The Confident Copywriter

Archive for the ‘copywriting’ Category

If you’ve been trying to get in on the conversation on Facebook or Twitter, but you’re left feeling like a wallflower at the prom, welcome to the club.

Social media is no fad (as many once thought). It’s here to stay, and must be integrated into any current or future marketing plan…yes, even for copywriters. Especially for copywriters! You don’t have to become an addict; just proficient enough to use and benefit from these revolutionary marketing tools.

Social media is a proactive opportunity to be in the right place at the right time…when someone needs YOU.

Think of it like this: Your neighbor invites you next door for a party. As you walk in the door, you see hundreds of other guests. They are clustered around in groups, heads together, talking quietly about something seemingly important. You murmur hello and scurry to find the host. You ask her, “What’s everyone buzzing about?” She responds, “Everyone in that room is a business owner. They all have the same problem…finding a qualified, professional writer. That’s why I invited you!”

I want to go to that party!

Social media networking offers the unprecedented opportunity for one lone person to begin personal and professional friendships…which lead to provocative threads of conversation….which lead to creating resources and individual networks…which lead to in-depth exchanges…that eventually lead to building off- and online communities…which can achieve big goals: increased profits, an impact on the greater good, worldwide attention for your favorite cause, etc…the likes of which has never before been available without a huge advertising budget.

When combined with other hot tools, like podcasts, videos, ‘meetups’, or a newsletter, the results can be even more astounding.

The value of social media is not profits. I can hear you analytical types right now, wondering how ROI can be measured from these efforts. The value of social media is “goodwill”…and the camaraderie that, since the dawn of man, has formed the real foundation for success. The profits come later.

Social media is the golf course of the 21st century. And you never get rained out.

Yesterday, a prospect emailed me and asked, “Can you send me your pricing package?”

I’ve been asked this question before. The prospect might ask for a ‘rate sheet’, or ‘ballpark fees’, or use any number of expressions which all translate to, “How much is this gonna cost me?”

I know it goes against the grain a bit, but my prices are in my head. I’ve always meant to create a rate sheet, but it’s never gotten done. After more than four years and hundreds of projects, I can usually determine the basics in the first few minutes of a conversation with the prospect; the rest is mostly window dressing and relationship building. I suppose I ‘customize’ the fees for each project. As those of you with experience already know, this takes practice.

Whenever I’ve attempted to provide set prices or bundled fees, it hasn’t worked out very well. So I stopped doing it. There are simply too many variables with each project.

So, how to answer this question gracefully and keep the client on the hook?

First, don’t panic! The client may pressure you to spout rates on the spot. Say something like, “Let’s talk more about your needs, so I can quote my best fees.” Divert the prospect, get more information and offer a written quote to be delivered the next day, or within a time period that works for you. (And then don’t forget to do it!)

This not only gives you time and silence to think clearly about project parameters, but it is a professional approach. The client who insists on knowing the cost upfront…without any discussion of needs…who ‘doesn’t have time’ to answer your questions… is not the client for you. Walk away.

This is not to say you shouldn’t develop a price schedule if you’re comfortable with it. Perhaps also consider bundling together services to ‘upsell’ the client. For example, customers requesting website copy often want articles too. The customer requesting a sales letter may also need a series of autoresponders. And so forth.

Create package pricing by bundling together services that logically go together. Consider discounting the package price slightly to encourage sales.

Whatever you decide to do, always do what works for you…based on your current skills, your market, and your future plans for growth. Certainly you don’t want to offer packages that include services you’re not familiar with, or quote rates that make you uncomfortable for any reason. You want a happy customer, but not at your own expense!

Do you use a fee schedule, or are you more like me, keeping rates in your head and customizing the cost for each project?

When I left the corporate world in 2006, I was working about 9+ hours a day. I generally got in about 7 am, and left between 6 and 7 pm. I frequently complained about the ‘ungodly’ hours and I was often ‘exhausted’.

Then I became a freelancer. Good thing I didn’t know what was about to happen, because I would have run…fast…in the other direction.

Ask just about any group of non-freelancers to define ‘freelancer’, and no doubt they’ll invokes images of Hawaiian-shirted writers sitting on the beach, laptop in one hand, fighting off the ravages of writer’s block with a Mai Tai.

It’s no wonder this is what people think, because so many of the programs, courses, and books about freelancing push the idea that, to freelance means to be free of the typical hours and mandates of a corporate office. (Think The 4 Hour Work Week, The Unemployed Millionaire, New Path to Riches.)

To some extent, this is true. I often joke about my 2-second commute. I regularly tease my office-working colleagues about the daily grind. If I want to stop working to meet someone for lunch, my boss always gives me permission. If my kid has a school play in the middle of the day, I give myself an early dismissal.

On the other hand, the freelancer’s work day is filled with multiple projects, hundreds of minute tasks and, really, every single client is a boss…at least for the duration of the project.

Additionally, I don’t know of any freelancers, myself included, who sit on the beach to work. Actually, I just tried it last week while in Phoenix (OK, no beach. But by the pool.) It’s impossible.

And, if I was exhausted by a nine hour day before, I’m even more tired by the typical 16 hour days I put in now. But it’s an exhilarated type of tiredness, because I truly love my work. In my corporate job, each day was ‘same old, same old.’ As a freelancer, I bound out of bed each day, bursting with ideas, energy and enthusiasm. Quite a different feeling.

However, the truth is that freelance writing is a business, like any other business. I’ve always preached that success comes in many forms: a homemaker who wants to make a few extra bucks considered herself successful when she completes her assignments for the week and gets paid. A freelancer with bigger ambitions may spend long hours, sacrifice other areas of life, dedicate every thought to the business, and develop an all-consuming desire to achieve success.

Either way, it seems to me that, to achieve your idea of success, it takes more than 4 hours a week. (Reference The 168 Hour Week, by Kevin Hogan.)

A few days ago, I received an email from a young woman who was “sick of her boring job” and “anxious to try copywriting.” What, she asked me, did she need to do to get started?

I told her that any individual considering a freelance copywriting career would do well to perform a self-analysis before investing one dime or one drop of sweat. I outlined how successful freelancers are not only better than average writers, but also understand customer service, Internet marketing, and general business operations. To make a long email short, her response back to me was, “Maybe I’m not really ready for this yet.”

I wasn’t trying to discourage her. But the ‘free’ in freelancer surely does not mean what many believe it to. Personally, I’d rather discourage the wrong people from getting into the business, and nurture the right people, thereby promoting excellence in our industry…something that is badly needed.

What do you think? Should freelancers work whenever they want, aside from the obvious constraint of deadlines? Can someone become successful as a freelancer with nothing but basic, good writing skills?

One of the most angst-ridden issues in freelance copywriting surrounds pricing; specifically, “How much should I charge?”, “Should I bill hourly or by flat fee?” and, of course, “What’s everyone else charging?”

Many ebooks and reports have been written on the topic. Some are flat out ridiculous, stating project fees we only wish we could get. That’s not to say some copywriters aren’t pulling down these figures. They are the rare ones, though, and that is not going to help the rest of us who are looking for honest, realistic pricing that suits the typical, average client. Other pricing guides list fees by category; mostly by project type: so much for an 8 page sales letter, so much for a 5 page website, etc. This can be confusing when you’ve got a project with multiple parts that doesn’t fit into one of those categories.

Truthfully…I don’t think you really care what your nearest competitor is making, or what some big guru says he’s making, aside from the sheer gossip value of this information. We each live in our own worlds, and what we do in our businesses, in our own geographic locations, using the resources at our disposal, is all that really matters.

Therefore, the most important question of all pricing questions has to be, “What should I charge?” And the answers will be as varied as snowflakes.

Unfortunately, peering thru rose-colored glasses to uncover the pricing strategies of others doesn’t work very well. There are just too many variables to make consulting a chart worthwhile.(Except that maybe the chart can wake you up to the fact that your pricing is way too low. If that happens, it was worth looking at.)

What’s a confused freelancer to do? Consult the magical FreelanceSwitch calculator.

This truly cool tool combines a variety of common financial information, such as your business costs, your personal costs and your billable hours and, in seconds, spits out a guesstimate on how much you need to make hourly to support yourself, or just break even, in the copywriting business.

To begin, you must have a basic idea of your costs, or be able to estimate closely, so that the final result will be as accurate as possible.

Read each question carefully…for example, if it asks for a percentage, don’t type in a whole number. (Watch Step 3- typing in a whole number can completely skew your results).

Step 4 asks you to determine the profits you’d like to achieve. Now there’s a question you don’t hear too much in the copywriting world! Most of us are so busy trying to collect payment for work completed, find new work, and squeeze in some marketing, we’re just happy to get paid, let alone make a profit. Of course, without profits, there is no business.
If you’re working as a copywriter now, or thinking about jumping out the 10th floor office window the next time your boss calls you ‘hon’, this tool can tell you right away if you can match or exceed what you need to live and profit. How great is that?

B2B Copywriter Randy Kemp is the guest author of today’s post.

You’ve seen the ads right?

Make six figures while sitting at home – drinking lemon-aid, eating creme puffs, and writing some dazzling ad copy. Is this possible?

Sure! All you have to do is spend a few hundred to buy this ’system’.

It’s that old Joe Karbo ad: “The Lazy Man’s Guide to Riches” ad, appealing to our basic desire for “easy money”. And it’s an “expert” selling their knowledge, for the price of several hundred bucks. You too can become a professional copywriter, Internet Marketer, enlightenment guru, etc. – just follow the ABC system to instant riches.

Don’t believe the hype!

I did, in the first few months, as I journeyed to learn copywriting. I spent a few hundred on AWAI courses. I’m not saying the courses are bad. Just that there are less expensive ways to learn.

And amid the hype, lies a few pearls.

Michael Masterson is the brainchild behind AWAI. He’s good at copywriting, but even better at publishing start-ups (i.e. AWAI). He offers one great piece of advice: copy all the great ads by hand.

“Wax on, Wax off”. Remember this line from the Karate Kid movie? Daniel wants to learn to become a karate master. What does the old man do? Have him wax the car. Circle to the left. Circle to the right. Wax car. Sand floor. Paint fence. Boring beyond words.

Sometimes, learning the copywriting business can seem like this. In the beginning, you’ll do just about anything to get work and build a client base. You may not enjoy it, but you do it. Then you start to ask questions. Why is this copywriter saying this? Why are they approaching it this way? What can I learn from this?

I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t go thru it myself. I even went through job clubs – one was the Latter Day Saints. I got ahold of old stuff by Brian Keith Voiles (i.e. Advertising Magic) and found he was in Utah. I thought he must be Mormon (I’m not). So I tracked him down and phoned. Walla! Cool and down to earth guy. He also endorsed copying ads by hand.

Brian turned me on to http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com, where Clayton Makepeace, Daniel Lewis, Tony White and guest speakers reside. 5 days a week. They share copywriting and marketing knowledge free. But Clayton also sells you his “secrets” on occasion – for a few hundred bucks. You don’t need that part!

Personally, I’ve always dreamed of being a famous writer. Someone like Stephen King or J. K. Rowling. I took writing courses at my local junior college – very cheap.
Then reality hit. I went to writers conventions and saw full time writers hitting the road – hitting the speaking circuit. Perhaps they speak at libraries and they’re on the road over 60 hours a week…marketing themselves and their books.

I would love to earn millions in royalties – not going to happen. Not unless I belong to the inner circle of business connections. and to do that, I would need to work with someone already making millions.

But you can earn a six figure income – with a bit of work and persistence.

Read the Books – They’re Cheaper

Here’s a secret, folks. Copywriting books contain the same info as high-priced courses – yet much cheaper. How cheap? If you visit your local public library, the cost is nothing. Don’t have it? The library can get it free, through the national library system.

If you like the book, order it at Amazon. Check the user reviews. Here are a few suggestions:

• Copywriting books – check out books by Bob Bly, Steve Slaunwhite, Dan Kennedy, Joseph Sugarman, Ben Hart, and others. Just go to http://www.amazon.com and put in the keyword copywriting. See what comes up and look at the overall reader review.
• Business of writing – writing’s a business. Look for books by Peter Bowerman, Steve Slaunwhite, Kelly James-Enger, and Lucy V. Parker. Heck! I once met Kelly at a local library writer’s talk. She was once a “bored” lawyer, before kicking up the writer’s circuit.
• Anything that tells a story (it’s key to ads) – what can that be? Anything and everything. Ayn Rand with her railroads and world rebuilding…Frank Herbert with his worms, spice, and sand everywhere…Franz Kafka with his weird dreams, indistinguishable from reality…J. R. R. Tolkien getting stuck in middle earth…or even some Marvel or D.C. Comics.

The point is that you can train yourself to become a better copywriter by simply studying the masters, researching the millions of pages available via the Internet, talking to others who have found success in the industry…if you want to buy a course, or enroll in a monthly membership, by all means, do it! But you don’t have to, with the vast resources available today.

Randy Kemp is a B2B Technology Copywriter working in Direct Response, Internet and Viral Marketing. Inbound Marketing Certified Professional; Certified Internet Marketer. Blog and business info at http://b2b-techcopy.net/.

A few days ago, as I happily lounged poolside during a business trip to Phoenix, the discussion turned to time…specifically, how none of us seem to have enough. One person mentioned he couldn’t find time to answer his emails. The others nodded their heads in agreement. The conversation went on, each person adding their two cents to the topic, complaining about the recession and its overall effect on productivity.

After a few minutes, I quipped, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day.” I was met with stunned silence.

It’s not a new thought. I’m not the 1st person to say it. But that day, it made an impact. One woman turned to me and said, very sincerely, “You know, Victoria, you’re right.” She really meant it…this was a new thought for her.

Well…excuse me for saying so, but…duh!

Why do some people seem to get so much more done each day? Why is one person more productive than the next?

We all have the same 24 hours, right?

So the only logical answer is: It’s not how much time you have. It’s how you use it.

My friend and business consultant Dr. David Weiman wrote about this very topic. (The Weiman Consulting Letter, www.weimanconsulting.com)

I thought he made a lot of sense, so I’m sharing these tips with you now:

1. Reduce your daily news intake … if the headlines make you anxious or depressed, spend less time reading or watching the news.

I stopped watching the news some time ago. Originally, I stopped because I found it depressing, uninspiring, even banal. What the news team discussed in one hour, I could read about and get the gist of in 5 minutes online. Plus, I could bring the news to me via RSS feeds and other online gadgets. So I gave up the news. I’ve never missed it for a second, and I don’t believe I’m less informed because of it. Best of all, I reclaimed lost time. Bonus!!

2. Focus on what you can control … these are things you can actually do something about.

The day I was to depart Phoenix, I missed my plane thru a series of bizarre circumstances I could do nothing about. In fact, I missed my plane by 90 seconds. True story. For a moment, I thought my hair would catch on fire. Then I realized …there was nothing I could do. So I booked myself on the next flight and settled in with my laptop among thousands of other weary travelers . I learned a big lesson that day…I can’t control the universe, no matter how hard I try.

3. Take action … your own efforts, correctly focused, can lead to success even in the worst circumstances.

Because I was forced to accept my airport fate, I determined to make the best of it. Before me stood a sea of people…potential customers…clustered in groups like some secret Chamber of Commerce meeting. So I struck up conversations with a few well-chosen individuals, and was able to make connections I feel sure will lead to new business.

Wow. Dr. Weiman is right!

How can you apply these 3 tips in your own circumstances to improve your life, your relationships, your business?

Do you ever feel as though we’ve all sunk into non-stop, unproductive, complaining mode?

Do you find yourself finding new ways to make the best of what you’ve got, and being surprised at your own resourcefulness?

I’d love to hear from you about how you’re coping, tricks you’ve learned, or even stories of real life ‘bad days’ that taught you something new about using your time wisely.

Copywriting has been around as long as anyone you know can remember. But copywriting is no longer simply a catch-all phrase for clever advertising phrases. Given the Internet, organic search, keywords, page rank, algorithms…copywriting in 2010 is so much more. Today, writers who know how to create fresh content over and over, while using the latest basis SEO strategies as enhancement, will never find themselves out of work. The economy may stink, but the Internet continues to boom.

If you’re considering working as a copywriter, or are just beginning to get paid for your work, there is no better time than right now to make your move to full-time copywriting. The sooner you do it, the more quickly you’ll begin to develop a portfolio of projects, a group of loyal clients, and a great reputation for solid, reliable work. And the sooner you do these things, the more money you can command for the work you do.

Look at it this way: As our economy continues to morph, more and more people turn to the ‘net as a way to make money. Nothing gets done on the Internet without words. All those words have to come from somewhere. Savvy Internet marketers know those words can’t be about just anything…and that means they will come looking for you…the sharp, clever, experienced and knowledgeable copywriter who knows how to write compelling, engaging words that drive traffic and, ultimately, make money for the client.

As an expert copywriter, will enjoy working from home, with flexible hours, no overhead, and making good money for writing content that helps your clients reach their goals.

What could be better than that?

Statement: The best ‘SEO copywriters’ develop fresh, original website content.

What’s wrong with this sentence? It’s that term I can’t stand: ‘SEO copywriters’.

Why does it bug me so much? Because it’s a made-up term.

That’s right. If SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”, (and it does), does this mean an ‘SEO Copywriter’ is a ‘Search Engine Optimization Copywriter’? How does that even make sense?

We’re writers, people. Have to use the language properly. Have to think about how we phrase things.

What people are trying to say when using this term – and it’s used a lot – is ‘a copywriter trained in SEO.”

Now that makes a lot more sense. The copywriter trained in innovative SEO techniques is of great value to companies and individuals concerned with making money online. There is a common axiom used in the SEO industry which says something like, “An ugly website is worth ten times more than a beautiful one”…meaning people will buy from an ugly website as long as the site sells something they want. People won’t buy from a pretty website just because it’s pretty.

Copywriters trained in SEO techniques help customers gain improved visibility via higher organic search rankings and a more successful overall customer experience. High visibility leads to increased sales. Increased sales lead to happy customers who come back to you again and again with new projects.

Bingo. Your success as a copywriter is closely tied to your SEO training and understanding.

Did you know this? I didn’t, when I first started calling myself a ‘copywriter.” I was stuck in some Mad Men fantasy, where ‘copy’ referred to a good advertising campaign. Today, if you’re going to call yourself a copywriter, as opposed to a novel writer, manual writer, technical writer or thesis writer, you must educate yourself to all the tricks of the trade, so you can write engaging words that sell whatever your target audience is buying.

If the idea of learning SEO scares you, contact me. The basics are fairly easy to learn and implement.

A quick Internet search reveals a vast array of tools for copywriters, from the ridiculous to the sublime. Article spinning software, spelling software, tools to create eyeball-grabbing headlines, tools to measure keyword density…you can easily empty your bank account buying all sorts of items to help you write more effectively.

For those of us copywriters who exist on a less than lavish income…which tools work the best? A week ago, we talked about FreshBooks, invoicing software that can really help keep freelance money matters in order. Feel free to skip back a few blog posts and learn more about it.

Other affordable tools I really like include:

• RingCentral
• iDictate
• Website Grader
• Press Release Grader
• GoToMeeting
• Carbonite
• YouSendIt

RingCentral provides a toll-free phone number and a fax number, so you can call in and out of Canada and the U.S. and send/receive faxes to/from anywhere in the world. Not only does this save on your cell phone bill, but it’s incredibly affordable even for beginners.

iDictate is a great little program that can help you work faster and smarter. It’s dictation for the 21st century! If your clients send you Mp3s or other materials that need to be written out, iDictate can make your workday a lot easier.
Website Grader and Press Release Grader are neat little tools that ‘grade’ the effectiveness of your writing. This software quickly points out where your copy might be failing, so you can correct it before it goes live.

GoToMeeting is a fast, affordable way for groups of any size to discuss and collaborate on projects – if you work with a team, check it out. A real time saver.

Carbonite is an internal back up drive for your computer. Never worry again that a computer crash might destroy your files!
YouSendIt allows you to send and receive large files that are too big to travel via email. I’ve used it many times and found it truly invaluable.

Just because you work alone doesn’t mean you have to be alone! You can operate a global business from your home computer using these great tools and many others.

Watch this space for a comprehensive Copywriter’s Resource List that can really have a positive impact on your business!

Let’s say you want to take a trip. You begin an Internet search to uncover your options. Getting to your destination by airplane is certainly an option. You’ll get there quickly, but the cost is a bit high. So, you check out trains. You’re surprised to learn that train travel is very economical, but you’ll be on the road quite a bit longer.

Hmmm…which do you choose? That depends on your goals for this trip. Do you want to spend as much time at your destination as possible, or are you ok with devoting twice as much time or more to getting there and getting back?
To ensure a successful trip, you need a plan. In this scenario, carefully thinking through each option will help you decide if the benefits of plane travel outweigh the risks to your wallet.

Unfortunately, not every decision is so simple. The path to success in life, and in your copywriting business, hangs heavily on the strength of your planning skills. The more skilled you are in thinking, assessing, deciding, and putting a plan into action, the greater your chances for success.

Strategic planning skills are not genetic. They are learned, and you too can learn how to act and think in a way that systematically helps you achieve your goals.

You see, many people wake up one day and say, “Eureka! I’m going to be a copywriter!” They don’t know what that really means, but they read somewhere that they could be rich by next Tuesday by choosing this career.

Ain’t gonna happen. Copywriting is serious business, and only the best and brightest enjoy the kind of success the rest of us dream about. Strategic planning is a huge part of achieving that success.

So how can you improve your skills in strategic planning? Begin with an Internet search. There is a wealth of coywriting resources available. Also, check out books available on the topic. A quick Amazon search reveals a wide selection of materials to help you improve in this crucial business-building ability.