Paper Talk

A copywriter can build your brand, engage your followers, and give you back valuable time. Kelsey Reed talks with us about what a copywriter can do for your business.

Have you ever wondered how we manage to write so many blog posts, emails, and social media posts? If you’re a small business owner, you know that this kind of content is important, but it’s often the first to get scrapped when you’re pressed for time. 

Here’s the secret: we don’t do everything alone, and an integral part of our team is our copywriter, Kelsey Reed. 

If you don’t know what a copywriter does off the top of your head, don’t worry. You’re not alone! In our latest episode of Papertalk, Kelsey chatted with us about all of the amazing things a copywriter can do for your business. Here’s how she described her work: 

“Basically anything that you’re going to be writing out—words that your potential customers will read—I can work with, and a copywriter could work their magic on it and make it really sparkle for whoever’s going to read it.”

One of the biggest benefits for us has been how much time we save creating content. We know you’re just as busy as we are, so this is probably sounding fantastic. But where do you find a copywriter? How do you work with one? 

You’ll learn all of this when you tune in:

How to find a copywriter

Things to look for in a copywriter to ensure a good fit for your business

What you can do to help your copywriter create their best work

How to make big projects with multiple collaborators run smoothly

We are passionate about helping our listeners build their small businesses. A rising tide lifts all paper flower businesses—or something like that. Hiring a copywriter is an excellent way to produce better and regular content, and give you the time to focus on your business. Listen now to learn how you can work with a copywriter!

Be sure to also read Kelsey’s tips on how to work with a copywriter, below.

by Kelsey Reed

 A copywriter’s job is to engage possible customers and make your business or product sound amazing. Crafting those words is a crucial part of marketing. As a business owner, you may not know what to say or how to say it, or even have the time to focus on writing emails or blog posts. You want to focus on the heart of your business, be it paper flowers or anything else. Copywriters can take some of the work off your plate and let you put your attention elsewhere.

 So, how do you find a copywriter? My recommendation is to talk to other small business owners. Ask around! Chances are, someone you’ve already networked with is using a copywriter. They can give you unfiltered opinions about the writer’s work and habits, like meeting deadlines. There are some websites that will connect you with writers. I know some great copywriters who use these sites, so you can definitely find someone using this method. Just be sure to do your homework: look at writing samples, talk to past clients if you can, and chat to get a feel if your goals align, they understand your business, etc. You can also pay them to edit or write one piece for you as a trial, which will give you some great insight into whether or not they are a good fit for you.

 Once you find a copywriter, what should you do? How do you get the most from them? From the perspective of a copywriter, this is what I appreciate most from my clients. 

1. Be clear about your goals. 

Make sure that the writer you’re working with knows what you want to be accomplished with each piece. For example, when I edit tutorials, I know that the goal is to get information across in a clear, concise way that will keep subscribers satisfied with the product. If your writer doesn’t understand what the piece is supposed to accomplish—how it fits into your overall business plan—it’s more likely that the finished result won’t hit the mark.

2. Make sure your copywriter understands your product. 

You don’t have to hire someone with extensive experience with your product, but the writer does need to familiarize themselves with it. You can help with this by making sure they have the right resources. When I started writing for Quynh, I knew hardly anything about paper flowers. She had a perfect way to get me up to speed, though, since my first assignment from her was editing an information sheet about paper flower techniques and crepe paper choices. That helped me learn the jargon and be prepared for other work going forward. 

3. Know what your tone is.

Your marketing should have a voice, almost a personality, to attract your ideal customer. Are you trying to sound bubbly or sophisticated? Casual or formal? Whatever your product is supposed to encapsulate, that tone needs to come across in things like the writing. That means your copywriter needs to know what tone you’re shooting for, as well. Some of my clients send examples of blog posts or marketing videos from other businesses that resonate with them, and they explain what exactly appeals to them. This gives me solid examples to build upon and a much greater chance of hitting the mark from the get-go.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes. 

You’re paying for a service, and if the end result isn’t quite what you wanted, tell your writer! Editing is the key to good writing, so I guarantee that your copywriter is used to going back and making changes. I once wrote a blog post that included facts and history about the flower being made that month at The Posey Box. I slid into a bland schoolmarmish tone, which is not a good fit for paper flowers. Quynh very kindly asked if I could make the tone a little more friendly and casual. She was completely right that that was what the post needed, and I happily edited the piece.

5. Respect their time. 

Everybody is busy, including your copywriter. Don’t expect them to drop everything at once for your last-minute project. Deadlines are great, but they should be reasonable. I don’t mind the occasional tight deadline, but this is because my clients have shown that they respect my time and my work, and they aren’t constantly asking me to finish things overnight. Keep your end of things running smoothly so that you can give your copywriter as much time as possible to work on projects.

Learn more about Kelsey by following her on social media:

WEBSITE: https://kelseymreed.wixsite.com/copywriter

Paper florist Sara Kim shares how she makes her brand instantly recognizable on any platform and how she’s successfully transitioned her business over the years

You know branding is important, but that’s easier said than done. How do some creators make their brand instantly recognizable, even across different platforms: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, everywhere?

Sara Kim of Handmade by Sara Kim is one of those amazing creators whose work you can identify with a glance because of her incredible branding work. In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with her about the winding journey her business has taken and how she’s kept her brand consistent through changes and across platforms. As Sara said, “It’s the little details that no one really notices.”

She had lots more to say on the subject, and you won’t want to miss out on any of her helpful advice for small business owners.

 Here’s what you’ll learn when you tune in:

What will make your brand instantly recognizable across platforms.

Ideas for interesting and unique photo backdrops.

How to transition your business to something new, be it a product or platform.

Figuring out which platform to focus on, because there’s only so much time in the day.

Sara, like many of us, discovered that running a business was about more than just her craft. She had to learn to do a host of other things, from photography to video editing and more. We’ve been there, and we loved talking with her about how she overcame those difficulties and successfully gave her business the stunning presentation it has today. Listen now to be inspired and fine-tune your brand’s style.

Learn more about Sara by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: @handmadebysarakim

WEBSITE: www.handmadebysarakim.com

Learn how you can improve your painting techniques and create stunning crepe paper flowers with advice from a watercolor expert and author Sarah Simon of TheMintGardener 

If you’re unfamiliar with watercolors, you may be intimidated to try them on crepe paper. Do you have visions of a soggy mess when you think about it? Or maybe you’ve tried combining the two and didn’t get the results you wanted. 

Here’s the good news: both crepe and watercolor are fairly forgiving mediums, and the end results can be absolutely fantastic for your paper flowers. To get those beautiful results, though, you may have to go through quite a bit of trial and error. Luckily, there is help out there to get you started on the right track and save you from some heartache. That’s why we chatted with a watercolor expert in our latest episode of Papertalk. 

Sarah Simon of TheMintGardener is an artist, illustrator, and designer. Her gorgeous botanical works are simply amazing. On top of her artwork, she teaches watercolor workshops and is the author of three books. We discussed all of these different facets of her work on the podcast, and you’ll glean so many insights about how to improve your paper flowers and your business. 

Here’s a little taste of what she taught us: “The biggest tip that I can give when you’re combining watercolor plus the crepe paper, work with tube paint.” That’s just the beginning of her very useful advice.

Whether you’re new to the game or have been in business for years, pricing is something you need to constantly consider. As Quynh said, “No matter how long you’ve been in business, how you’re pivoting, how you’re changing what you are to where you want to be, you have to think about the price in the future. You always have to set your expectation: what do I want to accomplish this year?”

Here’s what else you’ll learn when you tune in: 

Tips for using watercolor on crepe

How to improve your teaching, including virtually

Behind the scenes of writing a book and promoting it

Details about Sarah Simon’s amazing new watercolor book

And if you want even more tips about using watercolors for paper flowers, we have exciting news. Quynh and Sarah are putting together a course for this year’s virtual Flowerstock. More details will soon be available on Holly Chapple’s website, but until then, listen to the podcast to start improving your watercolor techniques.

Sarah Simon is the Designer, Artist Illustrator, and Author at TheMintGardener. Finding inspiration in the ever-blooming variety of textures and colors in her urban garden, Sarah creates and teaches lush Watercolors inspired by the diverse variety of herbs, flowers, and trees grown in her yard. With a continually blooming following of botanical and art lovers alike,

Sarah shares her teaching talents in Seattle, Washington, of the USA, where she regularly instructs Watercolor Classes to students of all skill levels. Her teaching has received international attention with her online painting courses in the Watercolor Summit and on Skillshare. Sarah's work has been featured in many publications and blogs worldwide and has been celebrated in the form of commercial product design, stationery, textiles as well as wholesale and private commissions.

Just a few of her clients include: Target, Nordstrom, Country Living, Facebook, The University of Washington, Sakura of America, Blick, Estée Lauder, and Sur La Table. Her books "Modern Watercolor Botanicals" and "The Plant Lady" Coloring Book were released in November 2019, and are best sellers on Amazon. She is currently working on book number three and enjoys hosting the #FlowerPaintingClub for an online community of painting-lovers.

Sarah loves to garden with her partner Colin and their two little girls on their urban farm. She enjoys seeking quiet moments for sketching and painting, making small bouquets of flowers and herbs, or reading. She loves Jesus,  exploring new places, and enjoys anything that includes the sea, friends, and food; and yes, as a Pacific Northwest native, she does enjoy the gloomy gray days a bit more than the hot, sunny ones. Follow Sarah at @themintgardener or check out her art and online courses on her website.

Learn how to price your products and services with advice from four small business owners in the paper flower, floral arranging, and flower farming industries. 

Does your stomach tie up in knots at the thought of pricing your products or services? A quick search will show that paper flowers come with all sorts of price tags attached. How do other paper florists come up with those price points? Are you charging too much or too little?

Paper florists aren’t the only ones to struggle with this problem. Small business owners of all kinds lose sleep over the pricing question. That’s why on our Season 3 premier of Papertalk we took on this important topic and chatted with two women outside of the paper flower industry.

Jesalyn Pettigrew is a flower farmer and owner of Mossy Gate Flower Farm, and Erin Shackelford is a floral designer and owner of Camas Designs. They both pivoted to the world of fresh flowers after careers in other industries, so setting prices was new and unknown territory. Sound familiar? It definitely rang true for us! 

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation: 

Which factors you should consider when setting your prices

How to stick to your price point

Navigating different prices for different kinds of customers (wholesale, commercial, designers, etc)

How we’ve balanced building our brands versus making a profit

Whether you’re new to the game or have been in business for years, pricing is something you need to constantly consider. As Quynh said, “No matter how long you’ve been in business, how you’re pivoting, how you’re changing what you are to where you want to be, you have to think about the price in the future. You always have to set your expectation: what do I want to accomplish this year?”

The best news is that this is only the beginning of the conversation. We’ll have a more in-depth discussion with Jesalyn and Erin on October 17 with our Paper X Talk about pricing. And we want to hear from you! What do you struggle with? What do you want to be discussed? Tell us in the comments, and listen now to get a head start on pricing.

Learn more about Jesalyn and Mossy Gate Farm by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: @mossygateflowerfarm

WEBSITE: Mossy Gate Farm

Learn more about Erin and Camas Design by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: @camasdesigns

WEBSITE: Camas Designs

Hey, Paper Florists!

Do you want to spend more time on your craft and less time chasing down clients? Or are you a vendor who needs to reach more paper florists?  

Well, look no further. Quynh and Jessie talked about this project in Episode 57, and now it's live. The Paper Florists Member Directory is finally here!  When you sign up as a Member, you’ll be listed in our worldwide directory, the first of its kind for paper florists and vendors. With just a few clicks, potential clients can connect with you like never before. We’re talking commercial businesses, photographers, fresh florists, event planners, and more. 

We’ll do the heavy lifting with advertising, spreading the word on influential podcasts and blogs like Botanical Brouhaha! 

All you have to do is sign up at thepaperflorists.org and pay a small annual fee —only $4.08 a month! The same as that fancy latte you love. And it goes to maintaining the tech-related stuff for the Directory. All of our past and present students will be a part of this Directory for free. 

Set up your profile with a few clicks and let the clients come to you! 

...OR maybe you're a Customer

like a florist, a photographer, an owner of a retail store, and you're looking to work with and hire a paper florist for a project or client. How do you find the perfect paper florists for your wedding? Or your window display? What if you have a client with a very specific vision for their event, which includes pink peonies in December?  

An internet search can only get you so far. What you need is the Paper Florists Member Directory. We’ve gathered paper florist profiles from all over the world and created an easy-to-use, searchable directory. Find exactly what you need with just a few clicks. 

Searching the directory is completely free. All you have to do is sign up at www.thepaperflorists.org/directory to start. 

PAPER FLORISTS

Sign up here

FLORISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS/EVENT PLANNERS/CUSTOMERS 

Search the Directory here

Photographer Caroline Tran lets us in on the secret behind making more online sales: showcasing your paper flower product in its best light, both figuratively and literally.

Have you ever browsed the competition and been shocked to find that other paper florists are charging way more than you are for similar products? How are they able to make such a higher profit? Why are customers swayed by their offerings? 

Caroline Tran of Caroline Tran Photography sold her own creative goods, once upon a time, and was puzzled by the price discrepancies she found. After some sleuthing, she figured out the reason why and let us in on it in this latest episode of Paper Talk. Here’s a clue from Caroline: “The way you present your stuff is going to make the difference between whether someone’s willing to pay $80 for it or $8 for it.” 

She also provided extremely useful information about photographing your products to showcase online. Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to her episode:

Tricks and tips to photograph your products in their best light (both figuratively and literally).

The best apps and programs you can use to edit your photos.

How to make artificial light look natural. 

A beginner’s explanation of exposure, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Setting up a mini studio space for easy, painless shots of your products.

No matter your skill level, you can learn from Caroline. Being able to take beautiful shots of your flowers can lead to increased sales, and it’s an especially valuable skill during these quarantine times when collaborating with a photographer isn’t always possible. Listen now to up your photo game and start selling more paper flowers!

Grab your Freebies here!

Download Caroline’s free photography guides here: www.carolinetraneducation.com/free-guides/ 

Learn more about how to photograph your paper flowers using your fancy camera here: www.carolinetraneducation.com/fancy-camera 

Learn more about Caroline by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: @carolinetran

WEBSITE: www.carolinetran.com