Website copy & content for Abley

Website copy and content for transport and location intelligence experts Abley

Back in 2020, about three months into owning my own business, I posted on LinkedIn about the magic of case studies. The post got five likes and one comment. The comment was from me. But this is a cautionary tale about pursuing vanity metrics. Because Mel Gurden, Marketing Manager from Abley saw that post, and hopped into my DMs.

A few days later I was having coffee with Mel. She said, “Your posts kept popping up in my feed and your content really resonated with me. It was just really compelling and made me curious to find out more about what you do and how you could help Abley.”

Unsolicited LinkedIn advice tangent klaxon

I’m going to digress for a minute to give you unsolicited LinkedIn advice. I’ve been working with Abley for three years now. They’re one of my key clients, but far more importantly, they’re absolutely freaking delightful, smart people, and I adore working with them.

There’s a fallacy you have to be a mega influencer person with thousands and thousands of followers to make money on LinkedIn. That is utter pants. Back then I had about 300 connections. My average post reach was 135.2 people and a hamster called Sid into bitcoin. But because I was posting regularly, and sharing helpful advice connected to the services I offer, I got regular enquiries from folks like Mel, asking for help wrangling words. It doesn’t matter how tiny your following is. Get posting. Free LinkedIn tips over here.

Right, back to Abley’s story

Mel explains the situation she was in. “Our website was outdated and needed a refresh. It was a great opportunity to start from scratch. First we thought we simply needed some new website content, but then we realised we didn't have a solid brand story.”

“We’re a complex business. Abley was formed when a transport engineering firm merged with a location data consultancy, and so it became confusing talking about what we do. We needed a succinct way to share with potential clients and employees who we are and what we do. And that's where you came in, Lizzie to work your magic.”

“At the time, I was the only marketing resource in a very busy, growing organisation. So, I needed the help of a specialist copywriter who could dive deep into our business and articulate clearly what we do. That involved interviews with lots of key people across our transportation, road safety, and technology teams. You were able to understand our key areas of expertisel and work them into a simple compelling brand story our audience could understand.”

Wrangling a big ole beast of a website

The brand story set the tone for Abley’s marketing and communications, and the website content was a natural evolution of that.

Mel explains, “Initially, we thought we were creating a pretty simple site, but because of the breadth of the services we offer, the website morphed into quite a large project. Your experience helped steer us in the right direction. You gave us clear advice and a thorough process. We wanted to make the site a lot more succinct. You used your wordsmithing skills to make our messages concise and put our brand story up in lights. And you helped us establish that balance between credibility and not getting too carried away with overwhelming technical detail.”

Mel’s not wrong about the size of the project. The new Abley site was a beast with 32 pages, and six case studies (we’ve built a bigger library of client stories over time). It was a real test of my ability to absorb vast quantities of complex info and simplify it into digestible chunks.

Fortunately, it all worked out just fine

Several months of secret sweat while pretending to be composed and confident all paid off. Mel says. “The new website has been amazing for Abley. We've had a huge increase in traffic. Abley has also grown hugely in the last couple of years, from a small to a medium sized organisation. The website is our shop window, so it's important it reflects who we are and where we're going. And the new site makes our expertise really clear.”

“The case studies profiling our work definitely help to generate leads. You’re great at interviewing our clients and capturing their feedback and testimonials. You show the value we've created through our solutions. And our clients are very willing to open up to you, which is fantastic because it's important to have their story in their own words.”

“The site is key for our employer brand as well. Recruitment is challenging because there are limited people with the experience we’re looking for in our technical fields. So having an informative website that speaks to the work we do and life at Abley gives us a competitive edge when it comes to looking for talent. And time and time again, our People and Culture Manager has said that during interviews the candidates have commented on how great the content is on our website, how it makes our culture sing.”

A new site is just the start

When Mel and I sat down and scoped out Abley’s new site, the websites Abley aspired to emulate were those where there was clear messaging and a strong connection between what the organisation did, and what they wanted to promote. Quality content was a central part of their website mix. When you invest in a new site, it’s critical to invest in a content strategy as well, because launching a new site is just the start. Once it’s live you’ve got to create reasons for people to keep visiting, and that’s where content comes in.

As part of the website project, I worked with Mel to put together a content marketing strategy and delivered a series of workshops to inspire and empower the Abley team to create blogs and LinkedIn posts. Mel recalls, “Your work with our content marketing strategy has helped guide us in building a useful content resource for our clients. It makes sure we're identifying relevant content topics and crafting thought pieces to attract and engage our audience. Abley is very active on LinkedIn and planning in advance is key when it comes to being able to roll out regular content, delivering fresh messages and highlighting the work we’re doing.”

“It was great to have your help to identify Abley content champions. Getting your advice on what sort of content we should be sharing, and different tips and tricks to use to get more engagement, has given our people more confidence. The people who attended your content workshops have continued to post more regularly. We’ve a group of people passionate about creating content who are becoming more confident using LinkedIn. They’ve endorsed your training, embraced posting, and are creating engaging content.”

Trust, hope, and insights  

Whenever I interview one of the glorious humans I work with I ask them where I add most value. Mel says, “The way you can take an idea, dig deep to find insights, and weave that into a really compelling story is super valuable, whether it’s a case study or content for our website. The real gold is we don't have to brief you anymore. You know our business and understand it so well that you can take a project, run with it, and add that extra value.”

You’re another arm to our marketing team, providing storytelling when we need it. And you’re reliable. We know your outputs are always going to be high quality, we trust you with our clients, and they trust you and share their insights because of the way you are.”

“Finding you was so exciting Lizzie because I knew Abley had so much potential to grow, but with limited resources it was hard. So, finding you gave me hope that I could achieve more.”

Make your website your number one salesperson

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LinkedIn ghost writing for Ulrika Brunner

In December 2021, I got an call from Mereana Beconcini, Inspire Group’s marketing manager at the time (she’s now lead business partner at Special New Zealand and has been succeeded at Inspire Group by the also utterly splendid Ben Hogg).

Mere said, “Lizzie, how do you feel about LinkedIn?”

“I quite like LinkedIn, Mere” I said.

“Oh good. Well how would you feel about ghost writing LinkedIn posts for some of our senior execs?”

My initial gut reaction was to opt out. I’ve been a copywriter for almost 15 years now, and I can’t be arsed with social media posts because they tend to be unprofitable both financially and in terms of professional satisfaction.

So, no was on the tip of my tongue, but something held me back.

And that something was twofold. I like LinkedIn. Among the business banalities are whip smart people sharing entertaining, valuable content. And I know how powerful LinkedIn can be for business growth. Secondly, I’d just come from ghost writing for the first time and enjoyed it more than I’d expected. I learned heaps, and it was freeing to shape someone else’s ideas rather than coming up with content myself.

So, I said, “Sure. Why the heck not?”

Well, that was a good decision. Not only did I enjoy that first LinkedIn ghost writing gig (and the second, and the third …) but I’d inadvertently stumbled on a service that brought in 14% of my revenue last year without me having to promote it once.

The red thread of leadership

A week later I was on a Zoom call to Kuala Lumpur, interviewing CEO of Inspire Group Asia Ulrika Brunner. Inspire Group deliver life changing learning for large organisations, so Ulrika’s in high demand as a thought leader.

Ulrika recalls, “I wanted to take my LinkedIn voice to the next level. I’d lots of ideas, but I was a bit lost when it came to finding the thread that tied it all together.”

“I remember so clearly from our first meeting, Lizzie, how you managed to draw out that red thread. We were still on our call, you hadn't even sat down and reflected, and you said, ‘What I'm hearing is leadership conversations. When you talk, every time you light up, it's something to do with leadership conversations.’”

“When you said that to me, I thought that's it! That’s my thing. Because the topic of leadership pops up all the time. And since you said that to me, I’ve noticed the theme of leadership is present in 90% of the conversations I have. Leadership is one of the core things we teach at Inspire Group, but it's also how I engage with the world. When I meet new people I often use coaching questions. I’m not saying things because I want to make people feel good about themselves, but because I want to understand them, and help them understand themselves.”

“But I didn’t have that clarity before Lizzie. The way you drew that insight out was like magic. I'd been grappling with trying to find my purpose for a long time and I don't think I would have reached the same conclusion trying to do that work on my own.”

There's a common saying in marketing that you can't see the label on the bottle when you're on the inside. And I often think of that when people like Ulrika say how I’ve given them clarity on the problems they solve or the value they bring. It’s easy for me to do this for other people because I’ve spent 20 years listening to conversations and pulling out themes. But it's really hard for us to do this for ourselves, because we’re too close to our lives to see those big themes.

Connecting with the person behind the words

Ulrika wanted to hone her message and create a consistent voice on LinkedIn, so people get a feel for who she is and what she stands for. I asked her how she found the process we went through together.

“When I listen to the way you ask questions Lizzie and see the wealth and depth of information you draw out from people, I'm in awe. It feels like you have a magic wand”

“Often when I'm having conversations with potential clients, I think back to how you structure your questions and how deliberate you are, but how you make it sound so natural. It doesn't feel like you're going through a checklist. It's an easy conversation, but you’re very clear on what you need to create content. Your ability to do that is something else. I've never seen anyone else with that skill to your level.”

“I get a lot of people interviewing me. I get invited to speaking engagements. People ask me questions all the time. But the way you ask questions, and the way you listen, and the way you connect with the person behind the words, it’s like you connect with the soul of your subject. You really connect. And that's a special gift. That’s not usual. It's like a dance when we talk. It's just amazing.”

Channelling your authentic voice

When I ghost write, it’s my job to disappear. The finished result has nothing to do with me. It’s your ideas, your words, and your voice. All I do is help you identify the things that matter to you, encourage you to dig deep to fully express your expertise, then shape your thoughts into bite-sized nuggets of wisdom.

Ulrika recalls how that worked for her. “Most of all, I value the way you’re able to take my voice and write things and I feel like I wrote them myself. I feel completely connected to the content you’ve created on my behalf. There is nothing that doesn't resonate with me. It's like you're inside my head.”

When Ulrika started sharing her LinkedIn posts, what happened next exceeded her expectations. “I didn't expect the impact my posts would have on people. My stories seem to resonate on a deep, personal level. People began to reach out saying, ‘I so get what you're saying. I’ve experienced something just like that.’ People aren’t simply saying, cool post. They’re really connecting with the content.”

“Now when I go to events people feel like they know me because my LinkedIn voice is so clear, and the stories I tell are so personal. So, the trust is already there because they know who I am, and what I stand for.”

 “I like to mentor people and LinkedIn has created the opportunity for me to support a wider group of people. People reach out to me when they’re feeling a bit stuck. I get messages from people just starting out in their career through to frustrated senior leaders. We’ll have very deep conversations where people open up to me because my LinkedIn presence has created that sense of familiarity and trust.”

“And then of course potential clients reach out and say, ‘The leadership culture you talk about is the kind of culture we want in our organisation. How can we make this happen?’ They want to work with me to create that kind of environment. We’ve just delivered five workshops for a huge organization because their team leader connected with me on LinkedIn and liked what he saw.”

An opportunity to make a lasting impact on others

Ulrika emphasises the importance of having a clear LinkedIn content focus. “For me, the big difference came with the clarity you gave me on my key theme, Lizzie. Going through the content creation process with you helped me get clear on where I can make the biggest impact. My time and energy are finite resources, so the more clarity I have, the more deliberate I can be with my focus.”

“The leadership conversations I have often explore three key principles. If you choose to be a leader, you must take responsibility for yourself first before you can lead others, it’s your role to direct and inspire, and you must foster a growth mindset. These three themes come up in every single leadership conversation I have, whether I'm talking to a new graduate or a senior leader of a multi-national.”

Ulrika asks questions that help people explore the reality of what’s going on, rather than making excuses or blaming life. “My goal is to get people to reflect in a way they wouldn’t normally. To take responsibility as leaders. And the conversations I have are extraordinary as a result. People tell me they’re not usual conversations. And the work I’ve done with you provided that clarity.”

“If you love people, and your purpose is to make long lasting impact for others, then LinkedIn is an amazing opportunity to make a difference by sharing what you know. But none of this would've been possible for me if I hadn't had your help.”

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New web copy for sales coach Ian Cartwright

Ian and I met at a gin tasting event

We’d both sampled six different gins, yet by some miracle, we were both coherent. Well, Ian was coherent. I was sweary and enthusiastic … but that’s pretty much how I roll.

When we met, Ian had just written a book – The Six Fundamentals of Sales Know-How – and he was keen to establish a personal brand as an author and sales coach. He was seeking someone with experience and know-how to help him put together his sales coaching proposition.

Ian recalls, “I love helping people get over their fear of sales. The more I coached people, the more I grew in confidence, realising I did know my shit and it was time to back myself. It can be scary putting yourself out there, but I felt it was the right time to launch my own brand. I’d written my book, everything was coming together, I just needed someone to help me make my offer clear … and that was you Lizzie.”

Do you know why your clients choose you?

It’s always interesting asking people why they choose to work with you, and if you haven’t asked your clients this question yet, I highly recommend it.

I’m a writer, but copywriters are two a penny. You can’t walk down the road without some itinerant wordsmith hurling themselves at you, begging to write all your things. So, I was curious why Ian went with me.

Turns out, Ian likes to go with his gut. “I’m in a business where it's all about relationships. I teach people to build relationships, my whole working life has been shaped by first impressions, and I haven't got it wrong too many times.”

“We connected, and it was cool, I could talk to you Lizzie, and you were genuinely interested. And the timing was right. I knew I wanted to launch a new brand. I knew big picture what I wanted to say, but although I can write, I needed someone with an external perspective and experience of brand building to bounce stuff off, and to cut through the noise and tell me, hang on, this is what you need to say.”

It pays to get clear on your website goals before you spend $$$

The first thing Ian and I worked on together was the content for his new sales coaching website. We met at a coffee shop and I grilled him remorselessly.

Ian recalls the process. “One of the most valuable things that came from talking to you Lizzie, was objectivity and clarity, especially discussing what my services could look like. My coaching packages became clear. You helped shape them and put language around my vision. I’ve said to a number of people what impressed me most was how quickly you got it. We changed nothing from your first cut of the website copy. And I've had loads of good comments about my site.”

Music to my ears and ego, but I’ve got to give Ian credit. He’d done a lot of thinking before meeting with me. It pays to think hard about what you’re trying to achieve with your new site before you sit down with a writer or website developer. Tips on doing that over here, and remember if you’re struggling, I can help.

Ian agrees. “It’s important to have clarity about what you want to achieve before you start a new website. But for anybody who’s ready, Lizzie, you're able to take what they're thinking and turn it into reality in a way that speaks to their ideal client. And that’s another thing you do really well. You help people define their niche. Doing that made my offer more powerful. And it doesn’t limit me. People say to me, ‘I know you coach engineers and agribusiness; but would you also work with us?’”

Do you know what it’s like to work with you?

Successful service professionals understand you can win one-off work by being great at what you do. But you win repeat work by being great to work with. A big part of that is making it easy to work with you. So, as well as asking your clients why they choose to work with you, ask them what it’s like to work with you.

Ian describes working with me. “You’re real, so it’s easy to be real with you, Lizzie. I felt I could put anything out there without you judging. That helped me relax, so you were able to reflect my authentic voice. I wanted my down-to-earth character to come through in my content, and for people to know I’m not stuffy and corporate.”

What comes through in Ian’s website, particularly for his engineering clients, is that he’s been in their shoes. “They can relate to me because I've come from their background. I’m not some flash sales git in a shiny suit with a silly car. And I prefer that down-to-earth vibe. More and more I do workshops in a T-shirt and jeans.”

The importance of case studies like this

Once the website content was underway, we needed proof Ian delivers the goods. It was time for him to unleash me on his clients for case study interviews.

Ian explains, “It's a leap of faith asking someone to interview your clients, and there’s a big element of trust when you ask good clients to give feedback on what it’s like to work with you. It’s not something you do lightly. But each person you interviewed enjoyed speaking with you, Lizzie. You made it easy for them, and you wrote the case studies in a way that reflects as well on them as they do on me.”

“It’s so worth getting a third person to do case study interviews. You were able to extract information my customers wouldn’t tell me face-to-face for all sorts of good Kiwi reasons. And my case studies are so worthwhile because I get a real succinct idea of the value I give my clients.”

But did Ian get real business value from working with me?

A good question to end a case study interview is, where did I add most value? Ian’s answer didn’t disappoint. Far more importantly, I didn’t disappoint him. “Working with you Lizzie, gave me validation, confidence, and a professional launching pad. My website is a really accurate reflection of me and what I can do to help people.”

“People say my site is really clear and easy to read. And I find if people have read my website before they talk to me, they know exactly what to expect in terms of my process, and my fees. It gets rid of misunderstandings, manages expectations, and they're far further down that path of being convinced.”

But what about Ian’s return on investment? “Your fees are really reasonable for what I got out of it and the work I've got as a result. It’s the end of January and I’m already booked through to the end of June and 50% full in July and August. And it's all chunky coaching engagements with good businesses..”

“My revenue is up too. I’m making significantly more each month than I was the year before. This month will be far and away a record month for me, and next month even more again, so I’m gathering momentum. I’m getting to that point where I’m as busy as I want to be, so I’m working out how to work smarter. So, it was a lovely process working with you, very helpful, and very successful.”

Make your website your #1 salesperson

I specialise in helping coaches, consultants, and service businesses create websites that attract more of your ideal clients and close more deals.