why is it SO awkward to write about yourself?? it’s easy to tell someone about what you do and why you love it, but sitting down and trying to put the perfect words to it can feel so cringey.
you’re not alone if you’ve tried to write the first section of your homepage and then when you read it back it sounded more like a Borat voice “This my site and I do photos and stuffs”
here are a few tips:
1. get weirdly specific. not to stir up any drama here, but the fact you like coffee is…not a fun fact (yep, we said it😅). if you want your website copy to feel like you, you need to get niche. think about your onlyness factor – what do you bring to the table that clients could only get if they work with you? think of those little quirky things that make you think “that’s so me.” those are what you want to surface in your website copy.
to take copy from good to great, you need to show instead of tell. telling is “i’ll photograph your fun adventures.” showing is “it’s a two-person dance party on the roof of the parking garage. it’s snuggling in for a sunset at the spot where you had your first date. promising forever with the mountains as your witnesses.” detail helps people relate and envision the possibilities of working together. so get weirdly specific.
2. read your texts. one of the best places to get copy inspo from your website is…yourself💅 think “I am my inspiration.” you might not feel like you have a “brand voice,” but you have a voice and you’re the brand.
go through your own texts with friends, scour the group chat, browse your emails. we’re not saying to copy/paste the in-depth discussion about what shoes to wear – although i would totally read that – but look for little things. what do you call people (babe, girl, bestie, lover)? how do you greet people? what phrases and emojis do you use on repeat? try sprinkling those little pieces into your copy and it’ll start feeling more like you.
3. use the bestie filter. write your copy like you’d speak to a friend. it’s almost always good to take a more personal tone as a photographer, unless your work is in a crazy professional niche. sometimes when you start typing, you find yourself throwing around vocab words like a renaissance poet. if that’s how you talk, then go for it (thou hast our utmost respect). but for everyone else, ask yourself “how would i describe this to my best friend?” that’s how you want to write it.
4. don’t plagiarize. hopefully it goes without saying; while it’s okay to find inspiration from other people’s writing, you should never be using it word for word or just swapping out an adjective here and there (unless you’re using our templates – in which case, take anything you want). you’ll never sound like yourself or let your own unique style shine if you’re literally using someone else’s words. also it’s just super uncool and also illegal 💁♀️
if these tips were helpful, our free homepage copywriting guide has tons more ideas that can be applied to all different types of copy!