How To Effortlessly Master Your Client’s Voice In Their Copy

From a Copywriter Who Actually Does the Work

I’m excited to introduce Zafira Rajan, a copywriter and sensory storyteller who specializes in supporting coaches and course creators to unblock their voice, harness their creative energy, and write sensory stories that connect with their audience. She’s a master at crafting personality-driven conversion copy that brings brands to life and creates positive change in their audiences.

In this guest blog, Zafira shares some of her copywriter-approved strategies to help you master your client’s voice in their copy. We all know that understanding and emulating your client’s unique voice is key to creating standout content. But it’s not always easy, especially when they might not even be aware of all the nuances that make their voice special.

Keep reading so you can discover how to confidently master your client’s voice and add that authentic touch to their brand.

When you’re working with a client as a digital marketer or virtual assistant, you’re not just helping them check to-dos off their list. 

You’re also leaning into their personality to infuse their fullest expression through all parts of their brand… And that means you need to get *really* good at one thing:

Mastering your client’s voice in their copy. 

Whether you find yourself needing to do any of the following on their behalf…

• Write a blog post
• Craft an email for their newsletter
• Respond to messages on their behalf
• Create copy for their social media captions

…You’ll need to have a firm handle on how your client naturally writes, and that requires doing more than just analyzing everything they’ve written in the past.

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The thing is, your client is likely too close to their work to effectively tell you *exactly* what you need to know about mastering their voice. 

(Can you imagine trying to teach someone else how to write like you? It’s weird, right?)

And you may have received feedback from them that’s said “it’s not quite there”, or “it doesn’t sound 100% like me”, or “I think this could use more work”. 

Heck, sometimes they might just rewrite the whole thing. Ouch.

Meanwhile, you’re wondering… “I thought I knew what they wanted!”

You do. But your client? They might not have communicated everything you needed when you asked.

That’s why it’s *your* job to take the lead and help them help you.

Because the quicker you can take their voice on, the more likely they’ll be able to see your potential for bigger projects, more responsibility, and a solid future in their team for the long haul!

(Not to mention, wayyy less rewrites.)

So, let’s get into it.

After writing dozens of brand messaging guides, and working behind the scenes in the personality-driven voices of 70+ clients and more, here are three of my copywriter-approved strategies to get the best out of my clients and deliver standout copy that seamlessly integrates their voice and gets them saying, “it’s like you were in my head!”

1. Leverage Their Personality (And Weirdness)

If you haven’t tried this already, I recommend reaching out to your client to schedule a 60-minute call to dive into their brand voice — and you can frame it as a “Personality Deep Dive”. 

In order to really understand your client, it’s important to get to know them on a personal level, because there’s only so much you can glean from their go-to emojis on Slack.

Let them sit back, relax and get comfortable. Often, when we ask for guidance on tone and voice in documents or over email, we don’t get the full picture from our clients. 

It’s your responsibility to create an environment where they can show up without feeling stressed, and let them chill out for a change. That’s how you’ll get them to fully open up!

Here are some of the questions I love to ask clients before kicking off a project:

(Their answers teach me *so* much about who they are… And give me lots of fun tidbits to sprinkle throughout our copy!)

• What’s your idea of a crazy cool adventure?
• What are your hobbies?
• How would your best friend or sibling describe you?
• What is your superpower?
• What are you crazy excited about right now?
• What are you most proud of, personally and professionally?
• What type of tone do you like for your copy?
• Where do you see your brand in five years?
• In what ways are you the same as your childhood self?
• What would your perfect room look like?
• What would be some of the most annoying things about having you as a roommate?
• What is one personal rule you never break?
• What are you consuming at the moment in terms of food + beverages?
• What do you spend most of your time thinking about?
• When do you feel truly “alive”?
• What makes you weird?
• What’s your favorite book?

Trust me, you’ll be very surprised by what your client ends up sharing! This really helps break the ice and helps them share their voice with you on a different level altogether. 

As a result, you’ll find yourself weaving in details like their favorite beverages into their newsletters, sharing their weird fun facts in an intro post on Instagram, or keeping in mind what they’re feeling driven by when you’re planning out their next launch. 

→ The main takeaway: You can’t master your client’s voice in their copy if you don’t really, truly know them. Take the time and give them the opportunity to show a different side of themselves to you!

▶️Related YouTube Video: How to Use Storytelling in Copywriting with Marisa Corcoran

You can subscribe here to Emily’s YouTube channel for Online Marketing Techie Skills & Strategies for Digital Marketers

2. Creep On Their Copy Crushes

If your client is a little harder to crack on a call or perhaps they’re more comfortable speaking vs. writing, the next best way to see how to best emulate their vibe is to check out who *they* look up to.

Ask your client…

• Whose emails do you LOVE seeing in your inbox? Why? (i.e. is it their storytelling, value, format, etc.)
• Whose copy are you obsessed with?
• When you think about how *you* want to show up in your words — who is the perfect example of someone who does it well?

(And make sure they give you multiple examples for each answer!)

Then, be sure to take it a step further so you have specific insights into what they love about all of the above. 

You’ll want to find out:

• What do you enjoy most about (person)’s emails, exactly?
• What is (person) doing that you want to incorporate into our marketing?
• What are we missing that (person) is totally nailing right now?

After, it’ll be up to you to notice the golden threads connecting all their answers. Perhaps you’ll notice a certain tone of voice being used, or types of stories being shared. Either way, it’ll give you something to aspire to and help your client reach their goals quicker.

→ The main takeaway: If your client looks up to someone else in their industry or genuinely enjoys reading someone else’s content, pay attention. What elements are present there that you could be helping them weave into their own copy? What makes the most sense for their brand? Take the extra step of keeping an eye on what’s lighting them up and how to fuel your work accordingly.

⚡Related Podcast Alert: How to Add Your Personality to Your Copy with Laura Belgray

Tune in to hear Laura break down how to add personality to your copy (and your clients’) so that your subscribers, followers, and fans actually want to read your stuff. And buy too.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Google Podcasts | Amazon

3. Ask Them For Specific Feedback

Here’s something I wish I would have realized a long time ago: your client’s feedback on your copy is only as good as the *guidance* you give them.

When we make a broad statement like “let me know what you think!” in an email when we send off a Google Doc or tag a client in Asana to review something, your client is approaching your work without any “anchors” for their eyes. They end up floating aimlessly around a giant document, eyes glazing over. Nothing concrete comes from it! 

Instead, it means that they’ll likely tell you where you’ve gone wrong or what edits to make, without giving you more depth so that you can make the next project even better than it was before. (Ever received feedback like “Can we make this stronger?” and you’re like: “HOW??” Yep. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again.)

The reality is: if you’re on a team, it means your client is juggling a lot. They’re busy. They have commitments. They have families. They have competing priorities. Everyone wants their eyes on something All. The. Time.

Why not make it easier — and more beneficial — for both of you?

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Here’s how I recommend asking for feedback on copy for your client:

Feel free to copy and paste this script into your email to your client or drop it directly into your document for their review:

Hi (CLIENT)! Here’s the first draft of your (TYPE OF COPY). 

At this stage, I’m looking for your feedback on:

• PERSONALITY: Is anything missing, inaccurate, too little, or too much?
• VOICE: Does it sound (CLIENT FIRST NAME)-ish enough for you? 😉
• LENGTH: Any place you want us to pull back a bit, or dive deeper? Let me know!
• GUT FEELING: What’s your initial reaction to what you love or don’t love? Both are equally important so I can incorporate more of what you like in the future, and avoid what you don’t like!

Don’t worry about any spelling or grammar errors — everything will be thoroughly copyedited when I work on the final draft!

See how much clearer that makes things? This way, they can give you specific and helpful feedback which allows you to continue being a valuable contributor on their team. 

→ The main takeaway: Asking for open-ended feedback doesn’t lead to quality work in the long haul. If you want to keep writing for your client, be direct and ask for the feedback you need so you can merge their voice with yours seamlessly over time!

Mastering your client’s voice effortlessly is truly a team effort.

Don’t expect to get it right the first time, but do work consistently to try and understand how you can lean into it more and more as you continue to work together. Your client will so appreciate any opportunity they have to help you do your job better, so make sure that they know how important mastering this is to you! 

At the end of the day, it’s their voice on the line — and you play a significant role in being a part of it. Stay in tandem, and you’ll *both* just get better and better at strengthening their brand voice across the board. You got this!

-Zafira Rajan

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The Takeaway

As digital marketers and copywriters, we’re not just ticking off tasks; we’re also amplifying our clients’ personalities through their brands. That’s why getting a firm grasp of their unique voice is so essential.

Zafira’s three copywriter-approved strategies are real game-changers. By diving deep into your client’s personality, embracing their inspirations, and seeking specific feedback, you’ll be able to create standout copy that resonates with them on a whole new level.

So, don’t shy away from getting personal with your clients, learn about their passions and quirks, and let those details shine in their content. You’ll be amazed at the impact it can have on their brand. And if you want more help with your creative writing process, check out Zafira’s freebie: Design Your Custom Writing Ritual. Her mini-journal will guide you toward uncovering a writing ritual that gets you “in the zone”, excited, and inspired!

Further Reading

Recommended Copywriting Books for Digital Marketing Assistants

What Every Virtual Assistant Should Know About Copywriting

In-Demand Profitable Niches for Virtual Assistants in 2023