My UX Journey

Content Strategy and Design in Entrepreneurship

As founder and CEO of an upscale women’s clothing boutique, copywriting, content strategy, and content design were part of my everyday responsibilities.

Digital marketing was integral to the success of my brick-and-mortar and online businesses. Despite having an educational background in communications and public relations, I found myself having to self-teach and innovate to navigate the rapidly-changing arenas of e-commerce, web-based content strategy, and social media content creation–or face being left behind.

Interior and exterior photos of Magnolia Supply boutique in St. Augustine, Florida

Designing my e-commerce site, I (unknowingly) used UX principles–user-focused ideation, information architecture, clarity/readability, and strategic calls to action–to create a great experience for my online customers. I designed content for product descriptions, buttons, call-to-actions, and check-out flows. I also crafted copy for high-friction touch-points, like requesting personal information, creating passwords, and communicating shipping logistics.

Print and digital marketing assets for Magnolia Supply

Additionally, I established a successful content marketing strategy to drive site traffic, using blog posts, social media content, email autoresponder sequences/newsletters, and print projects like flyers and event announcements. I determined appropriate voice-and-tone guidelines for our brand–irreverent, humorous, sexy, and fun–and crafted user personas for our ideal audiences. Over the first two years in business, I was able to increase retail sales by 300 percent and social media followers by more than 900 percent.

Pandemic Pivot: Freelance Copywriting

By the time March, 2020 arrived, I had closed my retail business and used my content marketing skills to build a thriving practice as an independent stylist. As the pandemic’s implications for in-person services became apparent, it was time for a career change allowing for remote work. An inventory of my skills, talents, strengths, and educational background yielded a clear path toward copy and content writing. Eager to refresh my skills and identify current trends, I sought a graduate certificate in Technical and Professional Writing from the University of Central Florida. Upon completion, I decided to try my hand at freelance copy and content writing.

I began as a generalist to gain experience and try out facets of this diverse industry. Whether by coincidence or kismet, I ended up primarily with website copy and content design projects, several of which allowed me to take an active role in branding, establishing voice and tone, and developing user personas. I loved the psychological and personality-driven aspects of the work, and my clients were delighted with the thoroughness and complexity with which I approached their projects.

See an in-depth case study for one of these projects here and peruse additional copywriting samples here.

Recently, I discovered and became enamored with the field of content design/UX writing. I love that the primary goal of UX is delivering a smooth, intuitive experience for the user—versus the focus on persuasion and selling (and often SEO) in copywriting. While I understand the purpose and need for marketing copy, I connect more with the user-centered design principles that drive UX writing.