Some thoughts on marketing for people who are “woo” AND grounded

Dear person who is a friend of the woo AND grounded,

We’ve got a discussion going in my house.

I’ll say this: I meditate. I ask for guidance from my 86-year-old-self, and talk to trees and animals and my spirit guides. I trust my vibes. I believe in the unseen. And I don’t think that it all shakes down in science.

And I live with a professional Philosopher (yes, that is still a thing) who sees things differently. He’s currently teaching two formal logic classes and really likes busting out the term “double-blind peer reviewed study.”

To which I reply, with a twinkle in my eye, “yes, and… poetry! Imagination! Metaphor!”

Sometimes, the Philosopher asks me, “do you really think there is an old lady in the sky who is telling you to relax and giving you advice?”

Well, yes and no. I find it psychologically useful to have conversations with benevolent imaginary friends.

It’s none of my business whether they are made up or not.

But that’s not the point. The point is, some of the business owners I work with are in the business of divination, intuition, vibes, and instinct. I like to call them, “friends of the woo.”

You know, woo.

As in “woo-woo.”

Anyhoo. I’ve noticed a phenomenon among friends of the woo. Some of them use language that is so woo, it blocks resonance with people in the marketplace who are sympathetic to the intuitive world, but who are also grounded and science-based.

Or who simply prefer a more practical, grounded language (or think it’s corny to be called a goddess.)

(For the record, I’m not judging. Calling people “goddesses” works for some of us. And others of us feel corny. I’m just saying some people need more grounded, practical language to describe their work and have it resonate with their favorite sorts of clients. Even if they are rocking some serious magic.)

You don’t have to eschew science to embrace the woo, in other words.

The words you use to promote your work connect with different people.

And just because your work is “woo” doesn’t mean your language has to be.

In fact, if you find that your language and copy is not “calling in” the sorts of people online who you want to work with, do a woo check. Are your words so spiritual and related to one’s inner world, that people looking for results in the world of action have a hard time connecting with you?

Two quick examples here. I’ll never forget working with Shayla, who had spent more than 20 years of her life at an ashram in India. She was a spiritual guide for smart people, but when she came to work with me in one of my production labs, she was using this really flowery language about empowerment and spirit… that was just really hard for people to wrap their heads around.

We talked it out, and one of the things that trigger people to hire her is that they are on a spiritual path, they’ve read the books, they’ve done the retreats… but they are really having a hard time in their relationships. So we wrote this hook together: “Is your relationship driving you bananas?”

Shayla was flabbergasted. Could it be this easy?!

I grinned and told her to test this new line out On Real People.

She posted a call for initial sessions on facebook, with this line at the top. And she had a huge response. She couldn’t believe it! But that’s how language works. You just need to find the right frequency to send your message on. When you get it, the doors open and the response flows in.

The second example is a website project I recently completed, with Inspired by India. This is for an incredibly talented woman up in Canada who works with executives and entrepreneurs, and consults with them using a tool called “business intuition.” She’s also got a solid reputation as a savvy business strategist, so she offers a blend – woo and business advice. In a nutshell, she’s helping people make great decisions.

What I realized in developing her message was that it was more about the decisions, and less about her process. We are always hearing how we need to “sell them the hole, not the shovel”. . . and this is a great example of this idea in action.

You can check out her site here. (Also, notice, we barely used the word “intuition” at all. I wanted it to be clear what she was offering, but wanted to position her squarely in the world of action, because that’s who her clients are.)

Anyway, this is just some food for thought for you. Take what you can use, and leave the rest.

Love,

Stella

Stella Orange is a copywriter who helps people put their work into words. For eight years, she wrote email campaigns that resulted in more than a million dollars in sales for her clients. In that time, Stella also taught popular marketing writing workshops to business owners on both sides of the Atlantic -- and a few in Australia and New Zealand. In 2017, Stella cofounded a creative and consulting shop offering a complete and slightly unorthodox line of business advising and marketing services. She continues to write copy and advise clients on customer delight, how to resonate with more sophisticated, discerning clientele in your marketing, and just who, exactly, your ideal clients are. Stella is the founder of Show Up And Write, a weekly writing group and writes a letter every two weeks or so (here’s the sign-up). She lives with the Philosopher and their two kiddos in Buffalo, New York, a fifteen-minute bike ride to the Canadian border.

2 Comments


  1. Nancy Forrester

    Amazing newsletter Stella – I read every word! Thank you.

  2. annie

    “if you find that your language and copy is not “calling in” the sorts of people online who you want to work with, do a woo check.”

    LOVE it! and the picture is *just perfect*

    I am printing this out for above my computer:
    You don’t have to eschew science to embrace the woo… The words you use to promote your work connect with different people. And just because your work is “woo” doesn’t mean your language has to be.

Comments for this post are currently closed