The Confident Copywriter

Archive for the ‘copywriting’ Category

Are you a “feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy”?

In other words, are you a whiner?

The quote comes from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, who lived from 1856-1950. Apparently the human race hasn’t changed much since then. Everywhere we turn, someone is complaining about something.

In business, this is serious. The marketplace moves at a feverish pace. Today’s trend is tomorrow’s joke. Never before in the history of business has it been more important to ensure customer satisfaction.

How can you improve customer service in your business? By improving your own attitude first.

Several days ago, I was at the grocery store’s deli. Behind the counter was a dour woman who did not look up once as I rattled off my order. As she cut the meats, I mentioned how pleased I had been with my last order. The food was delicious and my guests were surprised the deli grocery store produced such good quality.

The woman immediately stopped the slicer, turned to face me, and said very deliberately, “I really appreciate that. All we ever hear are the complaints. Would you mind walking over there and telling my manager? She’s the one in the red shirt.”

Of course, I did tell the manager, and she was equally thrilled. She asked me to go to the customer service counter and fill out a satisfaction card.

As the saying goes, it all runs downhill. Apparently, before I arrived on the scene, many customers had complained; the manager was informed; and she informed the workers. Repeatedly.

After I completed the satisfaction card, the woman at the counter glanced at it briefly and exclaimed, “Oh goodie! A compliment!”

Geez.

I’ll tell you though, with all the negativity in this world, it was great to put smiles on their faces. And it probably took 15 seconds out of my day.

It is important to let a business owner know when you are less than satisfied. Just don’t forget to also let them know when they’ve done something well.

Positivity begins at home. Super-charge your business with a positive outlook, and let me know if it doesn’t change things for the better.

I’m positive you’ll find it does.

The Internet is teeming with a flood of facts, figures and news. This is why we love it, isn’t it? A few clicks and you can find out who sang that song, how to make Chicken Marabella or how to sell your house without a real estate agent. It’s a beautiful thing.

Most of the time. All of this information comes from people like you and me – people who want to share their expertise and knowledge with the world. And, sometimes, people who simply want to make money. That’s why some information is great and some…well…not so good.

“Information products” is a broad term for videos, newsletters, articles, blogs, e-Zines, software, reports, CDs, DVDs, and e-Books that share information. Creating an information product of your own requires very little start-up cost, and can bring a new revenue stream. You might like it so much, you’ll want to do it again and again. Big name ‘gurus’ like Bob Bly and Clayton Makepeace have done it. Unless you’ve been sleeping in a cave, you’ve heard the names Dan Kennedy and Perry Marshall. They’ve built entire empires on information products.

What makes information products so appealing?

• Work from home – even part-time
• Quick timeline from idea, to production, to market
• Zero inventories
• Follow-up sales
• No employees, payroll or storefronts necessary
• All you need is an idea, a computer and the drive to see it through.

Getting Started

First, you must decide on a topic. This can seem overwhelming if you’ve never written instructional or educational materials. Writing what you know is a good place to begin. It will also be much easier to layout the path for your project if you are already knowledgeable. In which topics do you have expertise? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What do you think about in your spare time? It is in these areas of your life that you will find fodder suitable for informational products.

How to Mine Your Expertise

• Make a list of your favorite hobbies, pastimes, specialized job or career knowledge, recipes, fields of interests, pets and/or life-changing events – include anything and everything you think might be a potential topic.
• Don’t pre-judge …just think!
• Identify a target niche: Going over your list, look for areas in which you can create specialized content, as it sells more and commands a higher price.
• Think about how your expertise can meet a specific need or solve a problem. Problems and needs are emotionally charged, making these arenas ripe for product demand and customer gratitude.
• Avoid fads and short-term issues. These will decrease the longevity of your material and, as a result, reduce your return on investment .
• Once you’ve found your topic, make a list of 8-10 key messages you wish to convey within the text. This will become the outline, guiding and shaping your finished product.

Every great invention began with a flash…a “lightbulb moment”…and as you complete these steps, you may suddenly realize, “Hey! I can do that!”

More on this topic in coming weeks. Your thoughts?

Last Tuesday, we talked about ways to find better clients by using value to set yourself apart from your competition.

Today, I want to address the value concept of broadening your scope. This can be done in several ways; outsourcing, joint ventures, and partnerships are just three.

Teaming up with others offers great value, including:

• Extended market reach
• Enhanced resources
• Greater credibility within a target market
• Access to new markets
• Sharing strategic decisions

Outsourcing is very common in modern business; yet some fear it. Images of stolen clients, shoddy work, less control over processes, and accidental or intentional exposure of confidential information stop business owners from choosing outsourcing.

These are valid fears. However, the amount of work you can do each day on your own is limited. While you can certainly attract better clients as a solopreneur, you cannot grow to accept more clients, beyond what you can accomplish on your own. For some, this is fine. For others, growth is about expansion. The only way to expand your business is to rely on other people. Therefore, you must find a comfortable way to do so.

Outsourcing, or contracting to outside providers, allows you to offer a more expansive range of skills and expertise.

Outsourcing can also reduce costs. I outsource frequently and have found that, with attention and perseverance, it is possible to find suitable vendors who are as detail-oriented and savvy as I. I’ve outsourced to graphic designers, web developers, blog builders, writers, etc. Because of the limited nature of outsourcing, I retain project and company control, which feels safe, but I can still say “yes” to the client, which feels good!

A joint venture is a strategic alliance- its members maintain separate businesses but team up for a common purpose, say completing a large project. I’ve created joint ventures with several firms to whom I previously outsourced. The outsourcing arrangement helped us become accustomed to one another, paving a smooth road to engaging in larger pursuits together.

In a partnership, the members work together for one company. While the partnership offers elements of outsourcing and the joint venture, a partnership is more often a legal entity, with all the ramifications you would expect. A partnership can be a great thing…when you choose your partner wisely.

Growth is exciting. It can also be painful. When your business is ready to grow and expand, the decision before you will be:

Do you want to be captain of the ship, co-captain or first mate?

Whatever you decide, teaming up with others is a great way to add value for your clients.

A common question I often hear is, “How can I find better clients?” Translation: “I want to make more money.”

So how does a freelance writer find better clients to earn more? Run a quick Internet search and millions of results pop up…each one claiming to have the definitive answer. This program, that piece of software, this search technique, that pricing model…the list is endless.

Some suggestions are pretty solid. Others are plain foolish. It seems some people, a smaller percentage of the pack, understand the most crucial component to finding better clients.

What is it?

Value.

That’s right. Value is what separates you from your competitors and brings “better” (read: higher quality) clients to your door.

Finding better clients is not about you; it’s about them. When you incorporate value into your offer, you automatically crush 80% of your competition. (Thanks for the lesson, Gary Vaynerchuk.)

Surely you’ve heard about the 80/20 rule (The Pareto Principle)? From fashion to industrial equipment, the 80/20 rule roughly illustrates that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes.

So, for example:

• 80% of your income comes from 20% of your customers
• 80% of your sales efforts create 20% of your leads
• 20% of your clothes are worn 80% of the time (ok, a bit backwards, but c’mon…aren’t you wearing a favorite item right now?)

Look around. There is a dearth of average writers struggling to make a living at crafting words that sell. Why are they struggling? Because people don’t pay for words. They pay for results. If you have above-average writing skills, then add value to your skills, you won’t have much competition, because you’re already doing it better, faster, more efficiently, and getting superior results for your clients.

Ergo, you’ve elevated yourself to that sacred place where higher quality clients are waiting for you.

What do I mean specifically about adding value? There are numerous ways to do so and, in coming weeks, we’ll explore many of them. Here’s a brief list to get us started:

1) Articulating why your business exists and what you really offer: A drill is just a drill…what drill buyers want is a hole.
2) Identifying your market: We hear this constantly…but have you done it yet?
3) Segmenting your market: If you did not offer your services, how would this change life for your clients?
4) Creating your offer: what makes your services distinctly “you”?
5) Using technology to the fullest: Many freelance writers are stuck in “work at home” mode. You can do so much better!

How have you added value in a way that has elevated your business?

Some people think the title of my blog, The Confident Copywriter, refers to me. It doesn’t. Actually, the title refers to you. My regularly posted rants, raves, and diatribes are designed with you in mind…You…The Confident Copywriter. Or at least I hope you will be, which is why I bother to write the blog at all.

Case in point: The Wealthy Freelancer, comprised of my friends Steve Slaunwhite, Ed Gandia and Pete Savage. Maybe these guys are wealthy. I don’t know. The point is, the Wealthy Freelancer is you, if you follow their sage advice.

And that leads me to the point of this post. The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle is a wonderful, best-selling book many of my readers were lucky enough to snag, compliments of me and various contests I promote on The Copywriters Business Network and through my newsletter, available here on the blog. (Shameless plug)

Wonderful book though it is, I read something that disturbed me. It apparently disturbed you too, since I received several comments about it. So, rather than wonder, I went straight to the source, Steve Slaunwhite himself.

I asked him, “Steve, the books list some fees, such as $500 for a blog post. I’m getting a lot of questions from people wanting to know where to find that kind of work! No disrespect, but these prices seem very inflated, even for high-level copywriters. Since the book is not written for this group, but for people trying to achieve greater success in the industry, wouldn’t it make more sense to use pricing examples that are more down to earth? According to my readers, these fees make them feel very discouraged, and I doubt that was your intention.”

To which I quickly received this encouraging reply from Steve, “Good point. There are many more clients who are only willing to pay $50 for a blog post than there are who pay $500. The trick is to find those top-paying clients. It’s takes little more time and effort to find those clients, but it’s certainly worth it. There are a lot of start-ups out there who have no money. What you want to focus on is serious businesses with serious marketing budgets. Now, when I say “blog post”, I’m not talking about a short note to the blog readers. I’m talking about a substantial article of 500-750 words. Caveat: I’ve taken my share of low-paying work throughout my career. Hey, sometimes that’s what you gotta do to pay the bills! But… the goal should always be to find and land those clients who have the projects you want at the prices you want. I know my opinions here are a bit controversial. Feel free to share what I said with your readers. And feel free to disagree with me anytime. This kind of debate ultimately helps the freelancing community.”

So there you have it. I guess I’m in the middle. I don’t charge as little as $50 for a blog post, but I’m sure not getting $500! I know some of you are probably even below the $50 mark and would be happy to get 50 bucks a post, right?
So I’d like to hear from you. How do you feel about Steve’s answer? Is it fair? Does it give you hope, or does it make you feel like you’re really missing the boat? Do you think his logic makes sense, or simply sells lots of books?

CNNMoney recently ran an article about fast food chain Subway’s plans to offer breakfast.

Working from home, my 15-second commute to ‘the office’ includes a 10-second trip to the ‘lunch room’ for breakfast. So I don’t worry about such things.

However, the analysts quoted in this article made some excellent copywriter-worthy points. Herewith, condensed versions of each, and my take:

1. …getting morning people to think of Subway rather than their regular corner deli or drive-thru will be one of the biggest challenges. … the restaurants can’t just serve customers; they have to get them hooked.

Copywriter Translation: How to get customers to choose you in a huge sea of competition? Don’t just “do projects”. Build a loyal customer base. Loyal customers don’t change their minds based on discount coupons.

2. People want their morning meal to be fast and easy….Subway…has locations everywhere. ….[but] almost no drive-thrus… …hungry breakfast seekers don’t want to leave the car.

Copywriter Translation: Fast, easy, convenient, consistent…these fast food hallmarks can work for you too. Make things easy for your customers. Creatively consider and solve their problems. Be prepared. Deliver excellence.

3. Building a customer base for breakfast takes time. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Steve West [says],”They’ve got to come up with something to top [the $5 footlong].”This is their opportunity to get more sales out of the box again.”

Copywriter Translation: When was the last time you updated your operations? Are you doing things ‘as always’? Has your customer base grown? Do you worry obsessively about getting paid, or keep your eyes peeled for out-of-the-box solutions? Do you ever ask your customers what they want?

4. Subway has to get people to think of its restaurants as more than a sandwich place… “Build your better breakfast,” is the new slogan that’s supposed to capture that attitude.

Copywriter Translation: Do your customers know what makes you special? Do you know? Can you sum it up briefly? Is the message strong enough to drive new business?

5. Since Subway’s not known for breakfast, it’s collaborating with a brand that is by serving Seattle’s Best Coffee.
Copywriter Translation: What collaboration might boost your business? Teaming up with a busy web designer to offer website copy? Working with another copywriter, or two, who have complementary strengths? Choose well and this may be your ticket to greater success.

What it All Means

In the end, cooking up the eggs might be the simplest part of the venture. “There aren’t a lot of things you have to do right,” says Senatore, “but you have to do it [all of it] well.”

Copywriter Translation: Basic copywriting is not difficult. But then we pile on specialized skills, tools, techniques, strategies and tactics…suddenly, copywriting gets complicated. ‘Doing it all well’ isn’t so easy. What are you doing to improve your skills?

If you aren’t blessed with natural sales ability, or have no sales training, turning prospects into customers can be a major challenge.

I like what Pete Savage says in The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle:

“…it does take some effort to get repeat and referral business, but it certainly is a much easier way to grow and sustain your business versus constantly fishing for new clients.”

Amen.

Let’s look at a few solutions:

1. Every person who inquires about your services is not the right client for you. Understand your ideal prospect, so you can focus your efforts there. Lots of small jobs from price-conscious customers may hold you back from going after the customers you really want to attract.

2. Be a giver, not a taker. Share your expertise. Help people succeed. Give as if you’re getting paid to do it. (I’m not suggesting working for free—but giving freely of yourself and your knowledge.) Focus on needs, not cost.

3. Shut up! Take sales and money out of the equation and really listen. Ask questions about the prospect’s business, goals, experiences…be interested. Let the prospect talk. The more you know, the better your chances of matching your services with the prospect’s needs.

4. Be authentic. I’ve learned it’s ok to be me, to run my business my way, to view my competitors’ achievements in a positive light, to tap into my own sense of integrity. People sense when you’re being real. Be yourself, be creative, and serve prospects from the heart.

5. “What’s your budget?” Most prospects claim they don’t know. They’re fishing for pricing, waiting to hear your quote. “Your price is too high” doesn’t mean much. Too high compared to what? Educate yourself about typical fee objections and how to handle them, and you’re one step closer to fearlessly converting that prospect to a customer.

6. Negotiate! Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. If the client balks at your fees, don’t shut down. Tell the client “these fees are typical in the industry, but let’s talk about how we can get closer to what you have in mind.” Be open, demonstrate understanding of their needs, ask questions, and let the prospect talk…you may be able to compromise and still accept the job.

7. Cast a safety net. Make it easy for prospects to say yes by offering a guarantee. “(Make sure you stand behind it.) I know copywriters have a ‘thing’ about how many revisions to offer. I never talk about revisions. I simply end every contract like this: “Our guarantee is simple: If for any reason you are not satisfied with our work, we will revise it until you are.” I’ve never had a customer take advantage of me.

For help with converting prospects, or other business-building issues, consider 30/30 Coaching.

A member of The Copywriters Business Network recently wrote and asked, “What is a white paper? I hear about this a lot but I’m not really sure what it is.”

The first thought that popped into my head was a quote, “White papers are articles on steroids with a slant.” (That’s from the “Grandfather of White Papers”, Michael Stelzner.)

Stelzner’s classic, How to Write a White Paper, reveals the elements necessary for white paper success, which include:

• Outlining the problem
• Evaluating the problem’s historical background
• Offering generic concepts to provide solutions and benefits
• Introducing a unique solution to the problem

All of this got me thinking…where does the term white paper come from?

So I did what any self-respecting writer would do. I looked it up!

According to Wikipedia:

“In the Commonwealth of Nations, “white paper” is an informal name for a parliamentary paper enunciating government policy…White papers are issued by the government and lay out policy, or proposed action, on a topic of current concern. Although a white paper may on occasion be a consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. By contrast, green papers, which are issued much more frequently, are more open ended. These green papers, also known as consultation documents, may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation or they may set out proposals on which the government wishes to obtain public views and opinion.”

This is a bit different than the type of white paper we’re talking about, commonly used in today’s marketing to interest investors, drive sales, influence industry opinion on emerging technologies, or present a new doohickey. (That’s right. I said doohickey.)

A white paper looks and sounds rather scientific, even clinical. Packed with references, college-level words, and even evidence, the white paper is, however, a sales tool in a fancy costume.

The basic white paper is a specialized report that addresses one or more issues in a specific industry and offers solutions. A white paper is educational, not salesy…and yet, sales is a goal, secondary to providing relevant topic information.

A white paper is commonly used in political, business, and technical arenas– although many other businesses also use this format to achieve several goals:

• Describe an issue
• Offer the solution…(generally their own product or service)
• Educate the reader
• Elevate their company’s visibility to expert status
• Subtly sell their solution

Writing white papers is a skill unto itself. Copywriters like Stelzner specialize in crafting white papers because it’s lucrative and interesting. It’s not for everyone, but it is one niche in which you can specialize.

Have you written a white paper? What do you think about specializing in this niche?

What do freelance writers and copywriters want? How about great clients? High paying work? Satisfying challenges? More freedom? As I speak with writers each day, these are the goals I frequently hear about. After all, most of us got into this business to have more freedom, greater control over our workday, and a satisfying, challenging career that is also financially rewarding.

You know…just like all those marketing letters promise.

Oh, if only it were so easy.

I know and you know…freelancing is hard work. You’ve got to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and be the man. (Sorry, ladies. You know what I mean.)

This is why I’ve created reports and placed them on my blog here for your…ahem…reading pleasure. I said I wasn’t going to do this. I wasn’t going to ‘sell out’ and fall into the vast boiling vat of copywriting information providers.

But I can’t help myself. There is so much information that is downright incorrect, misleading and false. Then there is an entire catalog of information that is completely self-serving. And then, there is quite a lot of really great information, but you’ve got to sell a child to afford it.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’m all about free help for copywriters. In that spirit, many of my reports are free. In some cases, the information is specialized or took quite some time to put together, so I unfortunately must charge for these reports, but I’ve done my best to keep the cost nominal.

As I’ve often said, I’m not in this to get rich. I’m in it to get real.

I hope you’ll join me, because it’s all about you. Simply click on Download Valuable Reports to see available titles.

What types of free reports would you like to see available here at The Confident Copywriter?

If I had a dollar (inflation, people) for every time someone asked me how I manage to keep up with all my writing…well, let’s just say I’d be doing a lot less writing!

One area that causes consternation is blogging. Since you’re here, it’s a good place to start.

How do I keep up with the relentless pace of creating valuable content 3-5 times a week? And what happens as my blogdom grows? (My new blog, CopyVirgin, will be available in March. If you can’t tell who I’m targeting, drop me a line and we’ll discuss it. )

Here are some tips to get you going:

Pay Attention

Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Are you still keeping them? If so, you’re the exception to the rule. Like dieting, losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking…blogging requires commitment and attention. Don’t relegate it to the back burner. Schedule it as if a client is paying you for it.

When you stop posting as frequently, the search engines lose interest. So do all of those great groups you’ve worked so hard to attract. If necessary, trade services with another writer who can post content for you, or pay a professional blog writer to get you over the hump (last resort).

Get Organized!

To blog regularly, you’ve got to make time for it. Solving this challenge requires organization, a plan. You schedule your time to meet client deadlines, don’t you? Plan your blogging time. Set aside 30 minutes a day, or 2 hours once a week, or Saturday mornings…whatever works for you. This is Blog Time and nothing and no one is going to get in your way.

Bring the Inspiration to You

Often, the problem isn’t your ability to write. The problem is, “I don’t know what to write about.” I suggest creating a document called Blog Ideas. Keep it on your desktop. As blog ideas pop into your head, jump over and jot them down before the phone rings or the kids interrupt and you forget. Then, when it’s Blog Time, the ideas are already there.

Google Alerts are another neat little trick – simply type in your chosen keywords. I typed in ‘copywriting’, ‘freelance writers’, etc. as well as the names of companies I want to follow. Don’t forget to follow your own name – you’ll be surprised where you pop up! Google Alerts will send information matching your keywords straight to your inbox, hot off the press. Voila! Instant inspiration!

Don’t Give Up!

There will be times when you feel pressured, just don’t feel like it, or something else needs your attention. That’s business, isn’t it? But it’s no excuse to give up. Like the dieter who gives in to chocolate cake, no good can come from skipping a scheduled blog post. If you miss a post, get back on track for the next one. Be disciplined and reap the rewards!

Have blogging tips of your own? Please share!