Who are your clients?

I work with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and consultants who are visionaries in their fields. They tend to have difficult-to-describe products and services, and need help distilling the unique value of their work — the outcomes, their expertise and approach — into clear, concise, and compelling copy. They are different from others in their market, and they’re ready for a brand voice and message that demonstrates it.

My clients are also well-established, at least 5 years in business, with stable profit and a track-record of excellence. They’re ready to grow to their next level of success, can see clearly where they want to go from here, but they’ve hit a roadblock: they can’t get there with the same positioning, messaging, and materials that got them here. They need a clear value proposition, a compelling voice, concise messaging, and captivating design that communicate their difference and attract the right prospects. That’s what I do.

I’m just starting out or have been in business for 1-2 years. Can I still work with you?

Congratulations! The phase of business you’re in is exciting, energizing, and (occasionally!) a little nerve-wracking. It’s the perfect time to begin gaining clarity on critical foundational pieces of your business: articulating what sets you apart, identifying your ideal clients, honing your positioning, experimenting with messaging, and creating the structure and systems for a stable, profitable business. I work with clients who have spent at least 3-5 years in the trenches figuring all this out and are ready to build their next level of success from this solid foundation.

However, if you’re a serial entrepreneur with a track record of launching and growing sustainable businesses, let’s chat. If Lumos is not the right fit for your new endeavor, perhaps I can refer you to someone great in my network.

What is a “brand voice”?

It’s the way your business speaks — its personality, tone, vocabulary, sense of humor, even sentence structure. If you’re a business with employees, then your brand voice also reflects the culture of your organization, its values, and the way you communicate with customers and each other. If your business is just you, your brand voice isn’t necessarily your own — although it’s important your voices are similar — but it’s how you want to be known. What are some words that describe this? Meticulous elegance speaks differently than a cutting-edge risk-taker. By digging into who you are and how you’re different, we’ll develop a clear, cohesive, and compelling brand voice that sets you apart.

What do we do with a brand voice, though?

We write with it! Design with it. Speak with it. Send subliminal messages to your clients with it. Your brand voice informs the way you communicate across all marketing materials and channels, keeping your entire organization consistent in the eyes and ears of your customers. From website copy to proposal language and onboarding materials, your brand voice helps you stay true to your brand promise, positioning, and principles at every phase of business. Your brand voice also informs your internal communications — how you write job descriptions, describe your company culture, onboard new team members, communicate what you value and believe in — and even communicate with each other. In other words, your brand voice helps you walk your talk on every level.

What sort of copywriting do you do?

Once we develop a clear brand voice, it goes with us everywhere: website copy, sales pages, process overviews, brochures and catalogues, ad campaigns, client onboarding materials, proposals, slide decks and presentations, manifestos and mission statements. We also apply your voice to internal communications and hiring materials, such as job descriptions, the company handbook, onboarding materials, internal website, style guide, and training materials. I don’t write content for blogs, newsletters, or social media — but I can tag in experts from my network to meet your needs.

What if I’m already working with a coach or consultant on my positioning, marketing, or growth goals?

Then I applaud you! You’ll begin the process with more clarity, and we’ll make progress faster. Let me know if you’ve already brought on a coach or consultant so we can discuss what you’ve learned and reflect the strategic and/or tactical heavy-lifting you’ve already done in your business in our work together. I also include several rounds of review/vision in each phase of our project, and invite you to include key stakeholders to your business in the review process. We’ll incorporate any insight of theirs that aligns with your vision as we move forward.

Can I work with you if I already have a clear brand voice and great writing?

Yes. I’ll partner with you to revise and refine your messaging so it’s in tip-top shape to perform at its best in the materials we’re creating. We’ll make meaningful progress very quickly!

Can I write my own website copy?

Maybe. If you already have a clear brand voice and great copy but you just need to shape it or edit it down, then I’d love to see where you are. I ask that all copy be completed up-front prior to kickoff, so we’ll hop on a quick call two weeks before our scheduled start date to confirm it’s in place. If not, we’ll make a plan to reschedule for my next availability.

Are you a designer?

Not anymore. I leverage my professional experience — 10+ years designing websites and marketing materials in the corporate, nonprofit, and small business sectors — to consult on your brand image. I’ve also built a wide network of exceptionally talented and collaborative design professionals whom I can tap for your project as your needs require. My roster includes custom Squarespace designers, Wordpress developers, as well as experts in brand development, graphic design, presentation design, document design, social media design, and more.

How long does this take?

Every project is customized to the outcomes we identify in our first conversation(s) and the proposal I create outlining the deliverables. Developing a brand voice and a key piece of copy, like a positioning statement, might take a few weeks — while copy and design for an entire website may take 2-3 months or more, depending on scope. In all cases, I outline a specific timeline that breaks down the project activities — mine and yours — into every week of our work together. With touch-points throughout each phase, we talk often so you always know what I’m working on, what you need to do next, and whether we’re on track.

What does this cost?

It depends on the results you want to create. In our first exploratory call, I’ll ask you lots of questions so we’re both clear on where you are now, where you want to go, what will help you get there, and what are the missing pieces that will help you achieve your goals. Based on our conversation, I’ll create a proposal that identifies the work and goals we discussed, clearly describes the deliverables, and outlines the steps we’ll take to translate your vision into concrete reality. Every project is quoted at a flat rate and there are no surprises or additional costs unless you decide you’d like to expand our scope to achieve even more than we set out to accomplish together. Generally, development of a brand voice and positioning with copywriting for a website of up to 8 pages begins at $8K.

Do you work on retainer?

Yes. For a few key clients, I stay on board to direct and deliver ongoing projects with their leaders and teams. When we’ve gone through my process together to develop a brand voice, positioning, and messaging, I establish a close relationship with your team and get to know your brand intimately. For clients who don’t have in-house marketing, or have a team that’s missing my areas of expertise, it’s much more cost-effective to have an outside expert who knows their brand and business inside-out than to hire, train, and manage an employee to fill the gap(s). Clients who have retained me for ongoing services are prioritized in my schedule. They also receive preferential access to other strategic and creative professionals in my network when our work requires additional specialized knowledge and expertise.