We've said it once and we'll say it a million more times: giving and receiving feedback is a skill. And, it's a skill not enough professionals, copywriters or otherwise, workout enough. So, while it can sometimes be hard to receive feedback on our copywriting, we can take what we learn from how we receive feedback and incorporate it into how we give copywriting feedback. If … [Read more...]
What Makes a Good Call to Action (CTA)?
As a copywriter, the pieces you write will almost always include a call to action, or CTA. A CTA is the action you want a user to take. So, if you’re writing an email and the goal is to get them to buy a certain product, it may mean linking the text “shop now,” or even working with the designer to put copy on a button or include small arrows/carrots (>>) next to the … [Read more...]
Why You Should Connect With Past Copywriting Clients
As a freelance copywriter, you should always be reevaluating your business, adjusting your career plans, and setting new goals. Part of running a successful freelance business is establishing a client base. That includes not only new prospects but previous clients. Reconnecting with clients who have previously hired you shows how much you value working with them and keeps … [Read more...]
How to Manage That First Copywriting Client Panic
When you’re learning copywriting, building your experience, and starting to look for clients, it can feel like everything is going to be smooth sailing once you first start landing clients. But I want to prepare you for something (and then help you get through it). When you start getting work, your first reaction will be elation. And then, likely about three seconds … [Read more...]
Land Copywriting Clients With These 35 Tips
Looking for copywriting clients is a big part of your job. (At least initially; eventually referrals will make everything much easier.) Many new copywriters can fall into a little bit of a client-search trap, though: They pick one method of searching and stick with it. If that method works consistently for you, then great. But it’s much more likely that that method will be … [Read more...]
Episode 287: Write Case Studies That Get Clients Clamoring to Work with You
Any guesses on the fastest way to make people believe what you're selling? Show them proof. That's exactly what case studies do. And it's why case studies are one of the most valuable pieces of copy you can write—for your clients or your own business. On this week's Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode we're talking all things case studies so you can use … [Read more...]
Episode 286: Why VIP Days Make 0 Sense for Copywriters
A client hires you for a "VIP day." Suddenly, you're tasked with: Kicking off the project Writing a creative brief Coming up with a strong concept Outlining the copy Writing the copy (for how many deliverables is another question ...) Getting feedback on that copy Incorporating that feedback Getting final sign off … all in the span of 8 hours. And let's be real: … [Read more...]
Episode 285: She Used Her Pet PR Background to Build Her Copywriting Business – Carol’s Story
Raise your hand if you've ever thought any of the following: "It's too late." "I should have done that years ago." "I'm too old now." Well, where did that idea come from? If you've got 5, 10, 20+ years of a career left, that's a lot of time to spend doing something that doesn't make you happy. On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, CCA student Carol … [Read more...]
Episode 284: What if Someone Could Find Clients for You?
Time to put on your business owner hat: On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, I'm not asking you to commit to hiring someone to do any of these things. But I'd encourage you to listen to this episode and explore the possibilities. If you charge your clients $75/hour and you can hire someone at $25 or even $50/hour to do a task better and faster for … [Read more...]
Episode 283: Copywriting Pricing Guides Are Complete Garbage
How much does a banana cost for you? At Trader Joe's they may be 26 cents (maybe a bit more for organic). At Whole Foods they may be around 70 cents. But a banana costs relatively the same amount wherever you go, right? It's a difference of a few cents. Copywriting is a not a banana. And, even if we agree on that, I don't think you're going to like this episode of … [Read more...]
Episode 282: The To-Do List Trap
Do you love a to-do list as much as I do?I loooove a to-do list.Well, mostly I love checking things off that list. But on this week's Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, Kate and I dug into how we've been rethinking the to-do list so we don't fall into what Kate is calling the "to-do list trap." If you ever put things on your list … [Read more...]
Episode 281: Finding Copywriting Success with ADHD – Caleb’s Story
Like many Comprehensive Copywriting Academy students, Caleb was a burnt out teacher looking for a different career. On this Build Your Copywriting Business podcast episode, he's generously sharing how he made that transition, including how he's learned to use his ADHD as a strength. Several people in the community have asked about working as a copywriter with ADHD and, … [Read more...]
Episode 280: Making Herstory: Nicki Krawczyk & Kate Sitarz
If you're in the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, you know this community is packed with talented, creative, smart, generous humans. One of those humans is Shelby Stockton. Shelby is a comic, copywriter, and co-host of Herstory, a podcast spotlighting the stories of badas* women throughout history. So, this week's Build Your Copywriting Business … [Read more...]
Episode 279: Burned Out Healthcare Worker to Healthcare Copywriter – Molly’s Story
Our feelings on niching have never wavered: niching unnecessarily limits your opportunities, especially when you're first starting out. But what if you have an entire career in an industry? You can—and should—absolutely use that experience to your advantage. CCA student and former healthcare worker Molly is sharing how she did exactly that on this … [Read more...]
Episode 278: Hot Takes on Banner Ads (With Actual Examples)
Ever wonder what makes a banner ad actually work? As in: what separates a scroll-past banner ad from a stop-and-click banner ad? While Kate and I don't have the data from these ads, we do have some thoughts on 8 different banner ads. Some of these banner ads are single frames. Some are dynamic (meaning, they switch frames every few seconds).Some have solid … [Read more...]