Hi — This is #3 of 7 days I’m sending out a series of articles about how to do better & feel better about marketing your creative projects and entrepreneurial endeavors. It’s a promo for my fabulous new www.WriteRightNowVIP.com teleclass that starts this Thursday, May 24 – check it out! We offer “satisfaction guaranteed or your money cheerfully refunded.” That’s how confident we are that you will benefit enormously from this course.
Either way, I love how much you all are loving the tips & information in these articles.
“Thanks some of the tips have been working already!! I look forward to listening again and telling my friends.” – Deb Proctor, Buenos Aires
Did you miss “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” free on-demand webinar that Wes Schaeffer & did the other day — ??
—–> Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here – http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
And, FYI, here are all “7 Copy Writing Mistakes…” topics:
1 of 7: I don’t want to feel sales-y…(read this one here)
2 of 7: I’m too wordy… (read this one here)
3 of 7: How to get started & how to find the time to keep going
4 of 7: What’s REALLY effective copy writing & how do you know?
5 of 7: Beat perfectionism once and for all
6 of 7: How to discover what’s really going to be compelling for your audience
7 of 7: What to do if you feel constrained by having to write for SEO, academic writing, your boss…
How To Get Started And How To Stay Motivated
OK – I’m just going to say this straight out:
If you are a creative entrepreneur, then you have 2 gigs. You have your “real” gig – the job or work that you actually do (consultant, coach, practitioner, actor, healer, chef, tinker, tailor, soldier, spy…) and you have the gig of marketing your gig.
Congratulations. You just won two jobs.
It’s vitally important that you be honest with yourself about whether or not you are willing to accept both jobs.
Because if you just want to do your work and you don’t want to do the marketing, then that’s fine! Just make sure you don’t need the money.
But if you need your business to be profitable or to have a bigger audience, then you’ve got to come to terms with doing the marketing — or, as I described it in email 1 of 7 of this series, “Marketing Is Just Making Friends With People You Don’t Know Are Your Friends Yet.”
Once you commit fully to BOTH of your gigs, you’ll find your motivation to get started grows.
Now Commit To Writing Every Single Day No Matter What
I’ve created a Daily 5-Minute Writing Assignment for the Write Right Now VIP workshop so that you will get in the habit of writing something (a Facebook post, a blog post, a “thank you” email, a love letter, a Tweet…) every. single. day. for eight weeks.
Making your copy writing an AUTOMATIC HABIT helps:
diminish perfectionism (after all, you’re going to work on it again tomorrow, so who cares if it’s not perfect today?)
reduce your anxiety around getting started
end the argument you’ve been having with yourself about how you really should be writing more
But you are perfectly capable of creating a list of assignments for yourself. You don’t need me to send you a “Daily Goose”…
Maybe you make Monday your Twitter Day and Tuesday your Blog Post Day and Wednesday your Sales Page Day…
Or maybe you decide to spend a month just writing, split testing and perfecting your Landing Pages….
Or spend two weeks playing around with Facebook Ads…
Do whatever you know will help get the truth about what you do in front of the people who really need you. And if you don’t know exactly what that is, then you’d either get some expert advice (like from me & Wes) or you best start experimenting, honey!
And How To Keep Going
Get a buddy.
Accountability is a an incredibly valuable tool.
After all, if I promise myself I’m going to do something, well…I may or may not do it. But if I promise YOU that I’m going to do something – well, shoot! You know I’m going to do it.
BTW, the Write Right Now VIP workshop offers you a PRIVATE Facebook page where you can find like-minded creative geniuses. You can post your wins, find accountability buddies or just stay inspired by watching everyone else. An amazing resource!
Find this helpful? Here’s how to get more…
You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.
And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.
So…
I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )
So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”
—–> Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
It’s for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…
and YOU if you know that if only your…
– web pages
– bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)
– blog posts
– product descriptions
– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)
– press releases
– emails (like this one!)
…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people! (Which is why we do all this, right?)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.
– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.
– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.
– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.
– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!
– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.
– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.
Then this event is for you!
Here’s what people said about it:
“so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California
“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA
“I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington
“7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”
—–> Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.
I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.
YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.
But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?
And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!
P.S. And yes, of course this is a preview event for the Write Right Now VIP workshop – but it’s not a pitch-fest – you know I hate that, too. This is TONS of useful content, tailored just for you. In fact, if you want to check out what the Write Right Now VIP workshop is all about, you can go here: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/
If you have an intuition that the full Write Right Now VIP workshop is going to be right for you, then sign up ASAP and you can save yourself a PILE OF MONEY. (Like $500…) so take a look: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/
Thank you!
YAY! Here’s #2 of the “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” article as derived from the free on-demand webinar that Wes Schaeffer & did the other day —
Watch or download the free on-demand webinar here: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2
And, FYI, here are all 7 Copy Writing Mistakes…” topics:
1 of 7: I don’t want to feel sales-y…(read this one here)
2 of 7: I’m too wordy…
3 of 7: How to get started & how to find the time to keep going
4 of 7: What’s REALLY effective copy writing & how do you know?
5 of 7: Beat perfectionism once and for all
6 of 7: How to discover what’s really going to be compelling for your audience
7 of 7: What to do if you feel constrained by having to write for SEO, academic writing, your boss…
I’m Too Wordy…
Well, honey, it’s tempting to just say, “Use fewer words” : ) But that’s not really the issue, now is it?
One part of the issue is that you want to tell everybody everything about your work right away.
Think Of It This Way: A “Sales Funnel” Is What Takes You From First Glance To Marriage
If you imagine that you look across a crowded room and make eye contact with someone who looks interesting to you, then you would find a way to strike up a conversation, right?
And you wouldn’t start the conversation by giving them every last detail about where you grew up, would you?
Of course not – that would be weird.
You would start the conversation by saying something like, “Hi.”
And then you might give them a compliment or offer to buy them a drink or make some pithy observation.
Same thing goes for potential clients: begin the conversation in a way that demonstrates that you are genuinely interested in them.
But there’s more to it, isn’t there?
The marketing conundrum of 2012: people have short attention spans but they still need to be convinced, persuaded and soothed.
So you need to use as many words as necessary to convey a feeling of confidence in your prospects, but no more.
(In other words, shut up when they are ready to buy…but how do you know?)
So try using VISUAL CUES to break up long copy into shorter, more easily understood segments.
For example, you might create an email or sales page that has:
- A compelling headline (bold) that piques their interest
- A fantastic opening paragraph
- An image that supports your text
- A caption under the image that makes a point or encourages an action
- Several sub-headers (bold, colorful) that break up the text
One of the participants on the “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money & Keeping You From The Success You Deserve” noticed that it was just like creating a magazine article — brilliant! YES!
Here’s the logic:
The most-read parts of any document are 1) The headline 2) The opening paragraph 3) The image 4) The captions 5) Sub-headers
Taking the time to make these elements intriguing pays off when you remember:
No one reads anything – they only LOOK at it.
So making those elements really groovy will help your reader determine – at first glance – whether they should go back and actually read the rest or not.
This gives you the punch of “short copy” combined with the detail of “long copy.”
Find this helpful? Here’s how to get more…
You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.
And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.
So…
I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )
So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2
It’s a free on-demand webinar for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…
and YOU if you know that if only your…
– web pages
- bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)
– blog posts
- product descriptions
– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)
– press releases
- emails (like this one!)
…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people!
(Which is why we do all this, right?)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.
– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.
– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.
– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.
– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!
– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.
– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.
Then this event is for you!
Here’s what people said about it:
“so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California
“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA
”I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington
7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
(and how to fix them WITHOUT having to hire an expensive copywriter)
with Small Business Experts
Wes Schaeffer & Samantha Bennett
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2
You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.
I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.
YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.
But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?
Please join me & my pal Wes on this Really Useful Webinar
–
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2
And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!
P.S. And yes, of course this is a preview event for the Write Right Now VIP workshop – but it’s not a pitch-fest – you know I hate that, too. This is TONS of useful content, tailored just for you. In fact, if you want to check out what the Write Right Now VIP workshop is all about, you can go here: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/
If you have an intuition that the full Write Right Now VIP workshop is going to be right for you, then sign up ASAP and you can save yourself a PILE OF MONEY. (Like $500…) so take a look: http://writerightnowvip.com/info/
- SSB.
I know. You don’t want to sound sales-y.
You feel weird “promoting” your work.
You’d really rather just DO your work & have someone else take care of the marketing.
I know.
But odds are there isn’t anyone else to hand the marketing off to, and even if there were, that person isn’t going to know or care nearly as much about your work as you do.
So let’s play with the vocabulary a bit and see if that helps.
What if you thought of marketing this way:
Marketing Is Making Friends With People You Don’t Know Are Your Friends Yet
Here’s the thing – you don’t have to market to everybody.
You just have to market to the people who are ALREADY INTERESTED in your work.
And guess what? Those people probably already share your values.
So – right now – make a quick list of the VALUES that are most important to you & your work.
For example, the values of The Organized Artist Company are:
Creativity
Authenticity
Transparency
Kindness
Good Humor & Fun
Next time you need to write a bio or an email or a sales page or an email or whatever, run it past your values & make sure it’s a match. This will help insure that you are using the words & phrases that accurately reflect what you do. It will also ATTRACT the perfect clients & customers right to your door.
Honey, You Are On A Mission
You do the work you do because you know it helps people and you love it.
That love, that desire to help and those values that you just wrote down add up to more than creative entrepreneurship.
They add up to a mission.
And when you are on a mission, you are going to be pulled & stretched & challenged & celebrated & pushed waaaaay out of your comfort zone. Be ready for that.
You may not want to market your business, but you can learn to do it well and may even grow to LOVE it. (I do!)
Finally, consider this aphorism:
If No One Is Complaining About Your Marketing, Then You Are Not Doing Enough Marketing
You deserve to have your business be financially sustainable, values-driven and joyful. Not easy, mind you – but joyful.
And improving your copy writing is the NUMBER ONE key to your success.
So…
I’ve partnered up with my good friend Wes Schaeffer from www.TheSalesWhisperer.com – he’s an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant & he’s a full-on, small-business genius with a GREAT sense of humor – everyone says we make a great team : )
So you’re invited to check out our Free Preview Event – called “7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money”
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
It’s a free webinar for creative entrepreneurs, frustrated small business people…
and YOU if you know that if only your…
– web pages
– bios (don’t you HATE writing Bios? We’ll show you the EASY way!)
– blog posts
– product descriptions
– social media posts (what are you supposed to say on Twitter? Really?)
– press releases
– emails (like this one!)
…were more authentic & more compelling, then you could SELL MORE STUFF, which would mean you would be helping more people! (Which is why we do all this, right?)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
– You want to promote your business…but you get tongue-tied when people ask you what you do.
– You would love to Blog and Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest & whatever… but you’re not really sure what to say.
– You know your web pages are old & boring…but the idea of redoing it all makes you want to go lay down.
– You’re a creative entrepreneur who’s over-worked.
– You’ve got 37 ideas, a bunch of new projects and plus there’s your actual business…and then there’s the family and the kids and… good heavens, you don’t have the TIME to write new copy!
– You’re ready for financial success and you don’t have time to screw around. You need real answers from experts who really GET IT.
– You are ready to learn a NEW way to write copy that’s easy, fun and…wait for it…. PROFITABLE.
Then this event is for you!
Here’s what people said about it:
“so down to earth, and so real, and are SO encouraging!” – D.D., California
“That was very helpful! Thanks, you two 🙂 ” – R.P., Los Angeles, CA
“I enjoy your laser sharp humor as well as succinct comments and great insights. Always inspirational and instructive.” – C. D., Washington
7 Copy Writing Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
(and how to fix them WITHOUT having to hire an expensive copywriter)
with Small Business Experts
Wes Schaeffer & Samantha Bennett
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
You can listen online AND you can download the MP3.
I’ve been in the trenches & learned a lot about small business marketing in the past bunch of years and I’m thrilled to have this chance to share my insights with you.
YOU KNOW THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR GOOD WORK.
But if they never hear about it, they can’t benefit from it, right?
Please join me & my pal Wes on this Really Useful Webinar —
—–> Watch or download the free preview event here
(or paste this link into your browser window: http://bit.ly/WRNVIP2)
And please let me know how things are going with you – you know I love to hear from you!
Does this question sound familiar?
Dear Sam,
I know what I need to do, I just can’t make myself do it.
I watch endless YouTube videos, I play computer solitaire, I fool around on Facebook – I even scrub my kitchen floors – all just to avoid the work that I know is my destiny.
I get so mad at myself. Does this mean I’m chasing a Shadow Goal? What do I do?
– Elizabeth, N. J.
Dear Elizabeth,
Rest easy, honey – you are merely suffering from a biological imperative called “displacement activity.”
All Creative Geniuses get this from time to time.
Displacement activity is what happens when an animal is in the grip of two conflicting instincts, and so they enact a third, seemingly inappropriate behavior.
For example, you’ve probably seen a chimpanzee being challenged by another chimpanzee. When the first chimp doesn’t know whether to run away or fight, he will…scratch his head…yawn…look away….start grooming himself…
When you have the instinct to create, and you simultaneously have the instinct to not-create —
— the fear says, “don’t do it!”
(And yes, everyone suffers from this fear – celebrities, septuagenarians, kids, career professionals and me – everyone is sometimes afraid of putting their work out there. It’s terrifying.)
And so, confused by the grip of these two equally strong instincts, you shut down and get stuck playing Words With Friends for hours on end.
Sometimes years.
It doesn’t mean you have low self-esteem and it doesn’t mean your dream is impossible and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re lazy.
Shoot, you’re one of the hardest-working people I know. Right?
So the next time this happens, just recognize the dynamic without yelling at yourself.
“Ah,” you might say to yourself, “I appear to be having the instinct to create something. And I also find myself feeling afraid of what will happen if I create that thing. Perfectly natural.
But my fear does not get to make my decisions for me.
So I will now set my kitchen timer for 15 minutes and just play around with my creative idea in a light, fun, beta-testing sort of a way and then see what happens.”
Discover more about what keeps us stuck in my free, on-demand, downloadable webinar called Shadow Goals —
“Wow, Sam, I loved this! I’ve gone from feeling kinda blah and unsure to wanting to jump up and start. That’s pretty big for me, and I really want to thank you for that. I think a lot of people will find this incredibly helpful!” – K.
“Thank you SO much for your time, Samantha! This has been inspirational and hopeful for me….you’ve already given me some tools to use to move forward! Blessings to you!” – Deborah
“This call is invaluable so far to me. I’m being made redundant on the 1st of march and am in the middle of trying to choose what to do next and I think everything you’re saying is going to help me with this.” – Suzie, U.K.
Learn more about “Shadow Goals” here by watching the free replay: http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=26718078
Here’s what they want: THEY WANT YOU TO TALK TO THEM.
I’m teaching a free webinar on easy systems to follow-up with clients and customers (and turn them into raving fans) and I think you’re going to love it —
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
NOTE: We’re going to try and record it, but I know there’s been some issues with the system lately, so it’s best if you can be there live…
This webinar is for you if:
1) You’re not sure how to even get customers…(it’s OK to admit it…)
2) You have customers, but you’re not very good about following up with them….after all, you don’t want to be a bother…
3) You’re ready to turn your customers into RAVING FANS who happily refer to you all of their friends…
BTW, did you know that a person who has been recommended by a friend is 70% more likely to purchase from you? That’s the kind of statistic that could really make a difference in your bank account, yes?
You MUST create a fun, easy-to-use system for following up with clients and potential customers – that is the lifeblood of any good business, and Brian and I are here to show you exactly how to do it.
And there will be none of that annoying “we’ll tell you what and why but you have to buy some expensive training to learn how…” b.s. – we will actually tell you HOW.
We’re not selling anything on this webinar – this is pure content.
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
Learn the 3 keys to consistently following up with your leads, prospects, and clients. In this webinar, we’ll discuss the stages of a typical buying process, and how to ensure that a single lead/client/advocate never falls through the cracks.
Title: 3 Keys to Consistent Follow Up… Getting MORE out of LESS
Date: Thursday, August 4, 2011
Time: 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM PDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
You may also listen in via phone.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
I want to hear your questions, comments and thoughts on this – so show up and let’s have some FUN!
PS There are a lot of webinars out there, I know. I think I can pretty much guarantee that this one will be well worth your time. Check it out and let me know! Claim your FREE seat here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/449436145
This is the practical, how-to-do-it advice you’ve been looking for.
Be there.
– SSB.
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Are you as exhausted by internet marketing hype as I am?
Honestly – if I get one more email promising to show me how it’s so easy to get tons of traffic from Facebook or how to outfox Google or how to organize a three-day webinar that will brainwash attendees into buying everything that’s on offer….
I know we all need to make a living. Me, especially. And the good news is that while there is a lot of strained overselling going on, a lot of the information out there is terrific.
There are a lot of really wonderful, smart, good-hearted people sharing deeply valuable information – some for free, some charge, some charge a LOT.
But the fact of the matter is that building a business – any business – is dang hard work.
And being self-employed is a nonstop challenge with a near-vertical learning curve.
So let’s be fair but firm: if you want to learn how to grow your business, you should hook up with the right people and learn from them.
That’s not an overstatement. Amy’s been one of my closest friends and advisers for over 15 years, and she has blazed the trail for me this whole time. Seriously – she does stuff and then I just copy her.
Amy is offering a brand-new teleseminar that is dedicated to busting open the myths about internet marketing and telling YOU the TRUTH that you need to know. Amy’s hilarious and sunshine-y and smart, and she’s partnered with two of the savviest female entrepreneurs I’ve ever known, the dynamic Christine Arylo and the genius-nutty-professor of copy writing, Michelle P-W.
Register and not only can you attend live or via streaming audio on the web, you will also get the recording PLUS you get immediate access to great new videos that break open three common misconceptions and pose really interesting questions for you to answer.
(And yes, of course I’m a Big Fan and an affiliate for this program – for heaven’s sake, the woman is one of my best friends! And you know Amy & I were promoting each other’s stuff way before either of us had ever heard of an affiliate program and I don’t imagine we’ll quit doing it any time soon.)
Here’s to your authentic success story!
P.S. Seriously – do yourself a favor and sign up for this free event so that you can break free of the Big Fat Lies about internet marketing and build a business based on the TRUTH: http://bit.ly/iEoQve – xoox Sam.
