Anne McColl Copywriter

04/24/2025

I’m ridiculously excited to be teaching as part of the Level Up series from Adobe and CreativeMornings. An incredible series to help creative professionals grow their businesses.

My workshop:
“Write a Stellar ‘About’ Section to Land a Creative Job.”
It’s Tuesday, May 6 at 6 PM—and if your About section is more “help me” than “hire me,” we’re about to fix that. Free cost.

You’ll walk away with an actual outline of your creative profile (not just a pep talk). Because yes, writing about yourself is hard—but not on my watch.

Let’s make your About page your secret weapon. Not your secret shame. 💥

https://creativemornings.com/blog/adobe-level-up

06/20/2024

A Creative Mornings Fieldtrip, Tuesday, June 25, 6-7 online.

Hey, I'll be teaching an online class on how to write about yourself in a human manner.

So you’ve got an amazing online portfolio. You don’t really have much text because after all: the works speaks for itself. Right? Well, maybe not.

People (your potential clients) like learning about the stories behind the work, about your thought process and about you. Your About page is one of your most visited pages on your website. Take advantage of this opportunity to make a human connection to add an increased value to your work.

Perfect for students, freelancers, and established professional.

No cost. My gift to our creative community.

register here: https://creativemornings.com/talks/write-your-about-page-for-your-creative-biz-362

10/30/2023

I'm thrilled to announce the beta launch of my brand-spanking-new online class: Shamelessly Human: Write Your Brand Story with Heaps of Human Help and a Dash of AI.
Link in my comments.
The class kicks off on November 9th and runs through December 13th. We're talking video lessons, juicy worksheets, and a generous three hours of live video office hours a week where you can soak up real-time feedback for your brand narrative.
The essence of this class? It's about pouring your heart and soul into your business's story. We'll harness the power of AI as a trusty sidekick to fuel your creative sparks and help generate ideas. But let me be clear: your brand story is far too precious to simply rely on a few AI prompts and settle for mediocrity.
I made this class for you. And it's my best work.
💥🚀

07/21/2021

As a copywriter, I go about my day looking for great examples of branding to share with you. And recently while grocery shopping, I’ve noticed the differences in the signs asking you to put the shopping carts back. (I’m a solid put-the-shopping-cart-back-instead-of-leaving-it-in-theparking-lot type of gal.)
🛒
WINDMILL FARMS
Windmill Farms is a family-owned local store specializing in produce, organic items, and gourmet foods. I would describe their brand voice as Neighborhood Farmers Market. The message is friendly and folksy and they refer to their shopping carts as buggies. The message is signed with the owner's name.
🍎
COSTCO
Costco also sells food, just on a more extensive scale. I would describe their voice as Warehouse Luxury. A long legalese sign kindly asks you to return carts. It starts off with a with a mention of service. You get the feeling their lawyers had a hand in writing the sign.
🍉
GROCERY OUTLET
Grocery Outlet store is another brand that emphasizes lower prices. I would describe their brand voice as Quirky Bargain. In contrast to the luxury items Costco carries, Grocery Outlet features end of stock and special purchases. If you save more than $100 on a purchase, they ring a bell and announce it on the loudspeaker to much whooping.
🥝
Notice how Grocery Outlet reminds you to remember your bags.
🥕
Each of these brands stays consistent with their brand voice even in the most mundane (but highly visible) communications. One way you can keep a consistent voice is by selecting tone words that describe your brand. And then with every communication you write, hold it up to those tone words and see if your communication falls within these range of adjectives.
🌽
Windmill Farms

* Brand Voice: Neighborhood Farmers Market

* Tone descriptors: folksy, fresh, healthy, local, family
🌶
Costco

* Brand Voice: Luxury Warehouse

* Tone descriptors: quality, value, volume, service, corporate
🥬
Grocery Outlet

* Brand Voice: Quirky Bargain

* Tone descriptors: bargain, fun, spirited, surprise, hunt
🥭
Try using tone words to keep your brand voice consistent.

01/25/2021

This is my workflow for down and dirty writing. I create an outline and then start talking. I upload the text to Rev.com and use the auto transcript feature which returns the transcribed text within five minutes. I then edit the text. Sometimes I have to rewrite parts but at least I have text to work with which is quicker than starting from scratch. Then it’s time for a compelling headline and sub heads which help increase scanability. Ta-da.

10/21/2020

Great advertising at work. (via Elise Scott)

DCX Growth Accelerator leaders talk about the importance of tapping into cultural tension and doing the work yourself.

04/27/2020

Two spaces, good-bye, forever. h/t Angela Hill

How many spaces should we include after a period? Microsoft is now quietly telling us that the answer is one.

03/14/2020

a great example of the craft of writing

“I challenge any copywriters following me to upload a more beautifully written ad than this one. (It’s for German music retailer .) The craft is in good hands. ”