This month’s Guest Glimmer blog post was written by and in partnership with Priscilla of The Kinfolk Creative, an irl-friend and website copywriter for service providers and creatives.

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It’s no secret that a chatbot is quite literally doing *my* job for my ideal-dreamy-clients (YOU?!). On the surface, sure, it does seem like that is true, but the more nuanced answer is ab-so-freaking-lutely-not! Now, me being a mind reader copywriter and all, I’m not naive to sit here and say that my ideal-dreamy-clients are not choosing a chatbot over hiring me—they are! I’m also guessing you landed here because you have some pretty cool things happening BTS with your brand. Buuuut your brand and website designer has hit you with the question of: “are you writing your copy or are you outsourcing it?” 

Maybe you’re leaning towards DIY, trying your absolute hardest to not use a chatbot to write your copy (for obvious reasons), and now you’re stuck between a losing your damn mind after staring at a blank screen for hours on end, have no clue how to answer the questions in the content workbook your designer has provided and are lowkey freaking out because again, you’re doing some pretty rad things behind the scenes and god forbid you have copy ruin this big (and exciting!) investment. 

Stick with me, I have some ideas that will help you write the most you-coded copy.

What to Do When Your Designer Needs Copy and Outsourcing Is Not An Option

First, please don’t spiral. I know I’m a website copywriter which means my whole job is to convince you to invest in my website copy services, but hear me out: that’s not the only way to have knock-your-socks-off copy. K?

Now that you believe in yourself, here are two things to prep before you even start attempting to write your own website copy. 

1. Client Testimonials — even if you already have a handful, send out an email to past clients with your feedback form. 
2. Brand Messaging — now, if you’re like well shit, I don’t have messaging, don’t worry, I have a freebie to help you get this down pat. 

How to Write Your Website Copy Without AI

Now that you are prepped and ready to start writing, it’s time to get to work. I have outlined seven steps below that will take you from a blank Google doc to a finished draft that you are actually proud of. 

1. Stalk Yourself

This is a critical part of my job as a copywriter when I am hired to write copy because I have to pretend to be my client while writing or else I sound like a wannabe. This is also a critical part for you because I know your first instinct is to grab inspo from someone within your industry that you look up to. 

We’re not doing that. 

4 Ways to Stalk Yourself

• Go through old emails (how are you saying hello, any common phrases you’re using, what does your sign off say, take note of the overall feeling of these interactions: are they more playful, professional, casual, fun, witty, serious?)
• Snoop through your archived inquiry forms (did they share why they chose to work with you, mention your style, how they heard about you?)
• Instagram Captions (are they short and to the point, celebratory & filled with excitement, or are they more nurturing & educational?)
• Testimonials (what do your people LOVE about working with you, how are you making them feel throughout the process, why are they recommending you to their friends?)

2. The Brain Dump

Now that you have a glimpse into why you’re the it girl, we’re now going to focus on dumping literally every single idea that you have. If you prefer starting analog, grab a pen and paper, if not, split this blog screen with a blank word doc. A messy, chaotic bulleted list is welcome (and encouraged). 

• What do you do
• Who do you do it for
• Why do people reach out to you (your inquiry forms and testimonials should help with this!)
• What are they struggling with before reaching out to you
• What happens when someone does work with you
• What questions are you answering in disco calls, DM’s, email

If you’re using complete sentences right now, great, but it’s not necessary! 😉

3. Map Out Your Core Website Pages

Now, if you’ve hired a designer, I’m guessing they have already helped you with this to some degree. If not, that’s okay too. Your core pages are universal anyways. 

TL;DR: every website page as 1 specific job to do

Home Primary Role: Help someone understand what you do, who you do it for, and why they should care	Your Task: What is the one thing you want your visitor to understand on this page? What do you want them to do after they visit this page?
About Primary Role: Help someone understand why you’re the person fit for the job.	Your Task: What is the one thing you want your visitor to understand on this page? What do you want them to do after they visit this page?
Services Primary Role: Help someone understand what you offer, what they will receive, and why it will help them.	Your Task: What is the one thing you want your visitor to understand on this page? What do you want them to do after they visit this page?
Contact Primary Role: Help someone understand what happens once they inquire and how to get started.	Your Task: What is the one thing you want your visitor to understand on this page? What do you want them to do after they visit this page?

4. Write the Child-Proof Version

Have you ever heard someone say “explain that to me like I’m 5”? That’s the version we’re focusing on right now. 

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of what I mean: Please don’t use these as a copy-paste template because they cannot address the specific experiences that YOU have to share.

• Instead of “I believe in creating intentional experiences that authentically capture the real, raw, moments of your love story.” Maybe say “I photograph weddings across New England for couples who care more about devouring the crab cakes with their favorite people than getting through a four-page shot list.”

• Instead of “We create beautiful, functional spaces that reflect your unique style.” Maybe say “You shouldn’t have to choose between a house that looks beautiful but makes you feel wrong for kicking your feet up on the coffee table.”

• Instead of “We provide a safe, compassionate space where you can heal, grow, and become your most authentic self.” Maybe say “You’re the person everyone comes to when shit hits the fan. But lately, you’re starting to wonder who you’re supposed to turn to when you’re the one falling apart.”

Specificity will do more for your messaging than anything else. 

DISCLAIMER: you can be ridiculously specific and still sound like everybody else. Specificity gets stronger when you start to incorporate your actual opinions, experiences, processes, and the conversations you’re having with clients.

5. Write One Section At A Time

Going into this process like “I’m going to write the copy for my website” is like me saying I’m going to run a 10K today. Could you? I guess. Would you want to? Probably not. 

It’s important to keep in the back of your mind that this whole experience is a process. Start with one section of a page and go from there. 

For example, if you’re starting with your home page, choose one section to begin with. Think about the primary roles of each page that I shared above before you begin.

• What is my potential client experiencing right now?
• Why is that experience frustrating or important to them?
• What do they actually want instead?

You can continue writing in a list format, or you can start writing in sentences (1-2 per question) is more than enough. 

6. Writing Schedule

This is kind’ve a two-parter to #5 because again, we’re not trying to write the whole damn thing in one sitting. That honestly sounds like torture—even for me as a copywriter. 

When you give yourself time to approach this task with intentionality, you’re going to find yourself maybe even enjoying the process?!? 

Here’s an example of how you could break down your writing schedule for a 4 core page website: 

• Day 1: Stalk Yourself 

• Day 2: Collect testimonials from past clients

• Day 3: Map out your website pages (Home, About, Services, Contact)

• Day 4: Write your headers for each page

• Day 5: Write your mini about for home and contact pages

• Day 6: Outline your services

• Day 7 & 8: Write your services page

• Day 9: Write your contact page (head here for some pointers on how to write a contact page that doesn’t suck)

• Day 10: Write your about page

• Day 11: Write your home page 

• Day 12: Fill in any missing information (testimonials, faqs)

• Day 13: Read everything outloud and begin the editing process

• Day 14: Finalize and deliver to your designer

If you noticed how I didn’t recommend starting with the home page, there is a solid reason for that. Personally, I find the home page to be the most difficult because it’s essentially a summary of your other 3 core pages. If you don’t have an idea for what those pages are going to say, you risk repeating yourself from page to page. I enjoy saving the home page for last so that I can wrap everything into a nice bow at the end. 

7. The Edit

Every exceptional writer goes through multiple rounds of revisions. One of the BIGGEST barriers that I see within our blogging membership is the desire to “get it perfect” the first time. What happens instead is you start to agonize over not knowing what to say because suddenly there is this unnecessary pressure that you’ve put on yourself before ever starting. 

Everything that you have written up until this point should be messy, chaotic, unfiltered, and maybe even a bit unhinged. Take a day to read what you have written out loud, ask a friend or family member to read what you have written and edit. 

What to Do If You Hate the Editing Process:

If you’re the type of creative that cannot stand to re-read your work, that is a great awareness to know about yourself so that you can prepare for how to move forward. Most website copywriters offer some sort of stepping stone to their done-for-you offers. For example, I offer 90 minute strategy calls where we can knead out any stuck points, answer questions, write headers, clarify messaging, and more. I also offer website copy audits where you hand me over your draft and I help you finish it. 

What to Do When You Get Stuck Writing Your Own Website Copy

I’m not going to wrap this blog with literally no direction for when you get stuck, because you will get stuck. 

If you have a website copywriter that you admire, stalk their blog, socials, or newsletter for free copy tips. If this is your first time interacting with a copywriter, hi, I have a TON of resources on tap that I’ll share with you below. 

1. If your copy is reading kinda stale, beige or a bit stiff and you want to make it read more like a casual convo over coffee, head to this post where I share How to Write Conversational Website Copy
2. Writing about yourself is more difficult than you anticipated (rightfully so). Check out this blog where I share some ideas for how to write mini about page sections to help take the edge off of what to include on your actual About page and then head to this post to learn how to not write about yourself, but instead share the value of what it’s like having you in the same room.
3. When you have hit a brick wall and feel like writing your website with AI is the only option left, please read this pep talk first. 
4. You’re feeling the pressure of how important your homepage is and now you have no idea what to write. Check out this blog post where I share more in depth info about what to include on your home page. 

At the end of the day, your copy is something that is a living, breathing part of your overall brand. It’s going to grow with you as your brand continues to evolve. You can always update as needed. What’s most important is that you have website copy that sounds like you, represents your experiences, opinions, and embodies your values. 

If you want to have my voice in your ears teaching you all about our connection first, copy second framework, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The Wednesday Kin, here. 

Remember how I mentioned earlier that I am only ½ of Kinfolk Creative? Well, my husband, Zach, the SEO guy is the other ½. Sooo, if SEO is something on the horizon that you’re already thinking about, you’ll definitely want to subscribe to his bite-sized newsletter, Skratch SEO to learn how to keep your website SEO optimized for organic and AI search.