Let me be clear: I am NOT a team player. Well, not naturally. I mean, I can be if a need to be…but I’d almost always rather just do things myself. So, if you hear my advice that you need to reach out to designers and create a network of contacts and you think, “Oh, I’d rather not…” I get you. I do. But here’s why you’ve still got to do it. First, you NEED … [Read more...]
Why Your Clients Need Funnels (And Need You to Write Them)
Let’s imagine you’re sitting in a bar. A member of your preferred partnering gender walks in the door, walks up to you, and says, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Will you marry me?” Would you do it? Of course not! There would be numerous dates and conversations and experiences before you’d be ready to take that step in that relationship. So then, why do so many businesses … [Read more...]
You WILL Freak Out When You Get Work
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...]
How to Be a Copywriter if You Hate Selling
I hear this a lot: “I’m interested in copywriting, but I don’t want to trick people or force people into buying anything.” And I definitely get that: I know that a lot of people are put off by the idea of capital-S selling and pushing things on people. No one wants to feel disingenuous or pushy. Well, good news: First, that's really not what copywriting is. Copywriting is about … [Read more...]
Should Copywriters Be Concerned About a Recession?
A couple of key things to start out with: First, while there will be a recession at some point in the future (since that's how economies work), there’s no way of telling if one is on the horizon and how long or difficult it could be. (Even the experts are split about whether one is on the way soon—there are a LOT of factors involved.) Second, I would never tell you not to … [Read more...]
What You Need to Talk to Your Copywriting Clients About Right Now
Okay, we’re going to keep it short this week because, frankly, there isn’t a lot of time. And that’s the point. It’s already mid-October, less than two and a half months away from the beginning of the holiday season. (Hanukkah starts on December 22nd this year.) And only seven weeks away from Black Friday! This means that brands need to start thinking now about their … [Read more...]
3 Books to Help You Amp Up Your Persistence
If there’s one trait that will separate the successful from the unsuccessful in pretty much any field, it’s persistence. (I have a visceral dislike of the faux word “sticktoitiveness” so you will NOT see that here. You’re a writer; I’m sure you understand.) You can get the hyper-detailed road map to exactly where you want to go, but unless you start walking down that … [Read more...]
Why the Way Most Copywriters Look for Work…Doesn’t Work
I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it, we’ve all heard it: “Writers don’t make any money!” Or, even more specifically: “Copywriters don’t really make any money—it’s all lies.” As someone who, when I’m focused on just copywriting, has no problem hitting six figures and now dedicates a large portion of my time to helping others maximize their copywriting income too, let me … [Read more...]
New Facebook Ad Changes Copywriters Need to Know About
If you provide Facebook ad writing services to clients (which you should really consider, because it’s a highly sought-after service), you know that Facebook likes to keep you on your toes. First of all, as you may or may not know, Facebook already has some pretty strict rules about what can and can’t go into its ads. You can’t write an ad that makes it clear that you’re … [Read more...]
What Software Do You Need to Run Your Copywriting Business?
I have a very firm rule when it comes to purchasing things for your business… (And this probably traces back to when I started mine 15+ years ago and bought a phone I never used, a business line I never used, letterhead I never used, and a desk and chair that were so much less conducive to work than my sofa.) My rule is this: You should only spend money on things for your … [Read more...]
