Building your Brand The Holy Grail of Copywriting is Getting Paid to be You with Laura Belgray
I was so inspired when I heard Laura Belgray speak earlier this year at the Atomic Con conference in Newcastle, I just had to have her on the podcast! Laura is the founder of Talking Shrimp, and her mission is to help entrepreneurs and small businesses find the words and the chutzpah to make their business a perfect expression of their personality—what she calls the "holy grail of work".
In this episode, we dive into all things email marketing, a practice which has been hugely beneficial for my business, but can sometimes feel challenging. Laura is an expert at making complex things simple, and she shares her incredible advice on:
- Why "conversational is the new professional" in copywriting.
- How to write like you talk, even if you were conditioned to write formally.
- Her genius tips for crafting subject lines that drive curiosity and get opened.
- How to find "Story Goldmine" in your everyday, mundane life.
- Redefining "value" in marketing.
- Her thoughts on AI, the dangers of its style, and its helpful uses.
I really hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did!
⏱️ Episode Highlights- 02:00: Laura's windy career path from TV promos to becoming an email marketing expert and launching her first course, Inbox Hero.
- 04:41: The number one piece of advice for writing great copy: read it out loud to ensure you're writing like you talk.
- 08:29: Why subject lines should not be like article titles and the best way to get people to open your emails (HINT: think like a text message to a friend).
- 13:16: How daily journaling of small, mundane details can help you discover 'micro stories' that can be turned into great emails.
- 33:57: Advice on how to find your voice and inject personality into your writing, including keeping track of your specific expressions and using the 'Coat of Arms' exercise.
Laura Belgray is the founder of Talking Shrimp, a copywriting company with the mission of helping small businesses and entrepreneurs make their business a perfect expression of their personality.
- Website: http://talkingshrimp.com
- Instagram: @laurabelgray
- Book: Tough Titties on Living Your Best Life When You're the Effing Worst (Available at talkingshrimp.com/book and wherever books
- Course: The Copy Cure (co-created with Marie Forleo)
- Course: Inbox Hero (Laura's first solo course)
- Journaling Platform: http://750words.com
- AI Tool/Training: Make Your Point training and The Point Finder AI tool
- Freebie: Laura's subject line guide and Story Goldmine prompt guide (63 surprising places to mine your everyday life for stories that sell)
- Author/Book: Annabel Monaghan (Laura recommends starting with Nora Goes Off Script)
- Author/Book: David Sedaris (Laura recommends Me Talk Pretty One Day)
I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @lizmmosley or @buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!
This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk
If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!