Interview with Mimi
Get the full scoop on how I became a copywriter—
& answers to other questions you may have
So, tell me how you became a copywriter.
It all started when my friend Dan had a romance novel accepted for publication. The book was special to him because it was based on the real story of how he and his wife fell in love. In the runup to the book’s release, Dan’s publisher asked him to hop on social media to promote the book.
There was just one problem with this – Dan didn’t know what to write or say on his platforms. You can imagine the frustration – this book was his real story! It was literally decades in the making, and now it was finally coming out. He wanted to give it the best introduction to the world possible!
But not knowing what stories to tell or how to present the book, and himself as an author, held him back in his marketing. As I observed his frustration, I knew I could help. So I did – I started writing social media copy to promote this book. As a result of the engagement we gathered, the book sold 1000 units in pre-orders in the first few weeks.
In Dan’s own words: “One of my favorite results of working with Mimi was the book trailer she wrote the copy for [which was shared on Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon]. She’s also taught me a number of techniques, the use of which allows me to reach a larger audience, which should help in generating increased interest in my work.”
Through this experience, I realized that I could help people by giving them the words they need to sell things they've poured their heart into. Though I got my start by helping Dan market his book, my firm belief that women and minorities deserve to make their own money led me to pivot to working on copy primarily for underrepresented business owners. I now write researched, client-attractive conversion copy for coaches and creative service providers so that their websites are set up to take the heavy lifting of sales off their plates--freeing their time for other activities important for them.
When I made this decision, I already had a decade of research and writing at the university level under my belt, having completed degrees at UC Berkeley and NYU. Specifically, at NYU, I obtained my PhD in French literature while also teaching literature classes, publishing my research, and winning awards for it.
Though I'm proud of those achievements for sure, I have to say that the best thing I took from my PhD was the skill to put my head down and work on my projects until the moment I completed them. (No leaving things at only 80%). I bring every ounce of this discipline into your copy, too.
To become an expert conversion copywriter, I studied under copywriting powerhouses Jo Wiebe (founder of Copyhackers) and Betsy Muse (founder of Rocket Fuel Strategy). The copy I craft follows a proven process of:
☑ conducting customer research to discover your audience's pains and desires, including ones they aren't voicing
☑ scoping out your competitors to figure out where you outshine them
☑ crafting messaging that positions you as the solution to your audience's problems
☑ and writing web copy that moves your prospects to YES! for you
Wow, that's a cool story. So what kind of clients do you work with?
I work with business owners just like you who have worked hard to get to the level you're at now. You're excellent at what you do and you're READY to have your website to reflect that--while also shortening your sales cycle by moving prospects towards YES! for you so that you get your precious time back to spend elsewhere, whether that's developing another part of your business or making it to Friday night dinner every week.
That said, the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with run the gamut. They include:
Life coaches
Public speakers & Speaking coaches
Dating coaches
Authors & author coaches
Reiki practitioners
Leadership & High-performance coaches
ADHD coaches
Yoga practitioners
Professional English coaches
OK, but what happens if you haven't yet worked with people in my field?
Having worked with many coaches and service providers, I've most likely worked with someone who has a background similar to yours. However, if I haven't yet, my conversion-focused process begins with research and discovery, where I dive deep into your audience to understand their innermost pains and desires, and a competitor analysis, where I study your competitors to see where you really excel.
In short, I get to know the details of your business with a degree of thoroughness that comes from meticulous training from both my research and copywriting backgrounds.
That said, if we have a quick chat and we're truly not the best fit for each other, I'm happy to refer you to my network so you can work with someone who meets your needs.
How are you different from other copywriters?
I'm specifically a conversion copywriter, which is short for conversion-focused copywriter. "Conversion-focused" means what it sounds like--it refers to copy that follows a process proven to capture more leads and close sales for you. As described above, that process includes:
☑ conducting customer research to discover your audience's pains and desires, including ones they aren't voicing
☑ scoping out your competitors to figure out where you outshine them
☑ crafting messaging that positions you as the solution to your audience's problems
☑ and writing web copy that moves your prospects to YES! for you.
(Btw...if you've worked with copywriters before and were disappointed with the results, it's likely the packages you purchased didn't include all these steps. Sure, it’s a lot—but it's what works to get you copy that brings in the most ROI.)
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
My copy services are for business owners who are ready to level up their copy because they understand that professional, conversion-focused copy takes the heavy lifting of sales of their plate.
When it comes to my larger packages ($3500+), they understand that copy created includes all the steps of my process outlined above, which takes 8+ weeks to complete. (If you are pressed for budget or time, my Copy Polish or Messaging Playbook may be better options--they are completed in 1-2 weeks and are still designed to give you BIG wins.)
As for expectations, my packages are designed so that I take as little of your time as possible--however, when we work together, it's important that you and your team are prompt in your communication. I will ask for information about your business when we begin and I may ask for further details as I work on your copy. The sooner you can answer my questions, the sooner I can deliver your copy to you.
If you purchase a web copy package, I'll also ask you to sign off on the Messaging Playbook after that step is complete, and to review the copy within 5 business days so that I can implement any changes you'd like. It's important that you are prompt with your responses so that we can get your project completed. (Additionally, please know that if a response from you isn't received within 5 days, another project may be moved in front of me, drawing my focus away from your project.)
All of this said--again, I aim to take as little of your time as possible because I understand how important it is to you. Most weeks, you'll just get an update every Friday with insights I've uncovered that week on your business that you can use in your business and marketing strategy.
For what type of business owner will your services NOT work?
If your webpages and emails aren’t a high source of sales for you, you'll definitely want to consider how much you invest in them. This is particularly relevant to business owners who market through channels like word of mouth, referrals, etc. In this case, you'll want a website that shows you as a professional (people will still Google you), but one that's simpler than a full-on 8 page website. I'd suggest a Copy Polish, which gives you a more professional, conversion-focused website without being a full project.
For my larger packages, I'll ask you for quick info from your Google Analytics about your web traffic before we start to make sure your new web copy is set up to be a success. If your website doesn't get enough traffic, I may make another recommendation for you. Simply put: investing $$$ in your web copy will not work if your website doesn't get traffic.
OK, so what exactly do your services include?
My services are grouped into "start small but get BIG wins" packages and larger packages.
My "Small start, BIG win" packages are:
The "Small start, Big win" Copy Polish: great if you need some pointers on pre-existing web copy to make it more conversion focused
Messaging Playbook: great if you're leveling up and need to stop overthinking your new messaging
My larger packages are more thorough and include my full conversion-copywriting process (research and discovery, competitor analysis, YES!-worthy messaging, and copy). They take 8+ weeks, and you'll receive an update from me every Friday with insights I've gathered on your project that week that you can use to direct business and marketing strategy.
That sounds great! So how do we work together and what does it entail?
All my projects start with me asking you for some info about your business. If you purchase a Copy Polish or Messaging Playbook, you'll receive an email with a questionnaire from me. It's important you are prompt to fill this out and return it to me--the sooner you do so, the sooner I can start on your copy.
You can read more about the other steps of the Copy Polish here and the Messaging Playbook here.
For my larger projects, I'll ask you off the bat to send me all the materials I need to understand your business. This can include:
Copy relevant to our work (for example, emails, current webpages, profiles, etc.)
Books you've authored
Materials relevant to your services: videos of your speeches or coaching sessions, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
Podcasts and other marketing materials you'd like me to look at to understand you and your business
Your CV or resume and letters of rec
(All this said, it is also OK if you're pivoting in your business and don't have much material at the moment--I'm just asking for what you do have.)
Once you've sent me the relevant materials, I'll dive into the rest of my process, of research & discovery, completing a competitor analysis, crafting YES!-worth messaging, and writing web copy.
What results can I expect?
You can expect kick-ass copy where every detail is informed by research and primed for conversion so that your website shortens your sales cycle and gives you your time back.
Client testimonials with specific results are showcased here.
How quickly can I get my copy?
I operate on a first come, first served basis (we can communicate about specific dates, but please understand I may not be available immediately).
When we agree to work on copy, I ask for 50% of the payment in advance to hold that time in my calendar (payment plans are available for larger projects). Once that's locked in, you own that time. I don't overschedule myself so you can rest assure that your work receives my full attention.
The timelines that I aim to turn around work are:
Small Start, Big Win Copy Polish: 1 week
Larger projects (for example, 3-8 pages of web copy): 8+ weeks
These timelines are dependent on prompt communication on your part--the faster you can send me your materials and review the copy I send you, the sooner you will have copy ready to implement.
How do I know I’ll make my investment back?
Before we agree to work together, I'll ask for some information from you to make sure we're a good fit and that the web copy I deliver is set up for success. This includes easy info to get from your Google Analytics so I understand the traffic your website gets. If we're not a good fit, I'll make another recommendation for you.
In other words, I check you have what you need in place for copy to be successful so that you have the best chance of making your investment back.
Will you work with my web designer?
Yes, absolutely! I'm happy to communicate with you and your team via email and Loom about implementing your copy.
My larger packages also include a review of webpages after implementation to check that the design supports your copy.
What if I am a writer? Why should I work with a copywriter?
If you’re a fellow writer, you understand better than anyone that there are LOTS of types of writing, and many different kinds of writers!
And every genre of writing has its own skill sets—which is why you’d never ask a NY Times journalist to write the next hit Hollywood romcom.
So if you’re a writer, you'll want work with a copywriter because copywriting has a skill set that’s specific to it. Unless if you’ve studied the exact processes, you can’t be expected to know how to write web copy.
My client Dr. Maureen Archer, who has an extensive professional writing background, speaks about her own resistance to working with a copywriter and about how she overcame it here.
If I'm not sure I'm ready to get started, how can I sample your work at low cost to see if it's the right solution for me?
Hop onto my newsletter (Smarter Customer Research ☕️) and hear from me monthly about smart ways to talk to your customers so that it drives sales.
You can also check out some of the results clients have gotten from working with me here.
OK, I'm ready for copy! How can ask you a few more questions and get started?
Take a few minutes to fill out my contact form here and I'll respond in 48 hours.
If we're a good fit, I send a link to book a 30-minute call with me. If not, I'll send you a resource just for you. Win-win!
I look forward to learning about your situation and seeing how I can help!