Improve Your Headline Writing with Twitter
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This is going to be a quickie. But a simple way to improve your headline skills is to use Twitter.
Tighten Your Writing
Just in general, Twitter forces an economy of words second only, perhaps, to writing billboards…where the rule of thumb is to get your idea across in 7 words or less. Twitter give you a little more leeway, with 140 characters or less. Do your best to get your idea across to your followers without resorting to “texting” abbreviations, like “u” for “you” or replacing “to,” “too,” with the number “2.” Use whole words and express complete thoughts.
It’s not quite as easy as it sounds.
The Twitter Split Test
But you can use Twitter in another way, too…as a split-testing tool. Write an entry on your blog. Write on lead-in that will drive traffic to your blog. Give yourself three or four hours, and post a link to the same post with a new lead-in. Most of your followers won’t mind, because most people aren’t on all day long, and don’t check their stream back more than a few hours.
Now, if you use bit.ly as your URL shortener, you can see exactly how many people clicked through each link to your article. If 20 people clicked through your first link, and 50 clicked through to your second, you know that your second lead-in was stronger.
Of course, there are other variables that can be at play…time of day, day of week…the actual relevance of the post to your followers…but if you approach all for your tweets with this perspective, in an attempt to strengthen your your writing, then you will be able to noticeably tighten your copy, and develop a knack for better headlines.
The Project Agreement: Terms of Payment
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Okay, so let’s talk about something that is critical to your success: the terms of payment section of your project agreement. Now, there’s a good chance that you can lay out the project details, define the project scope, outline the milestones and deadlines, and even clearly state the project fee and exactly what work is entailed in that price…and still end up shooting yourself in the foot. Read more
Do You Follow Your Own Advice?
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As copywriters, it’s easy to be “quick and easy” and simply slap our own stuff together. And all too often, writers end up falling into the same traps as the clients we try to advise.
Too frequently I see writers’ websites that start out talking about that writer’s 10 year’s experience, or superb track record, or some other tidbit designed to (hopefully) win the prospects trust and explain why we’re the right person for the job.
And yet, most of us know that the biggest way to waste a website, brochure or mailer, is to start off talking about the company and throwing around superlatives.
1. Check your website. If you’re not starting out by identifying a problem or explaining the benefits they will enjoy after choosing you, it might be a good idea to re-think your own copy.
2. Are you testing the various elements on your site…or at least tracking traffic patterns with a program like Google Analytics?
3. Are you trying to find places where your targets are congregating, online and off in order to make the most of your marketing, PR and networking?
Set some time aside and hire yourself as a client. Think through your business the way you would a client’s, put a plan together, and spend at least a little time each week putting that plan into action.
Do You Cold Call?
2 commentsI just got an email from “Leslie M.” with these very kind words:
“Excellent information…thank you for sharing your ideas, as I have the same issue with cold-calling [and]…find it hard to sell myself. Your ideas are a low-key, casual, easy-to-implement processes that will build trust in prospective clients. I like your style, and I will use your suggestions for my own business.”
Now THAT’S what I like to hear 
I know copywriting is often referred to as “salesmanship in print.” And that’s pretty accurate. But, for many writers, selling a client to his prospect is a world away from selling yourself to your own.
Throw in the fact that most writers WASTE all that discomfort and anxiety by not making the most of it when a handful of those prospects actually DO visit your site, and it only reinforces my belief that cold-calling is usually more trouble than it’s worth.
Comments like this just plain make me glad I decided to put this report out there.
How about you…what are your thoughts/feelings about cold-calling to build your business? Give us your take, below…
“No” Proof Your Prospecting
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Okay, I just finished up a new free report for you: “No” Proof Your Prospecting.
See, I never cared for cold-calling. No matter what I tried, there was always more “no” than I cared for. It was usually very polite…”no thanks” or “not right now,” but I just don’t like it.
So, over the course of my journey as a freelance copywriter (about three and a half years, now), I’ve tried to find the “better way” that I knew existed.
The result of that search is this 22-page report, which lays out 7 different tactics that can be used separately or together to help make cold-calling a thing of the past.
You can find it over there to the right (—->). Just enter the email address you want me to send it to, and it will magically appear in your inbox in just a moment!
Okay, get it while it’s hot!
comment now!Okay, anyone who stops by this site knows that I’m a HUGE believer in creating passive income streams. Because, let’s face it, times get slow and it’s nice knowing that the bills will still get paid.
Two simple ways to do that are through affiliate marketing and setting up memberhsip sites. Today’s post combines a little bit of both for you.
You may have never heard of Yaro Starak. He’s an Aussie, a tremendous blogger and a master at making the daunting seem super-simple. He has asked me to give you a free gift on his behalf.
That gift is his report “Membership Site Master Plan.” In this report, Yaro lays out some critical advice tohelp make your membership sites easy, fun and (best of all) profitable, without letting it take over your life.
In the Masterplan Yaro explains how he was able to make $250,000 from just one membership site and then goes on to lay out a plan so you can launch your own membership site and earn at least $100,000 within the next 12 months.
Here’s the deal. Yaro’s giving this report away for a reason. Yes, he’s a great guy. And, yes, he does want to help people get the sort of success he’s found online. This report will help you make a lot of headway there.
But here’s what he’s hoping or in return: in about a week, he’s re-opening up his intensive, information-packed course “Membership Site Mastermind.” But whether you sign up for the Mastermind course or not, the Masterplan report is still something you should read.
Now I also mentioned Affiliate Marketing in the beginning of this post. I’ve taken the mastermind course myself. I liked it so much that I signed up as an affiliate so I could promote it here, when and if he decided to open it back up again.
Now, I’m not going to promote the course here right now. But, if you DO end up deciding to take it, I will get a little something in return for refering you. (Of course, I’m going to throw in something a little extra for you too…but that’s for another conversation).
Regardless, the report is a must-read. And, come on, it’s free. In fact I’ll do you one better. If you grab a copy of it and email me, I’ll send you a free report that will give you ANOTHER way to generate passive income, using 7-12 page “ShortReport.”
Okay, that’s it. IF you’re interested in Membership Site Masterplan (for free) and your “Short Reports” profits guide (also for free), click this link and get started. (don’t forget to email me at danny@lefthandewriter.com once you grab your copy of the Masterplan).
That’s it. Off you go!
Social Media: 3 Steps to Using Twitter for New Business
comment now!People use social media for many different reasons. Some use it to connect with friends. For others, it is simply an easy distraction from day-to-day boredom.
But for freelance copywriters, social media has the power to nearly replace something many find about as fun as chewing on a habanero pepper: cold calling.
If you’re like approximately 95% of people on Twitter, you have fewer than 100 followers, and the vast majority of them are people you knew on a first-name basis before you were followed. Facebook stats are pretty similar. Obviously, THIS is not going generate many offers.
That said, a huge portion of the most active participants in social media conversations are…marketers. Agencies, design shops, marketing directors… the kinds of people who are likely to NEED the services of a freelancer. And there are three easy steps to connecting with these people.
1. CREATE SOME CONTENT IN ADVANCE
The first thing someone does before they decide to follow you is often to see what you’re saying. If your best posts are “That was the most kickass tuna loaf I ever ate!” and “How did I lose a sock???” You’re most likely not going to get followed back, or will get unfollowed in short order.
Your Twitter stream doesn’t have to be all business, all the time. But it does need to be INTERESTING, most of the time. Oh, and make sure there is a link to your portfolio site in your profile.
2. FIND THEM.
It’s really pretty easy, especially on Twitter. Here, it’s like a reverse food chain; the medium fish follow the big fish and the little fish follow the medium fish. So, find the guys and gals at the big MadAve agencies and Fortune500 companies and follow them. They may or not follow you back. It’s great if they do…but that doesn’t really matter.
Because what you’re really interested in is WHO IS FOLLOWING THEM. Creative directors at top 10 agencies are going to be followed people who want to be like them: creative directors everywhere else. And those people will be followed by people they know in the biz — creative directors at similar agencies, directors of marketing, folks at design shops, studios, production houses, etc.
Be discriminating, but liberal in who you follow. Anyone who looks like they might be interested in what you’re saying (and, hopefully, hiring you if there’s a need), click “follow.” You should find that your follow-back rate wanders between 30% and 50%.
3. ENGAGE THEM
Pick a handful each day, find out something about their company, and @name or direct message them. Congratulate them on a win, or a great campaign. Ask them for advice about something. Weigh in on something someone else has said about them.
People like attention from other people. If they notice that you’re interested in them, they are more likely to be interested in you, than if you simply say “Here I am; Hire me” in 140 Characters.
And if they’re interested enough, they’ll return the conversation and check out your site. NOW you have the beginning of a relationship. And that’s the first step to new business that most people ignore. People who know you will give you more business than people who don’t, every time.
FIRE: Become an Expert
comment now!Everyone loves a specialist.
As a copywriter, if you specialize in a specific industry or market, then you can command a higher fee and stand apart form the competition. We just saw how to start getting work in a particular industry. Now, how do you build on that and really take command of your expert status?
First off, the one thing that separated most recognized experts isn’t that they are the best in their field. It is simply that they are the most recognized. They publish. They speak. They market themselves as experts in their field. As long as they actually know what they’re talking about, they can create long-lived careers simply being experts.
What Do You Know?
So, the first thing you have to have is knowledge. Thanks to the big-box bookstores, the Net, and college bookstores, that knowledge is easy to come by. The simple truth is, if you read two or three books on the industry, you’ll know more about it than 95% of the copywriters out there (and the general population, for that matter). Read each book, and write a two page summary.
Once you’ve done this, let the information cool for a bit, come up with an angle you can call your own, and then write a 5-10 page special report based on the information you’ve read so far, and offer it for free on your site to subscribers of your free monthly newsletter. Keep reading a new book on the industry each month, along with half an hour or so of research online, and use this information as the basis for your newsletter. At the same time, you’re talking regularly with your clients and learning as much as you can about the various aspects of the business that affect them on a day-to-day basis.
Act Like The Expert You Are!
Next, contact you local university annex or community center and offer to teach a free seminar on some aspect of the subject at hand. Once you’ve taught it two or three times, contact the local trade association, and offer to speak to the industry about effective marketing. Record these seminars and offer them as free videos to your newsletter subscribers.
Once the members of the industry see you speaking authoritatively, they will see you as an credible expert…because you will be one. At this point, you can start charging fees for speaking, and you’ll have enough first-hand knowledge to start writing your own books on the subject. Not to mention the fees you can command as a Specialist Copywriter in the industry.
All from a few extra hours work each month.
SHELTER: Step Away From The Computer
comment now!The computer is an amazing tool. It simplifies work, makes research and communication a breeze and even provides much needed diversion from time to time. But as amazing as it is, it can come at a bit of a price. While it can be a helpful tool to use in the day-to-day aspects of work, it can also hurt you productivity by monopolizing your focus AND by causing you to lose your focus at the same time.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Sitting at the computer hour after hour can rob you of the very thing that makes freelancing such a great thing: freedom to work when and where you want. If you’re always at the computer, then you could be at your kitchen table, in a corner office, or in a tiny gray-walled cubicle. What’s the difference when your entire world is encompassed by a 10″ by 12″ piece of class and plastic? Being busy it great, but make sure you’re actually BUSY, and not simply keeping busy.
No Distance= No Perspective
Creative work is best done in short, intense bursts. So, too, is analytical work. Since the majority of a writer’s time is spent concepting and writing (creative) or editing (analytical), your workday should be comprised of several short, intense periods of work, broken up by longer periods of, say, research and business management tasks.
Otherwise, you’ll get locked into one creative/analytical task and stay stuck in it for hours…and end up wasting half a day on something that could have been done more productively in thee separate 15-minute blocks. Write or edit until it starts feeling like you’re forcing it, then stop and take a break. Look at your to-do list and make sure you’re staying on-track.
Take a Break, Take a Breath, Go Low Tech for a Sec
You don’t even have to do all of your writing at the computer. Grab a pen and paper, and go sit out in the front yard and enjoy the day while you work. Or go sit in a museum, surrounded by creative masterpieces. Or out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature.
You’re a freelancer, by god. Don’t forget to act like it! You’ll find yourself being more productive and enjoying the job a whole lot more, because of it.
FOOD: Instant Muse
comment now!Stuck? Quick, grab something. Anything!
Seriously, anything with words on it. Take a pen, and underline every noun, verb, adjective and adverb you see. Transpose this word list to your notebook or computer. (A few days ago, I’d reached a bit of an impasse where it seemed like I was just recycling the same ideas over and over. I found the packaging from a pair of slant-tip tweezers my wife bough a few days ago, and got this word list: Tweeze, slant, grip, easy, point, simple, quick, make, work.)
Take these words and see if you can work them into your copy. Even if you can’t, the process of trying, of bringing in new concepts will jump start your brain, and you’ll end up finding something that works.
The Principle of Inertia
Here’s why this works; it’s simple physics, really. The Principle of Inertia states that an object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest, until acted upon by an outside force. In this case, the object is your current project…and it will stay within the status quo unless something upsets the equilibrium.
The outside force is the word list that you found (that someone else wrote). Most of these words will have nothing to do with your project—and that’s a good thing. The brain looks for patterns to see how things fit together. When you introduce these new words, you brain will expand its frame of reference trying to figure out how all of this sorts out. New neurons start firing, and suddenly…magic!
The Creative Catalyst
The new words act as a catalyst to get your mind over the equilibrium. They provide just enough of a nudge to get all the ideas bouncing around again, until something sticks. And then your project is off and running at full speed again.
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