054: Cardinal Rules for Concept Messaging
how to commit to the bit
Unfortunately, I DO love a theme – likely too much, if you ask my husband (but don’t, because I’m the fun one and the golden retriever of the marriage while his black cat ass could never, love u babe byeee).
My word of the year? Flawless, every time, and actually used regularly throughout the year to keep the entire plot on theme.
My kids’ parties? Themed to the 9’s.
My new group messaging program? Aggressively themed, but you’ll have to wait on that one.
But a theme only works if you do it right, especially when it comes to your business, a concept brand, and themed offers.
Lucky for you, I do it right – and I’m about to show you how I tackle themes and concept brands with messaging + website copy.
Before I introduce you to my clients, I need you to know that I’m obsessed with them and you’re about to be, too.
Cool! Now that that’s out of the way, meet Kendra & Jess.
Kendra is a brand designer for product-based businesses. Jess creates automated email systems for pet-focused businesses.
BOTH of them have a concept/themed brand, where everything in their business revolves around a central “messaging motif,” if you will (and you know I will).
Kendra’s brand is centered around giving her clients a five-star-resort experience that leaves them feeling refreshed, rested, and FULL of new perspective (and – in my words – the post-vacay zoomies) they need to step into their next sales era.
Jess’s brand revolves around pets (duh), and she exclusively serves pet-focused businesses like vets, pet stores, pet subscription boxes, and groomers.
I recently wrote website copy for both of them, and I’m gonna let you steal my cardinal rules for concept messaging:
#1 – Commit to the bit
Mentioning it once is NOT ENOUGH. You need to lean all the way in with a theme, and mention it at least on every page. Think of the skimmers! The skippers! The people who have to read every word twice because they didn’t actually read it the first time (me)!
This is NOT the time to hit it & quit it. If you’re going to do it, do it with your whole chest.
#2 – Don’t make it weird
You do have to commit, but your first commitment should always be to saying what you need to say, how you’d actually say it.
BOTH of these websites sound like things that Kendra and Jess would actually say, which is at least 80% of the point. I didn’t let the theme overshadow real human language, and kept their voices front and center for it all.
#3 – Know when to fold(ish)
If you have a concept brand and you name your packages accordingly, then use those cute package names incorrectly – you are FIRED.
Your clients are not searching for “The Cabana Package,” nor do they know what it means.
They do search for “brand design” and know what THAT means – which is why, whenever there are themed packages to play with, I ALWAYS lead with the self-explanatory phrasing and make sure every.single.thing. is given the context it needs to tell your ideal clients exactly what they get out of it.
Kendra and I spent probably a collective hour discussing package names, how to present them, and how to create the navigation for this section on her services page (this is why it is, indeed, a flex to hire a copywriter who also used to design websites) and this is an absolutely perfect example of how to theme your packages.
And THAT IS HOW IT’S DONE.
Don’t forget to visit Kendra + Jess’s sites (and immediately hire them, if you need brand + packaging design and/or email systems that will save your ass).
>> P.S. I’m becoming a video girl! Click here for yesterday’s reel about this + a secret about my tiny mic (that I suspect is true of a LOT of people who are just afraid to admit it).
REALITY CHECK:
I’m dying of a migraine and posted on Threads that the newsletter would be a day late this week but unfortunately, I am who I am and couldn’t sleep knowing it wouldn’t go out on a Thursday. This is why a smarter person would write them further out, but unfortunately – I’m smart about all things except this!