The proof is in the process // mise en place
“Mise-en-place is the religion of all good line cooks. Do not fuck with a line cook’s ‘meez’ — meaning his setup, his carefully arranged supplies of sea salt, rough-cracked pepper, softened butter, cooking oil, wine, backups, and so on [...] The universe is in order when your station is set up the way you like it: you know where to find everything with your eyes closed [...] If you let your mise-en-place run down, get dirty and disorganized, you’ll quickly find yourself spinning in place and calling for backup.”
Whenever I think of writing copy (or working on strategy), the French Cooking technique mise en place comes to mind. Now, I’m not claiming to know how to cook like the French. But I did read Tony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential once.
In fact when I think about copy, content, and creative marketing in general — a whole lot of cooking and food related analogies come to mind, like Lee Odden’s fantastic analogy of content marketing as a hamburger, in his 2015 talk - “Hungry for Better Content: What the Mighty Hamburger Can Teach Us About Repurposing & Personalizing with Modular Content” (Definitely worth a read).
For stringing words together, whether for digital, print, or a little bit of both - getting the meez ready is always step one.
What I always keep in my meez
There’s something about cooking that underscores the absolute necessity for a process. Without one — the flavor’s dull, the texture’s weird, and the whole experience is off. Over the years I’ve created my own process, integrated it with the different businesses I’ve worked with, and adapted it for agency teams and internal teams (both in-office and remote).
Because in many cases, content comes first. Not because it’s a diva or anything, but because - when done right (and scaled thoughtfully) it’s a starting point that works hand-in-hand with a long line of stakeholders. From the way a message lends itself to aesthetics, or how it’s translated through technology - to ensuring it hits every mark for the palate at hand. Without a solid process as a foundation from the start, sparks of brilliance fall into the cracks and never see the light of day. The flavor is off.
Here’s how my process generally shakes out….
Research is essential
No matter the product, the ultimate goal is simple: to make the benefit clear. Whether we’re selling an idea for a nonprofit, a subscription, or an 8 ton hunk of precision machined metal - achieving that goal all comes down to research. From the way the product works and why it’s better - to how the people who care about it talk about it online and off. When I first started my career writing copy for the industrial world, the need for precise and considerate research became quickly apparent. Flubbing a detail could mean the client falls out of the running for the next spacecraft (seriously). With that in mind, good research and thoughtful questioning are the only way to gather the ingredients for content that really works.
My preferred tools:
A keyword research tool, like SEMRUSH, Ahrefs, or Moz’s Keyword Explorer.
An audience research tool, like SparkToro. (Check it out. Rand did it again.)
Then, I like to start out analog…
My freshman English composition professor recommended it, and I’ve never looked back (the pens and paper have only gotten fancier). Words, concepts, and ideas have more of a chance to marinade when you slow the process down. Whether that’s with a pen and paper, a tablet, or by tapping out ideas with two index fingers and a note-taking app - the result is more or less the same.
Maybe it’s that I type faster than I think. Maybe it’s true the act of writing by hand activates the brain on a higher level. Or maybe (just maybe) I’ve developed a bit of an addiction for a smooth sheet of paper and a freshly inked pen.
Breaking down the need
Whether the copy is for an email campaign, website homepage, or digital ad - making connections and scratching out concepts by hand always seem to make the result more polished when it lands on-screen. Of course, there’s no time for every single word to be lovingly laid-out on paper. But as a foundation for better ideas and fewer false starts: I feel like it’s absolutely essential.
Meet my draft-buddy, Ignatius Reilly.
De-boning the draft
Give me a crappy first draft or give me death. Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme.
Once I’ve scratched through headlines, figured out the concept, and worked through an outline on paper - the draft is where it all comes together. Whether it’s finding a place for the “A ha!” moments that dribbled from pen to paper or generating new ideas for supporting imagery, testimonials, or case studies - a good draft multiplies the benefit of thinking on paper.
Every single draft I work on includes the following:
SEO details - because almost every piece of content can go online
Audience specifics
My goal & CTA
The Graveyard - because even some of the greatest ideas don’t live to see the final draft. But that doesn’t mean they should be forgotten.
Managing the madness
I don’t consider myself a “box checker”. I don’t always follow the rules. I don’t believe in doing things the way they’ve always been done just because that’s the way they’ve been done (that’s stupid). Most of all, I believe work should be a joy. That’s why I love Monday.com
Monday hasn’t paid me to sing their praises. I just love the platform. From organizing months of content and integrating with analytical tools to track progress, to seamlessly collaborating with designers, developers, and colleagues at every level - it adds agility to the creativity process and ensures everyone understands the evolution of concept, strategy, and execution.
That’s it?
Of course not. That’s just the list of ingredients. The great thing about copy, content, and cooking is there’s always something more to build on.
