- From: Clovis, California
- Began freelance writing: 5+ years ago
- About: Kaleena is a brand voice expert and conversion copywriter who has served 100+ top SaaS & DTC brands from around the world including Copyhackers, Practical Ecommerce, and Create & Cultivate!
Hi Kaleena! Thanks so much for joining me for this interview. It’s always great to catch up with you. Let’s get to it!
1. Can you share a bit about how and why you became a freelance writer?
After college, I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to follow a guy – which is another story for another day! But with very little Spanish language skills at the time, I needed some money fast and found some cheap jobs on Craigslist. I had a degree in English, so I was thrilled to make a couple of bucks online!
2. Now, many years later, you’ve made Barcelona your permanent home. For the readers dreaming of moving abroad, when did you first make the decision to leave the U.S./what drove you to do it?
So it wasn’t really until three years later when I moved back to LA – which is where I studied – and was laid off from my new job. I was experiencing reverse culture shock, was super broke, and felt totally lost. I was having a hard time even getting an interview anywhere. So I Googled “how to create a portfolio” to prove my writing skills and found out this whole freelance writing thing could be an entire career.
Within six months, I had a portfolio, a couple of clients, and a ticket booked to Spain. That was technically the second time I decided to leave the US, but this time, I was all on my own. I had fallen in love with travel and wanted the whole freelance-writer-digital-nomad lifestyle! When I make a decision, I find a way to make it happen.
That was over five years ago, so Barcelona definitely won me over.
“When I make a decision, I find a way to make it happen.”
Kaleena Stroud
3. And what was it about Barcelona that won you over?
My original ticket was to Madrid and my plan was to check out both cities and decide which I liked best. However, the job I had in Buenos Aires found out I moved to Spain and they happened to be opening a new office in Barcelona at the same time. So, they offered me my old job there! If I had doubted my decision to leave the US, the timing would’ve been totally off. I really believe that when you conspire for something, the world conspires with you.
Barcelona is a gorgeous cosmopolitan city filled with digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and laid-back people. It’s the perfect blend for me to focus on my business but also learn to enjoy the little things in life (which has always been hard for me). Plus, having a job for the first year really helped me feel like I belonged and gave me some structure which made it easy to stay here.
4. Now to move into one of your areas of expertise — brand voice. Over the past few years, you’ve released your Chameleon Brand Voice Guide service and your free guide to brand voice adjectives. When did you decide that you wanted to focus on brand voice development for clients?
I added on brand voice strategy about a year ago. I knew I needed more of an angle or way to offer more strategy for my clients, and voice was something they all complimented me on. Either that or other writers couldn’t get their voice right, or they just didn’t know how to use words to stand out on the page. So it was a natural decision for me.
5. And how was the transition from a writer to a strategist role? Any advice for writers trying to make a similar switch?
It takes a bit of confidence, for sure. Because now my clients look to me as a leader rather than just a writer. But that’s been so much more rewarding! I took a course — Codex Academy with Justin Blackman — to help put together my offer. I think it really helped to learn from someone already in such a role before I offered something myself… which is what I’d recommend to those looking to become a strategist in some way.
And if you’re unsure where to pivot, do what I did and think about where your clients say you shine or where you’ve naturally offered them the most value. That’s probably your best skill set to begin upgrading.
“If you’re unsure where to pivot, think about where your clients say you shine or where you’ve naturally offered them the most value. That’s probably your best skill set to begin upgrading.”
Kaleena Stroud
After that, it was all about discussing my new role/pivot as openly and as often as possible. After a few months, people started to catch on that I do so much more than just write a website or email sequence.
6. When looking at the market, is there a company that stands out for nailing it with its brand voice right now?
A couple of brands come to mind. Oatly is one of them — and a fan favorite for many. To be fair, they have an amazing product. No amount of copy or brand voice can save a bad product.
“No amount of copy or brand voice can save a bad product.”
Kaleena Stroud
However, Oatly uses copy to capture attention. They use a lot of storytelling on their website and on the product packaging, plus they put a lot of focus on microcopy — those little one-liners you need here and there that are usually plain and simple. Oatly uses those moments to have fun which is currently huge in DTC marketing.
They also break the fourth wall in their ads which is hilarious.
Liquid Death also popped on the scene with strong branding. It’s just water in a can, but they use voice to be different from their competitors. Most H2O brands are gentle and nurturing, but Liquid Death is raunchy and irreverent. Total opposite! They also have a theme — I believe it’s ghouls or devils — in their wording which is a cool technique.
7. And what are your thoughts on freelance writers taking on brand voices…do you think it’s best for writers to stick to writing for brands with voices that are similar to their natural voice archetype? Can branching out work well? Any pros or cons to consider?
I think it’s a bit of both! Most companies will want to hire writers who naturally suit their style, but then it’s the writer’s job to adjust as needed to suit the brand. As a writer, it’ll make your life easier to pick a niche that gravitates toward your writing style. It’ll probably be more entertaining for you as well.
However, you can branch out at any time. By looking at their sentence structure, any particular phrasing they use, and their tone, you should be able to mimic a wide range of styles if you want to.
8. To switch gears a little… After writing for 100+ top SaaS & DTC Brands from around the world, what advice would you give to freelance writers who are hoping to attract top brands in their niche?
One of my tactics while building my business was to build authority and get into top magazines. I sent a lot of cold emails to get those logos on my website.
“I sent a lot of cold emails to get those logos on my website.”
Kaleena Stroud
It was a bit of a ladder situation—I’d get a byline here, then leverage that to shoot for a bigger byline, and so on.
That trust factor (having those logos on my website) allowed big companies to hire me. Although, I would also recommend networking on LinkedIn. One of my first connections ended up knowing someone from Dermstore who needed writers. That was a huge name for me at the time! All because I sent a message to chat with another content writer from Los Angeles.
9. While many writers have rate cards, you’ve packaged your services into a few creative service packages with impressive landing pages (e.g. your Copy Audits and Brand Guides). Can you share a bit about what led you to that pricing strategy and the impact it’s had on your writing business?
Rate cards are great and I’m not against them. For me, though, I mostly do custom projects and those prices vary widely, so it’s always best we get on a call so I can put together a proposal. I walk through my process and need to know what kind of research they already have and what problem needs solving. I can’t provide a rate without knowing that.
I think this works really well for my business because I close more clients after a call and avoid too many people price-shopping.
My brand voice guide is a fixed project, so I can standardize the pricing. Same thing with my Copy Audit. These services have processes that don’t vary too much on where the client is at. Along those same lines, that’s why they need their own sales page. They’re unique services — like buying a product almost! So they need some explaining and are worthy of a full page.
Leads still usually want a discovery call before they book that, but having the sales page helps a ton if it’s the right service for them.
10. Lastly, what’s next for you? Do you have anything new in the works, any changes for 2023?
Indeed! I just launched a YouTube channel. I’m excited to use video to help show live writing exercises and share behind the scenes of copywriting and entrepreneurship in Barcelona. I’m having a baby in a few months (another big change in 2023!) so I won’t be pushing the channel too much but, alongside my blog, it’s a fun outlet for me to teach a bit of copywriting to the masses.
Thank you for your time and insights, Kaleena! Where can people find you, follow you, get in touch, and learn from you?
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kaleenastroud
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@copybykaleena
- Website: www.kaleenastroud.com