Word Witchery 💫 for Culture-Changing Brands - RED BALLOON STATION

RED BALLOON STATION

4 Ways to Be a Better Storyteller with Your Inner Child

2/14/2024

This past weekend, we visited our local botanic garden and let the kids run around exploring. Listening to them play and let their imaginations turn the garden into a magical forest was both delightfully amusing and inspiring.

Kids are incredible storytellers and we can tap into the imagination of our own inner child to be better storytellers who connect with and inspire our audience.

Here are four ways to help us unleash the limitless capabilities of our imagination and power to tell impactful stories.

Building story-driven sales funnels

1/25/2024

When you’re launching a product or running some kind of campaign, you don’t want to just attention grab then sell-sell-sell.
You want to build trust with your audience, let them get to know you, and take them on a thoughtfully crafted journey that leads them to say yes to you.

And we can do this with the power of storytelling, because strategic and empathetic storytelling helps us make an emotional connection with our audience and shows our audience why our product or service is going to solve a problem in their lives.

How to Use The 6 Basic Story Archetypes in Your Brand Storytelling

1/12/2024

Did you know that there are only 6 stories in the world?

Whenever I tell people my story of going from law school to country music, to filmmaking, and now also copywriting and brand storytelling…

People are usually very intrigued.

But over the years I’ve come to learn that my story isn’t that unique. There are actually plenty of non-practicing attorneys in the entertainment industry. In fact, there are many non-practicing attorneys in various industries, including copywriting too!

But what makes my story interesting to people are my specific experiences and perspectives.

So today I'll break down the six archetypal plots and how you can use your unique perspective to tell engaging stories that help you build community.

6 Tips for Creating & Maintaining an Authentic Brand Voice

11/30/2023

I was working on a social post for a client inspired by Merriam-Webster’s 2023 Word of the Year, which is authentic, and knew this would be a perfect topic for me to discuss with all of you, too.

Because you probably hear from me and everyone else around you, that authenticity is key in your branding and storytelling.

I’ve even written a blog about the difference between being authentic and being genuine…and why you need both.
But oftentimes when a word is thrown around too much, it loses its meaning and impact.

So when we talk about having an authentic brand voice…what does that even mean and how do we make sure we are being authentic?

Are you harnessing the power of storytelling to help your brand stand out in a crowded market?

9/15/2023

I think "copywriting" needs a rebrand.

The other day, someone told me copywriting is boring.

Of course, I said, "No, no, no! Copywriting is storytelling for brands!"

It's why I loooove copywriting as much as screenwriting.

5 years ago, I was randomly asked to write social media for a luxury skincare brand. Besides my own social media, I had never written social media for a business.

But I quickly realized that the reason this person asked me to take this on, was because she knew that I know how to tell a story.

She knew that I know how to tell a story on brand for specific audiences, because I had a history of developing and producing movies that are very brand specific.

She also knew that I know how to take something boring or formulaic and turn it into a relatable story that emotionally connects with the audience (not that skincare is boring 😊).

And she knew that I know how to tell stories that sell, because I’ve helped tell dozens of stories that have sold worldwide.

Storytelling is about connecting on a human level, inspiring action, and creating lasting impressions.

So if you find your messaging falling flat, and you feel like you’re speaking to the sound of crickets…

Here are 5 tips for harnessing the power of storytelling to help your business stand out in a crowded market:

🎈 Be transparent. Share stories that are real, authentic, and even vulnerable. The best brands I know basically have honest conversations with their customers and aren’t afraid of letting their blemishes show.

🎈Do some character building. You not only need to know who you are, inside and out…but you need to know your ideal customer inside and out. What are your dreams, goals, desires, fears, and challenges? And what are theirs? What does your ideal customer care about? What’s their daily lifestyle like?
Knowing your characters inside and out will help you relate to your ideal customer.

🎈Start with a hook. Capture your audience’s attention from the get-go. But remember to be click-worthy and not click-baity.

🎈Conflict and resolution. Every compelling story has a problem that needs to be resolved. What are the challenges that led you to where you are? What about the challenges that have brought your customer to you? And what’s the solution?

🎈Be clear about your values. Your values are what’s going to leave a lasting impression and keep you in the game for the long run. Root your values into your story, and make sure they’re clear as you tell your story.

And believe me...when you harness the power of storytelling, there is no way your copywriting will ever be boring.

Are you harnessing the power of storytelling to strengthen your community and help your brand stand out in a crowded market?

DM if you’d like to work together on telling your brand’s story, your customer’s story, and your product’s story.

🎈 Justine

The best rejection email I've ever received

8/3/2023

I received the best "rejection" email after a cold outreach, because it validated my skills as a copywriter - and even more so as an email marketer!

This response totally made my morning and gave me the confidence boost I needed for the day. Honestly, I wouldn't even call this a rejection, just wrong timing.

But I wanted to share it, because it shows how being genuine translates. And when you're writing cold outreaches, you have to be able to stand out amongst the many cold outreaches that the reader probably receives. So, I thought I'd break down how I approach cold outreaches.

10 UI Tips for a Smooth UX

7/27/2023

Recently, my friends and I had an extremely frustrating experience trying to book a spa day for our best friend's bachelorette.

And if it were not for our best friend's bachelorette, we would have just said "screw it" and they would have lost hundreds of dollars of business.

This made me think of the less glamorous side, but equally important part of copywriting...UI. What's UI?

6 Tips for Writing a Solid Sales Page that Actually Sells

6/22/2023

You can do all the marketing in the world, but if your sales page doesn't sell...all your efforts could fall flat.

So when I have a client that says, I just want to put out some ads right now, or I'm going to focus on email marketing only for now, I always check their sales page, the page that their customers will be landing on at the other end of the ad or email.

If it needs some work, I will suggest that we improve the sales page first to ensure we're putting our best foot forward.

So, here are tips for making sure your sales page is doing what it's meant to do...sell.

6 Tips for Improving the Click-Through-Rate on Emails

6/21/2023

If you've been seeing great open rates, but hearing crickets past that point, then it's time to improve what's actually in your emails...including your Call-to-Action (CTA).

Here are 6 tips to improve engagement on your emails.

6 Tips for Writing an Engaging Brand Story

5/15/2023

Your About Page tells people who you are and what you do, and overall provides a good overview of your business.

But your brand story...

Your brand story inspires an emotional connection with your target audience. And it separates you from your competitors. It humanizes your brand.

So how do you write a brand story that makes your ideal customer feel like they know you and want to join your inner circle?

Here are 6 tips...