5 Easy (But High Impact) Fixes For How You Tell Your Story

So much of running a creative business boils down to words on a page. What you write in your outreach to stores, social media captions, wholesale marketplace listings, “about” page, and other materials are where the rubber meets the road. These are the places where your vision and dream and work touch the people who can support that work. 

I find that when our makers are doing outreach to stores, the difference between success and failure can sometimes be made in simple tweaks to their wording. So if you’re looking for some quick story fixes that will actually help you grow...

Here are some simple wording tweaks to help you tell your story better:

1) Say what you do.
This sounds simple but most people skip it. Say clearly and simply what you do or what you’re selling. In an effort to not sound “sales-y,” I see makers avoid saying clear sentences like, “I sell minimalist planners and desk calendars” and saying things more like “I love to help people get organized.” Whether in an email to a store owner, a product listing, or on the homepage of your website, make sure it is crystal clear what you do (in a way that an 8-year-old would understand.) 

2) Use strong, evocative words.

People are busy, bored, and distracted. So if you water down your words, your point won't come across. Choose words that clearly paint a picture in someone’s mind. Instead of "colorful", maybe you say "wildly vibrant colors." Instead of "sustainable," maybe you say " plastic-free and sustainability-obsessed." The specifics will depend on you, of course, but try to find strong and clear words to describe what you do.

3) Be direct about the cool aspects of your products, business, and process.

People are not going to imagine cool things about your business that you're implying but not saying directly. For instance, if you hand-stitch every single bag you make, don't call your line "US-made" (or at least don't only call it that.) If you say "US-made", that could mean it's made in a 500-person factory and there is no reason we'd assume the cool and wonderful fact that you stitch every single bag with your own two hands.

4) Use words you would use with a friend.

It's so easy to overthink this kind of writing and slip into a weird business-speak that isn't actually compelling to read. If in doubt, use words you'd use to explain your business to a friend. For instance, instead of saying “These children’s garments maintain sustainability at the forefront of their creation” maybe you say, “We make clothes for kids that are healthy for them and healthy for the planet.” 

5) Be as concise as you can. 

In any email, copywriting, post, or outreach, ask yourself: are there any words or sentences I can cut? Of course, you don't want to lose your warmth, specificity, or personality. But generally: the less fluff, the better. Once you’ve written whatever piece you’re working on, go back through and see what you can cut.

Not everyone enjoys writing. But with time, you can get better at the writing your business needs from you. We want to hear your story -- and these wording tweaks will make it easier for us to hear.