think that anyone could have come up with “just do it” or the “maybe your second car shouldn’t be a car” (my favourite Vespa ad)?

No. 

Marketing copy should always be crafted with a strategy in mind, helping a cold lead warm up, and tapping into the right psychological techniques to leverage their pain points, agitate them, and offer an unmissable solution.

To give you an idea, here are some of the things that I do before I actually write a single word:

• I ask you all the right questions through my project planner and spend some time analysing them, familiarising myself with your brand

• I understand your audience: what they care about, how your products or services would actually benefit them, what objections they might have, etc.

• I look at your competitors’ websites to figure out what gaps we need to fill and how I can make you stand out

• I find the right keywords to help you rank higher on Google, generating more organic leads when your audience looks for the type of products or services you sell

How working with a professional writer will bypass (or fix) these copywriting mistakes for your female-founded business 🙌

I know some business owners are reluctant to work with a copywriter because they’re afraid they won’t “get” their brand.

Here’s the thing, though: we don’t just get it. We help your audience get it, too

• We make them the focus of your marketing materials while still showing them why you are the one with the right solution for them

• We understand what they actually care about: instead of stroking your ego, we create content that keeps them interested

• We don’t take anything for granted because we’re also hearing about your business for the first time… just like your audience

• We HATE jargon, buzzwords, and corporate-sounding sentences. We write in a way that gets your audience’s attention and retains it

• And, finally, we write your copy with a strategy in place, optimising it for conversions, UX, and—in most cases—SEO

Now that you know about them, can you spot any of these copywriting mistakes in your marketing copy? I can help!

I specialise in turning ambitious female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their dream market’s eyes.

Get in touch to receive some spanking new website copy that actually generates leads and sales or some blog posts to grow your audience.

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I’m not sure why some fellow entrepreneurs talk about their brand in the vaguest and most boring way.

Perhaps it’s because we’re taught to be humble about our business dreams, especially as women. Perhaps it’s because these people aren’t actually crystal clear as to why what they do should matter to others.

In most cases, though, I think it’s because they believe their business is too complex to be boiled down to a sentence or two.

The result? 

A bored listener and a missed opportunity.

‘Oh, it’s too complicated.’

No, it’s not!

Or, better: it shouldn’t be. 

Of course, you can’t always explain all of your services or list every single product in a sentence nor get into the nitty-gritty of your business. Still, your listener should walk away with a good understanding of it after hearing your answer.

If they were to bump into someone else, they should be able to tell them exactly what you do. 

Not that ‘it’s too complicated.’

How to talk about your business when someone asks you ‘what do you do’

Here are some tips that I hope you’ll find useful next time you’re in a lift with someone, at a networking event, or whenever you’re asked about your business.

Because here’s the thing: you never know what’s going to lead to a new opportunity.

Perhaps the person you’re talking to is actually in need of your offer or, even if they’re not, they know someone who is.

But how can they tell if you’re so vague and uninspired when talking about your business?

Here’s what to do instead.

1. Show people that you’re excited about it and eager to answer this question

Here are some answers that are guaranteed to put off your listener and a summary of what they actually sound like:

• ‘Oh, it’s too difficult to explain’ = you’re too thick to understand what I do / I’m not clear about it either

• ‘Well, where do I start?’ = you’re going to regret asking me this question because now you can tell that it’s going to be a longer and more convoluted answer than the plot of Tenet

• ‘I’m just another marketer’ / ‘We’re just another pizza joint’ = I have no clue as to what sets me apart from my competitors

• ‘I offer business solutions’ =  I keep telling myself that my stuff is for everybody, but I haven’t got a clue as to why they should care

Instead, get ready to sound confident, concise, and enthusiastic with your answer.

2. Give them a clear overview that ticks these boxes

Whenever you talk about your business, you must be able to tell people:

• Exactly what you do or what type of business you own (e.g. ‘I’m a website copywriter and blog writer’, ‘We sell houseplants’, or ‘We opened a pizza restaurant’)

• Who these products or services are for (e.g. ‘for ambitious female entrepreneurs’, ‘for #PlantParent millennials’, or ‘for hip Londoners’)

• How do they benefit them? Why should they care? Or, if relevant, how are you different from everyone else? (e.g. ‘helping them stand out and grow through the words on their website’, ‘to turn their home into an Instagrammable urban jungle’, or ‘pairing up street food and champagne’)

So here’s how our three examples could sound after we’ve polished them a bit:

• I’m a copywriter turning ambitious female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes through website copywriting and blog writing services (spoiler alert: that’s me!)

• We sell houseplants for #PlantParent millennials looking to turn their home into an Instagrammable urban jungle

• We’re a pizza restaurant pairing up street food and champagne for hip Londoners who’re after a unique experience

At the same time, keep in mind that these can be more or less explicit depending on the context.

For example, if you sell ‘travel coffee gear’, you don’t necessarily need to add ‘for hikers and nomads at heart’, but you can make it obvious by saying:

‘We sell travel coffee gear so that nobody will ever have to settle for instant during hikes or road trips.’

3. Learn this answer by heart as a starting point...

Once you’ve spent some time brainstorming and clarifying your offer, rehearse it.

That way, when someone does ask you that question in real life, you’ll know exactly what to say and won’t start mumbling or reverting back to ‘oh, it’s complicated.’

I also recommend adding it to your website copy and marketing materials wherever it feels relevant.

After all, someone landing on your website for the first time is no different from the person asking you ‘what do you do?’ at a networking event: that’s exactly what they want to know, too. 

Better: why this should matter to them.

4. … but remember who you’re talking to

Now, I know that I’ve advised you to learn that sentence by heart, but be prepared to be flexible at the same time.

Why? Because some people already know loads about your industry and some others haven’t got a clue as to what it involves.

For example, I couldn’t tell my granny that I’m a website copywriter, because she’s never heard the word copywriter before and she’s never even seen a website (I swear).

So, I told her:

‘You know how, nowadays, most businesses have a website to showcase what they do? I write words for them, helping these companies promote their products or services more effectively.’

Obviously, this is a pretty extreme scenario.

If you’ve prepared a clear and jargon-free overview, it’ll still work in most cases. After all, if someone has questions, they can always ask you for more details after you’ve impressed them with your first sentence.

However, consider tweaking it slightly depending on who you’re speaking to.

I hope this will help you talk about your business in a more confident and clearer way.

So, if I were to bump into you in real life and ask you ‘what do you do?’, what would you tell me?

Start receiving more tips for your female-founded brand🔥

Found this helpful?

I send weekly advice and content prompts to help ambitious female entrepreneurs connect with their target audience through their marketing copy.

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You’ve set up your business. Created a website for it. Perhaps you’ve even been trading for a while (yay!). But have you got a blog on your business website?

If you haven’t, your website is like a small village in the middle of nowhere: while those who manage to find it might end up having a great time, it’s freakin’ hard to find in the first place.

But when you add a blog? I can already see the neon signs and hear some irresistible music from here.

Why a website without a blog is like a remote village (and a missed opportunity)

Regardless of whether you personally prefer smaller and quieter places (I actually do) or big cities for your holidays or day-to-day life, remember: we’re talking about business opportunities here!

So, why am I saying that a website without a frequently updated blog is like a remote village?

Only a bunch of roads

Your website is not easy to find as only an extremely limited number of roads can take your target audience there.

And by roads I mean your possibilities to show up on Google for what they’re actively looking for.

Without a blog, you can only rely on your main website pages (e.g. home, about, services, etc.).

However, there’s only so many keywords you can optimise them for!

What about all the other things your target audience is going to type regarding your services, products, and industry?

Remember: only 4% of your website visitors are actually ready to buy. By not having any content for the other stages of the funnel you’re actively missing out on the remaining 96%.

Not many signs

Sometimes, tourists or adventurous friends on a road trip might not be specifically looking for a town or attraction. 

However, if they see a glamorous sign telling them that they’ll find this unmissable stop in a few miles, they might very well decide to check it out.

We’re talking about backlinks here.

Realistically, who’s going to link to your about page? Or your contact page?

Yep, I can almost hear some crickets chirping in the distance.

Shops close early

The summer season at that little village is short lived, and there isn’t much to do for long.

Here’s the thing: you might have collaborated with the best website copywriter (cheeky mention) who has used the perfect SEO keywords and tricks to help you rank.

However, if you’re never ever going to add anything new to your website, competitors with a freshly updated blog will still do better than you.

This is because fresh content is one of Google’s ranking factors.

If the search engine sees that your website was last updated when Facebook was still the coolest social media platform (sorry, Zuck), it won’t prioritise it.

How a blog on your business website will turn it into a city that never sleeps

All kinds of street food after your night out, open diners with a light that makes you feel as if you were in an Edward Hopper painting, music, dancing fountains… whether to you the city that never sleeps is New York, Las Vegas, or a different one, you get the gist.

So many roads take you there

It doesn’t matter whether you’re travelling south, north, east, or west: you ARE going to get to this city! 

No easy-to-miss roads, no muddy terrain… it’s easy-peasy to get there. That’s what a frequently updated blog does to your business!

To begin with, you have the same opportunities to attract customers via Google as most websites without a blog: five or six main pages.

Things start to change when you decide to blog once a week. Assuming that you’re going to optimise every single one of those articles for SEO, by the end of the year you have 52 more keywords. Aka… 52 extra chances to rank. 

52 additional roads that can lead your customers to you instead of your competitors.

IT. NEVER. SLEEPS.

The best thing about all these extra chances to rank? They don’t expire!

They’re always there working for you in the background, 24/7. 

Much like that all-night diner whose flashing neon signs attract customers when all other doors are closed.

And, by blogging on your business website on a regular basis, you’ll also show Google that you have plenty of fresh content.

It’s impossible to miss all those signs

Regardless of whether they already were on one of those roads or not, there are so many signs in that area that your customers are bound to find themselves in that big city anyway.

And yes, we’re still talking about backlinks.

Did you know that when you blog on your business website you get an average of 97% more links?

Don’t sound that surprised!

After all, we’ve already established that it’s rare for someone to want to link to your standard website pages.

When you share insightful content on industry-related topics that your target audience is interested in, they’ll be much more likely to link to it. 

Not only them, but other people writing about those same topics and deciding to use your blog post as a reference.

Plus, collecting backlinks will boost the SEO of your entire website, too.

Your tourists will take and share more holiday pictures

In our city that never sleeps, there’s an extremely Instagrammable cafe: it gets most of its customers after their friends post pictures of their flower-covered swing underneath a neon sign. Oh, and a flower shop whose compositions are so dreamy that everyone will always tag them in their photos.

When you blog on your business website, you also get to make the most of social media.

Just like they wouldn’t really link to them, who other than your most supportive family member would want to share your standard website pages on their social media?

If you’ve written an insightful, interesting, or entertaining article, on the other hand, some of your target customers will want to share it with their friends or colleagues. 

Basically, more people will find out about your business beyond your own social media and search engine opportunities.

There’s something for everyone

Sure, a few people might find the village’s only shopping centre interesting, but what about those who were hoping for a night out? And those who wanted to discover something new in a museum? 

When you blog on your business website, your virtual city that never sleeps truly has something for everyone. And by everyone I mean every stage of the funnel, not just the 4% of your visitors who are ready to buy.

After all, over 80% of Google searches are informational, which means your target audience is way more likely to start their journey by typing ‘should I switch to slow fashion’ than ‘sustainable dresses for sale’.

By blogging on your business website regularly, you get to target EVERY. SINGLE. STAGE. of the sales funnel.

What does this mean in the long run? 

Keep reading.

It’s the first holiday destination people will think of next time they have time off

I’ll say it one last time (for today, at least): 

96% of your website visitors aren’t ready to buy. But, if you give them valuable content and establish yourself as an expert in your field, guess who they’ll buy from when they’re finally ready? 

Not that competitor whose website is all about themselves. Not the one with a blog on their business website that only involves boring company news.

YOU.

The one who’s been sharing high-quality content for them on a regular basis, of course. 

How my blogging services will turn your female-founded business website into a city that never sleeps

You don’t have to continue being that tiny village that’s impossible to find! Still, don’t waste time and money going in the wrong direction.

My blogging services for ambitious female entrepreneurs will put your offer right in front of your dream customers’ eyes.

By creating customised and SEO-friendly content for them, I’ll smoothen your funnel, build trust, and turn you into THE go-to solution for your audience.

Basically, as long as you’re happy to answer my questions so that I can position you as a thought-leading expert in your field, you can put your blog on autopilot and enjoy the results.

Ready to have a blog on your business website that helps you attract leads 24/7? A city that never sleeps.

‘Start spreading the neeeeeeews,

I’m blogging todaaaaaaay.’

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You know why I want to show YOU how to make your business stand out from the competition?

In my opinion, there are two types of business owners: 

• those who, when you ask them what they do, will tell you something like “oh, we’re just another pizza joint”

• those whose eyes immediately light up, and they’ll say “we do pizza and champagne pairings for couples who want to add a fancy touch to street food”

Regardless of whether or not you sell pizza and champagne, my guess is that you’re part of the second category.

A badass female-founded small business with a BIG concept for your target audience, right?

And I believe that these are exactly the kind of businesses that DESERVE to be known by more and more lucky customers.

So, lemme show you some strategies and tricks on how to make your business stand out from the competition.

And, by the way…

Being a small business is a big strength!

You might be feeling a little discouraged and wondering, “How can I even hope to stand out against so many larger corporations?”

Here’s the thing, though: people LOVE supporting small businesses!

Consumers will choose a small business 91% of the time as long as it’s convenient (psst: make it so) and 74% even when it’s not.

77% of them are also willing to pay more if a small business provides excellent customer service.

So, before looking at how to make your business stand out from the competition, start by embracing the fact that you’re a woman solopreneur or a small female-founded company.

Don’t try and look like one of the big guys!

Being a small business that focuses on a specific audience or niche is actually a big point in your favour.

10 tips on how to make your female-founded business stand out in a busy market

From using the right strategies to avoiding common pitfalls, here’s how you can put your business in the spotlight.

1. Focus on your target audience

DON’T. YOU. DARE. SKIP. THIS.

For your business to stand out from the crowd, you need to do two main things when it comes to your audience:

• Know who they are

• Put them at the core of your marketing strategy

Too many companies will tell you that what they do is for ✨everyone✨, whether that’s because they haven’t taken the time to get to know their audience or because they think this will increase their chances of success.

Spoiler alert: it’s actually the opposite!

When you try to appeal to everyone, you please no one.

Your audience is exposed to an average of 5,000 marketing messages EVERY. DAY. (1)

So, if you’re wondering how to make your business stand out against the other 4,999, I’m just going to ask you: how can you get their attention if you’re not talking to THEM specifically? Worse, if you don’t know who you should be talking to?

When you know your audience, you can tap into their pain points, speak to them in a way they’ll understand instead of confusing them with jargon, and actually grab their attention.

That’s why, as well as knowing who your products are for, you must also make these people the focus of your marketing strategy.

You’re not there to promote your business. You’re there to tell your target customers how it will improve their lives.

2. Identify your USP and create an unmissable value proposition

Just like you must be clear as to who your audience is, you should have a clear USP, too.

But Giada! There are thousands of people doing what I do.

Well, then why should your audience choose YOU amongst them? If you don’t know, neither will they.

Just because you’re doing something similar to other businesses, it doesn’t mean that you must give up and market yourself as ‘just another one of them’.

For example, if I stopped at saying that I’m a copywriter, it wouldn’t really help me stand out. But I’m not ‘just another copywriter’.

I’m a website copywriter and blog writer turning ambitious female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes.

Yes, this means that my marketing won’t appeal to male-founded businesses, large corporations, or prospects looking for, say, social media management or email marketing.

But guess what? I’m not currently offering those services, so why would I want to try and present myself as a jack-of-all-trades when I’m not?

When you clarify your USP, your value proposition will immediately resonate with your actual target audience.

The cool bunch. Those who need exactly what you offer and love the way you’re presenting it to them.

3. Help your female-founded business stand out visually through memorable branding

How can you make your business stand out if you have no brand identity? What are your potential customers meant to remember about you? How should they feel?

From your logo to your website’s colour palette and your tone of voice, your branding elements must work in (forgive the horrible buzzword) synergy.

They can’t do that if you’ve outsourced all of them separately to the neighbour’s friend who did graphic design before dropping out of uni or your sister’s roommate’s cousin who’s good with words.

Have some memorable branding, and don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your business when it comes to written copy.

For example, Innocent does it so well:

4. Have some audience-oriented website copy

Yes, you should have a website for your business. No, it shouldn’t be all about your business.

(And no, I haven’t gone insane.)

Of course, your website can be a virtual shop window, but please, please, PLEASE don’t make it all about your company in a boring, corporate way by coping what some old-style competitors are doing or reusing the same sentences:

• “We are a company with twenty years of experience in…”

• “We are delighted to announce…”

• “At [company name], we are passionate about…”

• “Our core values are…”

• [Long company history detailing every single internal change]

People don’t care about all this! And they’ve seen it so many times that, if you were to take this approach, you’d end up becoming white noise.

But you don’t want to be white noise. You’re here to learn how to make your business stand out, right?

Then include website copy that focuses on how your products or services can benefit your target audience, paint a picture of how exciting life will feel once they’ve invested in them, and position your company as the helpful guide that can get them there (you ain’t the hero, my friend. Your customers are!).

And waste no time. Your above-the-fold website copy should already give your target audience a reason to stick around.

For example, here’s what I’ve written for a client:

As soon as a new prospect lands on their website, they find out exactly what they do, who for, and why they should invest in them.

Not only that: how they will feel once they do.

Much better than saying “We pride ourselves in offering tree surgery solutions,” right?

5. Make your business website SEO-friendly

If you want to make your business stand out on Google, you must make it a breeze for customers to find out about you in the first place.

But how can they find your website if they don’t know your company name and logo just yet?

Simple: you optimise it for relevant keywords that describe your type of products or services as well as what your target audience is actually typing on Google.

For example, an eco-conscious customer looking for shoes and wishing to avoid expensive delivery or import fees won’t be typing your company name but rather something like ‘vegan shoes UK’.

By including these keywords and optimising your entire website for SEO (e.g. fast and mobile-friendly), you’ll start generating organic traffic by targeting people who’re interested in what you do but don’t know about you personally just yet.

Did you know that my website copy has allowed a new business to reach Google’s first page for over 10 local keywords despite there being dozens of more established local competitors? Check out the case study.

6. Be social with the right strategy

Almost 70% of small businesses with 10-50 employees use social media. (2) Sounds great, right?

Well, this doesn’t mean that they’re using them correctly, though.

Too many companies still think that opening a Facebook page and posting promotions or ‘buy now’ posts every single day is how to make their business stand out. 

Instead, that’s just a one-way ticket to annoying their followers.

A social media strategy should be there to entertain and educate your target audience following the magical 80:20 ratio, with 80% of your posts being informational and only 20 promotional.

Yep, not the other way around. You’ve read that correctly.

So, here’s how to make your business stand out through social media:

• Open an account on up to three relevant platforms, and by relevant I mean ‘where your target audience is lurking around’

• Create a realistic schedule: it’s much better to post consistently only twice a week than to go on a three-times-a-day spree, disappearing for a month, and so on

• Plan and post content that brings value to your audience 

7. Have a newsletter that isn’t a newsletter

You’ve probably learnt this the hard way at some point in your life, but here’s a much-needed reminder: never put all your eggs in one basket, and this includes your marketing.

SEO is vital, but it’ll take months before you start seeing results. Social media are too, but their algorithm won’t always allow you to grow and reach all of your followers.

So, what’s the one platform you have full control over? Your subscribers’ list.

But you must think of this as an email marketing strategy rather than a newsletter to send company updates.

Email marketing’s ROI is 4200% because it focuses, once again, on bringing value to subscribers and sending them engaging content. (3)

Traditional newsletters are dead. Nobody wants to get their inbox clogged up with company news that should belong to internal updates or a text to the CEO’s mum.

PS. Fancy receiving tips, advice, and content prompts to connect with your dream audience through your marketing copy?

8. Reward customer loyalty

Did you know that almost 60% of consumers spend more on brands they’re loyal to? (4)

Now only that, but 83% of them claim that they’re more likely to buy from a company with a loyalty program. (5)

If it works with your business model, you should consider rewarding your existing customers, whether that’s by offering them a small discount, a free product (e.g. one free coffee after ten purchases), or something else entirely.

In fact, get creative!

9. Give back to a cause that matters to your audience

Imagine being at a large house party where you know hardly anyone (as an introvert, that sounds terrifying). You look around and have no clue as to who to attempt striking a conversation with. But then you see someone wearing a t-shirt that says ‘say NO to racism’. As a fellow anti-racist (I hope so, at least!), you smile. 

That’s exactly how it works with your customers. They’re bombarded with all kinds of marketing messages and companies. How can they choose which one to approach? 

If you share values, you’re already one step ahead according to 64% of consumers. (6) And no, this doesn’t mean that you can just get away with writing three bullet points and doing nothing about it.

Nor can you say that you’re an eco-friendly business and then take your website visitors to a range of single-use plastic bottles.

Be honest with your consumers, and focus on shared values that you actually care about.

Supporting a common cause is also an effective trick on how to make your business stand out from the competition: 92% of consumers have a more positive image of companies that support a social or environmental cause. (7)

10. Give value to your audience through your blog

Finally, one of the best ways to make your business stand out is to blog on your company website. 

But no, not by sharing boring company updates and news! By creating an audience-oriented content marketing strategy to educate and entertain your audience.

There are several reasons why you need a blog for your business, but the top ones are:

• To reach more people via Google: since every new blog post should target a main longtail keyword (e.g. ‘How to make coffee with a Chemex’ or ‘Best vegan skirts for summer’), blogging once a week means that you’ll have 52 more chances to rank higher than your competitors every year

• To grow your audience and generate an average of 67% more leads

• To facilitate sales by smoothening the funnel. Remember: 96% of your website visitors aren’t ready to buy! Blogging regularly means that they’ll immediately think of you when they are

• To increase brand recognition

• To build trust

• To improve the SEO of your entire website

• To have more insightful content for your social media and email marketing

• To show your customers that you’re not just another company blowing its own trumpet: you’re there to bring them value and have a conversation!

How my website copywriting & blog writing services will make your female-founded business stand out 🔥

As you now know, there are quite a few creative ideas that you can experiment with.

Me? I can help you in two main ways:

More #crafty blog posts on this topic:

The era of flashy MySpace-style websites with a kaleidoscope of sections is over (and overwhelming).

In our fast-paced internet world, clarity and immediacy are key, and the Z-pattern layout can help you achieve them… especially when paired up with some badass website copy!

Whether you’ve just read it as ‘zee’ or ‘zed’ in your head, it doesn’t matter: the final result is still the same.

And this zappy pattern can make all the difference on your business website.

Understanding the Z-pattern layout

Before showing you how you can implement it, let me tell you exactly what it is.

What is the Z-pattern?

The Z-pattern is a design that follows the natural route travelled by human eyes when reading: left to right and top to bottom.

Basically, it consists of three parts:

1. Your eyes will start from the top left of a page and move towards the top right (horizontal line)

2. Then, they’ll move back to the left side of the page but a bit lower (diagonal line from the top right to the bottom left)

3. Finally, they’ll repeat the first step (another horizontal line)

If you put these three imaginary lines together, you get a z-shape.

By planning your web design and copy accordingly, you’ll create a smoother flow for your visitors’ eyes, facilitating readability instead of putting them off.

Mind you: the Z-pattern design doesn’t have to be perfectly symmetrical.

In fact, it can include different angles as long as the final result resembles this zig-zaggy letter.

And don’t worry: the website Z-pattern layout is actually much easier to spot once you’ve actually seen one rather than just read an explanation.

While we’ll look at more examples soon, here’s a quick one from my own homepage:

Much clearer, right?

Why is the Z-pattern important?

The Z-pattern layout is important when it comes to websites because it facilitates the reading side of things for your visitors, getting them to focus on exactly what you want them to focus on the most.

This pattern is also what immediately draws their eyes towards your call-to-action buttons rather than the privacy page. Your unique proposition before the explanatory copy.

You get the gist, right?

Ok, but what has the Z-pattern design got to do with website copy, Giada?

Well, the Z-pattern layout per see is worthless if, as well as relevant graphic elements, it doesn’t include copy that will convince the reader to stick around and complete an action!

• Just because this pattern helps them focus on the right page items, it won’t work wonders if they feature poorly crafted words like “We pride ourselves in our business solutions”

• At the same time, if you have the perfect words for your target audience but they’re scattered all over the place, they won’t be as effective as they could be

Basically, your Z-pattern design and website copy should work together to maximise conversions.

F- and Z-patterns in context

The Z reading pattern layout isn’t the only option. In fact, while it’s the best one in certain cases, you might want to choose the F-pattern in some others.

What the F is an F-pattern?

The F-pattern is the most common way in which people scan larger blocks of content: from left to right, but focusing on the first sentences more and then skim reading the rest.

When it comes to harnessing it on your website, the F-pattern layout involves placing the most important information on top and facilitating readability by having shorter sentences or bullet points on the left towards the bottom.

Here’s an example of the F-pattern:

So, when should you use the F-pattern and Z-patterns on your business website?

The F- and Z-patterns are both extremely effective… but only when used right!

• The F-pattern is better suited for longer pages and blocks of texts, such as blog posts

• The Z-pattern works on pages with less text and that must focus on grabbing someone’s attention immediately instead of overwhelming them with information, such as Home pages and post-click landing pages

More specifically? The website Z-pattern layout is key in the above-the-fold section on these pages.

If you’re not familiar with this term, it’s nothing complicated: it simply refers to everything that your visitors can see before they scroll down. 

When they open a new page, that’s what will ultimately make or break the deal, because... if it doesn’t convince them to scroll down, they’ll leave.

In most cases, combining excellent short copy with the Z reading pattern layout is your best chance to capture your audience’s attention immediately.

Effective website Z-pattern examples (and a terrible one without it)

Here are a few more screenshots to show you this pattern in action and help you recognise it even when you haven’t got the luxury of finding my little yellow lines.

• We immediately focus on the time-sensitive offer and move our eyes towards the CTA button on the right

• We see Hello Fresh’s USP in the middle

• As well as noticing some mouthwatering food on the left, we end up looking at the other CTA button

• In this Z-pattern example, a strong question grabs our attention right from the start

• We find out more about what this marketer can do for us

• We’re given a clear and unmissable CTA

This is an example of how a Z-pattern design doesn’t automatically have to take up the entire width of your web page:

• We read a short sentence that grabs our attention…

• … move on to this platform’s USP…

• … and see an unmissable CTA button

Now, let’s be honest: sometimes we don’t realise how important something is until we lose it, like Ross with Rachel in Friends.

So, here’s what happens when you create a Home page that does NOT harness the Z reading pattern:

Confusing, right?

Our eyes just don’t know on what we should focus:

• The van is quite distracting

• Then we see a tablet with a page that looks… just like this actual page

• For some reason, we’re being thanked for visiting this page instead of being told what this company can do for us…

• … and we’re not given a clear CTA once our eyes get to the bottom right section

Don’t make the same mistake!

How to create an effective z-pattern on your Home and landing pages

So, now that you’ve seen how clean it looks and the difference it makes when it comes to conversions, how do you implement the Z-pattern layout on your own business website?

Here are its three core steps.

1. Top horizontal line

For the best results, I recommend placing:

• Your logo on the top left, if you can: because that’s where your visitors’ eyes will start their journey, this will help you improve brand recognition

• Then, your main navigational menu

• At the top right, it’s helpful to have your call to action in a different colour/style from the rest of your menu items: that spot is the equivalent of some extremely precious real estate, so you don’t want to waste it!

Alternatively, depending on your website’s layout, the top horizontal line could consist of a large, attention-grabbing headline.

2. Diagonal line

Here’s where all the build-up towards your call-to-action should happen. 

The one or two sentences that immediately convey what you do, who for, and how this benefits them.

3. Bottom horizontal line

That’s the hot spot for your call-to-action! 

Depending on the layout of your website, the bottom line of your Z-shape might include some additional explainer copy after your main headline, too.

Still, you can’t forget about the call-to-action: place it towards the bottom right side, right at the end of the second horizontal line.

Now that you know what it looks like, I bet you’ll start seeing this pattern everywhere!

And it’s not a coincidence: that’s simply because implementing the Z-pattern layout is highly fruitful when it comes to convincing your new visitors to stick around and generate conversions.

Need some effective website copy that takes the Z-pattern into account (amongst… a ton of other tricks)? 🔥

Not to sound dramatic, but… after learning the difference that something as (seemingly) trivial as a Z-pattern design can make on your business website, how much are you STILL missing out on?

From clarity to powerful CTAs, your website copy can either confuse your prospects and push them away or impress them, get them to stick around, and convert them into leads and sales.

As a website copywiter & brand messaging consultant, I specialise in writing copy that turns ambitious female entrepreneurs into THE go-to solution in their dream audience’s eyes.

If there was no actual strategy behind the words on your business website, let’s replace them with some audience-oriented and SEO-friendly copy that sets you up for success.

As well as taking the Z-pattern layout into consideration whenever relevant, I’m always more than happy to work with your web designer or existing wireframes.

And, if you haven’t got any just yet, that’s cool: I can create some UX-focused wireframes for your new copy, too.

More #crafty blog posts on this topic