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Business

The 25 Secrets of freelance copywriting success

January 3, 2009

The 25 Secrets of freelance copywriting success

by Nicky on December 27, 2008

For most Direct Response Copywriters Bob Bly needs no introduction. I have his books among my must-read reference tools and several of his practical excellent down to earth reports – many of which I use to build my own business.

I’ve been on Bob’s newsletter mailing list for a couple of years now and invariably he provides refreshingly down to earth, practical information to his readers.

Best of all, I find Bob’s internet marketing approach is completely “sans hype” and sans “BS.”

Bob’s latest email newsletter on December 26th gave me so many “yes!” moments that I immediately emailed him back and asked if I could share it with you on my blog – he said yes. While I already use several of these excellent tips, I found some new ones and some timely reminders.

If you’re a freelance copywriter (or an aspiring freelance copywriter), I hope you find the list as useful as I did.

Here goes.

1- Work with clients whom you genuinely like – or at least have good personal chemistry with.

2-Your freelance copywriting business exists to serve your clients. Without them, you’d starve.

3- If you want to have the final say on your copy without being told what to say and how to write it, market your own line of products, and make yourself your primary copywriting client.

4- Do not promise your copy will generate a specific result. It is unethical and not true: no one can guarantee a particular response rate.

5-Proofread every piece of copy before you send it to the client. I recommending hiring a freelance proof-reader; it is difficult to proof your own copy well.

6 -When can you raise your fees? When you have so much business that you can afford to lose clients who are not willing to pay the higher fees.

7- Use a standard PC with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint,and other standard software packages. Don’t write on oddball word processors, use antiquated software, or send nonstandard file formats that your clients can’t open and read.

8 -Number each page in your copy manuscript, so that if the pages get separated, you can easily put them in order. Also, in a discussion, it lets you and the client reference sections on specific pages.

9- The easiest way to prevent yourself from getting ripped off by deadbeats is to get half your fee in advance before you even start the job.

10- Never work without a written contract that the client has signed off on. Verbal go-aheads are not enough.

11- Trust your instincts. If you have a bad feeling about a client or a project, turn it down. Your gut feelings are right 95% of the time.

12- Be humble, not arrogant. If you are a nice person and your copy doesn’t work, the client will give you another chance. But if you are a jerk and your copy flops, you’re out.

13- Find a peer or someone else whose judgment you trust. Give the headline and lead of every promotion you write (the first page or two will usually suffice) to that outside reader for a second opinion. Never send out copy that at least one person other than you, even your spouse, has read and commented on.

14- Use more charts and graphs in your copy to support your key claims. Even when the reader doesn’t really understand a chart or graph, the fact that there IS a chart or graph helps convince them that what you say must be true.

15- Keep up-to-date in your field – both in marketing as well as the topics (e.g., health, investments) you write about.

16- The only way to become a better writer is to read and to write. Read and write every day. Read magazines, newspapers, and books during your leisure time.

17- Get up early and dive into your toughest copywriting assignment first thing in the morning, without delay. Work until you tire. In the afternoons, you can tackle less demanding tasks like reading background material or answering e-mails.

18-Create a workspace that is comfortable, isolated, and quiet. Barking dogs, ringing door bells, TV in the background, and screaming kids all harm your productivity.

19- Give yourself small rewards throughout the day for accomplishing various work-related tasks; e.g., going out to a coffee shop for lunch instead of eating at your desk.

20- While negotiating the work agreement with your client, ask for at least a week more than you need. As a corollary, never accept jobs that must be started and finished overnight.

21- Don’t take it personally when a client calls and says “I don’t like the copy.” Instead say: “I want to make it as strong as we can. Tell me your thoughts and suggestions.”

22- Should you argue with changes your client suggests if you think they are wrong? Only if you think they will depress response. If the client does not change his mind, acquiesce pleasantly and make the changes. But send a polite e-mail noting your objection and keep a copy in the file.

23- Get adequate rest. If you are not rested after a night’s sleep, start going to bed an hour earlier. You need to be mentally sharp to write copy, and you won’t be if you’re tired.

24 – Read your copy aloud at a normal speaking pace. Doing so will reveal awkward constructions that you would otherwise gloss over when reading copy silently.

25 – Write in a conversational manner, using words that your prospects would use to help create rapport with the people you’re selling to.

Reprinted on Nickyjameson with the kind permission of Bob Bly

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What is Web Prosperity?

January 2, 2009

Who recommends WebProsperity

Ewen Chia
James Brown
Judson Lassiter
Patric Chan
Stu Stirling
Stone Evans
Warner Carter
and many more…

David D’Arcangelo and Implix (owners of GetResponse, Website Wizard, and Talkstream) have created the most integrated dominating Internet Network marketing tool to hit the global marketplace. David D’Arcangelo, the famed marketing guru leading huge publicly traded companies, has teamed with marketing expert Terri Sides and top shelf global marketing company, Implix.

They have integrated some of the hottest Internet marketing technologies into one system to help the greenest marketing newbie market like a global marketing powerhouse. Systems work, people fail! This is a complete automated marketing system that can be applied to any business.

You get a complete system with Web Prosperity and a very generous compensation in a forced matrix. With all the buzz on the net with top Internet marketers as well as top Network marketers in the global marketplace, it is a smart move to position early for FREE now while in pre-launch.

Click The Pic to Join My Team

What will Web Prosperity actually cost once the program allows for paid signups?

There are 2 price points, $29.95/month and $59.95/month

What are you paying for with WebProsperity, what exactly are you getting?

The benefits….

Good management, residual income, spillover referral system in a forced matrix, and valuable tools you can use for your Primary Business of selling whatever it is you want to sell online.

The WebProsperity tools, products, and services…

This program is co-founded by the Implix group, the people that brought you/us the GetResponse autoresponder and other tools such as WebSite Wizard and Talk Stream

Personally I use AWeber as my primary autoresponder but Web Prosperity has the ability to offer you a top-notch autoresponder as well.

I also use AudioAcrobat, and the Implix group developed a similar service (Talk Stream) , and yes, it can be one of the tools you get with your Web Prosperity position.

Both of those tools cost me almost $40.00/month to use, and to have the option of rolling those costs into one centralized location is not only smart business, but it also allows me (and you) the ability to do a lot of necessary marketing tasks from one location.

The Added Bonus to joining Web Prosperity is that it’s an MLM-style program so the people you refer to this time-and-money-saving program also pays you a generous 67% commission.

What does AWeber offer for an affilaite commission? 20% ?

What does AudioAcrobat offer for a commission, 50% ?

Web Prosperity not only saves you money and time, but you can make a nice residual income from the people you refer to their program. With their forced matrix system and inherent spillover, there is a viral effect added as well. The viral effect comes from the fact that you’re experiencing spillover referrals all while your busy using their tools to do what you may already be doing, marketing on the internet.

Save money, lessen your marketing expenses, AND earn residual income all at the same time?

Yeah, I dig that, and so will you

Click Here to listen to what David has to say about this program (you don’t even have to give up your email address to find out what it’s all about)

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What Entrepreneurs Need To Do To Succeed in 2009

January 2, 2009

What Entrepreneurs Need To Do To Succeed in 2009

For those of you building a business, which may include blogging, but also other critical elements such as email lists, automated marketing systems, affiliate programs and of course, products of your own, you face a myriad of choices next year.

Your challenges are relevant to what stage of business growth you are facing. Most of you reading this are likely still in the momentum building phase, which means you lack cashflow, products, resources and marketing systems.

In most cases the first place you need to focus attention on is marketing, in particular, how you can automate your marketing system, so your cashflow becomes steady while you go to work building the other aspects of your business. It’s much easier to spend money hiring people and investing in your business, when you know a certain amount of money is going to be generated next month, and the month after that and so on.

To make this practical, you can ask yourself some practical questions.

Is your business not delivering what you want because…

You don’t have an email list?
Your email list is too small?
Your email list is not responsive?
You’re having trouble sustaining consistent lead generation?
You don’t have a product?
You don’t have a niche?
You need a certain person to handle an aspect of your business?
You don’t know how to do something important?

…and so on.

If as you ask yourself these types of questions, consider what you could do if you had the answer. If what you could do would immediately result in an increase in cashflow, or elimination of whatever major constraint you face now, then that’s the problem to solve. If however the answer only opens up more questions, then you haven’t found the core element that needs to be addressed first.

Once you find the core element – the problem you need to solve today – go study the trusted source to get the answer, or if you already know how to get it done, get it done. It’s not rocket science. Find problems, learn solutions, implement actions, get outcomes.

Consider the 80/20 rule, learn how to ignore everything that’s not going to help you eliminate your immediate constraints, decide what you want to change and what you need to learn in 2009, and you will enjoy tremendous rewards.

You still need to follow the Blog Profits Blueprint, which is just as relevant today as when I published it in 2007.