
In this episode, Cassidy—The Copywriting Mama—breaks down the difference between messaging strategy and copywriting, and shares how entrepreneurs can develop a unique brand voice that stands out and sells authentically. If you're struggling to find the right words in your business, this episode will help you write with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
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Michelle Thames
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Cassidy
Keep it simple and silly. Just things that are personal to me and how I communicate because you don't want the same ones. Everyone's messaging strategy or everyone's core values includes communication accessibility. You don't want to use bland words like that or just blanket statements. You really want to customize it to your you and how you communicate, how your audience needs to be communicated to and using words that you both use. If you don't use big words, your messaging strategy shouldn't use big words. You know.
Unknown
Hey hey. Welcome to the Social Media Decoded Podcast. The Go to podcast for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to grow their brand, increase visibility and make more money without the overwhelm. I'm your host, Michelle Thames, marketing strategist, business coach and the person who's here to give you the real no fluff strategies to help you succeed online. Each week I bring you expert insights, actionable tips, and real talk about what's actually working in social media and digital marketing. Whether you're just starting or scaling the six figures, you're in the right place. So grab your coffee or Matcha if you're like me and let's dive into today's episode. I am super excited because we have a special guest and you all know I get super excited when we have experts on and we're going to be talking all about oversaturation, crowded industries, copywriting, all the things. Welcome to the Social Media Decoded Podcast.
Cassidy
This is an honor and a pleasure. Yes, I'm Cassidy, the copywriting Mama and I'm a copywriter, brand messaging strategist and you talked about oversaturation. And I am. I am yearning to go because I do not believe in it. I don't think it's a thing if you know what you're doing in the messaging world.
Unknown
So can you break down for us how someone can truly stand out in a crowded industry?
Cassidy
Yeah. So when you think you're entering something saturated, ask yourself if you're the expert, if it's something that you know front and back and sideways, you can be in that industry. You can make a name in that industry. It is about finding the unique things about yourself that will stand out, making it personal while keeping it professional. And I think just really honing in on that brand messaging strategy and your voice. There is always room for the person who is willing to be unique and willing to do things a little bit differently. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to invent a totally new way of doing a certain thing. Sometimes it's the classics, and it's the people that do it more traditionally that succeed. It's really about how you communicate what it is that you're doing.
Unknown
Absolutely. Like, there's so many social media people, there's so many copywriting people, but what does that mean to us? Nothing. Right. We have our own unique skills and abilities that people. Other people don't have. So you're absolutely right. I want to talk about some mistakes because we see this all the time on social media. Right. When it comes to copywriting. I know you're the copywriting queen, the copywriting mama. Right. So what are some common mistakes that you see people make when it comes to that messaging and copywriting?
Cassidy
Okay. Well, I would say we're seeing a little bit of a shift in trend, because once upon a time, I would have said using the word I was a big no, no. And don't use the word I. And all of your copy. I would say for things like your website probably don't do that for your website. You really want to shift it to their perspective. The thing that I see people going wrong is that they speak how they want to or they speak how they think that an old version of them needs to be spoken to instead of focusing on who their target, target audience is and shaping their messaging around that. Now there's perfect blend of being yourself while also being yourself in a way that it doesn't go over the head of the people you're trying to help. It's not content that you're creating for you to consume. It's content you're creating for that ideal customer or client to consume. So keeping them in mind and not being selfish about your creative process and making it all about you and what you want.
Unknown
We talked about this before the show, right? Like how can people really tell if something is written with AI and not. Because we do have many copywriters who are not using AI. You all, everybody's not using AI. Right. You might want to really work with a copywriter like Cassidy who is going to use her actual brain to help you. So what, have you seen some mistakes when it just comes to many people using AI? I know one that I see is like you've used it and it's very face value.
Cassidy
Yeah. So with AI, and I'll be totally honest, I use Claude and I don't use it to write for me, but I definitely use it to outline things or to suggest like thesaurus, different words. Sometimes my client maybe is an expert in something and I'm not to clarify things like that, but I see a lot of people on threads posting about how you can immediately tell if somebody's using AI because they use the rocket launched emoji and it's, it's like okay or an EM dash or whatever it is or the word insights. I really just want to clarify that AI is trained by copywriters. You can go on LinkedIn jobs, you can go on indeed at any point. And they are paying people anywhere from 25 to $45 an hour to train AI and it's specifically hiring for copywriters. So when you think that AI is just so easy to detect, it's not always. Especially when you use it correctly and you use it well. Now I swear by plugging in your brand messaging strategy into AI to get the most out of it. If you are a one man show, you're creating all own content. You can plug things like your marketing research, your discovery call transcripts and say these are my ideal clients, this is what their complaints are. Here's my brand messaging strategy. Can you create me 10 Instagram reel hooks that are going to cater to their desires and their needs? But when you're just plugging in a simple one sentence, I'm an expert copywriter, I need content ideas and then you're running with that. You're not getting something customized and you're getting a result that so is everybody else who's using it that way really the input determines the output with AI and you're always going to have to tweak it a little bit. Don't ever copy and paste It But I never discourage my clients from using AI because a lot of them can't afford to hire me necessarily full time to write everything. But they still deserve to have an easier content creation process. And I'm not the gatekeeper of copywriting, so I encourage people to do whatever they can to have better messaging that's more impactful, whether it's to use me or to use advice that I've given them.
Unknown
So let's talk about messaging strategy and versus copywriting. Right, we talked about the difference between messaging and strategy and copywriting, but what's the key distinction between these? And why does strategy have to come first?
Cassidy
Okay, the messaging strategy is the horse and the copywriting is the cart. And the messaging strategy has to come first. And this is why I've always had a prerequisite for copywriting services that's a brand messaging blueprint. And it, it has to come first because without it, I'm just guessing or I'm going based on they say, can you read my website, read my content, and then you can write like me. Well, what if those things aren't performing for you? What if those are flops? And that's why you got me involved in all this to begin with. I don't want to write based on that and I don't want to just guess either. And so when you cover your messaging strategy, it's going to include things like your target audience, your why, your mission statement, your core values, your one liners, keyword banks of things that you use do's and don'ts, guidelines for the copy itself. Do you curse? Do you not curse? Do you use emojis? What emojis do you use? There's so much that goes into it. Brand differentiators, brand vision, brand promise. All those things add up to be your messaging strategy. And from that strategy you can write copy. Now of course you can take bits and pieces and copy and paste it into your copy. But the copy is guided by the messaging strategy, if that makes sense.
Unknown
That makes perfect sense and I hope you all are taking notes, okay? Because you know that on the social media decoded podcast, gems are always dropped. So make sure you tag me on Instagram, michellelthames and @ the social media decoded pod if you are feeling what we are talking about here today. Now let's talk about some must have elements of a strong messaging strategy before someone starts writing. Because you can just start writing. But I think we have to have some strong messaging. So can you talk about what are some of the must have elements of that, yes.
Cassidy
So I just listed out kind of the basics of what it would include. But when I say core values, I don't just mean honesty, integrity, excellence. I mean core values that are so personal to your brand. One of mine is faith over fear. Another one would be keep it simple and silly. Just things that are are personal to me and how I communicate because you don't want the same ones. Everyone's messaging strategy or everyone's core values includes communication accessibility. You don't want to use bland words like that or just blanket statements. You really want to customize it to you and how you communicate, how your audience needs to be communicated to and using words that you both use. If you don't use big words, your messaging strategy shouldn't use big words.
Unknown
You know, and that makes a lot of sense. So don't be trying to go and find new words in the dictionary that you don't use. Right. So that was a really great breakdown. I want to hear an example of a client transformation after getting their messaging strategy right. Since you just talked about those elements. Can you share an example of a client transformation after getting their messaging strategy right?
Cassidy
Absolutely. So the first person that comes to mind is somebody that came to me that I think struggles with what a lot of us do. It's being multi passionate, having multiple things you love, and wanting to build a business out of all of them in one place. She loves interior design and she loves educating people on how to buy real estate and sell real estate by owner. And while they both have to do with the house, that's pretty much the only thing the two have in common. And so right away when we got started, she was somebody I had to have a tough conversation with and just say, hey, being totally honest. I think you need to pick one and go full force on one of those things because I'm really struggling to write this brand messaging strategy, trying to keep both in consideration. She dropped the interior design. It's something she loves to do, but it's more of a hobby, slash, we'll do it for friends kind of thing. It's not what we need to market as much as it's we need to market the things she's already built courses for and already built this whole infrastructure for. And that allowed us to be so specific in her messaging to the point where even real estate agents locally were like kind of not being great to her because they thought, wow, she's really going to take jabs at using an agent. Like, she's going to affect us in our what we do because she's going to empower all these people to buy and sell their houses without an agent. And so I loved that she had the community shook like that. But also I love the clarity and the satisfaction afterwards. She was a great client experience. She even filmed a video I didn't ask for afterwards because she felt so empowered and by the clarity that we were able to get for her with her brand messaging blueprint.
Unknown
And we love, love those videos, testimonials from clients. So that is awesome. I'm glad that everything worked out and that she was happy. Right. That's what we want, clients. But I heard you talk about multi passionate entrepreneur. I'm definitely a multi passionate. I do so many things. Casting, speaking, education, digital marketing, agency. I know. But the good thing for me though is kind of, I feel like all my things kind of fit together and I can make them work together. Sometimes if you have something extreme, it's like you're a coffee analyst and a digital marketer. Like, how does that really fit together? Right. I don't know if coffee analyst is even a thing. I just made that up, you guys. But I like what you said about that. So let's talk about turning words into sales and building a sustainable business. Now you're a mom. I'm a mom too. Shout out to the moms listening. You know I love you. All right. And on this podcast, I'm sure you have found many ways that you can make money, especially my ladies over 40. I know you're listening. Okay, so how can mompreneurs and service based business owners use their brand voice to attract dream clients and increase trust? Because I know that that is one of their biggest issues.
Cassidy
I think people too often come on and try to model after other people that are doing what they're doing or people that have been successful. You know, everyone out here wants to create the same Amy Porterfield, Jenna Kutcher kind of content, and it's worked for them and blown up for them. And so they think that repeating literally verbatim what they're saying is going to work for their dream clients. And that's not it. You really have to come in with a different kind of heat and with your own spin, your own spice on things. And there's a difference between, like we were talking kind of with the multi passionate thing, you can incorporate what you love to attract those clients that you're going to have things in common with. Right. I'm a copywriter. I specialize in copywriting. Mostly talk about email marketing, that kind of stuff. But I always put my own spin. I'm a mom, so I attract the moms. I'm a follower of Jesus, so I attract other Christians. I've got a little bit of a crazy past. And so the other reformed party girls who have gone business entrepreneur also find me and feel aligned with my story. And so include those things that make you unique, but don't make your whole brand about them. Right? Not everyone wants a day in the life about what you went out and did with your kids. If you're actually educating people on marketing, whatever it is. And so being able to put your personal spin and just infuse that little bit of personality, I would say 30%, maybe 20% personality. And the 70 to 80% should be mostly content, focused on attracting, converting, and nurturing those people who are coming to you for that one specific thing that you're good at.
Unknown
Oh, that is so good. I hope you all are taking notes again. I know I say that a lot on this podcast, but take notes, you all, because the gems continue to be dropped. Now, I know we have something in common. We were both fired from our jobs. And I know there are many, many people who are listening who might have been fired from their job. And I just want to say, you all, it's not the end of the world. Okay? You can definitely pick yourself back up. If I've been able to do it, Cassie has been able to do it. You can do it, too. I know there's. There's lots of layoffs going on in this time that we are in, but you have skills that you can use. I don't want you to forget that. And skills that you can make money off of. Okay, so, Cassidy, you started this business with no plan after being fired. What lessons did you learn from that experience?
Cassidy
Well, looking back, I got fired and just full of transparency. I didn't know I had ADHD at the time. I had not had any kind of psychological analysis. And so I was really running for flying by the seat of my pants in life. And that reflected in the way I showed up for that boss. So I don't want to say that that was entirely their fault that they decided to let me go, but it did make me realize and have a reckoning that I need to work differently if I'm going to make something work. And I had started my business immediately after, two days after closing and moving into my first purchased home, that this happened. And so it was stressful. It wasn't a situation where I had something and I could step off a boat Lightly. I was thrown right into the water and it was sink or swim. So I built this business. It's funny based off something my old boss had said about, hey, you'd make a great copywriter if we never work, if we don't work together anymore. And so I took that and I turned it into my business. But I also took other steps to make sure that I could withhold this business, whether it was getting into therapy, getting back into the gym, taking good care of myself, learning to eat right, learning to do all the other things because there's so many moving pieces. And the way you show up as a business owner is so highly influenced in all the other things in your life. If you're showing up to calls disheveled and like, like totally undone, or if you're constantly pushing deadlines or you're constantly late, things like that, a lot of the time that is a result of other things in your life being chaotic. Also, another thing was I invested in childcare. My daughter goes to preschool two days a week and that was a life changing investment for me. And as somebody who used to vehemently be against child care, I was like, all our babies belong with us at home. It was a change that had to be made and it significantly changed the quality of my life. So I would say just staying open minded to the fact that you might not be in the best place that you are right now, but you can do so many things that are not only going to help your life, but they're going to help your business by just improving yourself.
Unknown
Absolutely. And we got through it. You got through it. I'm so happy for you for starting your business. Congratulations. And for those of you listening, let this, take this as a inspiration, right? If you have been through job loss and anything like that, know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you can absolutely start your own business if you want to. Yes, it is hard work, my friend. Sometimes you can be in a better place than you are right now. So I want to talk about some advice. Um, I like to give. We like to give advice here on the social media decoded podcast. So what advice would you give to business owners who right now may be struggling to feel confident in their words and their messaging in their business?
Cassidy
I think a lot of people are doing the showing up, right. They're posting daily, they're taking the messy action they keep being told to take, but they're doing so with no strategy and with no consistency. They're just creating their post every day and winging it and throwing the spaghetti at the wall, hoping it's going to stick. And then sometimes it does and they can't. They have no pattern, they have no understanding of what it is that's working and what's not. I would say get really clear on your messaging. Those things I listed out earlier, very important to clarify and do so in your own voice. Don't do it in a robot, don't have AI do it for you, but create that first. And then every time you go to create a post, at least for a while, while you're training your brain and your messaging and you're refining things, and then if you say something and it works, pull those statements and add that to your brand messaging blueprint. Pull those, that caption that converted somebody you know and always to listen to your community, what they're saying, if you're getting bites and they're saying, this is what drew me to you, take notes of that and keep that somewhere because that is who your people are. And you can speak like them, use their own words to rope them in, describe their problem, how they described it. This used to be my hack with getting jobs, job interviews is you take the job description, you customize your cover letter to include the keywords that they're using in the job description. Because a lot of people are using AI nowadays to scan through thousands of recruits. And I actually, that is how I made final two of an 800 person running for a director of marketing job when I was less than a year into marketing. And I still actually am. They're one of my clients now, so I didn't get the job, but I did nail them as a client. And they're one of my biggest referrals now. And that was just from using the words that they described that they wanted to describe myself. And then it just, I mean, the magic happens and they go, oh my gosh, you're exactly what I've been looking for. And it almost goes right over their head that you used their own words to, to describe yourself. So that is the biggest thing, is being a good listener and a good observer and taking note and writing it down somewhere. Don't rely on your memory ever. We've got so much to balance. Especially if you're a mom, you're not going to remember that post that you thought of or that thing that they said. Just have somewhere, one place that you put it down, whether it's an iPhone, note an air table and put it there and you will always have a list. And then mix that list with your Brand messaging, blueprint, and then you can get unlimited content ideas. You will be stalked and it will be impactful stuff that was worthwhile.
Unknown
No, I am in agreement with all of that. Okay. Again, the notes that you have from this episode might be a little bit deep, so thank you for that. Absolutely. So this has been a really great episode and I know we can talk for days and days and days, but as you know, here on the social media Decoded podcast, we like to keep it short and sweet and. But before we head out, Cassidy, where can our listeners connect with you and learn more about your offers and what you do?
Cassidy
Sure. So you can find me on the copywriting mama on threads or Instagram. That's just the copywriting with a W, not with an R. Because I'm not a lawyer mama. M a. M a. And that is where you'll find me. I am the silliest goose on the Internet, I think. And I just like to have a good time while we're making money and doing business things and just putting your own personal spin. So if you're into that kind of thing, you like to gig and gag, come find me. And I would love to have you be a part of my community. Yes.
Unknown
And we will make sure that we leave all of Cassidy's information down below in the show notes so that you can connect with her. But thank you so much, Kassity, for coming on the social media Decoded podcast and dropping so many gems. I appreciate it. We will be excited to have more amazing guests, so make sure that you stay tuned. Okay, we have more guests lined up for this year and I can't wait to share them with all of you. As always, thank you all so much for tuning into today's episode and I will talk to you all in the next one.
Michelle Thames
One.
Unknown
Peace. All right, that's a wrap on today's episode. I hope you got some valuable insights and real strategies you can apply to your business right now. If you enjoyed this episode, I love for you to do two quick things. First, take a screenshot, share it on Instagram, and tag me Michelle L. Theme so we can keep the conversation going. Second, if you found value in in this podcast, it would mean the world to me if you left a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps this show reach more entrepreneurs just like you. Oh, and if you want to support the show and fuel my Matcha obsession, you can always buy me a coffee at the link in the show. Notes. Thank you for tuning in. Until next time, keep showing up keep growing and I'll talk to y' all in the next one. Peace.
Michelle Thames
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Unknown
A bad idea.
Michelle Thames
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Unknown
So things like the passport numbers for.
Michelle Thames
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Unknown
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Michelle Thames
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Cassidy
Thanks.
Michelle Thames
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Cassidy
There's always a trade in.
Michelle Thames
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Unknown
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Podcast Summary: Social Media Decoded – Episode: Brand Voice Breakthrough: How to Stand Out & Sell Authentically with The Copywriting Mama
Host: Michelle Thames
Guest: Cassidy, The Copywriting Mama
Release Date: June 9, 2025
In this engaging episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames welcomes Cassidy, known as The Copywriting Mama, a seasoned copywriter and brand messaging strategist. Together, they delve deep into the intricacies of developing a unique brand voice, standing out in saturated markets, and crafting authentic messaging that resonates with target audiences.
Time Stamp: [02:37]
Cassidy challenges the prevalent notion of market oversaturation. She asserts, "I do not believe in it. I don't think it's a thing if you know what you're doing in the messaging world" ([02:37]). According to Cassidy, expertise and a well-defined brand messaging strategy are key to carving a niche even in crowded industries.
Strategies to Stand Out:
Time Stamp: [04:02]
Michelle probes into frequent errors in messaging and copywriting. Cassidy highlights a significant shift in trends concerning the use of the word "I":
Pitfalls of Using AI in Copywriting:
Time Stamp: [06:59]
Michelle differentiates between messaging strategy and copywriting, questioning why strategy must precede copywriting. Cassidy eloquently explains:
Time Stamp: [08:45]
When discussing the must-have elements of a robust messaging strategy, Cassidy emphasizes personalization:
Time Stamp: [09:47]
Cassidy shares a compelling client story illustrating the power of a refined messaging strategy:
Time Stamp: [12:16]
Targeting mompreneurs and service-based business owners, Cassidy advises against mimicking successful figures like Amy Porterfield or Jenna Kutcher. Instead, she advocates for:
Time Stamp: [13:36]
Michelle and Cassidy bond over their shared experiences of being fired and transitioning into entrepreneurship. Cassidy narrates her journey:
Time Stamp: [16:43]
Cassidy offers actionable advice for business owners grappling with confidence in their messaging:
Time Stamp: [19:22]
Cassidy invites listeners to connect with her on platforms like Threads and Instagram under the handle @copywritingmama. She emphasizes her approachable and playful persona, encouraging entrepreneurs to join her community for support and inspiration.
Michelle Thames wraps up the episode by expressing gratitude to Cassidy for her valuable insights and encourages listeners to implement the strategies discussed to enhance their brand voice and overall business growth.
Notable Quotes:
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs looking to refine their brand voice, avoid common pitfalls in messaging, and build authentic connections with their audiences. Through Cassidy’s expert advice and real-world examples, listeners are equipped with the tools to stand out and sell authentically in today’s competitive market.