A little Q&A today. “How do you go about creating results without doing the writing? I want to hear your take on this. I feel like with some of the clients I've consulted with in the past it's more about steering them in the right direction. And being that person that gives them the second opinion they're looking for before they execute an idea. Instead of having to be a marketing genius. I feel like I psych myself out because I think I have to know every answer to any possible … [Read more...]
I’m not answering this question anymore
I am really, really sick of answering one question. This is a question I get via email. In every copywriting forum. At events. And that question is “What do you charge for...” This is a question that there's endless answers to. In an attempt to finally have a definitive answer to this question for online freelance copywriters, I reached out to 4 friends of mine: Kevin Rogers of Copy Chief Joanna Wiebe of Copy Hackers And Kira Hug and Rob Marsh of The Copywriter Club All … [Read more...]
Copy school drop-out (or that time I quit Parris)
In early 2017, I got invited to join the most exclusive and prestigious copywriting school on the planet. It only accepts students every 4ish years and only a dozen at a time. There’s no website or sales page or application to fill out. Attendance at this school often results in a multiple 6-figure income upon “graduation.” I attended this school for 6 weeks. And then I dropped out. The transcripts from the classes I attended have been seen by less than 10 people, and they are among my … [Read more...]
Working for a dying print newspaper made me a better digital marketer
My paper was dying and I couldn’t live without it. I loved the sound of the printing press early in the morning. I loved how the entire building smelled like paper and ink. I loved the tradition of leaving a flask of whiskey in the bottom right drawer of the desk when you retired. Red pen circles and faxed police blotters and top-bound spiral notebooks. I loved all of it. This was the environment where I first learned to really write. To interview. To listen. To edit. To work my ass off. … [Read more...]
B.I.G niches
Just as my fingernail slid under the edge of the shiny foil label, he ripped the New Era hat from my hands and pushed it close to his chest...holding it like an injured child. Where I came from, the “breaking in” of a ball cap was an art. There were rubber bands involved. I was a pro at accelerating the process with some Exactoknife fray and a kick around a dirt infield. That’s not how it worked in Queens, NY apparently. I assumed the label was still stuck to the still unbent brim … [Read more...]
GTFO of my inbox
“Let’s do a quick Black Friday sale!” was the refrain of every one of my clients last week. And I wrote a bunch of sequences, some of which started running 2 weeks ago. (Side note, if you want to know how to write a BF sequence, my man Chris has the best template. I shamelessly stole it last week.) But, before you ask yourself how to write a BF sequence, maybe first ask should you? I’m not convinced Black Friday deals are all they're cracked up to be for info products, especially when … [Read more...]
Voices of Outlook
The last 3 voices of our series are the "Voices of Outlook"... these voices are not indentified by how their audience views them, but rather how they view the world. Here's the 3 voices we're talking about. Let's dig in. Voice Type #7: The Downtrodden In stark contrast to the authoritative voice, the downtrodden seems to be often telling you, “I don’t know anything about anything so let’s work this out together.” One of my favorites at this is Chuck Wendig. His posts have an … [Read more...]
Voices of Accessibility
The second 3 voice types are the "voices of accessibility." In contrast to the voices of authority who are successful by positioning above or ahead of their readers, the voices of accessibility get down to their reader's level. These are particularly effective in industries where the audience lacks confidence and wants to feel like they have someone "in their corner." Here's the 3 voices we're talking about. Notice how the "voices of accessibility" dominate the bottom right of the … [Read more...]
Breaking down Voices of Authority
The first 3 voice types we'll cover are the "voices of authority." Often, it’s important to be seen as an authority or expert on a topic. The authoritative voice is particularly appealing in industries that deal with complex or overwhelming information. People just want the answers. Authority can manifest itself many different ways. Here’s the 3 authority archetypes. Voice Type 1: The Translator The translator takes complex topics and breaks them down for laypeople to … [Read more...]
Mister Rogers felt like a fraud… so maybe give yourself a break
I’ve talked about imposter syndrome before -- it’s that crazy voice in your head that tells you that you can’t do it. More than that, you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s been a summer of imposter syndrome for me. I had a total business flop. I got asked to speak at my favorite event to attend. And I’m opening up a new space. All this newness is making me doubt myself at every turn. So the other night, I settled in with a nice plate of cheese, and decided to watch the new documentary about … [Read more...]