A cut above the rest…

Have you had a disastrous attempt at a DIY hairdo in recent weeks? Are you desperate for a professional to take over and sort it out?

Sonja Jones draws a few parallels with the best storytelling.

When it comes to haircuts, we generally see the benefit of paying a professional, so why is it different when it comes to writing for your business? But, we can all write, I hear you cry. In answer, may I direct you to your DIY lockdown haircut? We can all wield a pair of hairdressing scissors, but how many of us will turn out good results? If the images proliferating on social media are anything to go by in recent weeks – very few of us.

So, here are three reasons why DIY haircuts are just like DIY copy:

1. You’ve let it run wild 

It’s completely out of control, your ‘do’ started off looking okay, but as lockdown has trundled on, it’s started to branch out in all directions, and you feel like you have no control.

Similarly, back when you launched your website it was neat and clean, but now it looks more like Frankenstein’s monster. New pages and content have been added in an inconsistent tone and style. If there was a story, it’s been lost. If it was your hair, what would you do? Book in for a restyle immediately.

What you need: A rewrite.

Maintenance tips: Quarterly mini-content audit.

2. Your roots are horrendous ­­ 

It’s true, at the root of it all, your hair is dark and dull and it’s starting to show really badly. All you want is to do is hide under a hat.

Everyone is firefighting, and you haven’t the energy to question every single piece of content that people are posting. It feels like a losing battle. If it was your hair, what would you do? Book yourself in for a colour, get rid of the roots and even it all up.

What you need: Tone-of-voice guidelines.

Maintenance tips: Commission an editor who knows the guidelines inside out.

3. You’ve attempted a trim 

Your fringe is not that wonky, if you don’t look too closely. Your colleagues and clients won’t notice that one side is shorter than the other if you turn your head to the right slightly on Zoom calls. But let’s face it, you look and feel awkward.

It’s been a tough few months and while you have tried your best to manage new content requests and turn out some new stories, the results just aren’t as expected. If it was your hair, what would you do? Relax into the hairdresser’s chair and let them fix it.

What you need: A good edit.

Maintenance tips: Allow your copy editor to fix it. They know how.

4. Your partner/teenager has given you a chop

You haven’t the heart to tell your loved one it’s the worse haircut you have ever had, including the bowl cut your Mum gave you when you were four.

Writing and haircuts – both super easy, right? When an aspiring hairdresser in your family fancies having a go, think twice. Sure, it’ll save you money initially, but how much will it cost to fix it when it all goes wrong? If it was your hair, what would you do? Employ a professional from the off instead of appeasing your family rookie.

What you need: A professional copywriter or storyteller.

Maintenance tips: Develop a message house or content plan to help you stay on track.

At Bladonmore, we don’t do haircuts, we leave that to the professionals, but we can help you tidy up that copy and tell great stories about your business.

(Lockdown Hair Images by Igor Emmerich)