Do you want to be the last tab someone has open before they finally book? Spoiler alert: of course you do.
This week, I’m excited to bring on another copywriter for a completely different conversation—one that’s all about building a brand voice guide, creating messaging that sticks, and improving your client experience copy (and don’t worry, she’ll break down exactly what that means).
Words shape our brand, connect us with our dream clients, and create an unforgettable experience before, during, and after the sale. We cover so much in this short 30-minute episode, so let’s get into it.
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Table of Contents
Who is Andrea Shah?
Andrea Shah is a copywriter and marketing consultant for creative entrepreneurs who want website copy that sells their personality + high-end client experience. In a previous life, she worked in an agency, where she learned everything she knows about SEO, brand voice, and buyer psychology. She firmly believes that a party without cake is just a meeting.
Let’s kick off by talking about client experience copy? Can you start by sharing exactly what that is?
This is one of my favorite topics because I think it’s such an underrated tool. When I talk about client experience copy, I’m not referring to sales emails designed to convert leads. Instead, I mean everything that happens after someone inquires—your inquiry forms, proposals, styling guides, wedding planning guides, and, of course, the countless emails stored in Dubsado, HoneyBook, 17Hats, or whatever platform you use.
All of these can be customized to fit your brand while still allowing for personalization. Ideally, 95% of the email is pre-written, leaving 5% open for tailored details. While some emails—like payment reminders—are more rigid, others, like inquiry responses or proposal follow-ups, should strike a balance between efficiency and personalization.
Even if you don’t use a CRM, Google lets you create email templates, which is an easy starting point. If you find yourself writing the same thing repeatedly, creating a template can save you hours in the long run.
What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people making in their client experience copy?
Templates are a great starting point, but they should still sound like you. There shouldn’t be a disconnect between your brand voice on Instagram, TikTok, your website, and your emails.
While tools like ChatGPT can help, AI-generated emails can sometimes be too wordy. You don’t want a 700-word email overwhelming your clients. Instead, focus on clarity. Use formatting to highlight key points. Bold text, italics, underline, and bullet points can make important details stand out.
For example, if you’re sending a contract via a templated email, include three bullet points that highlight key policies. Ideally, everyone should read their contract thoroughly—but we know that doesn’t always happen. Calling out important terms makes it easier for clients to find what matters.
And don’t forget to infuse personality where it makes sense. There’s a spectrum—your invoice reminder email doesn’t need the same warmth as your inquiry response. It’s all about balance.
I love that advice to keep the client experience copy shorter!
Yeah, ChatGPT loves to run wild—giving you nine bullet points when you really only needed four, each with just one sentence. It can be really useful for brainstorming, but it’s wordy. And honestly, that’s a challenge for all of us. Not to pick on ChatGPT, but writing concisely is hard. It’s always easier to write more than less, which is why a big part of what I do with clients is taking the scissors out and cutting things down.
People are terrible at reading every word you write. Now, some people will read everything—every single line. But then you have your skimmers, right? That’s why I keep talking about bullet points, underlining, and bold text—for the skimmers. They’re looking for the most important points to stand out quickly.
Do you have any tips for people that aren’t sure if their brand voice is consistent?
If you’ve worked with someone before who created a brand voice or messaging guide, pull that out when revisiting your emails. But even if you don’t have one, just think about the words you naturally use—especially when building relationships through email. Your emails should sound like you, not some artificial version of you. They can be personal and relaxed.
For example, think about how you’d email a friend. Would you capitalize every letter in the subject line? Probably not. Small things like that help keep your tone natural and consistent.
Another tip—one that everyone hates—is reading your emails out loud. Nobody wants to do it, but if something makes you cringe when you hear it, that’s a sign it doesn’t sound like you. We all have those moments, and when you catch them, you can tweak the wording so it feels more natural.
What advice do you give to someone who feels like their copy is too “boring” or too “over the top personality”?
I’m not saying it’s okay to be boring, because obviously, we want to be engaging. But you don’t need to have a big, dramatic personality either. Some people want to work with high-energy, talkative, TMI-sharing types, while others prefer someone more chill. You can set boundaries and run your business however you want.
If you want to keep certain aspects of your life private—or if you think you’re a little boring—that’s totally fine. Just pick a few things to focus on. You don’t need to talk about everything—in fact, you probably shouldn’t. Repeating certain details makes you more memorable.
We often worry that if we mention a hobby every week, people will get tired of it, but the reality is, most people aren’t seeing all of your content. And even if they are, they’ll just associate that thing with you. Like, Oh yeah, she does cross-stitch—that’s her thing.
If you do want to show some personality, try not to fall into the same clichés everyone else shares—your coffee order, your pet’s name, the fact that you love margaritas. Those are fine, but they don’t stand out. Instead, try sharing something a little more unique—your favorite amusement park ride, the name of your first pet—something that sticks in people’s minds.
Because if a potential client reads that you like margaritas, they’ll probably think, Cool, so did the last 50 photographers I looked at. You want to give them something that makes you stand out.—so visitors immediately understand the value and can take action without hesitation.
Where should we infuse more of “us” in our copy? Beyond the obvious.
One of my favorite places to showcase personality is on your blog—and you should blog, everyone should blog. If you don’t already have a sidebar for your blog posts, consider designing one (or hiring someone to do it). Add a mini bio—it doesn’t have to be long, just one or two interesting details about yourself. This is especially important for people who land on your blog without knowing you from anywhere else. It’s your chance to introduce yourself in a fun, engaging way.
I also love seeing personality come through on Instagram Stories and Threads—those are two of the easiest places to be yourself. And if you send emails regularly, pick a few key themes or pillars to return to over and over.
Can you go over the top? Sure, but that’s a personal boundary everyone has to set. Some copywriters I follow share way less personality than I do and are still successful. Others share way more—crossing lines I personally wouldn’t, but they’re also doing great.
There’s a vibe for everyone, and ultimately, it comes down to what you’re comfortable with. If you share what feels right to you, you’ll attract the right people
What should go in a brand voice guide?
Before even getting into the elements of your voice, start with a rough portrait of your ideal client and a clear understanding of your differentiators—essentially, why someone should choose you over someone else who does similar work. It’s not the prettiest term, but that’s your unique selling proposition.
When I create a messaging guide, I want it to include language you can pull from—a vocabulary list of words you naturally use, plus aspirational words that align with your brand. This helps build a lexicon. Maybe you haven’t used certain words before, but they fit your brand’s tone and direction. For example, a friend of mine recently rebranded with a carnival and circus theme. Now, she’s using language she never used before, but it’s all part of a fun, world-building exercise.
Another key aspect of a brand voice guide is making it useful for someone else—like if you ever hand off content creation to a writer for blog posts, Instagram captions, or emails. Define the ways you love to communicate and the ways you never would. That includes your email sign-offs, the emojis you use (or refuse to use), whether you love or hate GIFs—anything that ensures consistency.
Even details like how you format client testimonials on your website contribute to your brand’s verbal identity. Consistency is huge in brand voice.
What should we do if we feel like we’re repeating myself?
Like I said earlier, we feel like we’re repeating ourselves—and honestly, we probably are. But that’s okay! People need to hear your message more than once.
It’s rare for someone to see every piece of content you put out. Nobody is reading every thread, every Instagram story, every post. Even with creators I love, I sometimes don’t see their content for weeks because of the algorithm.
So when we worry, Am I talking about my offer too much? Am I saying the same things over and over?—that’s actually a good thing. I just saw someone on Threads whose business is content repurposing. She talks about it so much and so consistently that in one day, she got nine referrals from people mentioning her. That’s what you want—people remembering you for what you do.
Your claim to fame is to write websites that are the last tab someone needs to have open. What advice do you have for business owners that want to leave a LASTING impression?
So, the two big things I’ve mentioned are stickiness and giving people the language to talk about your work.
First, let’s talk about stickiness. Earlier, we discussed not just saying, I love margaritas—because honestly, that’s not weird enough. I’m not saying you need to be outrageous, but you don’t want to fall into the same overused clichés as everyone else. You need something memorable.
It could be something small, like the fact that your dog has a really weird name. It doesn’t have to be something your clients relate to exactly—it just needs to give them a sense of who you are so they remember you. This applies to your business name, your brand story, and your overall messaging, too.
Memorable stories are another way to do this. A common cliché is photographers saying, I picked up a camera at age X and just knew this was for me. I believe them—I know it’s true! But there’s usually a more interesting way to tell that story.
For example, I recently worked with a photographer who used to be a wedding planner. That’s the story we leaned into because it instantly reassures potential clients. Of course, we still highlighted her artistry and experience, but that unique angle made her stand out.
So, think about what makes you sticky—whether it’s a story, a detail, or a unique perspective.
The second thing—especially for creatives—is giving people the language to talk about your work.
I imagine a couple planning their wedding. One partner opens their laptop, browses websites, then closes it and goes to discuss options with their fiancé. You want to give them the words to describe your work and client experience, rather than leaving them to figure it out on their own.
For example, don’t rely on them to decide if you’re a light and airy photographer or dark and moody—define it for them in a way that resonates. (And I don’t mean to pick on photographers, but this applies to a lot of creative fields!)
This is also where selling your value comes into play. Many of us charge what we have to charge to sustain our businesses, and for potential clients, that price can feel shocking at first.
Your job is to shape their understanding of why you charge what you do—without being overly didactic. It’s tempting to justify pricing by saying, Well, I have to pay for insurance, and self-employment taxes are X%…—but nobody wants to hear that.
Instead, focus on what you’re doing for them. People are inherently selfish when they’re making a purchase decision—they want to know what’s in it for them. That’s why, whenever I talk about copy, I always come back to the same point: Make it about them, not just about you.
Where can we find the right words to use?
Sometimes, the words we want to use to describe our work aren’t necessarily the words our clients would use—and that’s where paying attention to their language becomes really powerful.
Instead of only using our own terminology, we need to integrate some of their words too. I’ll often look at 50+ client reviews and start noticing patterns—maybe 10 people describe the work the same way. If you still want to attract those kinds of clients, that’s the language they’re responding to. Even if it’s not a term you’d typically use, it might be the exact wording that connects with them. Sometimes, we need to meet them where they are.
When writing copy, you’re not really just writing—you’re pulling from different sources. You should never start with a blank page.
I even check competitors’ reviews—not to copy, of course, but to see if any compelling themes or phrases stand out. You want to understand how people in the market for someone like you are expressing their desires.
That’s also why I’m constantly on Reddit—to get a sense of what my clients’ clients are actually thinking.
There’s a lot of distrust across industries right now. How can we help potential customers trust us?
Yes! And to wrap things up on client experience copy—especially when it comes to emails—I think it’s important to remember that just sending emails (nice ones, in your own voice, in a timely manner) already puts you ahead of a huge portion of the competition.
You wouldn’t believe—actually, you would believe—how often I hear people complain: I sent an inquiry form and never got a response for a week or I had a Zoom call with them, and they never sent me a proposal.
If you can create templates to make it easier on yourself and stay consistent (not necessarily constant, but consistent) in your communication throughout the client experience, you’ll already be ahead of so many others in your field.
Do you think the industries are starting to veer more positive in their messaging? What are your thoughts on going for positive versus negative?
It’s funny—I’m actually working on a little content series about this exact topic: pain points. At some level, we have to acknowledge that people have concerns and need solutions.
But I hate the language around “pain points”—especially in industries like weddings. What’s the real pain? Sure, I can understand mentioning stress, since some couples want a planner to take that off their plate. But let’s be honest—if they don’t hire you, they’re still going to have a great life and probably even a nice wedding.
Most of the time, they’re just choosing between four different wedding photographers. So, you don’t want to come in like, If you don’t choose me, you’ll be crying into your pillow for six weeks!
That approach doesn’t work for every industry. Yes, you still need to address concerns, but you should also focus on the experience people want, not just on preventing a bad one.
There are so many great things to highlight—your sustainability efforts, the artistry of your work, how communicative you are. More and more, I’m noticing a shift toward positive messaging rather than overplaying pain points. Maybe those pain points belong more in an FAQ section rather than your main messaging.
At the end of the day, nobody wants to be told they should be stressed about their wedding. People already absorb enough negativity from everywhere else. It’s tempting to position yourself as the person who will save them from that—but sometimes, that just reinforces the negativity instead of solving it.
Where can people find and connect with you?
Sure! You can find me at my website, AndreaShah.com, and I’m also on Instagram and Threads as @AndreaShauCopy—which I think is where we connected!
I primarily work with clients who want one-on-one, done-for-you support. You word-vomit into a form, and I take it from there—writing you a website that fits your brand.
I also offer website audits for those who just need a refresh or a little sprucing up before moving into the next phase of their business.
LINKS MENTIONED
- Learn more about Andrea at Andrea Shah Copywriting
- Follow Andrea on Instagram (this is the Instagram post mentioned!)
- Learn more about working with our marketing agency here
- Follow me on Instagram
