Editors note: When I was planning our celebration theme I knew there was one person who I really wanted to guest post this month. Just imagine how over-the-moon yippekiyay excited I was when she said YES! Reading her words always makes me want to celebrate and give thanks for the true awesomeness that she is bringing to the world. I love celebrating people rocking their own truth and encouraging the world to join in the party. So here she is folks, go bask in the radiance and let it fill up your heart, drumroll please….presenting Ms. Alexandra Franzen!
{My radometer is off the charts print by YellowHeartArt}
Repeat after me (out loud, like a lunatic):
“No one one earth can do what I do, in precisely the way that I do it.”
Don’t believe yourself? Print out that mantra and tape it to your forward. Backwards, of course. So it makes sense when you look in the mirror.
Let’s presume, for a moment, that you DO believe yourself. And that you want to create an online presence that celebrates your disco-ball individuality — in a way that resonates with your ideal clients & customers. Y’know — the people you wanna party with. And who wanna throw their panties at you.
Your website, blog, social media pages, Etsy shop, and bits & bobs of digital flotsam ‘n jetsam ought be a reflection of the most memorable, brilliant, and captivating qualities you possess.
And you possess plenty of ’em.
Let your webcopy — them’s the words on your ‘puter screen, for non-marketing geeks — be a celebration of your gifts. A personal invitation to the party of the century.
Here’s how to throw yourself a word-party, like an ultra-pro.
// POST A MANIFESTO //
A manifesto is a poetic declaration to the universe — what you stand for, what you’re striving for, and a hint at the color & texture of your soul.
Whether you’re a solopreneur, a start-up maven, the head of a company, or an aspiring blogstress, a powerful manifesto is the quickest way to pull your audience into your truth zone, and creating raving, fanatical advocates — for life. Hey-o! Here are my 2010 and 2011 manifestos, for your inspirational pleasure.
Dunno where to begin? Start with a game of word association, doodling and mind-mapping. Think back to the big, juicy WHY behind your business, or blog. WHY did you launch this puppy, back in the day? And WHY are you here to stay?
Or prompt yourself with the following hypothetical question: “if you had ten seconds to live, before the earth cracked open to swallow you whole, what would you want to declare to the citizens of earth?” No deliberating, just…GO!
// GET A KILLER BIO //
Does your bio sounds like it was peeled off the back of a corporate training manual? (Blech.)
Does it roll on for eons, with no end in sight? (Snore.)
Is it riddled with accreditations & awards that no longer bear any relevance to your chosen career track? (Whuh?)
Is it woefully outdated, outmoded and grimace-inducing? (Le sigh.)
Your bio is your memoir, made skimmable — a vivid reflection of your gifts, with a clear trajectory of how you became the person you are, today.
If re-writing your bio feels like pulling teeth from a T-Rex, source some golden materials from people who love you. Danielle LaPorte’s Ask-A-Friend Survey is sure to unearth some story-gems you’d long forgotten.
Or, grab an audio recorder, sit down with a pal, and ask ‘em to interview you, Oprah-style. You’ll be amazed at what tumbles forth, once the convo (and the wine) starts flowing. And once you transcribe that precious audio file, your bio will practically craft itself.
// LET OTHER FOLKS DO THE TALKING //
The only thing more potent than celebrating your own skills is letting other folks (clients, customers, comrades & colleagues) do the talkin’ for you.
Testimonials, rave reviews and case studies are the webcopy equivalent of metallic confetti, tossed in the air with a “hip, hip hooray!” And social proof makes all the difference between spongy promises and serious street cred.
Testimonials belong all over your website — sprinkled through your sales language, rotating in your sidebar, hovering about your contact form, and stacked on a special page, all on their own.
Light on applause? Offer some product freebies, do a guinea pig program trial, or extend some pro bono services — with the explicit intention of collecting feedback and praise.
Not getting the standing ovations that you need? Create a feedback form or survey, with pointed questions to pivot your client’s responses in the ideal direction. Design your Q’s to pull forth specific metrics, like:
“What was the biggest [wellness transformation / business shift / emotional arc] you experienced, in working with me?”
“What surprised you about the process of [whatever it was that we did]?”
“How has [name of fabulous product] increased your ability to [do cartwheels / pluck daisies / earn more money / stand on your head], and by what percentage, per month?”
You’ll get much stronger responses if you lay out a plug ‘n play framework for praise-giving…and receiving.
// WORK WITH A PRO //
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: not everyone is blessed with celestial wordsmithing powahs. If writing webcopy feels like a midnight horror movie marathon (minus the popcorn), go find a pro who will gloss up your language with love & respect.
I’m a professional digital scribe (cough cough), but if my stylings aren’t your cuppa tea, I’ve got a shortlist of brainy beauties right here, each with their own niches & knowledge banks. Knock on a few doors, and see who syncs up with your vision, and budget.
Now, go forth and CELEBRATE. I’m shaking my sizz-boom-bah tambourines, with tassles and all, in honor of your glory — and your story.
A promotional writer with a keen eye for words that woo, Alexandra Franzen helps righteous entrepreneurs break their own sound barriers, with whoa-nelly webcopy, sales page sorcery, and spooky-perfect ghostwriting. She’s been lauded as “Spock, but with a sense of humor. And better hair,” and was once pronounced “a unicorn, in human disguise.”
Standout clients include fire-starter Danielle LaPorte, marketing megastar Marie Forleo, international playgirl Gala Darling, master intuitive Hiro Boga, and a vibrant bouquet of branding and marketing agencies, including Red Slice and d.trio.
When she’s not throwing neon-green lightning bolts during 1-on-1 VELOCITY sessions, you can find her Twittering away, sippin’ on cranberry kombucha and blogging up a storm.
