Why do you assume people will buy from a stranger?
And what can you do to change that 'non-existent' relationship?
Maybe it’s a bad habit but when I connect with someone new on LinkedIn, I am compelled to check out their website and more specifically, their ‘About me’ page.
My heart genuinely breaks because a lot of times, it contains something that could be written by ChatGPT and maybe a story that goes like, here’s me and some boring facts.
These people might be offering a creative service - maybe coaching, design, photography - but their copy is anything but creative. They might as well have a “Here’s a website that tells you about my business and not much else.”
You Don’t Need a Multi-Million Dollar Marketing Budget.
LinkedIn influencers LOVE to tell the stories of big companies and their ads. And fine, I did it as well just a day ago with Apple.
But they forget that companies like Nike, Red Bull, Disney have the advantage of thicc budgets. They build their brand stories and perception through countless ads, sponsored events, and even entire theme parks.
Disney also has movies that people become obsessed with in their childhood, associating the company with their tagline, ‘where dreams come true’.
Can you imagine being trying to compete with a brand kids grew up on?
Luckily, you are not a billion-dollar business, nor are you competing with them. But in your space, here’s where you can create a similar edge:
Your story is personal. Your website is your space to tell it – fully and freely.
Social media is a great space to repeat your message and spread it. But your website allows you have to have that one space where you get a chance tell your story properly.
Sales is not about selling, like people assume.
It’s about explaining your offer, taking them through the process and helping the customer identify the problem.
And if it makes sense, how you can help them solve that problem. Not the ‘numbers game/ cold pitching/ pitch, pitch, pitch’ like people on the internet push for (of course, these are sales & freelance gurus who make their money selling courses on how to sell).
Sure, it works but is it a fit for the way you run your business?
Then again, why would they buy that from a stranger on the internet? That’s where your story comes in to play.
To build that connection and show them that you’re a real person who started a business for a reason - with enough info to want to start a conversion.
You can’t have a website that reads ‘here’s me and nothing else’. Instead, lean into the one advantage you have over the big brands: your unique and personal story.
I recently audited a website for an agency focused on the travel and hospitality sector.
It was like a lot of agency websites - we’re good, 20 years of experience in the industry and the same generic claims.
I spoke about generic claims people love to put on their website in this LinkedIn post.
It’s boring because it does nothing to differentiate you from anyone else offering the service. Don’t get me wrong, this agency, like many others, does some amazing work. But if you replaced their brand name with a different name, you wouldn’t know the difference.
After some digging and asking a few questions, I realized the founder started their agency after discovering incredible ‘hole-in-the-wall’ businesses with great potential during their travels – but no customers because of poor branding.
That story felt real, relatable, and compelling, more than just ‘we’re experts in the hospitality space’. They thought nobody would care about it – but this story behind their why they started the business is exactly what sets them apart.
That doesn’t mean you need to use a personal story to exploit feelings out of your target audience. But if you connect them to the heart of your business, something beautiful could come out of it.
Some questions to discover ‘your’ unique story.
Behind the Business Name: What’s the story there? Why this name?
Why You Started The Business: What problem did you set out to solve?
Gaps Identified: Did you see something others missed and chose to act on it?
Differentiation in Process: Do you solve the problem in a way nobody else in the industry does?
I’d love to add more but it really differs website to website - because no website is the same.
Want to see if your story stands out?
I’m launching my website audit on Wednesday - a one hour call where we’ll go over your messaging and immediate steps to understand why your website visitors aren’t turning into active buyers.
If people aren’t sticking long enough to apply for your service or book a discovery call, you know something’s up. Let me help you give you actionable tips to instantly improve conversions.
Reply with ‘yes, please’ and I’ll share a private link for $85 instead of the launch price of $165 (just for my current Substack Subscribers - because I’m nice like that) when it launches.
If you aren’t a subscriber, maybe change that so that you don’t miss out on the next offer. And come on, the post wasn’t too bad either.
Happy marketing,
Maria
Ps: If you don’t remember, hi - I’m a website copywriter who positions creatives as go-to experts.
You’ve subscribed to my weekly newsletter, ‘Room for Marketing’ where I help creative entrepreneurs learn how to make room for marketing in their business (cheesy, I know) by making the idea of it less overwhelming.
Want to connect? Here’s my Website & LinkedIn.