Niche Upon a Star- what can our guests teach us about authenticity?
Authenticity is a copywriter’s secret weapon. Being true to yourself will open all sorts of doors, but getting there can be a struggle. When your entire job is speaking on behalf of others, how can you make sure that your own voice isn’t drowned out?
These are the sorts of questions we wanted to answer when we started the Niche Upon a Star podcast. We may only be eight episodes in, but this idea of authenticity has already come up on multiple occasions. From setting boundaries with clients to finding the right tone for your website, here’s why being true to yourself can work wonders for your business.
Authenticity takes time
Authenticity doesn’t happen overnight. Eager to gain experience, many new freelancers take on work that isn’t a good fit for their skills or personality. We always ask our guests how they got into freelancing, and many share this experience of an early, awkward phase.
In episode one we spoke to Gareth Hancock, also known as FACTS (F’n Awesome Copy That Slaps). His copywriting is in high demand these days, but his early career was sometimes a struggle. He would often work ten hours a day, churning out 500 word posts on a wide range of topics. As well as being mentally draining, this left him with a nagging feeling that he wasn’t being authentic:
“ I was very much trying to sound like what I thought a content writer should sound like. I was word for hire, basically. It was all about filling a quota. All they were interested in were the keywords so they could get ranked in Google. That kind of writing didn’t differentiate me from anyone else in the world.”
These feelings are shared by Freya Swenson-Costello, the brains behind Freya Helps Me. She’s built a highly successful business but, like Gareth, she initially struggled to find her place. In episode six she describes her first job as a freelancer:
“The client didn’t know what they were doing or what they needed. It was a complete mismatch, and I spent so much time and energy on it.”
While these experiences are unpleasant, they can offer some valuable lessons for new copywriters. If you find yourself in this situation, try asking the following questions:
- Why does the work feel inauthentic?
- What could be done to make it better?
- Were there any warning signs that I missed?
- Should I have raised any issues at an earlier stage?
Answering these questions can turn a bad job into a learning experience. Identifying the negative elements will give you a better idea of what to avoid in the future, while considering possible improvements will make it easier to spot a good thing when it comes along.
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More of what you want, less of what you don’t
There’s an important lesson here. Being authentic isn’t just about doing what you want. It’s about not doing what you don’t want. For Freya, the breakthrough came when she realised it was OK to turn down work:
“It was a real wake up call when I realised that the client wasn’t a good fit for me. I told them that it wasn’t going to work and that we should go our separate ways. I learned that it’s OK to do that if the work isn’t right.”
In episode two we spoke to Megan Rose, another brilliant copywriter with plenty of wisdom to share. She had a similar view on authenticity- sometimes knowing yourself means knowing when to say no:
“I’m quite happy to walk away if I have enough money in the bank to do that. I used to work in customer complaints for a toy company and it was the best training I’ve ever had in terms of knowing your own red lines. If a client is pushing boundaries, I have the confidence to say ‘This isn’t working for me. This is what I need to make this work, but otherwise I’m happy to move on’.”
Finding yourself means finding your niche
This honest approach to client relationships is a real time-saver. Once you have the confidence to turn down work that isn’t right, you can focus your energy on the work that is. This creates a virtuous cycle. When you specialise in the things you enjoy, you become even better at them. Here’s Gareth again:
“It’s important to recognize your weaknesses and know that you don’t have to do everything. There are people who specialise in that stuff and you can outsource it to them. This frees me up to do more of what I love. Copywriting is my niche, and finding that niche was a turning point.”
Once you’ve found this niche, you can update your marketing materials to match. Megan had a major breakthrough when she realised that she could use her website to target specific jobs and clients:
“The way that I present myself on my website is very much tailored to the work that I enjoy. The website is there to bring in the stuff that I really, really love doing. It took me a long time to realise that my marketing doesn’t have to reflect my whole business or my whole me. It’s there to do a job, and that’s bringing in the lovely clients that I want to work with.”
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Authenticity is good for business
Finding an authentic approach takes time, but it’s time well spent. In an industry riddled with insincerity, a sense of authenticity will make you irresistible to clients. Gareth knows this better than anyone. His entire brand is built on being himself, and it’s paid off in a big way:
“The more I thought about it, the more I realised that you’ve got to be yourself. That’s what’s going to get you work. That’s what’s going to build relationships. I’m happy to use northern slang terms in writing now. Just be authentic-that’s how I go about it. People are coming to me now- the sort of people I want to work with. Being myself online and talking about the things I want to talk about has made it a lot easier to find good clients.”
We could talk all day about authenticity as a marketing tool, but this would be missing the point. Being yourself may be good for business, but the real benefit is that it feels amazing! We’ll leave the final word on this to Freya:
“I’ve always been a square peg trying to fit in a round hole because I’m neurodivergent. I’ve never fit in the boxes. Freelancing has worked for me because I’ve said “Fuck it, I’m going to make my own box! When you’re in the driving seat of your own business, especially as a woman, especially as a mother, it’s empowering. And you can be like ‘this is me, this is what I do’, and it feels great!”
