Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kathy Young. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kathy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

As a copywriter and brand messaging strategist, I believe you can’t effectively write as a business without understanding your audience *and* the heart behind your brand (or at least, who your brand aspires to be).

I find that most small businesses owners will fall under one of two camps:

Camp One:

All they care about are data and numbers. They want to see proof that their copy is singing with clicks, conversions, and sales.

Ironically, these are the same brands who wonder why “their engagement is low” because all their messaging is void of human interaction.

Audiences nowadays are much more sophisticated. More than asking “will this brand help me?” they are also asking “does this brand have my best in mind?”

Audiences want confidence that the brands they invest in actually *care* in some type of way.

Without this in mind, your copy is automatically set to fail. Regardless of all psychology or objection-busting tactics you may use.

Camp Two:

These are the people who care TOO much about personality-driven copy. They care more about sounding “cool” or “fun to read” than actually taking a moment to understand:

• The vision that’s driving their business
• The offers they create to serve their audience
• Their audience’s pain points, desires, motivations, and anxieties
• Funnel, marketing, and sales principles to get more eyes on their business

Since they are so concerned about coming across as “personable”, they forget to put a profitable strategy in place. This is just as ineffective.

I encourage small businesses to exist in the happy middle.

Businesses that typically don’t let the stress of data strip down their message end up being much more successful.

Businesses that care less about being “witty” and more about the *content* of their message also end up being much more successful

While you want to make sure your message is rooted in heart and empathy, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice strategy because of it. Vice versa is also true. You’ve got to embrace both.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

You’ll find that a lot of creatives find a particular niche they enjoy working in. So as a copywriter, I’ve found myself most in love with the rebranding process through website copywriting and brand messaging.

When we get into business, we usually start wide-eyed and full of wonder. There are so many hopes and dreams we have not only for our own lives, but for the clients, we will eventually serve.

Then, years will go by. We get caught up in the daily grind of our craft. We face challenges. We forget what started it all. But more importantly, we don’t have time to reflect on how our vision has changed since those early days.

The rebranding process, (when done intentionally), has the power to give founders intense clarity and focus. It literally forces them to look at their business from an eagle eye’s view and with a microscope, to make sure every single message contributes to the greater narrative.

Not to mention, they get a deep understanding of their audience like they never have before.

This is what I do for Rekindle Communications’ clients. I often get told that the process is “therapeutic” because founders can finally sift through their myriad of thoughts and, with my help, articulate where their business is headed.

So yes, I create copywriting that converts a sale. But it’s meant to connect with your audience on a deeper level to create a sense of trust.

And finally, give small business owners unshakeable confidence in their vision.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Relationships are everything in business. Everything. I’ll often keep in touch on social media through their content, especially if what they are sharing I truly enjoy!

Other times it will be simply catching up over a quick 20-minute conversation, especially after it’s been a few months since we finished a project. I love getting to hear how far their business has come since working together and the ways I can continue to support them.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Connecting with amazing human beings is by far the most rewarding aspect of being a creative. As a writer, it’s my job to see through someone else’s eyes and share their story from their unique perspective. Even down to the minutiae of their word choice.

Most of the clients I work with, up until us working together, haven’t had someone listen to their story and mirror it back to them. It’s an incredible collaboration of creativity, intentional listening, and trust.

What I enjoy even more than that process, is then getting to walk alongside clients as they continue to grow their brands. After our initial project, oftentimes there is a continued partnership whether through consulting or other projects they need support with. Simply because I understand their voice and vision from the inside out. At that point, we transition into more of a colleague-to-colleague relationship which is truly special to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rekindlecommunications.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rekindle_communications/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rekindlecommunications
• Other: 5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Website Copy in An Afternoon: https://rekindlecommunications.com/5-tips

Image Credits
Kate Taramykin Studios https://katetaramykin.com/