If you’re a small business owner, coach, or entrepreneur, your ability to communicate strategically can be the difference between struggling to get clients and running a thriving business. It’s not just what you offer, or what you say about it—it’s how you say it. That’s why writing your marketing copy strategically can make all the difference.
Executive Coach and communication expert Cami McLaren and strategic writing expert and educator Erin Lebacqz started a discussion on strategic writing last month in this post. Now, let’s go deeper into the impacts writing and communication can have on relationships—and therefore, on our businesses.
CM: Let’s talk more about trust—that crucial component of the coach/client or entrepreneur/customer relationship. Trust doesn’t come from hard-selling. It comes from showing you understand your audience’s challenges and can help solve them. Strategic communication in your marketing:
- Builds rapport and credibility
- Positions you as a trusted guide, not just another business owner
- Encourages long-term client relationships
EL: Exactly. The issue is that unclear or careless writing can create confusion and doubt. But intentional writing builds trust by showing consistency, respect, and focus. When trust grows, so does influence — and with it, opportunities for business success.
Another aspect of trust-building in today’s business world actually has to do with time. In 2025 and beyond, most professionals have come to see “respecting my time” as nearly synonymous with “respecting me.”
When we write in ways that don’t respect our readers’ time, our readers may actually feel disrespected by us overall. Intentional writing, on the other hand, shows people you value their time, perspectives, and needs. That kind of trust-building communication strengthens relationships, which in turn drives collaboration, engagement, and sustainable business growth.
CM: That makes sense, but how can we write in ways that specifically respect our readers’ time? I worry that if I keep my writing too short, I won’t include all the information they need… but I agree that we also want to avoid overwhelming our readers or abusing their time.
EL: A lot of it has to do with how we order the information in our writing. Many people default to focusing on their own needs first in writing. For example, we might write a marketing email that talks about our products for the first 1-2 paragraphs—before even getting into the reader’s potential needs.
To write in a way that builds trust, we can focus on our readers’ needs before talking as much about ourselves. By leading with what matters to our readers, we show respect for their time.
We can also respect our readers’ time by using strategic email subject lines. We don’t want our readers to have to spend time wondering what an email is about—which can happen when we write overly-general subject lines like “New Opportunity” or “2026 Program.”
Instead, we can write something like “New Strengths-Based coaching Opportunity: Sign up by December for 25% off.”
CM: Great idea, thanks. But my question for you, Erin, is: Do we have to examine all our words and use them all strategically?
EL: Well, in short, I’d have to say “yes” and “no.” On the one hand, people buy from businesses they know, like, and trust—and trust starts with language. Whether you’re writing a Facebook post, an Instagram Story caption, or a sales email, every sentence has a job—sparking curiosity, encouraging clicks, or leading to a sale. On the other hand, some words do more heavy lifting than others: for example, the words in an email subject line.
CM: Makes sense. This also reminds me of the need to be consistent in our messaging. If we’re working so hard on making our words work for us, the other thing to consider is making sure our brand sounds consistent—and sounds like us.
EL: Exactly. When all your marketing—emails, social media, website copy—uses consistent language, tone, and messaging, you create a strong, recognizable brand voice. That consistency makes you memorable, so when your ideal client is ready to buy, you’re the one they think of. To be consistent, remember to be authentic in your writing, so you sound like “you” all the time.
The bottom line is that strategic language isn’t just “good writing.” It’s intentional, targeted communication that attracts attention, builds trust, and drives action. When you master it, your marketing starts working harder for you—bringing in the right clients and helping your business grow.
CM: Erin, thank you for this conversation. I have learned a lot. Marketing can be hard as a small-business owner when you provide a service. You can be great in your field and not understand how to write intentionally. I’m excited for this course you provided. It is so helpful in explaining how to writing intentionally and why it works!
Join Erin’s: Writing to Get Clients: Email Marketing and Social Media Strategies
