I’m in Chicago this week for a speaking gig and some meetings. (And to challenge the economic legacy of a Nobel prize winner on his home turf. I’ll report back on whether my MBA is revoked.) It’s officially summer, a time when many of my clients refocus their marketing efforts. Should you bend to the will of the algorithms? Thanks to my content strategist, Liz, for sharing her writing tips and sparkling wit. - Jill.

You know what’s annoying?

The moment I open my mouth and say, “Oh, I’ll never [FILL IN THE BLANK],” you can bet a sweet $10 bill (adjusted for inflation) that somewhere between five business days to 24 months, I will absolutely do whatever that “never” thing was. 

For example, I was never going to own my own business. That was a path for “responsible” adults who loved paperwork, but hated naps, freedom, and the nirvana-like bliss one only achieves from sipping on a crispy Diet Coke from McDonald’s. 

Hard pass.

Anyway, my name is Liz Moorehead. I’m a B2B content strategist, brand messaging specialist, and speaker, and I’ve been working for myself for almost four years. Whoops!  

Do I still hate paperwork? Yes. Does my accountant like me more as a person rather than as a client? Absolutely. 

But I get to work with inspiring founders who are solving real problems, while also not wanting to do terrible things to society and our planet. Like Jill. And like you.

So, today, I’m going to put my 15 years of experience in storytelling that sells, content strategy, and brand messaging to work for you with five copywriting and content tips for your business. Some are quick and easy, while others are deep thinks.

Let’s start with a simple, but wildly effective copywriting tip. Gerunds are verbs that end in -ing. They may sound poised and polished at the start of a headline or subject line. In reality, however, they’re soft, vague, and suck all of the urgency out of the room. 

Example:

With gerund: Building better customer relationships with smarter tools

(I’m already asleep.)

Without gerund: Build stronger relationships with every customer you serve

(Oooh, tell me more.)

Passive voice is what happens when you’re too scared or too corporate to admit who did the thing. It's the writing equivalent of your coworker saying, "Mistakes were made on the Q3 report." Cool, Brenda. By whom? (We all know it was you, Brenda.)

Active voice, on the other hand, names names. It points fingers. It takes credit. It moves.

Example:

Passive: The pricing page was redesigned to better align with customer needs.

(Who redesigned it? A ghost? A committee of invisible interns? The printer that finally snapped?)

Active: We redesigned the pricing page, so you can actually find what things cost without a scavenger hunt. (Now I know who to thank, and I know what's in it for me.)

You’re more likely to fall into the passive-voice trap if you’re trying to make yourself sound more experienced. Don’t fake prestige. Let your expertise (in your authentic voice) speak for itself.

I recommend these books to almost every business owner I’ve ever worked with:

They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan (2nd Edition)

If you want to know what content actually generates revenue and how to build websites that are like catnip for your ideal buyers, read this book. Yes, there’s a new edition of this book called Endless Customers, but this second edition is the real gem. (Full disclosure, I helped write his book, but I make no money from sales. I’m recommending this because it works.)

Creativity: a Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese

Behold, John Cleese of Monty Python fame. I read this in two hours on Christmas Day during COVID, because I lived alone with my cat. It changed my life. This will not only help you with your creative processes around marketing, content, and brand storytelling, it will also help you be a better creative thinker inside your business. 

Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need by Margot Leitman

If you’re a founder, guess what? You’re a storyteller. So, you not only need to get people to buy into your business with your stories, you also need to get people to buy into you. Margot Leitman is an award-winning storyteller; if you’re familiar with The Moth, you’ve probably heard her name. This is quick, fun, instructive, and interactive. You’ll love it.

If you want to write content that sells, listen to your sales discovery calls. 

Because those questions, those objections, those problems you’re hearing? That’s what you should be writing about. Particularly since about 75%-80% of the answers you give during those first discovery calls tend to be the same, no matter who you’re talking to. Even if the answer is, “Well, it depends, but let’s talk through the factors that influence the answer.”

The best part is, if you create content around your most frequently asked questions or objections, you (or your sales team) can send some of that FAQ content goodness to prospects in advance. As a result, you can be more actionable, strategic, and forward-looking in that first call, because you’ve gotten a lot of the basics out of the way.

Years ago, a friend set me up on a date with a guy we’ll call “Cliff,” but I was confused. He was hot, had a good job and his own place, did his own laundry, knew how to cook, and (once more with feeling) was hot. 

How was he still single? Did Cliff have a weird, excessively large porcelain doll collection? Was he an axe murderer? 

It only took about 20 minutes for me to figure out the problem: he never stopped talking about himself. And that night, I learned more about high school and college lacrosse than I ever wanted to know in my entire life. 

Unfortunately, most brands I work with tend to act like Cliff in their content. 

Instead of meeting your would-be customers where they are -- showing you understand them and what they’re going through -- you immediately launch into your solutions, your benefits, your features, your differentiators, and on and on. 

But when a prospect lands on your website for the first time or opens up an article you’ve written, they’re trying to answer these three questions:

In those initial moments, they’re looking for themselves in your content, NOT you. That’s why I always give the same advice whenever I’m coaching someone about website copy, brand messaging, or a piece of content:

Always start by making your audience the hero.

Instead of: "We're a leading provider of integrated workflow solutions for modern marketing teams." (Cool. I'm leaving.)

Try: "You're drowning in expensive tools that were supposed to make your marketing team faster. We get it. And we built something different." (I’m seated. Go on.)

See the difference? Once they've seen themselves in your words, then you've earned the right to talk about what you do. Not a second sooner.

Ready to get started? Great, here’s what you do:

Need more help? Book a free 20-minute strategy session.

👉 Wait, what happens during a 20-minute strategy session?

You should have a good sense of your financial position for April and May. If you’re profitable, it’s time to talk to your accountant about Q2 estimated taxes.

Bonds and borrowing rates. TL;DR: the news isn’t great. Bond yields continue to rise. Although we have a new Fed chair, he gets just one vote on what is largely the same Fed Board of Governors. It’s not a system where one person can sway outcomes quickly. Major bank forecasts are now for no-rate cuts in the second half of 2026, with some governors open to raising rates if inflation continues to run hot.

Attitudes toward AI and data centers. A new Gallup poll shows 70% of Americans do not support construction or expansion of local data centers. Many cite the local environmental impact and concern about higher electricity prices. 

Voting. Primary season for local, state, and federal midterm elections is well under way. With late redistricting and ever-changing rules, please check your voter registration status regularly, monitor your polling places and deadlines, and be vigilant. 

Rain. Or lack thereof. The Rockies finally got a bit of snow in March and April, but a significant amount of the Western and Southeastern US starts summer in extreme drought conditions. Expect disruptions from wildfires and reduced air quality from smoke. Consider having high-quality face masks on hand and upgrading your air filtration.

ICYMI, here are resources you should know about:

The AI slop party on LinkedIn is over, folks! (Hopefully.) Is LinkedIn against the use of AI on its platform? No, not entirely. But they announced last week they were going to flag posts as “low quality” if its “AI solving AI” system detects generic posts, bot comments, and engagement bait. Will these posts be taken down? No, but they’ll be suppressed. Translation: the days of sharing ChatGPT-generated "Here's what my 3-year-old’s petting zoo temper tantrum taught me about Q3 OKRs" posts and getting 400 likes are numbered. (We will mourn appropriately.)