I may be an Auckland copywriter… but I wield words that work blooming hard for small businesses worldwide.

(So if you’re not in New Zealand? Not a problem.)

Now that’s cleared up—welcome to my cosy corner of the internet!

I’m Yolie Stephenson. Freelance Copywriter based in New Zealand, but born and raised in England.

I was the kid who ran to the library, and had stacks of books piled up in my bedroom growing up, Matilda-style.

I earned my BA in English Literature at Sussex University.

Completed an internship at People magazine’s London Bureau that turned into a four year “stringer” role (where I got to attend the Pride & Prejudice UK film premiere as a reporter—a dream!).

After an interlude as a yoga teacher, I fused my love of wellness and words and transitioned into a marketing role in-house for triyoga, a leading family of yoga studios in London.

Then, I sharpened my persuasive copywriting and brand voice skills as in-house copywriter for one of Australia’s leading business coaches.

That pivotal role—paired with moving to Auckland from London—was my launch pad into becoming a full-blown freelance copywriter.

Since then, I’ve contracted to local digital marketing agencies—creating website copy, landing pages and SEO content for little and large kiwi businesses—and partnered with an Australia-based website design and Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) studio to support their clients with results-driven website and sales copy. 

NOWADAYS?

I write website copy, sales pages and automated email funnels for small businesses, service providers and digital product creators across a broad range of industries, all from my Auckland home office nook.

Some are more creative, others more corporate.

But whatever the voice, vibe and vocation, the copy is always crafted to be engaging, empathetic, and persuasive.

When we work together, I dive deep into your business back story, perform Voice of Customer (VoC)and competitor research, and can even research and strategise SEO keywords to target onsite.

 

My copy philosophy
a.k.a. what underpins every client project.

  • Connection.

    When we work together, my hope is that it’ll feel like two equally-invested team members talking shop over coffee. (Long black for me!) That’s why I always meet my clients over Zoom to discuss their business, backstory and buyers in-depth. Bonus? Our heart-to-heart helps me make my words sound like you!

  • Collaboration.

    Great copy is a collaborative process. That’s why I love to work with my clients, not for them. Don't worry, I'll bring the conversion know-how, SEO best practices and the word wrangling skills—but your input, insights and timely responses are invaluable to the best outcome of our work, and to ensure we meet delivery deadlines.

  • Strategy First.

    Effective copywriting (the kind that captures attention & gets clicks and conversions) isn’t just about pretty words. It’s about understanding the messages your ideal clients need to hear to move them to action — & putting them front and centre. So, honing your strategy is always my first focus.

Here’s what makes me qualified to write for you & your business

Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature

7+ years of copywriting experience

3+ experience writing sales copy, email copy and ad copy in-house for a 7-figure Aussie entrepreneur

Trusted by two Auckland digital marketing agencies

Digital Marketing Strategy credential & on-page SEO training

Professional development with Copyhackers & Copywriting for Creatives (and quite a few more, to be honest!)

On a personal note—5 things you'd find out about me over a long black...

  1. I made the move from England to NZ in 2017, courtesy of my kitesurfing Kiwi husband.
    2. The North Island’s beautiful beaches and coastlines make my heart do cartwheels.
    3. I love all things hygge and cosiness & interior design magazines are the only ones I read.
    4. Weekends aren’t complete without pilates, a long walk + visiting the beach with my little pooch, Booch & sweet-as-honey rescue Venus.
    5. I’ve watched David Fincher’s ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ so many times that I’ve lost count. Skål!

 

Think we might go together like sav ‘n’ summer?

Let’s connect on a no-strings Discovery Call to scope out what you need support with in marketing your business, and whether I can help.

If it’s a good fit, then we can take your copy from confusing or snooze-inducing for your browsers (not to mention, oh-so-time-consuming for you to create!)—to crystal clear, compelling and conversion-focused. (And we’ll make sure your web content plays nice with Google too.)

If it’s not a great pairing? I might be able to make further recommendations for you from my network.