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Words, ideas and the odd short story
Thoughts on writing and marketing, real client work, and occasional fiction for a change of pace.
I write about marketing, writing and small business life.
You’ll find practical advice, honest case studies, thoughtful guest posts and the occasional short story for when you’re ready for a break.
Why is accountability important to you as a small business owner?
If you’ve worked in a larger organisation before becoming self-employed, you will have been used to having teams around you, and your manager may have set you goals with specific deadlines. Sound familiar? When you work for yourself, that doesn’t happen. You’re the…
DI McLeod and the Santa Run Mystery
Detective Inspector Alan McLeod turned to his wife, Carol, and handed her two fully-laden hot chocolates before turning back to the market stall. He heard his daughters squeal with excitement behind him and wondered how much of their faces would be covered in whipped…
How to create your marketing plan without the overwhelm
If you’re looking ahead to next year and planning your marketing, how are you feeling? If you find it daunting, it might be time to simplify things. Here’s my guide to help you create your marketing plan without the overwhelm. Where do your ideal clients find you? If…
Are you ready to review your marketing?
We’re heading towards the end of the year, when lots of us reflect on the things that made us happy, what we’d like to change and how we want the year ahead to feel. If you’re thinking about your business and getting ready to review your marketing, here are a few…
The Power of Storytelling in Business: Connecting Through Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
In a world flooded with data, pitches, and product claims, it’s not the facts that people remember, it’s the stories. Storytelling is no longer a nice-to-have in business communication; it’s essential. Whether you’re pitching a product, building a brand, or…
Why you need a human copywriter as well as AI
Yes, you read that right. I did say you need a human copywriter as well as AI, and not instead of it. You might think I’m opposed to AI, but I’m not. If you use it well, it’s a very useful tool, but it’s not a substitute for a real person. Here’s my guide to the pros…
Aligning your Voice and Visuals: The Secret to a Consistent Brand
Have you ever visited a site where the words felt warm, friendly, and full of personality – but the images looked stiff, generic, or completely mismatched? It creates confusion, even if the reader cannot pinpoint why, something just feels off. That’s because…
How can a copywriter help you get organised?
I don’t do marketing strategy. Except, I kind of do. Sort of. Good copywriting is built on understanding who you’re talking to, where you’ll find them and what you want to achieve. We won’t get anywhere if the language I use to speak to your people misses the mark….
Do your marketing ideas feel messy?
If your head is full of jumbled thoughts and ideas, and your marketing ideas feel messy, you might wonder how you’ll ever turn them into content that makes sense to your future customers. I generally work with people who have a plan for their marketing, but I’ve…
Case study: the one with scope creep
If you’ve never heard the term scope creep before, you might still have experienced it. It’s what happens when a freelancer sends a client a quote and outlines the work it covers. Then, when you start work, the client begins adding bits. It’s never…
New Starts, Cheerleaders, and Facilitation in Business
Starting a business means taking a leap of faith—and I know, sometimes it feels like jumping off a cliff with nothing but a homemade parachute and a prayer! There’s an excitement that comes with every new beginning. When launching a business, the early days are…
How can a copywriter sound like you?
If you’re a one-person business and all your marketing is in your voice because you write it yourself, you might think you can’t hire a writer. I mean, you can’t outsource your writing when it has to sound like you, can you? The good news is, you can. Here’s how I…