Look: No one likes to miss their goals. No one. But there are some of us who miss our goals and move on to the next one, and there are some of us who miss our goals and spend a lot of time focused on that failure. And it’s probably no surprise that most of us fall in that second group. When we don’t hit our goals or don’t manage to do what we’d planned to do, most people … [Read more...]
How to Manage That First Copywriting Client Panic
When you’re learning copywriting, building your experience, and starting to look for clients, it can feel like everything is going to be smooth sailing once you first start landing clients. But I want to prepare you for something (and then help you get through it). When you start getting work, your first reaction will be elation. And then, likely about three seconds … [Read more...]
How To Be a Copywriter If You Hate Selling
I hear this a lot. “I’m interested in copywriting, but I don’t want to trick people or force people into buying anything.” And I definitely get that. A lot of people get put off by the idea of selling and pushing things on people. No one wants to feel disingenuous or pushy. Well, good news! Copywriting Is About Connecting, Not Selling First, that's not what … [Read more...]
Should Copywriters Be Concerned About a Recession?
Do the words “fiscal cliff” and “economic trouble” fill you with fear? Take heart: copywriting is one of the best jobs in a recession. First, while there will be a recession at some point in the future (since that’s how economies work), there’s no way of telling if one is on the horizon and how long or difficult it could be. Second, I would never tell you not to … [Read more...]
What You Need to Talk to Your Copywriting Clients About Right Now
Okay, we’re going to keep it short this week because, frankly, there isn’t a lot of time. And that’s the point. It’s already mid-October, less than two and a half months away from the beginning of the holiday season. (Hanukkah starts on December 22nd this year.) And only seven weeks away from Black Friday! This means that brands need to start thinking now about their … [Read more...]
Can Copywriting Software Replace Skilled Copywriters in 2024?
It's a question almost every new copywriter has: "Is AI (artificial intelligence) taking over copywriting?" The short answer is absolutely not. Nonetheless, it's a valid concern. If you're getting into a new career, you want to know there's going to be work and job growth potential. With new AI models like ChatGPT and Jasper.ai combined with sensationalist news headlines … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned From Copywriting for Multibillion-Dollar Companies
Over the course of my 20+ years as a copywriter, I’ve racked a pretty varied roster of clients—everything from one-person companies to multibillion-dollar global companies, and everything in between. When people ask about my background, I’ll often start off by mentioning the bigger, more well-known clients first, companies including T.J.Maxx, TripAdvisor, adidas, Hasbro, … [Read more...]
Have Trouble Making Decisions? These Questions Will Help
Let’s face it: Making important decisions is hard. The little decisions—what to wear, what to have for lunch, what to watch on Netflix—are pretty easy. But the ones that matter, the questions about the directions you’re taking your life, can be hard. But they don’t have to be! Or, at least, there are resources you can use to help make them much easier. Here I walk you through … [Read more...]
A Powerful Self-Inventory for Freelance Business Success
“Know thyself” isn’t just good advice from a self-help perspective. It’s also crucially important when it comes to building a successful freelance business. And a million different “gurus” can give you a million different pieces of advice about the “right” time to get up. (As well as the “right” way to organize your day, the “right” order to accomplish your tasks...) But … [Read more...]
4 Pieces of Terrible Advice New Copywriters Get All the Time
Let’s start out today with a reminder: Just because someone is loud, doesn’t mean they’re right. Also, just because something is prevalent, doesn’t mean it’s correct. We can agree on those, right? Okay, good. Because today we’re going to bust some very prevalent myths and debunk some very popular pieces of advice. Why? Because not only are they wrong, but they’re actually … [Read more...]