191: Unchain Your Voice: Craft AI-Proof Copy
Ever stared at a blank page, wondering how to make your words stand out in a world of AI-generated content? You're not alone, and this week's episode is all helping you craft your AI-proof copy.
In this episode, I sat down with the brilliant Dr. Suzy Cater, who is helping us create authenticity in our AI-driven world. We're diving deep into the art of creating copy that's uniquely, irresistibly you.
In this conversation, we unpack:
How to flaunt your expertise without feeling like a showoff (yes, it's possible!)
The secret sauce to writing copy that connects on a human level
Why your quirks and stories are your superpower in standing out
A super simple exercise to turn your pain points into magnetic promises
Whether you're an introvert who squirms at self-promotion or an extrovert looking to add more depth to your message, this episode has golden nuggets for everyone.
So, grab your favorite drink, find a cozy spot, and let's unchain your voice together. Your copy (and your future clients) will thank you!
I'm dying to hear how this episode transforms your approach to copywriting. Share your biggest aha moment – I'm all ears!
🥂Here's to your voice, loud and proud.
Key points discussed:
[00:02:33] The importance of owning your authority in copy and messaging
[00:05:52] Strategies for communicating the transformational impact of your work
[00:09:35] How AI is changing copywriting and the importance of personal touch
[00:12:17] Understanding thought leadership and incorporating it into your business
[00:15:56] Practical exercise for creating compelling promises from pain points
Mentioned in this episode:
Unlocking Your Voice: The Power of Authentic Copywriting in Digital Entrepreneurship
In the ever-evolving world of digital entrepreneurship, one element remains constant: the power of authentic communication. As online business owners, we often struggle to find our voice and effectively convey our expertise. But what if I told you that the key to standing out in a crowded marketplace lies in embracing your unique story and perspective?
In a recent episode of the Creators MBA Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Suzy Cater, a conversion copywriting expert with a fascinating background as a prize-winning researcher and former academic. Our conversation unveiled invaluable insights for entrepreneurs looking to elevate their messaging and create a stronger online presence. Let's dive into the key takeaways that can transform your approach to copywriting and business communication.
Owning Your Authority: The Mindset Shift
One of the most significant challenges we face as entrepreneurs, especially women and those from underrepresented communities, is owning our expertise. Dr. Cater emphasized the importance of showcasing our brilliance without feeling boastful or salesy.
"I think it's very important, especially for entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, to showcase why we're great and why people should work with us if we want to earn money as business owners," Dr. Cater noted.
This mindset shift is crucial. Remember, by confidently sharing your expertise, you're not bragging – you're providing valuable information that can help your potential clients make informed decisions. It's about painting a clear picture of the transformation you offer, allowing your audience to see the possibility of their own growth through your services.
Communicating Transformation: Beyond the Immediate Impact
When crafting your message, it's easy to focus solely on the immediate benefits of your services. However, Dr. Cater suggests looking beyond the surface to explore the ripple effects of your work. Consider not just what happens immediately after someone works with you, but how their life or business might change 6 months or a year down the line.
This approach allows you to create what Dr. Cater calls a "big sexy promise" – a compelling vision of the transformation you offer. It's not about making unrealistic claims, but rather about helping your audience envision the full potential of working with you.
"You're always doing a work disservice if you don't paint the picture for them. Because, otherwise, how are they ever gonna get off the mountain?" Dr. Cater pointed out.
By focusing on these longer-term impacts, you can create more compelling and motivating copy that truly resonates with your ideal clients.
The Human Touch in the Age of AI
As artificial intelligence continues to make waves in the copywriting world, many entrepreneurs wonder about its impact on their businesses. While AI can be a useful tool for brainstorming and generating ideas, Dr. Cater emphasized that it can't replace the unique human elements that make your copy truly compelling.
Your personal experiences, the nuances of your expertise, and the specific ways you connect with your audience are all elements that AI simply can't replicate. These are the aspects that will make your copy stand out in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
"There were so many parts of my story that I was never talking about or my expertise that I wasn't showcasing. And that really made the hugest difference to me," Dr. Cater shared, highlighting the importance of infusing your copy with your unique perspective and experiences.
Thought Leadership: It's Not What You Think
The term "thought leadership" often conjures images of heavy, serious content about industry trends and future predictions. However, Dr. Cater offers a refreshing perspective on what thought leadership can be.
Thought leadership doesn't have to be weighty or overly serious. It can be fun, light, and enjoyable. Sometimes, simply showing up as yourself and sharing your authentic experiences can be incredibly inspiring to your audience.
"It can be very nice for people to see you doing like a bit more of a chill introvert-friendly business model that can mean a lot to people too," Dr. Cater noted, reminding us that our unique approach to business can be a form of thought leadership in itself.
Don't be afraid to share parts of your story that you might have previously considered unimportant or even slightly embarrassing. These elements often create the strongest connections with your audience, as they showcase your humanity and relatability.
Practical Tips for Compelling Copy
To wrap up our conversation, Dr. Cater shared a practical exercise for creating compelling copy. Start by listing the pain points of your ideal clients. Then, carefully edit this list, removing any issues you don't actually want to address in your business. Finally, flip these edited pain points into positive promises.
This exercise not only helps you focus on the transformations you truly want to offer but also naturally shifts your language to a more positive, promise-oriented tone that's likely to resonate with your audience.
When crafting your promises, consider different angles:
Tangible outcomes
Emotional benefits
Big picture, soul-yearning transformations
"Are you attracted to working for clients who, you know, they wanna make a quick ROI from that copy? Or is it more they really want to own the power of their voices and their expertise and their authority?" Dr. Cater asked, encouraging us to align our copy with the type of clients we most want to attract.
By focusing on the promises that resonate most with you and your ideal clients, you can create copy that not only converts but also attracts the right people to your business.
In conclusion, effective copywriting in the digital entrepreneurship space is about so much more than just words on a page. It's about confidently sharing your expertise, painting a vivid picture of the transformation you offer, and infusing your unique personality and experiences into your message. By embracing these principles, you can create copy that not only sells but also genuinely connects with your audience, setting the foundation for long-term business success.
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Transcript:
Destini Copp [00:00:07]:
Welcome to the Creators MBA Podcast, your go to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship. My name is Dr. Destini Copp, and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product business without the need to be glued to their desk, constantly live launching, or worrying about the social media algorithms. I hope you enjoy our episode today. And my special guest today is Dr. Suzy Cater. Suzy is an acclaimed conversion copywriting expert with a background as a prize winning researcher, teacher, and former academic. Since starting her business in 2017, she's helped thousands of business owners and creatives worldwide to own the power of their voices, light up their inspiration, and pour the beating heart of their brands into unforgettable copy that sells. And Suzy, I am super excited to chat with you today. I love what you're doing and just so everybody knows who's listening here.
Destini Copp [00:01:19]:
Suzy and I got started in our online businesses around the same time, took us some of the same courses way back way back when. Yeah. Exactly. So we've had a very similar journey here. We're both from academics. But, Suzy, before we get into all the questions I have for you, can you tell the audience just a little bit more about you and how you've helped people?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:01:41]:
Yes. And thank you so much for having me here. Real honored and a treat to get to talk with you about all of this. Yeah. So I am an expert in conversion copywriting and in messaging. I basically help, entrepreneurs and creatives really leverage the power of their voices to create evergreen copy that strengthens that online presence, makes them so much more memorable, and also just enables them to sell with a lot more ease in their businesses because they have evergreen copy working 247 to, basically convince people of their brilliance and really showcase their authority. I think for me at the beginning, it was really hard to own my authority in my copy and in my messaging, to really showcase my expertise. I had a lot of kind of mindset issues about that.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:02:33]:
I think that many of us are conditioned growing up in our in our professional context not to own our awesomeness because it's seen as kind of braggy or boastful. And I think you can do that in a really ethical way that is not salesy or braggy at all, and that it's really important, especially for entrepreneurs through underrepresented communities to showcase why we're great and why people should work with us if we wanna earn money as business owners.
Destini Copp [00:03:03]:
And I think you're bringing up a very good point, and it's probably something that we don't talk about enough as women in these online businesses. When we're out there trying to communicate our expertise, and we all have a lot of brilliance to be up to the world, what are some mindset shifts we need to make to kinda get over that so we can communicate our brilliance?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:03:29]:
Oh my goodness. It's already running. I could I think that one I think that definitely you know, many of us are kind of recovering or or still people pleasers, and we I think what I see a lot is issues with people really kind of claiming the transformational value and impact of the work that they do with clients. That's probably the number one thing to the degree that, you know, I've I've edited testimonials for my client's website that they're doing website copy or whatever with me. I put their testimonials in. And multiple times, it has happened where someone said to me, Suzy, I I think you've over edited this testimonial, you know, you're making. It sound like the client's saying more than they are. And I said, actually, the bit that you think I've over edited, I have not touched.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:04:19]:
Like, those were actually the things that your client said about you. And then it's almost like whiplash for the client where they're like, oh, really? So my client really is saying such wonderful things about me. So so that's probably the most obvious, example that I could give to you. When it comes to website copy, I think it's very important, especially in your home pages, at the very top of your website pages to kind of give a big sexy promise about the transformations that you can create for for people who take your course or work with you 1 on 1. And really nailing that big sexy promise is, I think, a sticking point for a lot of entrepreneurs. And I I've worked yeah. I've seen that happen in my web copy boot camp 100 of times. That's always the big thing.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:05:03]:
The big sexy promise is is a bit of a tricky one for people to nail down. Well, let's dig into that
Destini Copp [00:05:10]:
A little bit more because I can tell you even from my own perspective. You know, when I was working with my business coach and we were going through some of the stuff on my sales page and my webinar just for this launch that I'm going through right now. Then that's one of the things she's like, you got to, you know, bring out that transformation a little bit more. I'm like, well, it's it's making me a little bit uneasy because I know what they can do, but, you know, it can everybody do it is is the question. And am I be am I am I making too big of a promise? I think is what, kind of my hesitation was there. And what would you say to somebody like me in that situation?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:05:52]:
Yeah. I I would probably suggest 2 things. I think one thing is really looking really getting clear on kind of not just the immediate impact that you're having on people, but the ripple effect of your work. Mhmm. Kind of going downstream, what happens 6 months down the line. And so just to give you an example of my own, having great website copy, like, that's great. Your website's gonna be so much more impressive for people who are interested in working with you. But also down the line, you're pitching for summit.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:06:23]:
You are trying to position yourself to get media features, etcetera, etcetera. Like, you are gonna have so much more confidence with the words to articulate the amazingness of what you do. And so that's sort of a ripple effect. And because, you know, I know you've worked with so many people, Destini. And, you know, actually looking at what have your clients gone on to do, asking them for that feedback. That's always super helpful. I'm a big believer in using your client's words as much as possible, because that also helps you feel like, I'm not exaggerating. This is possible.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:06:56]:
You can also you know, you can call it out as a possibility. That's a that's I I really believe that it's very important to write with integrity in our website copy. So I often say things like, let's just take a minute to think about what's better, whatever it is the person's doing can help you create or could lead to. Like, what might that lead to for you? And you can miss the possibilities. And then it's not like you're like, I am going to make this happen. But I think you just emphasizing these are potential ripple effects, and they're really positive. I think it's a great way to do it because I'm with you. I don't love it when people go straight from, you know, I'll help you with your Instagram social media to you're gonna have a 7 figure business and be lying on the beach at Rita.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:07:41]:
If, like, that that to me is a bit exaggerated as a poet.
Destini Copp [00:07:45]:
Right. And I I think that's, you know, there's so much of that out there. I wanna stay as far away as I possibly can. But I like what you said or, actually, I love what you said about thinking about the ripple effects of their transformation and what you're doing to help them and what that's gonna mean to them 3 months, 6 months, a year down the road. So I think that's a very important point. And I wasn't thinking about it that way. I love that. You know, it's changing my mindset.
Destini Copp [00:08:14]:
I mean, that's a nice,
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:08:15]:
you know, for One thing I often say is it kind of like, are you a guide taking somebody up a mountain path? And you've been up and down this path so many times, and you know what's at the top of the mountain, and you know some things that might come up for people along the way. But if your client's coming to you and they've never been up the mountain, it's kind of your job to be like, okay. Well, this is you want to incentivize them and say, this is what's waiting for you up there. Like, this this can be possible. And, sure, maybe there will be some other things along the way that might be, you know, that that you might worry about. But, you know, just kind of recognize that they they sometimes really they don't know what they don't know. Right? Like, they really can't see it, and and you're always doing a work disservice if you don't paint the picture for them. Because, otherwise, how are they ever gonna get off the mountain?
Destini Copp [00:09:08]:
I love that. And we'll switch gears on you Yes. Just a little bit. And, you know, we've been in this online space for many years now. And I do think some things have changed. Well, you know, especially here recently, right, with the impact of AI. So can you walk me through your thoughts on what has changed and how AI is kind of changing the way that we communicate and do our copy and all that good stuff?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:09:35]:
Yeah. Gus, great question. I think so many you know, I'm I'm a naturally very suspicious person of most technology related things. My husband absolutely loves them and is, like, super into Chat GPT, but I am not. But nonetheless, I will say I do think AI can be very helpful sometimes for brainstorming. But when it comes to expressing your thought leader message, really owning the uniqueness of who you are, the story you bring to the table, the background you bring to the table. All those points of connection that your ideal clients are going to feel with you. Like, those things that AI can't do.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:10:19]:
And I think that that's why I often focus a lot on messaging, not just copy. Because maybe the AI can write copy, but it cannot help you really own your uniqueness. It cannot draw out of you the unique touch points, the unique experiences that you've had in your past that you'll bring to the table, that it's really time for you to own more if you want to connect with people and sell to people. I remember one of my clients, you know, she this was a while ago, but we wrote copy for Harold Orton. She was a business coach. There are a lot of business coaches out there. And the thing that she told me that she took away most from our work together, it it wasn't the copy strategies I use, even though it ended up being her most profitable launch. It was that she said, I really realized I wasn't souring enough of me in any of my copy.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:11:13]:
And I thought I was, but but there were so many parts of my story that I was never talking about or my expertise that I wasn't showcasing. And that really made the hugest difference to me. So I think if people are relying entirely on AI for the copy, it almost makes it easier for the rest of us to stand out anyway because that's where we can really bring in the power of our personality from from our our background or story or experience to even small things like little celebrity references about TV shows we watch that our audience probably loves too.
Destini Copp [00:11:49]:
I love that. I wanna dig into this a little bit more because I think this is important. I think probably everybody listening can learn from what you're saying here. So what exactly does being a thought leader mean to you? But let's take it a step further. How do we incorporate that thought leadership into what we're doing? Whether we're doing a launch or just, you know, sending out our weekly newsletter. So what would you suggest to us there?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:12:17]:
I talk about quite a lot. And one of the biggest things I always say first of all is thought leadership does not have to look like it did maybe for you traditionally as you were growing up or having your career. Thought leadership can be fun. It doesn't have to be heavy. It doesn't have to be serious. It doesn't have to be you making all these very deep and meaningful and heavy statements about the future of the entire industry. It can be something light. It can be something enjoyable.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:12:47]:
And sometimes even just showing up as ourselves can really inspire people. You know, I think what often actually I know from from my own experience, there were certain elements in my background that I had some shame around. Like like moving from academia into starting my own business, you know. Was I failing because I was bailing on this 12 year career that I'd had in academia? And I actually realized after it is a while of being in the online business world that so many people found that inspiring. That thing that I thought was kind of a failure, there were so many other people out there who've also left corporate jobs, academic jobs, other very fine status jobs to do their own business. Maybe because of caregiving responsibilities. Maybe because they were burned out. Maybe for some other reason.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:13:36]:
And just staring things like that can really mean a lot to your audience. So I hope that answered your question.
Destini Copp [00:13:43]:
No. No. It absolutely did. And I'll I love basically, what you're saying is is just really sharing our story. Mhmm. Even if we think our our story is not particularly exciting. Because I if you look at my life, I'm like, my life is so boring. Why would anybody wanna know anything about mine? But
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:14:05]:
I think 90% of us feel that way. But I
Destini Copp [00:14:07]:
I love what you're saying. It's basically just sharing the little thing that aren't necessarily that or shadowy, but it'd be interesting at people.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:14:16]:
Yes. Exactly. And I think that's opening so many doors and open it in people's minds about what can be possible. Oh, this person yeah, something cool for me was that another person who I'd been doing my PhD, whether that I knew from academia, just from me sharing my story, she decided to do the same thing and start her own business. And I was like, wow. That's really cool that I got to inspire her in that way. And even, you know, I talk about being an introvert, being a highly sensitive person, and even things like that, I think, to some people in my audience are very inspiring. Because I think sometimes us us introverts, feel as if we can't do a lot of things that, you know, we see extrovert people doing.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:14:59]:
So it can be very nice for people to see you doing like a a bit more of a chill introvert friendly business model that can mean a lot to people too.
Destini Copp [00:15:09]:
I love that, and I'm gonna put myself in that category. I'm definitely a very, very strong introvert. So
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:15:16]:
alone time. It's so good.
Destini Copp [00:15:19]:
Now, Suzy, before we wrap it up here, do you have any last minute tips for the audience?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:15:26]:
Oh, last minute tips. You chose it. Well, I I think maybe one thing I will say is, you know, we're talking about those big sexy promises earlier. Right? Mhmm. I think something I found super helpful. It's often easier to talk about pain points of our audience. I'm not a super big fan of doing, you know, having very pain point heavy copy. But a good way to start if you're feeling really stuck for talking about the promises and the transformations you can create is to make a list of pain points.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:15:56]:
Make a list of the pain points of your potential audience that you think are true. Then go through it carefully and scratch out any pain points that you actually don't want to be dealing with. Because almost all of us will do pain point list for our ideal clients, and then we'll be like, actual, I don't want them to I don't wanna help people with this particular problem anymore. So go through, edit it, and then once you've edited it, flip it to promises. So, like, flip the pain points into promises. That can be a really helpful way to quickly make your language more positive. And another way to think as well with big sexy promises is you can do different ones. Right? Like, you can do tangible ones.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:16:39]:
You can talk about how people will feel, emotional ones, or you can talk kind of big picture soul yearning. Like, what are their dreams that this is connecting to? And you will kind of intuitively be drawn to people who maybe are more emotional or maybe more tangible or maybe do have that big picture yearning. And you can kinda hit all of them, but just think about your people. Like, who are you most attracted to? Are you attracted to working for clients who, you know, they wanna make a quick ROI from that copy? Or is it more they really want to own the power of their voices and their expertise and their authority? And then you can kind of write more towards that person. I hope that makes sense.
Destini Copp [00:17:22]:
It absolutely does. And I've never done that exercise before, but now I'm like, I really wanna go do it. Like, I wanna drop everything. Can't go do it. So I think that's a really, really good tip. So thanks for sharing that. And, Suzy, can you let folks know where they can find you and you have a free gift for them also?
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:17:41]:
Yes. Well, thank you so much. And so a great place by me is my website, suzycater.com. I will spell that, suzycater.com. And, you can take my I have a quiz, which is hugely popular. What's your wealth creating messaging personality quiz? And it will give you a customized messaging game plan that suits your intuitive messaging style. So you're not feeling as if you're shoehorning yourself into a messaging strategy that is not aligned with who you are. I also have my 4 p's of personality packed copy cheat sheets, which is another very popular freebie that will help you core more personality into it and have a bit more oomph using the power of who you are and how you like to talk.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:18:34]:
And we I will make sure that all of
Destini Copp [00:18:36]:
those links are in the show notes, Suzy, so everybody knows where they can find you. And thank you so much for joining me today. I absolutely loved our conversation.
Dr. Suzy Cater [00:18:47]:
Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Destini Copp [00:18:52]:
Thanks for listening. I have a way to the end. I hope you enjoyed this episode today. If you love the show, I'd appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Have a great rest of your day, and bye for now.