Small Business Doer

Sarah Mitchell, GLOBAL COPYWRITING, Fremantle W.A

Name: Sarah Mitchell

Business: Global Copywriting

Location: Fremantle, Western Australia

Length of time Global Copywriting has been in operation: 18 months

A little about Global Copywriting:

I’m a sole proprietor specialising in Content Marketing. I focus on three areas –original content, social media and SEO. By design, Content Marketing persuades and educates consumers without “selling” to them. My goal is to help business generate leads, establish their authority and gain competitive advantage. When you have a great story to tell, it’s easy to start a conversation and prospective customers naturally want to visit the website where the content resides. When I speak about content, I’m referring to things like blogs, case studies, white papers and websites.

The BEST business tip I've ever been given:

I had a manager once say to me, “We can’t worry about delivery until we’ve made a sale.” That just clicked with me and I’ve never looked back. It’s so easy to get sidetracked on all the reasons why you can’t be successful. I see so many small business owners worry about building a perfect company they actually never get around to launching it. If you’re constantly working your marketing and sales strategy, the rest falls into place. And, yes, I have had instances where I’m over extended but that’s the best problem any business can have.

If I knew then, what I know now, what would I do differently?

I worked in a corporate environment for 18 years with no desire to run my own company or be self-employed. I spent another 10 years fiddling around with freelance writing but with no real strategy or goal. I had no idea how gratifying it is to run your own business and how much fun it is. I would have gone out on my own a long time ago.

The biggest BUZZ about Global Copywriting:

Nothing beats giving someone the tools to be successful. I work with so many smart business people that struggle to capture the essence of their company in words. I get such a charge out of putting together a document that promotes their business and improves their revenue.

The ‘silly’ question customers ask:

It’s not a question but the statement, “I know what I want to say but I can’t seem to find the right words” always makes me smile. I’m not sure why people are so hard on themselves when it comes to writing. It’s a talent and a discipline; I wouldn’t expect a non-writer to know how to do that, let alone do it well. I’ve spent years and years learning how to write effective business communications.

I use ‘technology’ for the benefit of my business and customers:

My background is in IT so it’s natural for me to incorporate technology into my writing. Social media has had a remarkable impact on business and especially small business. While corporate websites have been around for a long time, the recent widespread acceptance of social media has seen business extend their reach in ways we never dreamed of before. I’ve got clients all over the world because my company has an online presence driven by social media activity. My clients are experiencing the same exponential growth.

Biggest future trend:

Content Marketing is fairly new but every year we’re getting more and more data points that tell us it’s going to overtake traditional marketing methods. Consumers are educating themselves and they’re doing it online. The old techniques of broadcasting your message to customers are over. Consumers want a dialogue and education and they buy from people that provide those things to them.

Who has had the most impact on my life, to date?

I’d have to say my little boy. Absolutely every decision I make is informed by his presence. As someone who spent nearly 41 years doing whatever I wanted - whenever I wanted - the discipline of parenthood has been a huge shift in my life. Why women don’t rule the world is beyond me. A working mom is one of the most productive, creative, organised, sleep-deprived creatures on the planet.

What or who makes me laugh?

My mom had a fantastic sense of humour and I still laugh out loud when I recount some of her stories. From a writing perspective, Dave Sedaris makes me laugh. The Big Bang Theory cracks me up. The writing is excellent and I’m married to one of those big-brained engineers so the jokes hit close to home. Watching my little boy dance always gives me a giggle. He’s a ham.

What am I currently reading?

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks is a fantastic story spanning multiple centuries about a rare book and all the people who were affected by it. It’s a fascinating read for a bookworm like me.

I discovered Geraldine Brooks through her husband, another favourite author of mine, Tony Horowitz. He’s American, she’s Australian and they’ve lived in both countries. That reflects my own history of being born and raised in America but choosing to live in Australia. My family is a blend of multiple nationalities so maybe their writing speaks to me on some level that’s not apparent. (We have a passport draw in our house!)

I’ve always got the current issue of Vanity Fair and The Sun open somewhere around the house.

Favourite music:

I like singer/songwriters because they often tell a story with their music. Lyle Lovett is an all-time favourite even though I’m not much of a country-western fan. I really like the tradition of American folk/rock and he fits that along with Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen. Paul Kelly affects me the same way. The Police, Sting, Crowded House and George Gershwin tunes round out my favourites.

Favourite quote:

“It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” I’ve taken some heat about this attitude from the Australians but I think it really speaks to the American “can do” spirit. Sometimes it’s just more productive to forge ahead and accept the risk on your own shoulders than to wait for collective agreement. My experience has been when you come back with a good result, people usually don’t care about anything else.

I’ve been doing a lot of speaking on content marketing and have some diverse gigs coming up:

Breakout at the Breakwater photography seminar, Perth – 18 May http://www.fitzgeraldphoto.com.au/newsletters/fitz-e-news7.html

Big Fat Marketing Day for Small Business, Perth – 15 June

http://www.thewoo.com.au/marketing_day_Perth

Online Retailer Expo and Conference workshop, Sydney – 6 July

http://www.onlineretailer.net/events/or10/agenda/online-retailer-workshops/retailers-essential-guide#overview

And:

Professional copywriting services are a fantastic investment helping to improve your brand and position your company. It’s a small cost for a big payout.

Global Copywriting