Last week, I saw three new DTC skincare brands on my feed. Same muted palette. Same “clean” aesthetic. Same landing page headline promising something “revolutionary.” I couldn’t tell them apart.
Why do some DTC brands blow up while others get ignored – even when their products are better?
The answer almost never lies in the product itself. It lies in the brand voice, the copy, and the emotional connection being built (or not built). And unfortunately, most small DTC brands default to sounding like the brands they admire – instead of finding a voice customers can actually feel.
They write safe. They write pretty. They write like someone else.
And in doing so, they erase the only thing that could’ve made them unforgettable.
Big brands can afford to be boring. You can’t.
If your brand sounds like everyone else, you’ve already lost.
If you can’t finish this sentence, you don’t have a brand voice:
“We sound like ____, so our customers feel ____.”
Every great DTC brand can answer this instantly. If you can’t, your copy isn’t anchored in emotion – it’s floating in adjectives. And customers don’t buy floating brands.
This sentence forces clarity. It forces you to define tone, not just terms. It separates copy from communication. Because “bold,” “clean,” and “premium” mean nothing unless your reader feels it. Email and retention copy expert Val Geisler teaches retention starts with emotion – because emotion makes copy stick.
Here’s the gut check: Screenshot your site. Remove the logo. Would anyone know it’s yours?
If the emotion isn’t obvious to you, it’s invisible to your customers.
Writing “clever” copy is killing your conversions.
You’re not writing a jingle. You’re writing for someone who’s trying to solve a problem. So stop trying to be witty. Start trying to be real.
Clever is for awards. Clear is for sales. Every time you make your reader think, you lose a sale. Customer psychology and copywriting pro Katelyn Bourgoin says: “If you confuse them, you lose them.” But even worse? If you impress them too much, they won’t trust you.
High-converting copy sounds like a conversation, not a campaign. It uses your customer’s words – not your competitor’s tone. It’s grounded, human, and unpolished (on purpose). Don’t write like a marketer. Write like a friend who gets it.
Simple. Sharp. Believable. That’s what wins.
Your customers aren’t confused – they’re bored.
You think you’re being misunderstood. You’re actually being ignored. And the worst part? They’re not wrong.
The average customer scrolls through 10 product pages a day. If yours sounds like 7 of them, you’re invisible. Copy isn’t there to “describe” your product – it’s there to interrupt their default. Katelyn Bourgoin teaches customer obsession – and obsession starts with emotional resonance. Clarity is the baseline. Contrast is what makes people care.
Want to know what makes someone stop scrolling? Not features. Not specs. A line that makes them say, “That’s me.”
Boring isn’t just forgettable – it’s expensive.
(Bonus) Most small DTC brands write for themselves. The best ones write from their customers.
You’re not your customer. You’re too close to the product. You’re inside the bottle – they’re reading the label.
The best DTC brands don’t guess what to say. They steal their customers’ words. Val Geisler teaches brands to mirror the customer’s inner dialogue – because when someone sees their own thoughts reflected back, they trust you faster. Features tell. Feelings sell. Copy that converts sits at the intersection of both.
Founders write about benefits. Customers talk about pain. Your job is to make them feel like you’re in their head.
Until you listen more than you write, your copy will keep missing.
The Words You Choose Decide Whether Customers Walk In, or Walk Away
You don’t need a better product. You don’t need louder ads. You need clearer words.
Voice is your moat. Not your margins. Not your aesthetic. Not another A/B test on button color.
The most memorable DTC brands don’t win because they shout louder. They win because they speak human. They know their customers better than their competitors do. And they write like it.
You don’t need louder words. You need truer ones.
If this resonated, here’s what to do next:
→ If you’re tired of content that fills space instead of driving sales, let’s talk. Schedule a quick demo.
→ If you’re ready to turn product pages, email flows, landing copy, and more into silent salespeople for your brand, subscribe to either our Unlimited Standard Plan or Unlimited Professional Plan to get started.
Your story deserves better than generic copy.
We make it unforgettable.