EP3 - Audio
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[00:00:00] Shelley: Hi, I'm Shelley Cox, founder of The Regional Collective, where we're all about empowering entrepreneurs like you. Our podcast is for anyone navigating the world of small business, especially in regional areas. I'm based in the Barossa in South Australia, a place where I love, have three young children and also play in community club netball.
[00:00:26] Shelley: My previous career as a winemaker has taken me all over the world to New Zealand, Japan, USA, and all around Australia, but there's no place like home. I've started not one, but four businesses from the ground up since 2018, and have helped over 50 other small and micro businesses, and I can't wait to help share my lessons with you.
[00:00:48] Shelley: Over the coming weeks and months, you'll hear tales of success, challenges, and community spirit in small and micro businesses. Let's redefine small business with big hearts and [00:01:00] determined hustle, and be inspired to thrive. Today we're joined by Angela Pickett of Angela Pickett Copywriting to explore the world of branding. Ange is a seasoned copywriter and SEO expert who's here to share her wealth of knowledge with us. She's helped countless businesses boost their online presence and really nail down their messaging. In this episode, we're getting real about the nitty gritty of brand identity.
[00:01:27] Shelley: From figuring out what your brand stands for to making sure everything looks slick and professional, where Anne just got some pearls of wisdom for us. We're talking practical tips and achievable actions that any small or micro business can get started with. So whether you're just starting out, or you've been around the block a few times, this episode is for you.
[00:01:47] Shelley: So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy and let's jump right in.
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[00:01:52] Shelley: So thank you for joining us today. Ange
[00:01:55] Angela: thank you for having me.
[00:01:57] Shelley: So Angela Pickett, copywriter. Can you [00:02:00] give us a little bit behind your brand, which is your personal name brand as well. And also how. You established yeah, your brand as a copywriter.
[00:02:09] Angela: Yeah. So I've been a copywriter for almost five years since I sort of set up.
[00:02:14] Angela: And
[00:02:14] Angela: I did decide to go with my name as my brand, partly because it was only ever going to be me, even though I do occasionally think bring people into work with me. But I just decided that was something that, you know, couldn't be copied. It is memorable. It's easy to find. And it just made it easier to show up as who I was.
[00:02:35] Angela: I wasn't having to sort of put on a persona. And I think as you know, as a, as a micro business, as a solo business owner, it was really important for me to kind of embrace that, that this was me. And I'll try and do that on Anywhere I show up, it's very much who I am and it makes it so much easier. I think that was the thing that I, that I learned.
[00:02:59] Angela: And [00:03:00] so it's very much me sharing my story and my experience. You know, I was a diplomat for 15 years and so I bring to my business a lot of that. So that enthusiasm for working with small business. being organized. And there, you know, there's some of my, you know, I guess the values that form my business.
[00:03:20] Shelley: And I think you can see that as well with you know, when you do show up, whether you're doing public speaking or on zoom calls or master classes or podcasts, it's very much what you see is what you get, which I think is the key to authentic people, authentic branding. Have you found that it's.
[00:03:40] Shelley: You've always been able to do that in your business or was there a learning curve to start off with?
[00:03:45] Angela: I think there was a learning curve because I think there's always that risk when you start out you look at what everyone else is doing and There is that sense of the way I should be Probably not so much in my copywriting business, but after [00:04:00] I left The Foreign Service and I started another business I had this idea that I had I was a consultant and I had this idea of So I think it's important to have a certain level of professionalism that I needed to show.
[00:04:12] Angela: And I found it really hard to show up in that way. It just didn't feel, it didn't feel like me and it didn't feel comfortable and it wasn't fun. And I think that's it when we're, you know, running a business is hard. And if you have to add that layer on of then, you know, to be something that you're not, it's just going to make it really, really difficult.
[00:04:32] Angela: And it will make you second guess everything you're doing whether it's public speaking or showing up on a podcast or recording a video or, you know, even in writing a social media post. So I think that's the real key is to, and when you're a solo business, I'm working at, well, why, why are you doing what you do?
[00:04:51] Angela: Like, why did you come to it? because that's what makes you, you know, what makes you unique. And I think that's the risk. You kind of have to block out all that [00:05:00] noise. And perhaps unfollow all those people in your industry and, and kind of run your own race. Yeah.
[00:05:08] Shelley: And how does, or why is it crucial for a small and micro business and particularly in startups to establish a brand identity?
[00:05:18] Shelley: So what can kind of make up that brand identity? And why is that important?
[00:05:24] Angela: I think it's really key and obviously as a copywriter, I'm coming up from the, the story side of it and the word side of it. And I think a lot of people get a bit confused. There's a a and a sense that the brand is that visual branding and people get really caught up on that when they start their business.
[00:05:42] Angela: It's super exciting. We all love a new logo, we love the new colors and we got a pretty website. We're gonna do social. But a lot of that, and particularly, it's fine when you're starting out and you're doing it on your, you know, yourself. But if you don't really know the story behind it, chances are you're going to end up with a real mishmatch of stuff and it'll just [00:06:00] be like, Ooh, that's pretty tarl, I'll use that today.
[00:06:03] Angela: When you start working with other people, that's really crucial. And you know, that's the visuals because your graphic designer needs to, for them to come up with an identity, they need to understand. Your photographer's going to want to see that as well.
[00:06:15] Shelley: It forms a brief almost, doesn't it, for your brand to then, when you're looking at growing or scaling, because that's what you would, we've engaged your services as a copywriter.
[00:06:24] Shelley: And you know, we've got, we've had to do pre work, but that means that your work is so much more connected to what the, and the outcome is. But if we weren't clear on what our brand was, then it wasn't gonna help you deliver on your project.
[00:06:39] Angela: And it's the same, whether it's the words or the visuals, you really need to, and at the base of it, and one of the first things I ask people when we're really trying to establish you know who they are and what is, you know, who are you, what do you do?
[00:06:53] Angela: And why do you do it better than anyone else? That's that unique service proposition, and I think every business. [00:07:00] needs to start with that and really understand and then understand what their values are. Why, why are you doing this? And I think what drives you, because when we're solo business owners or micro business owners, it's hard and there has to be something that's, that's driving it.
[00:07:17] Angela: And so it's really important, I think, to, to understand that. And then the next level on that is really understanding, well, what is it you're providing? What, what problem are you solving for people? And I think when you're really clear on the problem that you're solving, the solution that you're delivering, and you can clearly speak about that, it makes it so much easier for people to connect with you and understand you.
[00:07:48] Angela: You know, and find the right people because you're not, and I think, I think the most important thing is to realize, you know, particularly as solo or small business owners, micro business owners, particularly when you're starting out, [00:08:00] you don't need everyone. And you know, if you appeal to, you know, if you try and be really broad in your appeal, you'll end up appealing to no one, you know, you just be so boring.
[00:08:11] Angela: So really focusing on what it is that makes you And what you're delivering special because you don't need thousands of people to start with. And then those people, as you build and you grow, obviously, you know, you start to refine who it is and what you are. But I think, yeah, starting out really just sticking to the core of who you are and really owning it and just, and people see that and they believe.
[00:08:39] Angela: And I think, you know, at the end of the day. People buy from people. And so knowing the story behind you and your brand is, is going to help people engage with you.
[00:08:50] Shelley: And that's something that's, you know, you can do yourself in terms of creating that story. We'll say talking earlier about, you know, the, about us page.
[00:08:59] Shelley: It [00:09:00] doesn't need your life story. It needs to have, you know, the story of your why and why you're the person to engage in that business sense, isn't it? So,
[00:09:09] Angela: so true. I think a lot of, a lot of businesses make the mistake with their about page of thinking and it's, you know, when it's about us that it's all about, you know, the life story and, you know, or even the life story of the business.
[00:09:23] Angela: But really what that about page is, is it's about showing why you're the best business or the best provider. Best product maker to deliver something to the person that's looking for, for the thing that they're, they're looking for. And I think the other thing, and that comes through remembering that you're, you know, part of the words I guess that you put across is that you are not your audience.
[00:09:51] Angela: You know, really once you understand what it is you're doing, you can be a bit clearer about who you want to talk to and who you want to engage with. [00:10:00] That's a lot of the mistake that I think businesses make is that, you know, their websites or we do this and we do that. Yes. Sort of really putting it back
[00:10:08] Shelley: into what problem they're solving for the client or the customer and what service will answer that problem.
[00:10:14] Shelley: Excellent. And so how can a small business create. I suppose we've talked about words, but also that visual branding, how can they create a visual sort of cohesiveness for, for their brand with visuals, especially if they're starting out. So what kind of components can help with that?
[00:10:30] Angela: I think a lot of it, I mean, I think with, with the, from the word side, if it really is getting clear, as I said on that that USP and being able to, if someone says, what do you do, being able to say, you know, straight away, you know, You know, if I'm talking to someone, I'm, you know, I'm an SEO website and sales page copywriter, you know, working with businesses of all sizes to deliver them copy that, you know, is going to sell their products.
[00:10:58] Angela: You know, what makes me [00:11:00] unique is that I am really down to earth. I'm approachable. I'm enthusiastic. I'm a big supporter of small business. So being able to say that and be really clear on what it is you do. And I guess putting together, I'll often put together what we call, it's a tone of voice type document, but getting really clear on What are the words you use that you, you know, that really sum up what your business does and that you like and that you use?
[00:11:25] Angela: The same with what words don't you like or what don't you use and get, get really clear on having, I guess, some standard brand language. I think then is also picking whether you're working with a designer or whether you're, you know, sort of starting out and using Canva and kind of coming up with your own Basically, you know picking those few colors and going right.
[00:11:47] Angela: These are the ones we're going to use when you're using a canva template For example, don't just use it as it is You know add your add your change it and use your colors and really stick to [00:12:00] those Use photos
[00:12:02] Shelley: and make sure that it feels comfortable and aligned to you. Yeah, you know you with your Yeah with your colors, like, you know, would you normally be bright and neons or would you be more muted and, you know, earthy or down, you know, down to earth?
[00:12:18] Shelley: So even if you haven't established your color palette, yeah, don't have that mismatch.
[00:12:24] Angela: And don't have that mismatch with what you're, you know, what you're selling either, I guess, or whatever it is you're providing. And, and in terms of working out what you're engaged, you know, who you're engaging with. So, And you know, if your audience is largely, you know, over 60s, for example, you're not going to use lots of like quirky emojis and slang and and acronyms and things like that.
[00:12:50] Angela: References that may not be. Yeah. Pop culture references or, you know, colors that, and, you know, images that might mean anything to them. And so it really [00:13:00] is about, you know. understanding you and understanding who is your, you're talking to. And that's, you know, really in establishing, I guess, part of that brand story is knowing who your ideal customer is and coming down to that, you know, that even one person that you can think of every time you're writing something or you're putting a visual together, you've got that picture in your head.
[00:13:27] Angela: Whether it's a friend, and this is the thing I always find interesting, if you ask someone to talk about their business as if they were talking, telling a friend what they were doing. Yeah. It's so much easier. Yeah. So if that's that, if you know, if it's that sort of, if that's the person you have in mind when you created your service or created your product.
[00:13:46] Angela: you know, talk to them what, you know, what would resonate with them. And again, it comes back to also, you know, where we shop, where we tell these stories and where. where we're talking about our brand, because [00:14:00] I think that's the other thing. And obviously you'll have other people coming in that are more expert in that.
[00:14:04] Angela: But I think that's the other thing is when people are starting out, I think I've got to have this brand everywhere, but it's about working out what works for you and what feels comfortable. So, you know, there's no point putting all this effort in and trying to do, you know, dances on Tik TOK. If it, makes you feel uncomfortable, but also if it isn't.
[00:14:26] Angela: It doesn't align with your brand and it's not relevant. And I think that's again where cutting out the noise and not just doing things because other people are doing it is super, super valuable.
[00:14:38] Shelley: And that's it. And I think that that showing up in the right places and there's a lot that even, you know, I'll keep going back to and go, okay, well, why are we doing it?
[00:14:48] Shelley: Like as, as much as it might feel like human. harping on about it. It actually is the most important part to get right in your business because all your [00:15:00] decisions are based on understanding that why. And so opportunities may come in and you might go, Oh, that's really good. But actually I can refer back to my, my vision, my brand, why my goals, it gives you a really good indication of that's not for us right now.
[00:15:15] Shelley: Or that's a really good opportunity. And especially as you said with starting out, it can be so overwhelming of where to start. So what sort of advice would you give for a new to business brand? What sort of key, maybe three things, Could they be looking at today?
[00:15:34] Angela: I think the first thing is to, as you said, sit down and be really clear on if it's a service, what is, what is that service that you're providing, you know, and, and, and it might only be one element of it and really focusing on that and do it.
[00:15:49] Angela: really well. So, you know, for example, as a copywriter, if I was just starting out again, I'm like, I'm just going to, I'm going to do website copy. And that's [00:16:00] all I'm going to do. And that's all I'm going to talk about. And that's what I'll get known for. But then going that next step, why, why am I the best person to do that?
[00:16:12] Angela: And then getting clear on why, what sorts of things do people need to know about that service? but also what problem am I solving for them? And I think if you can get really granular and really, really clear on what it is you do and who you're doing it for. So when you start out, you might just say you know, what, regardless of what service it is, you might say, I'm just going to talk to regional businesses that are no bigger than five people.
[00:16:46] Angela: And being, and it can feel when you're starting out because you just want, you know, and I always joke when I started out.
[00:16:53] Shelley: You want world domination?
[00:16:54] Angela: It's like I'll take anyone that's got a credit card and a pulse that's going to give me work. [00:17:00] And it can be really hard. And sometimes it's a case of doing some, doing that work and then working out that it's not the right thing.
[00:17:07] Angela: So when I was starting out, you know, I had one client who I was writing copy for, and then they said, Oh, can you do some social media captions as well? Which then sort of expanded into me going and taking some photos. And it just wasn't the right fit. So sometimes there is a bit of experiment. And I think part of.
[00:17:29] Angela: you know, that bit of experiment and, you know, failure as well is also part of building that brand as well. And understanding that you might necessarily start with a fully formed idea. And I guess that's probably the other thing I would say was if you have been going a little while, really going back and looking at how your brand or how your business has evolved.
[00:17:54] Shelley: It's okay for it to evolve and then have another. Reflection, review, adapt, [00:18:00] change, and create and, you know, an evolved brand identity. Like it's you, you change in your business, so your business is allowed to evolve and change too.
[00:18:09] Angela: And it's really important, and this is what I often say to people, you know, your website's not written in stone, you can go in and change it, and it's really important to keep changing it, particularly in those early years where You know, your growth's probably quite rapid.
[00:18:24] Angela: It mightn't feel like it. It might feel like it's a really slow burn. But if you go back and look at where you were 12 months ago to now, you know, there's a lot of experience that you had. Is the story that you've been telling and is there, is the way that you talk about your brand really, you know, does it still fit?
[00:18:43] Angela: And it, does it still resonate? And have you found that maybe the people you perhaps thought you were serving. Maybe it is a slightly different group. You might have worked out that you actually, you know, you might be better off on LinkedIn or somewhere like that. You might've [00:19:00] found that that's where your connections are.
[00:19:01] Angela: So to me, a brand story isn't something you write once. You know, like any of the copy, anything around our businesses, the same with. the visual side of our brand. It isn't something you do once and then just, not just leave it. No, no. And I think that's the thing, like any of these things. And it is going back.
[00:19:20] Angela: And one of the great ways to work out those things as you evolve is, you know, what do people say about you? You know, you're looking at your testimonials. What do people say when they've worked with you? You know, going back to working out how you describe your brand. Ask your friends, like what are the three words that come to mind when they think about you?
[00:19:42] Angela: And that can often be a really good indicator of the person you are, that that is a good way to kind of go forward. So,
[00:19:52] Shelley: and they're all really good, you know, tips and they're things that you want to get right at the start, but you can do that on a, you know, [00:20:00] limited budget as well. But then the value. is that as you do grow and scale, you've got a really clear sense of who you are, what your brand is, to then be able to engage professional services.
[00:20:12] Shelley: So whether it's graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, because they're, if you're aligned with, with your brand and your values, they're going to see that and give you, you know, take it to that next level,
[00:20:23] Angela: so much, so much easier to work. with a client and it can feel really hard when someone's come on because someone comes to a copywriter and then suddenly I You know, I give them a whole lot of homework and say well I need to understand this But it's really hard to write copy if you don't have a good sense of who that person is So what you know again, I'll ask that, you know, who are you?
[00:20:44] Angela: What do you do? Who do you do it for? What problems are you solving? What do people say when they're working with you? So that's all really important. And they're, they're the questions you can ask yourself when you're starting [00:21:00] out and still come up with it, you know, to work through. But again, it's not, you haven't got to get it.
[00:21:05] Angela: And it's, you know, there's no right or wrong to this either. There's no such thing as getting your brand wrong. I don't think the only, I guess the only time it would be wrong is if it, if it's a kind of made up thing and you've tried to be, yeah, try to be something that you're not. You know, it might, if it doesn't feel right, it will be really hard to just show up.
[00:21:27] Angela: So, you know, I think it's that, you know, it's a bit cliche, but it's that, you know, be yourself. Everyone else is taken. Yep. And you know, you're not gonna, not everyone's going to like you either. So,
[00:21:39] Shelley: But no, I think that's really good. There's lots of you know, key things that you can, you can use from working that out.
[00:21:47] Shelley: Cause that's also could be content that you can use that, Hey, my name is, you know, I'm so and so I love to do this. This is my, their social media posts. They're the things that you can absolutely be using to introduce [00:22:00] and be talking about.
[00:22:01] Angela: Definitely. And you know, your values and the, you know, what's important to you and what you're, you know, and what your business stands for is part of your brand as well.
[00:22:10] Angela: So, you know, if you're an eco business, you know, It's, it's about that's what you stand for and how that, how that affects how you do business, but also part of that story can be why, you know, what brought you to that? Like, why, why did you come to doing what you do? And I think the other thing is a lot of us that are starting small business have done lots of other things in the past and that's part of our brand that makes us really unique and really embracing.
[00:22:41] Angela: So for a long time, I thought my experience as a diplomat, wasn't at all linked to being a copywriter. And yet I realized I had 20 odd years of not just the writing side of it, but a lot of the experience I had about being organized, talking to people, negotiating solutions, but also [00:23:00]
[00:23:00] Shelley: All of that.
[00:23:01] Shelley: Digesting information to then put into, you know,
[00:23:02] Angela: Yeah, reports and things like that. That all made me a better copywriter. So I think that's the other thing that, if you've come to your business from something else and Shelley, I know it's something you always talk about in your experience as a winemaker, you know, so people might look at that and go, well, what's that got to do with the things that you've done since?
[00:23:23] Angela: But there's so many skills that we, we pick up through our working life and our, our experience. And again, I think it's really important and it's almost part of the great thing about being a solo business owner, because you can really embrace that that's part of what makes your business different to someone doing the same thing as you, but who doesn't have the Have that experience
[00:23:48] Shelley: and that's valuing your your place in the business because it's always hard being and you know a solo Business owner and having some boundaries there like it's a [00:24:00] it's a double edged sword sometimes But I think valuing what you bring to it and then create that brand, you know as an extension of you with some healthy boundaries put in place is the best way to go forward.
[00:24:14] Shelley: So to be unashamedly you and, and your brand and be confident in that is the, is the key. So,
[00:24:22] Angela: so true. And it doesn't mean you have to share everything. And it doesn't mean you have to be constantly, you know, taking videos of everything you do, but if you can just you know, I guess get, get comfortable with talking about what you do and talk about it in the way that you would tell a friend and, and think about the customers that you've had or the clients that you've had and the happy clients and, and those sorts of things and share that.
[00:24:51] Angela: That'll build on, you know, that'll helps you to build that brand story. And it is, it's hard when you're starting out because you might feel. that, you know, [00:25:00] you don't have anything yet to work on. So I think it is just that case of taking a step back and going, well, where, how did I get from not having a business to having a business and you know, what drives me to do it?
[00:25:13] Angela: And then that's, that gives you a foundation to build on.
[00:25:17] Shelley: Excellent. Well, thank you very much for joining us today and all your insights into strong brand identity. We certainly have, you know Yeah, I'm really grateful for all of your insights as well, because you've had a lot of exposure to lots of different sizes of business as well.
[00:25:33] Shelley: And that, yeah, brand voice, you certainly get right, but it's also getting it right from the start is achievable as well.
[00:25:41] Angela: Yep. And you just gotta, you gotta start somewhere with it and, you know, keep tweaking and keep testing and changing and, and, and the longer you do it the more you will, you know, you'll see what, what actually feels right.
[00:25:56] Angela: But yeah, just at the end of the day, just being yourself and your [00:26:00] business and, and being really, you know, owning the fact that you, you're delivering something really. I think it's really special and unique that no one else is I think is a, is a good place to start.
[00:26:10] Shelley: Excellent. Thanks, Ange.
[00:26:11] Angela: Thanks, Shelley.
[00:26:13] Angela: β
