In this episode of Small Business Origins, host John Kelley interviews Haley Burns, founder of SugarCopy, a Chicago-based copywriting agency focused on direct response copy for coaches and online course creators. They discuss Haley’s journey from studying science in Scotland to becoming a digital nomad and freelance copywriter, as well as the importance of research and personality in crafting persuasive copy.
Main Discussion Points:
– Haley’s origin story: Studied science in Scotland, worked odd jobs and in a call center before discovering copywriting online and teaching herself (00:03:34 – 00:05:13)
– Haley’s niche: Started in tech/SaaS, now focuses on coaches, course creators and “inspirational brands” (00:07:13 – 00:08:12)
– The value of hiring a copywriter vs. using AI tools like ChatGPT (00:09:46 – 00:11:04)
– How Haley expresses a client’s personality and voice in her copy (00:16:34 – 00:17:23)
– Things to look for when hiring a copywriter (extensive research process) (00:20:57 – 00:22:03)
Key Quotes:
“I spend a lot of time in a big nerdy spreadsheet, like organizing what are those top things that customers are looking to buy and what will resonate with them?” (00:10:38)
“It’s like having a salesman on your website. It’s the difference between just I don’t know, it’s everything to have the right words because that’s the starting point into your brand.” (00:26:38)
“I’m able to take some really boring concepts and make them super snazzy, and I think that that’s really important today.” (00:28:48)
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