I always like to say “your words could be medicine for others”. 

And this doesn’t just mean the spoken word. The words you write on your website, your social media posts, your emails can have a profound impact on your audience. 

Sometimes you just have to understand the process of the written word and copy to be able to use words in a purpose-led way! 

Episode 98 of The Essential Shift Podcast is all about the power of words. I am joined by copy expert Anita Siek who is going to share some really great insights to help you be the copywriter for your business! 

If you LOVED the episode, make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift and @anitasiek 

✨ Want to see the power of my words come to life? GET A COPY OF MY BOOK✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS 

• How to review your writing to get more conversions 

• How words can create emotion and connection 

• The 4 elements to help with better writing 

• How to write better copy for your business 

SHOW RESOURCES 

• CHECK out Anita on Instagram - HERE

• CHECK out Wordfetti on Instagram - HERE

• LEARN from Anita in Wordfetti your Words - HERE 

• Order my Book - Light It - HERE

• FOLLOW me on INSTAGRAM - HERE

• Find out more about how to WORK WITH ME - HERE

If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift.  

ABOUT THE GUEST

Anita Siek is a lawyer turned brand strategist and copywriter and CEO of Wordfetti, a human-centred brand strategy and copywriting house specialising in helping brands that don't do normal create a dent in their industry through the power of psychology and words. Wordfetti does this in 3 ways: through their studio (done for you), their school arm (where they teach you how they do it), and through their shop (where you can buy on-demand conversion-ready copywriting templates). 

With a big passion for words, language and how the delicate choices of how they can trigger different emotions and feelings in a reader, her and her team at Wordfetti are on a mission to spread the power of one of the most powerful tool we as humans have, being words, in igniting world-changing ideas, provoking thought, and driving meaningful action and results.* 

Anita's work has been featured on Forbes, Mumbrella, Smart Company, Thrive and more, and some of her clients include Australia's largest insurance group, IAG, Challenge DV (formerly known as Australia's CEO Challenge), Lack of Color, The Calile Hotel Group and Luna Bronze.

Bless it be. 

With love, Laetitia! 

Podcast Transcription 

Laetitia Andrac  8:36  
 Hey Anita so stoked to have you on the essential shift podcast. Thank you for being here.

Anita Siek  8:39  
I'm so excited to have this conversation with you.

Laetitia Andrac  8:44  
So I need to the first question I always love to ask the guests on the essential shift podcast is who are you as a human being? Can you share anything about your blueprint so your energetic blueprint, your human design, astrology, anything you'd like to share about you?

Anita Siek  9:01  
Yes. So I only started to dip my toes in the water of human design literally a year and a half ago. So I'm still a newbie. I just want to be really honest and transparent, but I'm a projector. Yeah. And one of the things that I have found and learned a lot about myself is definitely this element of like the invitation to kind of, you know, I usually feel like as soon as I just feel the zing, I don't know you will get it you completely get it. But whenever I feel the zing and I feel very, like just feel so good about something. How I show up how I talk about it. I also get so much like feedback from people being like, oh my gosh, just as soon as you talked about it, it just made me feel blah, blah, blah, blah, or how you talked about that example, it just clicked for me. So as soon as something doesn't really land, and I'm talking about it, and I know it doesn't land. That's when it I just know, it just doesn't it's probably not having that ripple effect that it should be and I always say if you wobble your audience is going to wobble so I'm leaning more into tuning into what feels really good for me which I know is everything that you're about which I love.

Laetitia Andrac  10:10  
And I love that you're a projector because it's the way you run your business. You're really running it as a projector. So

Anita Siek  10:16  
I tell people, yeah.

Laetitia Andrac  10:20  
You're stressing your team and powering your team and you know, all of that which is really the project away and nourishing yourself and you know, having time for yourself and relaxing time. We're just catching anytime and she's back from a beautiful trip in the US so she has this vibrant energy around her I love that. So I need to how did you become the CEO, the founder of word Fettke can you share with you with us? Sorry, your founders story. I know you're, you know, a former lawyer. I know a lot about you, but who are you for those who are listening to you now?

Anita Siek  10:57  
Yeah, so as you mentioned, I have a very nonlinear path to doing what I do today. I wish I could kind of be like yeah, like I just decided to become a copywriter one day and do words and you know, cell psychology and that's exactly where I landed but it wasn't like that. I think. three key things like one I came from a very traditional Asian family where it was going to university, be a lawyer or doctor about it. And I did this very traditional climb the corporate ladder thing, and I did become a lawyer. I actually didn't mind it. I enjoyed it. It was fulfilling work. I worked in the government. i Yeah, did policy work. I worked in missing family violence like it was rewarding work. But I think there was always a creative bank account that I never got the chance to tap into. So I think for me as I was climbing the corporate ladder, you know, the thing that you're supposed to do, I was like, oh, you know, I'm just gonna do a few things on the side. That just makes me feel me. And word Fetty was my third side hustle. So I had I started I did photography at one stage. I started a business with my mom at one stage that didn't last very long because it was in selling succulents and plants and cacti and anyone who knows me knows that I kill terrarium. I kill plants that cannot be killed. I will kill them somehow. So when people were asking me a lot of questions about you know, Anita, like this plant is getting brown spot. I'm like, I can't help you. Here's a Google article. Because I told my own plants helped me. So yeah, that didn't last long. And what Betty was my third side hustle and to be honest, like when I really think about it. I have always enjoyed writing but I never thought I could do it as a full time thing. Or that people would pay me to write I think for me, it was my go to to self Express. It was my go to to translate the thoughts in my head out there into words. It was my way of also. So my dad is I haven't told many people this but my dad used to travel a lot for work, but he would ride me faxes. Remember faxes. Anyway, some people may not know what a fax is. But my dad used to travel all the time for work. And that was our way of communicating with one another through faxes. So we would write each other letters it was so cool, and it would it would be immediate. Oh, wow, I would get it straightaway. So I've always loved writing. It was a way to connect, communicate, and in a way just translate all the imagination and wonder and ideas that I had into something that was real, like on paper. So yeah, I started what 50 That was around six and a half years ago. I left my corporate job probably a year after I started as a side hustle. I didn't tell my mom I quit my job or a whole year. Wow. I knew she would be very worried and I would have been worried about me too. Because it's you know, why would you leave a stable corporate six figure job in government like that's like the creme de la creme love government and corporate jobs like you're looked after. So why would you leave that to do something the most unstable thing there is start a business. But it's ironic because both my parents are business owners. So I love that bound to happen. But here I am, your I

Laetitia Andrac  14:52  
Am. And you're amazing at what you do. And I love that you shared with us this beautiful story about the faxes with your dad. You know how beautiful it is where it's coming from? It's a beautiful story. So thank you for trusting us with that story. It's beautiful. And you know, I have shared that with you but essential shift is my fourth side hustle before I went all in and same as you, you know, I through my mistakes and I think it's like until we find the right business to be in. We just have to keep trying and if you're listening to this and you're like, oh my gosh, I'm really not vibing right now with the business that I'm creating just It's okay also to stop and start something else and really know that you're learning your lessons. As you go. So now in your word 15 empire because it's definitely an empire you offer a lot of different services. But today what I would love for you to share with our audience because I know many of them are struggling with that is how to write copy that sells or connect with the heart of their audience. Like if you have I know you have like so many things you can share. And it's a very broad question, but take it as you want. Knowing that, you know, the question is about how do we get those words on paper that will make our offers so we have listeners who are product based businesses. service based businesses or software as a service. We have a lot of startup as well listening to this podcast. So how might they start reviewing the way they write a copy so that it can get the conversions as they want?

Anita Siek  16:25  
Yeah. So there's a few things I want to say here it is. A big topic, but I think what the first thing that I really want to convey is the biggest mistake I think businesses make when it comes to communicating their value and selling and all of that is they go straight to I've got to go straight to this is my product isn't my service, please buy it. That's not exactly how you and I as consumers. That's not how we buy and when we really get into the geeky the science bit of why people take action and buy they really need four key things. The first is they need to feel seen. Right? And what do we mean by that? When I say seen it means they need to feel like oh, wow, like I feel like, you know, Bob that gets me as I'm reading something that he's writing. I really feel like he sees me as I'm reading what it is that he's writing the second element is understood. Now this is slightly different from feeling seen, understood is actually this idea of knowing exactly how whatever this person is talking about is relevant to what they want their desires. So for example, I feel seen by reading something that someone's reading, but then going that extra layer is being like, Oh wow, she actually knows that I actually want that. Like I don't actually want this. My biggest desire is actually that like I don't just want copy. I want words that can actually help me sell when I'm sleeping so that I can enjoy my time with my kids. Right? So when you can really be understood from that realm that takes it to the next level. That's the second element. The third element is that they can see why they should prioritize it. Right now, this changes depending on different environments. This could be based on economic environments. This could be based on based on social environments. This could be based on personal environments. So you could have a personal challenge at the moment that has meant that you have to prioritize something else. economic models, we all know that at the moment like there's a little bit of wobble in this in the economy. It's you know, it's expected it goes up and down, up and down, up and down. But these influence what we prioritize, right, we might use to prioritize. I don't know getting decking out our home office when we were all locked down during COVID. But now everyone's traveling, maybe someone else is prioritizing travel. And going to Europe during summer like everyone has been you know, you and I included. Yeah, so the third element is the ability to see why they should prioritize this right now. And the fourth element is I see the value in this so this is really important. Like because they if any of this does not land someone may be like you know what, well yeah, that sounds really good. I need our but I just don't think I'm it's not for me right now. Like it's maybe next time I'll join it. That to me when someone says I'll join it next time. That is not a it could be that like it could be just not the right time. But it could be the fact that you haven't clearly communicated why they should take action right now and why they should prioritize the thing right now. When someone says that's outside of my budget. It's probably a bit too much than what I was thinking. This is not a code for you to discount your services, which I know a lot of people jump straight to they're like, Oh no, like people are like this is outside of my budget. So maybe I'm charged too high or it's too much. But if you yourself believe in the value that you deliver, and you stand by that price is so subjective, a Lamborghini to someone is like just nothing. Whereas To sum it could be quite a lot. So when someone says this is outside of my budget that's less about let's discount your services think this is more of a, you haven't communicated the value, clearly enough issue. So I guess to answer your question to distill it into these four elements, that is where I feel like so many businesses tend to go wrong, they jump straight to thinking that people are just ready to buy and hand over their credit card. They're not you and I don't make purchasing decisions like that. You know, you're listening right now you don't just see a brand rarely see a brand and you're just like yep, ready, let's there's probably a bit of connection that has happened or you feel into something that someone has said that made you take action. So yeah, that would be the first thing I would say. I feel like I've just talked a lot just then. And that's

Laetitia Andrac  21:27  
really good. I love how you took this broad question and I wanted to give you the space for you to choose how you wanted to handle it. But I love what you said about the four elements. And some things that I'd love to narrow down out, you know, in those four elements, which you mentioned, which is around understanding the desires and I know we both share this passion for human centered design which is different to human design for those of you who are listening to this podcast is very different. But you know, understanding those deepest desires is so important. And I know that often. As business owner, we're like, it's okay, I know it but actually doing the research and really becoming obsessed with those desires questioning, asking questions. Getting out there mingling with those ideal customer avatar as I call them the ICA. Then it is where we are really becoming more knowledgeable around your copy. And really what I love is what you said with your four elements. It's like I see it and I saw it in when I decided to invest with you. You know, when I see it when people decide to invest in me, I see it when some of my clients decide to invest in someone else and I love how you put it very simply. So I encourage any of you to rewind this and write down those four things. And look at how currently your sales page, your product description. Your software homepage is designed and explained. Because this is something that will definitely change the conversion that you're bringing on that and some things that was really mind blowing for me when I started you know geeking out on your work and we started talking and so on, it's about the sound of somewhere and how some words can have an effect on someone reading them and, you know, I have you know really invested a lot in sales copywriting courses and in things like that and in people to write my sales copy in the past and so on. And this part of your knowledge which you can share a bit more where it's coming from and all the beautiful trainings that you've done, but it was like really a moment where and I remember screenshotting it and sharing it with you being like oh my gosh, I had a mic drop moment. So love it not getting into too much detail because of course we'll invite people to join you know your world later, but just I don't want you to give away everything. You know, just decide what you'd like to give away but giving some example about this, I think was is really powerful.

Anita Siek  23:59  
Yeah, these sides of words and language fascinate me, like the fact that you can tweak the slightest bit of your word choice, and it yields a completely different feeling and emotion and you know, an example a very simple example that I always use is you know, I can say at the shisha like I'd like to work with you versus I'd love to work with you. It's a very subtle tweak, but it gives a completely different feeling and emotion. When I say I'd love to work with you. And I think people often misunderstand and they don't. Well, no, some people do. Like I feel like you know you use let's just say I'm trying to think of a good example here. Let's use the word massive, and Titanic. They both carry very similar meanings in the English dictionary. But majority of the time, people will feel like the word Titanic is a lot bigger. This isn't by no mistake. This is based on this principle of sound symbolism, which is how we associate certain words to just visual vivid image of what the magnitude of how big it is. And that is also similar to you know that there's been a study that's been done which I've talked about before. It's called the Kiki and boba test, which again, really speaks to how so it's an actual, like, research study that was done. I didn't just make that up, but it's called the calcium bubble tests. It was done in the 1920s. And what they found was the psychologist found that the word and I know you guys can't see this visually, but just picture a spiky thing. And picture a bubble. Visually, as I'm talking about now, what they found in the study is the word Kiki and boba without me saying anything to you as to which one fits what majority of the time the word Kiki is going to be associated with the one that is a bit more spiky. And boba is going to be associated more with the round, bubbly thing. And again, this is completely intentional because of this element of sound symbolism. When you say key, or turn, order. It's a bit more sharp, then the bar or anything that requires your mouth to again I know you guys can't see it, but when you have to use your mouth and be like but like, it's like a bubble. It's like a cute, like a little bubble or anything that requires your mouth to kind of envelopes. It feels more round and we see this in brands, Tinder and Bumble. Perfect example. Like both do the same thing, but it's completely different brand positioning between the two one is a bit more kind of like you guys. I haven't been in the tinder era. But Tinder is usually a bit more like you know, it's red. It's fine. It's like you know, where's Bumbles? A cute. B. It's a B. And I Yeah, it's fascinating.

Laetitia Andrac  27:26  
I love that because it's really kind of bringing us back so we have the bigger picture like, you know, the four elements that you mentioned before, but then it's also those little tweak when you've done the big picture and those four elements and you're like so clear. You can see your audience you understand them, you've given them the trigger like this is now never like you really address all those objections that they may have and so on and so forth. Really going back to those four elements and then there's also the small tweaks that really changed something and I have noticed for myself, how a little word can definitely change a conversion rate on a sales page. Like it's really I don't have the data in front of me right now. But it's really like you can see the shift. Yep. So I'm huge on strategy and big picture, but also, operations and small things can really move the needle. That's the thing

Anita Siek  28:20  
literally, it could just be a call to action, that change. Yeah, a call to action that could completely change on the landing page. If you just tweak that. So are you going to click on something that is long, long are you going to click on something that makes you feel excited to take that next step? So it really depends on what your audience is needing in order to take that next step?

Laetitia Andrac  28:44  
Definitely. So how did you like came up stumble upon all of this, like, talk to us about because I know you're studying psychology like would you like to talk a bit about all those because the way we connected with any ties we realized that we share this passion of going in depth into a topic and then coming back and taking those insights and then going back in depth into another topic like the depth if you like the depth that I have, go to Anita she has the same depth in her which of things

Anita Siek  29:19  
I love to go deep I know you and I like to go deep which is why we connect so well. So my fascination with human behavior and how we think why we buy why we don't buy I actually started in university. So I actually started university studying law and commerce to begin with. So when I said that my parents were just like, do you want to be a lawyer or doctor I'll obviously chose law, but I also was like, but I want to choose something else as well but they were like No, maybe do commerce because like economy, maybe like it's good for you. Anyway, I lost it like a year. And then I switched and was like no, I want to choose something that I really will enjoy. And they will okay fine, but keep more and I'm okay, that's fine, whatever. So I studied psychology. Yeah. So I studied and specialized in childhood development, but also clinical psychology. And I really, I mean, I did not love the statistics side of psychology, but I geeked out on just human behavior, how we develop as humans, from kids, as in like from us as kids how we absorb language. So I also did a few electives in there in linguistics, which combined language kids development, how we come to know the world how we come to associate different things and meaning. That's fascinating memory and how that comes to play with us making purchasing decisions, our memories and what we've seen through movies and all of that. And the clinical side is has also been really interesting because that went into really understanding how it all just ABS it's different for every single person. So for me, I didn't I didn't go that extra step further to be like a psychologist. Because my parents were like, please be a lawyer. But who knows, like one day maybe I would love to I've always been fascinated by how there's just so many of us in the world and we all have completely different perspectives and insights and different ways of thinking about certain things. And you know, I always one thing that has been quite a big topic recently has been one thing I'm feel fairly strongly about is this element of, you know, for example, people being diagnosed with ADHD people diagnosed with XYZ or people then putting a label on themselves and then and don't get me wrong. I think there's so much beauty and this is controversial, but I'm gonna go there but I think there's so much beauty in knowing and being diagnosed and all of that, but I think there is also a little bit of a potential con where we then envelope ourselves into this label of all the characteristics that are expected of someone who has ADHD instead of just looking at someone who is individual. And it's the same with the terminology of being like, Oh, you're shy, you're shy, she's usually really shy. So then you're going to start to associate that child and as they continue to grow up, to be shy, you can talk to them in different way, you know, and they're going to reaffirm the fact that they're shy. So little things like that I'm very fascinated about I then also recently completed a certificate in positive psychology which is completely different. So I feel like back in uni I studied a lot of it was more like when things go wrong, then this is what happens whereas positive psychology is proactive and it's actually understanding what makes you know, we discuss things like what is actually Happiness does our communities exist? How can we actually approach coaching mentoring in a way that is less about this is what you need to do about actually helping someone actually identify roots and ways themselves. So positive psychology has been really interesting too. But yeah, that's kind of been my journey. I'm sure it's not going to end there. Because I'm just fascinated by how we as humans work.