Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

The last thing you should do if you want to grow your business is NOT SHOW UP.

A week ago, my family was circled around the computer to meet our (likely) new babysitter.

I had been messaging this woman (she is a college grad, married, works for a pediatrician, and wants a little side work) for a week. I was super confident that she was the ONE.

PostedJune 21, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesRough Draft Solutions, Small Business Owner

TagsRough Draft Solutions

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Cake + writing? I mean, could it get any better? Betsy was so fun to work with - she is a visionary in the world of wedding cakes and makes the most delicious cupcakes. Helping her craft the messaging that would lead her ideal clients through her website was an absolute joy.

And as happy as cake makes me, testimonials like hers make me even happier. Here's what she had to say about working together.

"Amanda was absolutely wonderful to work with. When I decided I wanted to redo my bakery website, I had no idea where to start. Amanda was the answer!

PostedApril 22, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesReviews, Trusted Partner, Website content, Website Copywriting, Copywriting, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsCustomer Review

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How you ever wondered why it’s so hard to write for your business?

You live and breathe your work. It’s your passion, it’s your hobby, it’s what fills up your cup when everything else seems to be falling apart.

You know the ins and outs of it - the good parts - the bad parts - and you absolutely know who your ideal customer is and what they need.

Shouldn’t you be the PERFECT person to write the copy on your website and your marketing materials?

PostedApril 21, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCopywriting, Getting Started, Website Copywriting, Rough Draft Solutions

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Writing is hard. Writing for your website is tortuous. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Earlier this week, we talked about WHY it’s hard to write website copy for your business. There are SO. MANY. REASONS. And yes, one of the ways to make writing for your website easier is to hire a copywriter (hello, hi, it’s me;) ). But you know what? You can also DIY your website copy. You can (and will) get better the more you write.

PostedApril 14, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesCopywriting, Tips, Website Copywriting, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting tips, Website copy

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Does staring at a blank page, knowing you need to write, give you a pit in your stomach? 🙋🏻‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In a poll last week, most of you said that getting started is the hardest part of writing website copy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For some reason, we can talk endlessly about what we do and how we are changing the lives of our customers, but when it’s time to sit down and write about it, we have nothing left to say.

PostedApril 12, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWebsite Copywriting, Writing, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting tips

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What words come to mind when you think about your business and how you want to present yourself to your customers? How do you want to make your customers feel?⁠⁠
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When I started this business back in 2014, there wasn't a lot of strategy behind the visual brand. I didn't see a connection between my logo and the colors I used to how I appealed to my customers. This time around, everything is different. Working with RuthAnn at R Artspace was an enlightening experience and brought clarity to my vision. ⁠⁠

PostedApril 6, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesGetting Started, Marketing, Visual brand, Brand refresh, Rough Draft Solutions

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3 years. How exactly does one reintroduce themselves after disappearing for three YEARS? I’m fairly certain there aren’t any tips or tricks on this one because it’s probably not recommended to leave in the first place. So, this may be bumpy, but let’s do it anyway! 🙌🏻

Hi, my long-lost friend! I’m Amanda Washburn - owner and writer behind Rough Draft Solutions. For the last three years, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom focused on raising my two sweet rambunctious little boys with my husband Nate. We live on four acres 30-minutes outside of Lansing, Michigan, and we thoroughly enjoy keeping life simple.

PostedMarch 12, 2021

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPersonal, Website Copywriting, Rough Draft Solutions

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15 months after I started Rough Draft Solutions, I hired my first two interns. Since then, I have had five interns and each one has taught me important lessons, helped me grow as a leader, and pushed RDS forward.

PostedJuly 12, 2017

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesTips, Small Business Owner, Internal Communication

TagsBusiness Goals, Small Business Owner, tips

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Do you struggle with writing captivating content in a timely manner?

I recently asked my Instagram community to share what they struggle with most when it comes to writing. The challenges they shared were all too common and ones I witness business owners fighting every day.

One day the struggle is not being able to think of anything to write, other days it’s spending way too much time editing. Some of these struggles, especially when experienced over and over again, make us feel like writing content isn’t worth it. But it is.

PostedJune 28, 2017

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Featured, Small Business Owner, Writing, Website content

TagsWriting Tips, Editing, content development, Content marketing

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Are you getting the most out of your blog?

The thing is, blogging takes a lot of time, brainpower, and creativity. Those resources are in high demand as a small business owner, and frankly, I don’t want you to waste them! When you think about your blog, are you doing it just because you feel like you have to? Or do you have a clear strategy that guides you on what you need to do to make your blog work for you and boost your business?

As you read through this blog post, take an honest look at your blog. Ask yourself what you could be doing to leverage your blog to leverage your business. Not only will it help you get a better ROI, but it will help you serve your customers more effectively!

PostedJune 15, 2017

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Blogs, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner, Featured

TagsBlogging Tips, Blogging, Small Business Owner, Business blog

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A photo may be worth a thousand words, but what happens when it’s paired with a well thought out caption? Now that’s where the magic happens.

Instagram captions can be a time-suck. You finally perfected your photo and are now staring at a white box wondering what in the world to say. You frantically head to Pinterest searching for an idea, a clever phrase, or a witty quote. Maybe you type a few words, but then immediately erase it because it’s not creative enough, cheeky, or genuine. Next thing you know, a half hour goes by, and you have to move on to the next thing on your endless to-do list without even posting a photo! Ugh.

PostedMay 31, 2017

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Social Media, Tips, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsSocial media tips, Instagram, Writing tips, Small business owner

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I have a confession to make that I am totally embarrassed to admit.

I haven’t written a blog post for Rough Draft Solutions since December. How in the world did I let that happen? As a content writer, this gives me a big dose of guilt. What kind of professional writer am I if I can’t even keep up with my own blog?

Well, the thing is, I allowed myself to indulge in a break over the holidays and didn’t have a plan for getting started again. And before I knew it, the weeks were slipping by, and I still didn’t have a plan. I didn’t feel inspired, and frankly, I felt like I was too busy with client work. While all of this may have been true, it didn’t have to result in me neglecting my blog for four months!

PostedApril 13, 2017

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Communication

TagsBlogging, Blogging Tips, Content Creation

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Your business can’t do it all. You may want to offer all the services your customers are looking for, but that’s not the best plan for you or them. What ends up happening is that you offer mediocre services you don’t love providing.

Instead of trying to offer everything, consider refining your one area of expertise and partnering with other companies that specialize in the other services your customers need.

PostedDecember 7, 2016

AuthorGuest User

CategoriesTrusted Partner, Tips, Small Business Owner, Networking

TagsLinkedIn, Small business, Professional Communication, trusted partner

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A couple of weeks ago, the Michigan Business Rap had me on their Lunch Break radio program. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting local business professionals and sharing my insight on content marketing! The other participants couldn’t have been more welcoming and gracious.

So what is the Michigan Business Rap? According to their website, “Michigan Business Rap is a daily radio show hosted by Michael Patrick Shiels and Tony Cuthbert. Every weekday afternoon from 12-1 p.m. on The Team 92.1 FM the show is live. The hosts engage a panel of local business experts in a roundtable discussion, which is designed to break down hot topics and timely news stories from the perspective of business owners. The show opens the microphone to the business community, resulting in informative, interactive and entertaining discussions.”

PostedNovember 30, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Marketing, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsContent Marketing, Marketing Tips, Content Creation

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Your website is the face of your company.

You may have heard that before, but it’s worth repeating. Your website is often the first place people go when they want to learn about what you do and how you can help them. And while it’s important for your website to look appealing, the words on each page will determine if it works effectively for your business or not.

The truth is, website content is often an afterthought. When building a website for your business, your first thought was probably about how you wanted it to look. Don’t get me wrong! A well-designed website is imperative, but your content is what’s going to cause people to take action.

PostedNovember 15, 2016

AuthorGuest User

CategoriesWebsite content, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWebsite content, Web Design, search engine optimization

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By now, as a business owner, you’re probably well aware of the benefits of blogging. But do you realize the harm you may be doing by NOT posting consistently?

The thing is, humans are creatures of habit. We like to have routines. We want to know that the businesses we choose to work with will deliver on their promises consistently. And frankly, grabbing the attention of your readers is hard enough. If you succeed in capturing their interest, you better not push them away by only posting interesting content once in a blue moon.

If you blog every week for a month, and then disappear for six weeks, your customers are going to wonder what happened. If you post sporadically, your customers won’t make it a habit to check your blog every week. You want to make sure you deliver content to them when they are looking for it! You want your readers to get used to coming to your blog every Wednesday, or whichever day you post!

PostedNovember 8, 2016

AuthorGuest User

CategoriesBlogging, Small Business Owner, Customer Relations, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging Tips, Writing tips, Consistency

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Starting a company from scratch isn’t easy. Trust me, I’ve been there.

When you first begin, it can be frustrating. You don’t have the money to create big, extravagant advertisements or campaigns to get people’s attention. You don’t have the online presence with your website or social media to direct prospective clients to your company. You don’t have the help of a full-time marketing staff. But there are still affordable things you can do to raise awareness about your business!

PostedOctober 25, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesMarketing, Small Business Owner, Content Marketing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsMarketing Tips, Startup, Small Business Owner

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