Stand Out as a Nurse Writer: Portfolio Piece feat. RNByline

March 1, 2024 Bridget Montes

I know it probably feels like now that you want to become a freelance nurse writer, you’re beginning to realize there are also sooo many other nurses transitioning to writing as well…

Then, a market that already feels saturated becomes even more saturated when you look at all the non-nurses who are also becoming freelance writers specializing in health and wellness content…

You might begin to wonder how on earth you’ll be able to stand out as a freelance nurse writer when it feels like everyone else is already doing what you want to do and appears to be ahead of you…

The good thing is…

The need for quality content is only on the rise…

So, as a nurse turned writer, you have to figure out how to leverage your unique skills and experiences to stand out from the crowd…

In order to stand out and attract the right clients, you need to ensure that your website and copy effectively communicate your value proposition and adequately showcase your expertise.

You aren’t just any ol’ writer…

You’re an expert nurse writer, and your website should showcase that, especially if you have it linked in your LinkedIn bio…

Because I just have to be honest here…

I’ve clicked on those links…

And I’ve been…underwhelmed…to say the least.

But that’s why I’m here.

Aaand thanks to my recent client, Teresa at RNByline, I can give you all the examples of how to take your website from drab to totally fab… 🤪

Too cheesy for you? Sorryyy about that buuut, you gotta know by now, I always give the best tips and will actually help you take your website from generic to personality-packed.

Let’s get into it.

Here are 7 website copy tips to help you stand out as a freelance nurse writer:

1 | Use specificity in your headlines

When a potential client lands on your website, you want to ensure that the first headline they read immediately grabs their attention and clearly communicates the value you offer.

Highlight what you can do for your ideal publications, not just what you do in general.

Imagine who is reading those publications and think about what challenges they want to overcome and how you can help them overcome them.

So, instead of generic headlines like “Healthcare content marketing” or “health content from an experienced nurse writer,” try using more specificity in your headlines and focus on the benefit they’ll receive by working with you.

Let’s look at RNByline’s Hero headline (the Hero headline is the FIRST headline you see on a website before ANY scrolling)…

RNByline’s hero headline is answering all the most pertinent questions while being ultra-specific about who she works with:

→ Highlights the benefit: “Spiritually healing”

→ Defines what she provides: “health and wellness content”

→ Specifies who she wants to work with: “publications whose mission is to educate, inspire, and advocate for their readers”

→ Followed by a clear and straightforward CTA: “Let’s work together”

Just remember that you’re writing your website copy for ONE person or ONE publication.

You’re not trying to appeal to everyone and every publication you can think of because if you are writing to appeal to the masses, then you’re really writing to no one.

2 | Weave your story into your brand messaging but make it customer-focused

Many freelance nurse writers make the mistake of writing a home page mini-about section focusing solely on their credentials and experience. These credential-focused mini-about sections are also often written in the third person, which, I’m assuming, are written that way because they sound more “professional.”

But, potential editors and clients want to see the human behind the brand. They want to know how you can help them, not just all your hard-earned accolades.

Of course, your degree, certifications, awards, and experience all matter.

I don’t want you to come away from this tip thinking they don’t matter.

Instead, think about how you can humanize those hard-earned achievements and how they can help your ideal client achieve what they want — even though this is your mini-about section, it really shouldn’t be about you.

Write a mini-about section focusing on your clients and the problems you can solve for them.

But just because this mini-about section isn’t about you, your story still matters.

Your story is the reason why people will buy from you over someone else.

So, I still want you to infuse your personality into this mini-about section to make it more engaging and memorable, but, in the back of your mind, always remember that people ultimately want to know how you can help them.

When this Website Copy VIP Week started, I sent Teresa a questionnaire about her story, experience, and how she became a writer. Thankfully, she sent me long, in-depth answers to each question, which I always appreciate because it is sooo much easier to formulate bombdotcom website copy when I have such detailed information to work with.

So, I got to work on crafting a client-focused story out of Teresa’s personal story and used her words to infuse her personality into her copy.

While Teresa is an experienced nurse with 40 years under her belt, I focused more on what she provides: “healthcare advocacy, patient education, and spiritually-led care for all my clients,” which is a direct call back to her hero headline and re-enforces the specificity she introduced to the reader.

→ Then I added a bit of her personality, saying that she is: “a nurse writer with heart”

→ And emphasized how she can help her ideal clients and publications to: “translate complex medical terminology into clear, understandable language”

→ Then added more insight into her story ending this paragraph with how she: “always writers from a place of empathy.”

Teresa’s story is so very personal, and while I loved getting to know her and her story, you have to remember once again that someone popping onto your website doesn’t necessarily care about those intimate details…at least not yet…at least not until you provide them with a reason to care.

So, I ended this mini-about section with a nod to her story while still engaging the reader with how she could help, saying, “I know my lived experiences can help others navigate life a little easier.”

My goal was to create an emotional connection with the reader while still emphasizing the services Teresa provides and how she can help her ideal client, and by doing so, she feels more relatable, likable, and trustworthy.

3 | Clarify your unique selling proposition

So, you’ve determined who you are and who your ideal client is…

Now, as I said in the previous tip, you want to focus on how you are going to help those publications and readers transform…

Summarize how you’re going to change the world and what sets the intention behind why you exist — this is your unique selling proposition (USP).

To stand out as a freelance nurse writer, having a clear and compelling USP that communicates the benefits of working with you will set you apart from other nurse writers — and I know this because I don’t see USPs being used very often.

Make sure your USP is prominently featured on your website and that it’s easy for potential clients to understand.

You want to communicate why someone would choose to work with YOU over someone else.

In Teresa’s services overview section on her home page, I again emphasized her experience, her story, who she wants to work with, and how she can help them in this section.

4 | Highlight your social proof

Your client testimonials give you bragging rights and social proof as a freelance nurse writer, so use them.

Testimonials from satisfied clients are one of the most effective ways to build credibility, attract new clients, and get more paying customers.

Teresa sent me three great testimonials to include on her site.

One lives on her home page, and the other two testimonials live on her about page.

The original version of this testimonial was written directly to Teresa, so the subject was “you.”

I prefer to have a prominent testimonial that reads like you’re reading about the person or brand, so with Teresa’s permission, I changed the subject of this testimonial to “Teresa,” as shown above.

Potential clients considering working with you want to know that others have had a positive experience with your services.

Your testimonials allow them to see real-life examples of how you have helped others, which can help build trust and confidence in your abilities.

Testimonials allow you to showcase your strengths and unique selling points through the words of satisfied clients, differentiating you from your competitors and increasing the likelihood of converting potential clients into paying customers.

5 | Showcase some recent work

So, in addition to testimonials, you might also feature some recent work on your website and include case studies or success stories to further demonstrate the value you provide.

You could include blog posts, articles, or other writing samples that showcase your expertise.

Teresa has a few blog posts written on her website, and I chose to highlight these in order to keep the reader on her website for longer.

Showcasing blog posts or client work on your website can help demonstrate your expertise and ability to deliver high-quality content. By sharing examples of your work, potential clients can get a sense of your writing style, tone, and subject matter expertise, which can help them make an informed decision about whether or not to hire you.

Your work helps to build credibility and trust with potential clients, as they can see tangible evidence of your skills and experience as a nurse writer.

6 | End with a benefit-rich call-to-action

Finally, end each page on your website with a benefit-rich call-to-action (CTA).

Writing a CTA that actually drives the action you intend is a bit of an art, and you want your CTAs to be clear but compelling at the same time.

So, instead of a generic CTA like “Contact me for my health content services,” try using a more specific CTA that highlights the benefits of working with you and still demonstrates a bit of your personality.

→ Use an active voice that offers value to the reader: “Let’s un-complicate the complicated”

→ And highlight the benefit of working with you: “enrich your readers’ lives with evidence-based education they just get.”

It’s clear, it’s compelling, and it’s going to inspire the action to inquire.

7 | Design with the end-user in mind

I watched a video by Alex Cattoni recently, and she said something that really stuck out to me: “Great copy is a visual experience, too.”

Having great words on your website won’t necessarily compel your reader to keep reading if your copy is impossibly hard to read.

You want to make sure your design is easy to read, with plenty of white space in and around each section of copy on your website.

You want your headlines to be skimmable so those quick scrollers can immediately decide whether or not they want to work with you.

And lastly, you want to make sure it’s easy and clear to take the next action.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I could pinch myself right now, but I designed Teresa’s website myself.

When I sent her my proposal, I specifically told her that I could design her website but only if she agreed to the caveat that “I am not a web designer” — only now that caveat simply isn’t true.

Designing this project inspired me so much that I decided to buy a web design course so I could * officially * call myself a web designer — just imagine me internally screaming because I am so freaking excited about this. 🤯

I asked Teresa if she had any good, clear photos of her, and she originally gave me one photo of herself in a flowery blouse.

So, I decided to base her entire website design around that flowery blouse.

I found some pretty stock images of pink flowers and used those throughout her design. I didn’t want to go crazy with the colors, so I stuck with a soft beige color as her base and added a soft green and purple as accent colors.

I am so dang proud of this project. Teresa even said her new website was attractive and easily accessible, and it captured her brand voice better. 🥰

Want a website as 🔥🔥🔥 as Teresa’s?

Well, you’re in luck I know just the freelance nurse writer (and web designer?) you want on your team. 😜

Ready to redefine what it means to be a nurse and scale the business of your dreams with connection-worthy copy?

SDN