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Success With Jewelry
171 - Laryssa and Liz Talk Brand Voice: Does Your Marketing Copy Actually Sound Like You?
00:30:48
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome to the Success With Jewelry Podcast. Your go to source for real conversations about business marketing and what it actually takes to succeed as a jewelry brand.
- [00:08]
B
Today I'm Larissa, the strategist systems queen and the one who finds joy in turning big marketing challenges into step by step plans that actually work. Email marketing and generating revenue through it is a specialty of my agency, Joy
- [00:22]
A
Joya and I'm Liz, your creative compass and advocate for designers doing things differently. I I live for brilliant brand storytelling, beautiful visuals, and helping designers confidently show up and shine. I founded the Stay Gold Collective to create community and support for independent jewelry brands.
- [00:40]
B
Together we bring you two decades of jewelry marketing experience and on this podcast we're pulling back the curtain on everything we've learned. Whether you're just starting out or scaling to your next big milestone, you'll get honest insights, helpful tips, and maybe a few giggles along the way.
- [00:55]
A
Welcome to episode 171. Your brand has a voice, but does your marketing copy actually sound like it? Today we're talking about one of the most common struggles we see with jewelry brands. Writing copy that feels authentic, engaging and unmistakably you. Whether it's your website, your emails or your Instagram captions, the words you use are a huge part of your brand. And when they feel off, customers can notice. And for insiders, stay tuned. After the episode, we're sharing examples and a simple exercise to help you find and document your brand. Voice Voice. Let's get into it.
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B
I think that so many people struggle with brand voice because it seems like it should be an easy, natural thing, but it ends up being like one of the hardest parts of having a business.
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A
It is so challenging for designers, I find, I think because a lot of them are very visual and maybe feel a little bit nervous or less confident about writing. And I think that that, that can hold people back. I think there's also this pressure or this feeling to like write more formally or write in third person or use marketing language and write like other brands write and everything just starts to sound the same.
- [02:14]
B
Yes. Actually I was just thinking when I was listening to your interview with Kelsey last week, one thing that really stood out to me was how she changed from using third person, I guess, voice to speaking in the first person and how that was a really big evolution for her. And that was one thing that really stuck with me in the episode. And I think that's another aspect people struggle with. Like do we refer to the brand as them or we or I or whatever.
- [02:48]
A
It's something I've Talked to brands about often and I think for a time there when content was a little more buttoned up because we are selling high end. But kind of when Instagram, I don't know what year it was, but I feel like we were like just a little more buttoned up in our visuals and how we were writing about fine jewelry and there was a moment in time, but we're moving away from that now. And I always encourage people, if you're a one person show, use I statements. And even if you're not a one person show, like a great example is Marla Aaron. I think it's the best example for somebody with a strong voice kind of alternates between or like flips back and forth between third person because she does have a larger company. And then sometimes she comes on and speaks in first person. And I like that, you know, you don't have to be one way all of the time.
- [03:42]
B
Yes, especially well in the case of Mar Layer and in a lot of independent jewelry designers, many of their businesses are named after them. But then it's also so surprising to me how many of those people like are shy about showing up. And it's like, well, you kind of built the business to be around you,
- [04:03]
A
so your name is on the door and you're the face of it. And you're, I understand creating a little bit of distance between yourself and everything else because you do need to create boundaries of what is me personally and what is me, my business. And I think that's a good exercise to think about is like, what are the things that I really just want to keep private and to myself and what really, what about me really is also my brand. And kind of just writing that down and putting it out there for yourself is I think really helpful. But yet you are a part of it. Your designs are coming from you, your name is on the door. You need to be speaking in your voice. So why do you think though? Why do you think writing copy that sounds like you is so hard to achieve?
- [04:53]
B
Because this sounds like you part. Even though it feels like it should be personal and natural, it is a bit of like an artifice or something like that. Like it's a manufactured version of you. And I'm not saying that it should be fake or false, but like it needs to be molded in a way that supports the business you're trying to create as well. And especially I think new business owners, they're doing that simultaneously while still figuring out their business model, still figuring out like the products they want to be putting out they're still figuring out what resonates with the audience. So there's so many different factors that influence it. And in the meantime, you're like forming it around all of that.
- [05:42]
A
And it's definitely something that can evolve. I mean, I think you get clearer on it the more that you are in business, the longer that you are doing something, you evolve it, you get it more honed in. But yeah, it, it, it is really hard to achieve that. And I even find with myself, and I've been doing this for a long time, and I still question newsletters I send out or emails I send out or posts I write. I'm like, does this sound like me? I wrote it. It's what I think I would say if I were speaking. But does it sound like me? And, and then I get a little bit hung up on when I'm looking back at like all of the newsletters I wrote in the past year, like, do they all sound like me? Am I being consistent? I think it's a really hard thing to see from when, from the inside, when you're the only person on your marketing team.
- [06:30]
B
100%, yes. That made me just think of a newsletter I got yesterday from another, like service provider business. And this, the subject line really caught my attention because it was very quirky and it said something like, I ate three lobsters and had a revelation. And I was like, what is this person talking about? And I did read the email because I was so like, what is this? And she was talking about a little business retreat that she took to a tropical place so she could sit, be brainstorm about her business and take intentional time away. And she was like indulging in all this lobster. So she tied it back to her business and a point that she wanted to share, but like mixed in this quirky detail about how much lobster she was eating while she was on her trip.
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A
That kind of stuff stands out.
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B
It stood out for me. I mean, I get lots of emails every day and it made me want to open it.
- [07:34]
A
I With the business emails or the consultant emails or like people kind of doing what we're doing, I. It's hard to, to get it to stand out. Even with jewelry emails. I'm subscribed to a lot of jewelry designers email list. It's hard to stand out. There's a lot of content coming through. What will stand out is leaning into like that kind of quirky voice if you have it, if that's part of who you are, or leaning into something that's unique to you.
- [08:02]
B
Yeah. And to your point, if, like, you're saying if, that's your voice, so you don't have to be quirky to stand out. But I think it needs to be identifiable in some regard.
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A
And I always think, you know, start with writing like you speak. I think that's a great way to do it. And a helpful tip that you've shared before and I also like, and I think is very helpful is doing a voice record, recording yourself talking and then transcribing that, because then you're really capturing how you speak and you polish it up a little bit before you use it. But I think that that's a really helpful thing for people who don't feel super confident writing.
- [08:44]
B
You know, I think I want to do that because I. I mean, I think I'm confident in what my brand voice is, but it would be such an interesting exercise to kind of, like, hear how you actually talk. And this could be a good way to use, like, AI assistance, too, because you could take that transcript, like, put it in AI, ask it to, like, analyze your tone, or give you insights into some things that are unique about it. Just having another set of eyes so that maybe you have new ideas about things you want to incorporate into your voice.
- [09:22]
A
Yeah, it could be good to ask feedback from, you know, maybe some close friends or family who are on your email list, like, how. How does this come across to you? Or what does my voice read like? You can also, before you do this, as you're kind of thinking about your brand, maybe as you're getting started, or maybe you're taking a moment to look at your marketing and look at your branding and all of that, what are some words that define the voice that you want to achieve? And just kind of having some keywords can be helpful to your point, Larissa, of like, having, you know, just. Just noting what you want to sound like.
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B
Yes. That's so hard, though. So hard.
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A
I mean, it's so hard. I think that with my voice, I try to be knowledgeable, but approachable and relatable. I would say that's me spitballing here. Three words that I would say I try to achieve in my writing. Casual, too, but not casual. You know, I don't know. How would you describe your voice?
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B
I think approachable. Did you say that? I can't even remember now what she said. I did.
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A
I think that's a good one.
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B
Yeah, I try to be a little bit. I don't know what the right word is. Like, direct. Like, I'm not trying to sugarcoat Things. So I try to like tell it like it is. I don't know if there's one word
- [10:47]
A
that means that and your writing does come across as direct.
- [10:53]
B
Yeah, direct. Like no nonsense, I guess. And. I'm stumped. I have, I have a thing in my head and I can't think of like one word to say it. Like not, not overly jargony, like very, just plain language. Like what's the word for that?
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A
Like simple.
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B
Yeah, simple. Straightforward.
- [11:25]
A
Straightforward, yeah, totally. It's. I think it's hard, I struggle with and I have to have like all of my documents before I go and write for a client because to write in someone else's voice, after writing in your voice, sometimes like you need space between the two. That's. It's really hard. Writing is hard. I think just in general, it's not easy. Yes.
- [11:47]
B
And getting in the headspace for it, really hard.
- [11:53]
A
Do you notice? I mean, I guess I know the answer to this. I have an answer for this. But some of the most common copy mistakes jewelry brands make. I think the number one thing is trying to sound like everyone else and creating, you know, captions or writing emails in a way that you just, you think is the way supposed to do it. I've been having some check ins with designers recently and they're like, a few of them have been like, I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. And there is really no such thing as doing anything wrong in terms of like being creative in your marketing and how you're writing and, and what you're saying. Like there are some best practices, definitely. But you're, you're never going to really do anything wrong. It's actually better that you do something that's different.
- [12:44]
B
I agree with you. I think that mindset right there is the thing that's wrong, to be honest with you. Like, because you by nature of saying that like you're limiting yourself right off the bat because you're putting yourself in a box.
- [13:01]
A
And
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B
I mean, I don't blame anyone who feels that way. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I think it takes confidence and time to like step into, to something that feels more authentic to you. So it's probably a common mindset of a lot of like newer business owners especially.
- [13:22]
A
I think it's especially challenging when you're selling a higher end product because there is this kind of push and pull of how real do I get? How buttoned up should I be? This is a lot of money somebody's spending. They need to trust me. So I think that that balance is. Can be challenging.
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B
I think I probably did that a lot when I started my own business. Because you do have a certain preconception of like, what is quote unquote professional.
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A
What is like, you know, you're kind
- [13:57]
B
of wearing a suit and pretend. Playing pretend to some extent or another, like when you start a business.
- [14:04]
A
I went to this panel and recently and it was artists with who work in different mediums. And one of my friends who's a painter was on this panel and she was talking about the pureness of kids creating art. And she made this comment of like, you know, as you grow up, you know that unicorns have four legs and you're always trying to get back to that 18 legged unicorn that you drew as a kid, you know, just without those boxes that you need to put yourself in. And I just, I've been thinking about that point a lot because I would love to. I mean, of course I'm grateful for all of the knowledge I've gained since starting my business, but I would love to write to my audience in the way that I used to because I think that it was much more authentic and real. And I think I've put a lot of pressure on myself to be, you know, not necessarily an expert, but to be knowledgeable and to give some sort of valuable takeaway and to make sure it's buttoned up. Because if it's not buttoned up, who's going to hire me? And so I do get into that viral and that mindset a lot. Yeah.
- [15:13]
B
Yeah, that's so interesting. That's really. I mean, I'm glad, like, you share that. That's very. It's like a vulnerable thing to share. I almost feel like the total opposite in that I'm trying to like unbutton myself.
- [15:32]
A
Yeah, I love that. I. I just feel this push and pull and I just don't know where to land. I think in person I'm fine. One on one, I'm fine. In person I feel comfortable and confident. But it does. You do start to overthink when you're writing. At least I do.
- [15:56]
B
Yeah. And then everything just gets like overly said and overly complex. Like there's something to also being able to do this in like a simple way. Because like, no one's gonna read a freaking novel about your brand, you know?
- [16:15]
A
Right. It needs to be digestible and you need to like, you need to. Once you feel like you've made a point that feels really aligned and you need to keep saying it. Over and over and over again.
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B
Even if it feels boring to you.
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A
Even if it feels boring to you.
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B
Definitely.
- [16:35]
A
And I think that there's this also this challenge that a lot of. A lot of designers face of. I just don't want to be too salesy. But, you know, Larissa and I know that you need to ask for a sale. You can't be too passive, and you could have some content that is a little bit more storytelling and a little bit more passive. But you need to have a call to action with everything you write. Your emails, your social media posts, everything needs to have an action attached to it. Whether it be just like, leave a comment or, hey, this is available. Message me if you want to buy it. You know, you're not too salesy. I guess the kind of answer to this question I have in our notes here of how do you write in a way that doesn't feel too force or salesy is it's. You'd have to go pretty far to be salesy. You know what I mean?
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B
You're probably not salesy enough.
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A
You're probably not salesy enough.
- [17:28]
B
Yeah. I would default to that for most jewelry brands that I interact with and come across.
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A
I think it can be helpful, too, to. To when you're looking at your content plan, too, to be like, this post is going to be a selling post, and these posts are not going to be selling posts. And then you have a nice mix.
- [17:47]
B
That's true, too. Yeah. Because like you said, you could still have softer calls to action. Like what you mentioned. Leave a comment, send me a message, visit my page, whatever. Like, things that aren't necessarily, like, buy this now.
- [18:06]
A
Definitely. And when you're doing all of this work to write these things, make sure you use them across platforms. Like, I think that's the best way to stay consistent. Like, you put all of this work writing your product descriptions on your website, Website, break it apart, and use those for your social media captions. And you did all of this work writing this email, break it apart, and use it for your social media captions so you're not doing more work, and then you're in turn staying very consistent across all of your platforms.
- [18:34]
B
Yes, I 100% recommend that same thing. Because why do the work over and over? Like, create a system where you can reuse all your content.
- [18:44]
A
Mm. And if you feel like you're just staring at a blank page and you have no idea what to write or what to say, like, do a brain dump. I just taught a class on creating a consistent content plan. Or content strategy. And once you have a plan it, you're less often looking at a blank page. So if you know what your brand is, what your voice is, who you're talking to, what your goals are, and then you have your pillars of the type of content that you talk about and you rotate through, then you just do a brain dump within those categories, knowing all of those things, and then you should always have something to say.
- [19:26]
B
Mm, that's so true. Pillars help me, and I'm a marketing person. Like, I need them and rely on them because it does give me structure. I don't really know how someone could plan content without these certain, like, touch points that they want to be hitting.
- [19:44]
A
It's so helpful. You've got to have that big picture framework before you do any of this. I think that, you know, if you're. If you're listening to this and you're like, I'm just trying to write this one email without doing that prior work first, which I guess we. We've done episodes on, but we could do another episode on just thinking through the big picture and that big structure and all of that. Help you when you get to that point of writing that email.
- [20:14]
B
Do we think everyone knows what pillars are? Should we, like, explain that?
- [20:19]
A
Yeah. So content pillars, or content types or content buckets, they're called a lot of different things. They're essentially just the types of topics that you focus on in your content. So it could be like process, or it could be education, or it could be like, your product, of course, should be one of your pillars so that then you're not just always writing about your product. You're also posting educational content, and you're also posting some of your process. So it just helps add more to kind of your main messaging points.
- [20:53]
B
Yes. It's like kind of building or using like, a recipe for cooking. Like, you want two cups of water and like, one cup of, like, broth and like, whatever, tablespoon of cumin, whatever. And you can similarly decide on the quantities of, like, each of these things. So maybe there's more product, a little bit less behind the scenes, a pinch of like, whatever, your personal life or something like that, and rotating through that so that you literally are just like, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. These are the buttons, like, I'm pushing throughout the month. And it makes it much easier to follow a plan and not feel like you're stuck on ideas all the time.
- [21:44]
A
It's super, super helpful. Okay, one more question for you before we get into some Quick fire questions and then move on to chat with insiders. But how do you. How would you say that you know when your copy is working?
- [22:00]
B
Oh, wow, that's a great question. I think. Well, first, I think it is like a vibe. So that's so like, unhelpful at all. That's so unhelpful. But like, I think when you get to a point where the copy is working, you also just know, like, this feels so authentic to me. I feel like I've stepped into what I want my brand to be now. That may change in like a year from now, but that's just because businesses evolve. So I think it's that partially. But also, like, when you hear it reflected back to you from customers or clients, like when people start using some of that same language back to you, or they tell you like, oh, I loved that, blah, blah, blah. Some part of your story that like, really inspired me to want to like, buy this piece from you. Like when you start hearing it back, when people do start engaging with you more, like on social media, for emails, like, your click rates are really strong. So there are metrics, like mostly engagement metrics.
- [23:16]
A
That's a really good answer.
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B
Would you add anything? Would you add anything to that? It's just a vibe.
- [23:24]
A
It's just a vibe. No. I liked what you said about when people start repeating it back to you or start really connecting with some of the, like, big or important messaging points that you're trying to get across about your brand and it's starting to like, click in and resonate. I think that that was a great answer. I always love, I always feel really good when I send out an email that it feels very strongly my voice and I get responses like, this really resonated with me or I needed to hear this, or, you know, those types of things. And some, sometimes it really lands for people and you get a response when it lands, I think. But also I hear from a lot of designers, it's like, oh, I'm sending these emails, I'm doing these posts and I'm getting no response until I'm at a market and then people are coming through and saying, oh my gosh, I loved the post about this, or I love the email about this. And I think that that's really helpful to know it's working too. I would, if you're an artist, I would take notes on that. I saw a post on Instagram that was kind of like, the hard part about being an entrepreneur is not, is not like coming up with a strategy or doing the things or any of that. It's like the random Tuesday afternoon where you're like, I feel like I'm alone in this. I'm getting no response. I don't know why it's not working. Do I keep going kind of thing like those. There's times during the day or the week where it's like it feels like nothing I'm doing is working.
- [24:59]
B
The existential crisis that kind of pops
- [25:02]
A
up randomly on a Tuesday. But no. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know why I had to bring that up, but I think that that's like in writing and content strategy it is a lot of that. Like you kind of feel like it's not working and then it is working and then you feel like it's not working and then it does work. So it's just, you have to trust it all.
- [25:26]
B
What you said about the in person, that was like another layer of that. Also that I was thinking because if you do do some in person events, that's a great place to like workshop your brand story because you're using it in like natural conversation and you can see in time like people's faces and their reactions and their responses. And I think that's a good place to like test elements of your brand story.
- [25:58]
A
I agree. Okay, a few quick fire questions here. What's one word or phrase that jewelry brands overuse?
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B
Luxury
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A
Inspired by nature.
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B
Oh yes. Inspired by nature. Yes. Should people stop making jewelry inspired by nature or you think there's like other ways to talk about it?
- [26:26]
A
There are so many other ways to talk about it. I want to hear about specifically what in nature inspires you. Inspired by the vibrant blooms of Azalea's season. I like that. Something that's just a little more specific. I, I think that some of the descriptors are sometimes overused. Like beautiful. I know that's silly. Like we, we can use words like that but I think just getting like a little more creative in the way we describe things.
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B
Very true.
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A
I know there's more that are going to come to me later. Okay, what's one question you ask yourself before hitting publish on any copy?
- [27:23]
B
Well, this is more timely. But if you do use AI, like read it,
- [27:32]
A
make sure it doesn't sound like AI.
- [27:34]
B
Yeah, I mean I just like, it's kind of seems like a dumb thing to say but I do see it a lot so.
- [27:42]
A
I do too. And in non marketing emails, like just like one to one emails. Yeah. People are using AI and not double checking things.
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B
No,
- [27:54]
A
we can write emails. Everyone. We can use AI as a tool, but we can write an email for responding to a query, you know? Yes. Anyway. Yes, I agree. Read, read. I mean, how many times do you read and edit an email before you send it out?
- [28:14]
B
I.
- [28:14]
A
For me, it's like, 10 times. It's so much. That sounds crazy, but, like, it's. It's. You have to, like, really, like, read and edit even. You know, whether you're using AI to help or you're writing it yourself, you need to read your work.
- [28:31]
B
Yeah. Or just give it a beat. Like, if you just wrote it and you're gonna publish it right away, maybe this is why you need to plan ahead and why you need to schedule stuff ahead. Because maybe you want to give it, like, a day, then go back to it, and you'll see something new in it. Yeah, Space. Space is good.
- [28:53]
A
Sometimes I need to sleep on something before. Before I really get it feeling good and in my voice. So planning ahead is great. I like that.
- [29:03]
B
Yep.
- [29:04]
A
I. Yeah. One question I ask myself is, are there any typos? I'm always worried about typos. Okay, last question. One example of a brand whose copy you admire and why?
- [29:17]
B
Marla Aaron.
- [29:19]
A
Marla's is so good. It's so distinctly her.
- [29:25]
B
It is. And we wouldn't recommend anyone, like, copying it or trying to mimic it because it is her. Like, I think it would be hard to recreate, but the lesson of how she leaned into that and found, like, found what was authentic to her.
- [29:47]
A
Yeah, she writes like she speaks. She's being herself. I think that's the. The takeaway there.
- [29:54]
B
Have you ever met her in person?
- [29:56]
A
Yeah.
- [29:57]
B
Yeah.
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A
Do you think she writes like she speaks?
- [29:59]
B
Okay, so that's, like, actually she has her brand.
- [30:02]
A
Yep, definitely.
- [30:04]
B
That's so cool. I think it does help you have an advantage if you, as a person have a very, like, distinct personality. Like, not everyone has that, or maybe people are more introverted. So then it's harder, I think, you
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A
know, but everyone's unique in their own way.
- [30:25]
B
Yes, Liz, So true.
- [30:27]
A
It's so true.
- [30:28]
B
You have to tap in. You have to tap into it.
- [30:30]
A
Yes. You just need to tap into it. All right. Did this episode help you think differently about your brand voice? Let us know. Visit successwithjewelry.com and if you love the podcast, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message or leave us a review. Thanks for being a part of our community.