It’s a common dilemma for growing businesses: “Do I update my website copy… or invest in a messaging strategy first?”

On the surface, copywriting feels like the quick win. Pay someone to rewrite your website, and you’ll have shiny new words to launch into the world.

But here’s the catch: if your messaging isn’t clear and documented, new copy won’t fix the problem. It’ll just polish the surface without addressing the foundation.

Why Messaging Strategy comes first

Think of copywriting as building the walls of your house. A messaging strategy is the slab it sits on.

Without it, your copywriter is working blind. They’ll get a 30-minute briefing call, ask a few high-level questions, and do their best. But what they don’t have is the context that makes your brand unique:

• How your services really work
  
• What transformation you deliver (not just what you do)
  
• The themes you want your brand to be known for
  
• How to articulate the value behind your price point

That’s the work of a messaging strategy. And when you hand that to a copywriter — or train your AI tool with it — you’ll suddenly see copy that clicks.

My rule of thumb

If you’re weighing up where to spend limited budget, I always recommend starting with messaging strategy.

Here’s why:

• It lasts longer. Copy might change as your services evolve, but the core strategy can guide you for years.
  
• It makes everything else more effective. Websites, proposals, LinkedIn posts, sales decks — all of them improve when the message is clear.
  
• It gives your team consistency. Everyone knows how to talk about the business, so you’re not rewriting their work.
  

That doesn’t mean copywriting isn’t valuable (I do both Messaging Strategies AND Copywriting in my business!). But copy is at its best when it’s sitting on a rock-solid messaging foundation.

So if you’re hesitating between new copy or a messaging strategy, ask yourself: Do we know how to clearly articulate our value?

If the answer is no, start with strategy. Your future self (and your marketing budget) will thank you.

This article was inspired by my conversation with Paula Maidens on the Big Dreams, Great Teams podcast. You can listen to the full episode here.