• About
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Content Marketing
      • Social Media
      • Blogging
      • Email
    • Copywriting
    • Inspiration
    • Freelancing
      • Home Business
  • Content Marketing
    • Free Resources
      • Content Library Membership
      • Branding Self Assessment
      • Quick and Easy Copywriting Course
      • 54 Weeks of Content Triggers
    • Content Marketing Strategy
    • Buyer Persona Discovery
    • Blog Writing
    • Video Scripts and Webinar Outlines
    • Landing Pages & Sales Pages
    • Social Media Posts
  • Your Home Business
    • Health and Lifestyle
  • Writing Portfolio
    • Jen McGahan’s Writing Portfolio
    • Hiring a Copywriter
    • Need Content?
  • Member Login

My Team Connects

Engaging Customers and Building Community with Copywriting and Content Marketing

How To Dazzle Your Audience With Tips From Top Restaurants

September 13, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

How To Dazzle Your Audience With Tips From Top Restaurants

dazzle your audienceWhile the skill of hospitality is not essential for public speakers and entrepreneurs, those who master basic hospitable characteristics shine above their peers, get referrals, and collect invitations for future gigs.

A few simple details in behavior and presence help them “make it look easy,” as they prepare for a crowd ready to receive their message.

Think of the last time you had a wonderful meal at the home of a friend or a really good restaurant. Ever notice how a gracious host makes you feel welcome, pampered, and special? A meal at the home of a talented host or hostess, or a 5-star restaurateur, is one of the most memorable and pleasant experiences one can enjoy.

Those who do it well make it seem like an innate gift, but in fact hospitality can be learned with practice.

infuse your words and presence with hospitality

Hospitality sets the table for a great speech.

According to NYC restaurateur and author Danny Meyer, providing and receiving hospitality is one of the most intense human drives. In his wonderful book, Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, her writes:

Within moments of being born, most babies find themselves receiving the first four gifts of life: eye contact, a smile, a hug, and some food. ~ Danny Meyer

Now if that doesn’t make your heart skip a beat, you’re probably not cut out for the restaurant business. However, if you are an entrepreneur — even if your business isn’t food related — the business angel tapped you on the shoulder for one reason or another, so this sentence should strike a chord with you, too.

Your customers pay your for your services and products. If you’re also a public speaker (and we all are on some level) your audience also appreciates a memorable experience. Their encounter with you is transformed by your hospitality toward them:  before the event, while you’re on stage or presenting at a meeting, and after your speech.

Infuse hospitality into your speech and your business. Your audience’s experience will be transformed.

Much of hospitality centers on presentation and service. I’ll bet you can vividly remember a meal that was so unpleasant you couldn’t wait to get out of there. Whether it was at a restaurant, a picnic, or a person’s home, if your experience was inhospitable then you felt like someone was doing something to you instead of doing something for you. The worst!

Your presentation is “felt” in everything you do. In business and on stage, serving clients, customers, vendors, and especially your audience: requires hospitable manners.

That may not mean white glove service (especially in the BBQ business!) but it does have those four elements Meyer mentions:

Eye contact: Your connection depends on it. Have you ever sat in a presentation where the speaker never bothered to make that connection? Even in the smallest room, the eye contact helps the audience follow your message and creates a dynamic and powerful link. The hands may move, the speaker may walk around, but unless she’s making eye contact, the speech falls flat on its face.

A Smile: If you’re nervous or worried, or if you think you’re just a smidgen better or smarter than your audience, it shows. A smile is the great equalizer, the universal sign of goodwill. One of my favorite personalities, author and speaker Guy Kawasaki, in his book Enchantment, says to smile so your crows feet dig in. Smile so your eyes close, smile like you really mean it. A smile works wonders to dazzle your audience before you even get to the actual content!

A Hug: OK, even if you wanted to, and even if it were required; it’s not possible to actually hug everyone. What IS necessary, though, is to embrace people with your message.

Even if they don’t have the slightest interest in what you’re presenting, your audience will be more receptive to your speech if you roll out that personal touch. Good speakers are prepared. They know ten times more than they actually tell. They spare you from boredom by incorporating stories, specific details, and enthusiasm for their subject.

That’s the speaker’s equivalent of a hug. The audience is practically enveloped in the aura of the speaker’s knowledge and passion.

a memorable speech has these qualities

Some Great Food (aka “Content”): The content you deliver will be remembered better if you practice the above three habits. So make it good! This is what people came for, after all. Unless you’re already that famous that people just come to see you, and even if that’s the case, your content should still be original and full of good, entertaining stories and information.

By the way, have you ever noticed how words and speeches are often perceived in distinctly food-related terms?

  • You want your listeners to digest what you’re saying.
  • They showed interest by consuming all of your content.
  • Your delivery was fresh.
  • He had a crisp tone of voice.
  • They roasted the guest last week.
  • Her words were tough to swallow.
  • Chew on this advice.
  • Break your speech down down into bite-sized portions.
  • He poured on the intensity.
  • She has a spicy style.
  • His words were raw but effective.

If you spend weeks and months working on your craft, you know that your word choices matter. A hospitable speech is memorable and well prepared, just like the most fabulous dining experience or exquisitely planned event.

Incorporate juicy words and phrases that connect with your audience’s senses. Over time your unique flavor and style will become second nature. (See what I did there?)

Take heart if you are new at this. With every stage appearance, your natural voice emerges, and you will find a cadence and delivery that just feels right.

Every time you speak you get closer to your true element. When you are “on your dime,” (a term used a lot by Speak-to-Sell Mentor Lisa Sasevich) your speech will be fun to give and receive, just like that human desire for hospitality.

Prepare to get out there and wow them!

Your presentation begins long before you step up to the podium. Just like your actual speech, your marketing materials also reflect your style and your professionalism. Copywriting plays a part in your hospitality quotient, too! as Michael (the “Prepaholic) Hyatt cautions, it pays to do this background work. Getting gigs will depend on that same compelling “voice” which will be hinted at in your speech title and speech descriptions.

You’re probably going to deliver these materials long before your speech, by directing the organizer to your online bio page, complete with your background and speech topics. Remember that every web page your publish, every email you write, your hand-written correspondence, your bio/about page, and all your web content is fair game for the planner to make a decision about hiring you.

Your copy reflects the caliber of content you’ll be presenting, and it also shows how prepared you are as a speaker. Get them in ship shape so you’re ready when opportunity strikes.

Follow Through Graciously.

After you speech, your personal, hospitable touch is again necessary. Now the tables are turned. While you owe it to your audience to be hospitable throughout your delivery, now you owe it to your host to thank them and ask for feedback. Top speakers and even 5-star restaurants do this to keep honing their craft and delight future audiences.

Send a thank you note, inquire about how your speech was received, and ask for recommendations about other speaking opportunities.

As you know, it’s a rare speaker who makes his bread and butter through speaking alone. In a lot of cases, the speaking engagement smooths the way for a future sale, if not an actual close at the end of the talk.

follow up with your audience and host

Hopefully at some point during your presentation, you’ve given your audience an easy way to get more information or to connect with you in the future. This doesn’t mean just posting your website or email address on your last slide!

Go the extra mile and offer a download of your deck, next steps, or a free ebook, etc. You can even have people text their email addresses or a special code to a designated number so that you can reach out to them again. (This is one time you’ve be glad to see members of your audience playing with their phones!)

Remember that your demeanor and tone, warmth and authority, all set the table for a scrumptious presentation.

Words are the compelling, meaty, content-part in the event organizer’s eyes; but your hospitality skills ensure that your speech makes a favorable, long-lasting impression. Pull out the stops for your next speaking engagement and reap the rewards and appreciation enjoyed by a generous host.

My Team Connects serves small businesses, entrepreneurs, and public speakers with online and direct response copywriting that inspire customers, agents, organizers and audiences. I am delighted to help promote individuals and companies with copywriting as fresh and as passionate as you are!

Filed Under: Copywriting, Inspiration Tagged With: audience, copywriting, hospitality, presentation, speech

How To Make The Clearest Landing Page Ever

September 9, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

How To Make The Clearest Landing Page Ever

clearest landing page everFreelancers need to market their business just like everyone else.

One of the best ways to increase your traffic and get interested clients to take notice is to bring them on board as email subscribers, or through the purchase of a small product or downloadable freebie.

Even if you never create a landing page for yourself, as a freelance copywriter or graphic designer, you should know how to make one for a customer.

I’m going to show you the top four considerations that will help you make the clearest landing page ever, and convert your best clients.

The most important thing you can do for your customer or visitor to your website is to NOT confuse them.

Seems so easy, right? But it’s a tall order unless you know what you want your customer to do. You need to have that planned out, not only for the landing page, but for the steps before and after. The customer’s journey is personal. Your job is to make sure your visitor knows that they’re in the right place. When your page opens, it will make sense based on where they’ve been and what they’ve been reading or searching for…

The second is to make sure that there’s no confusion as to what they’re supposed to do next.

This 60-second video below shows how to simplify the landing page so that your customer only has one thing to think about when they land on it. It’s simple, really, provide one —just ONE — call to action. Watch…

I like the golf analogy, don’t you? Landing pages are valuable to your content marketing mix because they allow you, the business owner, to distill down to one important thing that will move your business forward. I’ve seen company websites  that have dozens of landing pages and I’ve seen some that have one. The ones that have a lot are more successful because it’s like have many different doors through which your customers can find you.

Some say the cardinal rule of asking for business is being very specific. I was in a BNI networking/referral group once where you had to make a specific request when you asked for a referral. You had to pay a dollar if you stood up and said you were looking for “anyone who…” It wasn’t allowed.

Well, in the same way, a landing page lets you be very specific. But don’t let it limit you.

The clearest landing page has only one call to action, but that doesn’t mean you can only have one landing page. You can have dozens of landing pages, each geared to a different person, to promote a different product, or to inspire a different course of action… just limit your request to one per page.

Besides one clear call to action, what else should you consider?

1. De-clutter your page.

clear CTA

Make sure the page has plenty of white space. Even the text should be somewhat sparse. Copywriters will tell you that you should use as many words as is required to make your point, but in a landing page, you should shoot for minimalism. If you take the golf green idea a step further, that little cup needs to be visible, not hidden by hazards. The example above, a Leadpages template,  makes good use of white space.

2. Make the call-to-action button stand out.

dabuttonfactory.com

The user’s eyes should fall right on the CTA button.

Don’t make your reader find a line of text, use a visually eye-catching color, and a nice, clear font. You might consider using a color that contrasts with the rest of the page in order to make it stand out.

One of my favorite online tools is a simple button maker for quick, call-to-action buttons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used this in a jiffy to create the perfect button.

3. Remember, people click for themselves.

what's in it for me?

It has to be all about them, not you. People click to do themselves a favor, not you.

Never forget who you’re creating the landing page for in the first place. If you don’t know your customer, this one’s going to be tricky. Businesses may think they’re just like everyone else, or they may believe they are wildly different from their competition. But there are specific reasons why you’re the perfect fit for that specific person.

When you know that person, and what they’re dealing with right now, you can easily list bullet points that speak their language, show them you understand their pain points, and relate to whatever trips their trigger.

4. Reverse engineer the content for incoming sources.

promoted tweet source leads to landing page

This is truly one of the most important factors in your landing page’s success, but it’s not often talked about. You’re going to be driving people to your landing page via PPC ads, banners, affiliate links, and social media posts. Whatever fonts, text, CTA or images you use in the landing page, should mirror the landing page content.

The example above illustrates this concept. A promoted tweet by Connexity asks the marketer to download the ebook with text as to its content. When the user clicks, the landing page contains the same colorful graphic on a darker background. It also uses the same or similar words: “balance marketing channels” and “attribution.”

There’s no confusion as to whether the visitor in the right place or not, and the landing page goes a little deeper into the reason why someone might want to download the paper. (It could have gone even deeper into its benefits, but you get the idea.)

With landing pages, you’re going for “Hell yeah” or “Hell no.” There is no in-between.

One final reminder about landing pages: To rivet your audience and cause people take an action, you must force a decision. That means no sidebars or navigation bars. You want your visitor to answer either yes or no. Yes, they fill in the form. No, they close the page. Yes, some people will bookmark it or simply open a new window. Then you have another shot when they happen to come back by. Make use of these five tips, and they’ll be more likely to either pounce or decline.

clearest landing page infographic

Can we help you create an offer, or a landing page that earns your business a “Hell yeah” click? Contact me, and let’s talk about your project.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Copywriting Tagged With: clearest landing page, content, CTA

How To Kindly Address Your Customer’s Fear

September 1, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

How To Kindly Address Your Customer’s Fear

kindly address your customer's fearNo one actually signs up to have his life turned upside down. Most people don’t even want to look at the things that scare them.

I know I don’t. If there’s something that’s worrying me out there on the horizon, I can always distract myself with things that I’m pretty sure I can easily handle. Peeling back the layers and looking underneath into the dark and hidden scary stuff isn’t my cup of tea. I certainly don’t go seeking it out.

Why Most People Would Rather Change The Subject…

Unfortunately, most stuff that disrupts a person’s life or causes pain is junk that they know deep down they could have (might have) avoided. But since it’s not causing immediate pain, they push it down to the bottom of their consciousness.

Often, things that scare us are already on our radar, but we avoid looking directly at them. Some examples:

  •   You might fear that a sedentary lifestyle is making you unhealthy. It’s causing you to gain weight and lose muscle.
  •   You might fear that you’re not teaching your child how to managing money, or use allowance wisely. You know you need to get some kind of system in place to help them learn about personal finance before they grow up, but time slips by and you never do.
  •   You might fear that you’ll make a fool of yourself at the next golf outing with your boss if you don’t practice and learn the game.
  •   You might fear your child’s car seat is not installed properly, or that your tires are unsafe.
  •   You might fear you’ll have to work the rest of your life and never retire in comfort.
  •   You might fear that you won’t pass an upcoming exam you need to graduate…

See what I mean? People can put off a lot of situations because they are not urgent today. Yet these things are taking up precious mental space, and causing a riot of worry beneath the surface.

If you never address your customer’s fear you’ll never sell a thing.

Copywriters are trained to understand the motivational power of fear, yet some fail to use it effectively in their copy. A lot of small business owners who write their own copy don’t even want to “go there.” They think it’s not nice to “scare” their customers and may view this copywriting technique as a strong-arm tactic. Some even worry that they’re being impolite by drawing attention to others’ fears!

If you’re one of those business people, you won’t be in business long unless you start looking at sales differently. This post will help you see the “fear factor” as something that actually serves your customer… it doesn’t trick them into doing something they never intended to do in the first place!

If that’s your intention, or you’re not sure if you should be selling whatever it is you’re selling, then stop now. Go back to the drawing board and improve your product or offer — or find something different to sell that you can feel good about.

Never use fear of loss to get people to do something they don’t really want to do, or that will ultimately harm them. Never.

But I’m assuming that you truly believe in your products or services, so today I want to walk you through how to use fear in your copywriting without worrying about taking advantage of your customer.

Use (Never Abuse) Fear To Sell Your Products

Copywriting is a form of selling. Ultimately, you are educating a potential customer about the benefits of your product and (hopefully) persuading them to buy something from you. I know people rarely talk about web copy that way anymore. It’s all “helpful and entertaining content,” etc. The truth is, though, that’s what content marketing ultimately does, and it’s what all effective marketing copy does… It motivates people to act.

Consumers are very smart. So don’t think you’re going to pull the wool over someone’s eyes, or simply write some magic words that work like voodoo to get someone to do something. It doesn’t work that way.

The only reason you use words that might make a customer uncomfortable is because that discomfort is what causes people to act!

If you don’t touch a nerve, why would your customer bother changing anything at all? It’s human nature to simply carry on, or to pretend a problem isn’t that big a deal.

So how do you kindly address your customer’s fear? How do you show that you feel their pain without sounding slimy or blatantly sales-y?

FACE THE FEAR.

First, step into your customer’s shoes. See the situation from their point of view and show that you understand by using the customer’s words to describe it.

Now, if you’ve been in business long enough, you probably know how the problem feels because past customers have told you, or you’ve experienced the fear yourself. I know so many business people who go into business because they have solved a problem that used to vex them like crazy. Now that their problem is solved, they want to share it with others.

REVEAL HOW IT FEELS.

Give your customer space to really feel the discomfort before you jump to solving it. Use a few sentences to get into the sensory aspects of the discomfort. Are your palms sweating? Is your heart racing? Do you have that dread that comes with the feeling that your heart’s in your throat? Can you hear a voice in your head telling you what you should do?

we can do it!LET THE CUSTOMER OWN IT.

Avoid rescuing. The only one who can really transform a negative situation into something positive, is the person who experiences it. If you position yourself as a miracle worker, you’re in a dangerous position. Let your customer own it the problem and the fear, not you.

It’s human nature to come up with all sorts of excuse to tamp down the fear and pretend a problem really isn’t much of a problem. The skilled copywriter can walk a reader through this murky territory and show their prospect how much control they really have to change their situation. Simply state all the reasons a client might avoid a real solution. (Is it too expensive, too difficult, or too late?) Then reveal the peace, the freedom, or the confidence that comes from owning the fear and taking action.

CONTRAST THE FEAR AND THE SOLUTION.

Contrast the fear and what life would be life without it. Help your reader see what’s possible, what the removal of the fear would really look like in her life.

Imagine a blurry image or word coming into focus, as if you’re a patient in an eye exam viewing a line of text through two different lenses during an eye appointment. You know how the optometrist asks, “Which is better? A or B?” and then you make your choice? Now that’s instant clarity! Click.

Focusing on something negative doesn’t mean elevating it above the positive. It’s simply putting two things side by side and showing the differences.

“Focus” simply means bringing clarity to the negative state. Acknowledge the negative, or the fear, and then flip the lens. Once you do that, you don’t need to “sell” anything because the clearer perspective sells the product for you.

MOVE ON.

Don’t wallow in the problem. Spending too much time in that zone of fear and loss creates more worry on the customer’s part. Address concerns and move on. You want to spend more time showing your customer the good life, so don’t carry that negative baggage around for too long.

The key here is a smooth transition. You’ve already shone your spotlight on the problem, and then contrasted it with a clear difference.

Now you must quickly and decisively put the problem to rest. Switch to the obvious solution — the one you provide via your product or service.

BE GENUINE.

Finally, care. It’s not about convincing someone to do something they don’t want to do. A strong-armed “yes” practically guarantees that you’ll have an unhappy and resentful client. Concern yourself with getting customers who are 100% on board. The only way to get that all-in effect is to show real empathy toward your customer and the problems you claim to solve.

Fear? What fear?
Fear? What fear?

Understand fear, but don’t let it permeate your message. You don’t always have to be talking about it. Let this knowledge quietly work for you.

Here’s a little tip: Why not work through some of these points today? You don’t have to write a blog post, or to even use these points in your marketing copy right now. But trust me, when you take the time to understand what might be keeping your customer from buying your product, chances are it boils down to something they’re afraid of.

You don’t always have to mention it, but if you spend some time figuring out possible fears, and it will transform how you deal with clients and prospects, even when your message is in keeping with a positive vibe.

The really great thing about tackling a customer’s fear in your copy is that once you wrap your head around the transition that must be made in your customer’s mind, you can easily conquer her fears and doubts in a few bullet points.

I was trained long ago to write copy for the long sales page, telling a story that gets someone reading through to the end. On the web, though, you may only have room for a few sentences. Consumers don’t always have time to read every word.

If you understand the progression someone goes through to get from a place of fear to a feeling of genuine calm without worry or doubt, then you’ll be able to write copy that moves quickly, or that can be doled out in small bits and bites over time, as on social media, or in short pay-per-click ads.

Don’t avoid touching your customer’s pain, worry and fear. It’s a necessary part of the sales process. Use the fear appeal to your advantage. Your ideal customer will benefit, and your conversions will skyrocket.

Get more copywriting tips!

Want to learn more about converting customers and making better sales online? I’ve put together a series of 21 very short videos highlighting the top converting copywriting techniques…

get copywriting tips

 

 

 

Filed Under: Copywriting Tagged With: address fear, copywriting tips, customer fear, fear appeal

How Just One Tweak Helps You stand Out In A Vanilla World

August 11, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan 2 Comments

How Just One Tweak Helps You stand Out In A Vanilla World

How Just One Tweak Helps You stand Out In A Vanilla World

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Wait, let me guess…. um, vanilla!

How did I know that? Because most people prefer vanilla over any other flavor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re boring.Vanilla’s just popular.

Let’s say you’re in the vanilla ice cream business. You’re the entrepreneur of ice creamy goodness. The brains behind the bean. Congratulations, you have a large share of the market!

Except it’s too large. And there are so many other purveyors of vanilla ice cream. How do you corner your particular niche of your vanilla-loving market? How do you market your product so you stand out in  a vanilla world?

Close your eyes and be your customer for a moment. What do they remember about you vs. your competition? Which juicy part of their senses or psyche do you nudge?

You’ve got to add something to stand out.

Or, whittle it down to bare bones and stand out.

No matter what business you’re in, chances are, there’s someone selling something similar (say that five times fast), so you have to stand out to get people to notice what you do.

You’ll also have more fun marketing if you distinguish yourself from everyone else.

For example, if it’s vanilla ice cream you’re serving…

  • Serve it quickest.
  • Serve it coldest.
  • Serve it softest.
  • Serve it hardest.
  • Pump up the fat content.
  • Make it ulta-convenient.
  • Make it low cal.
  • Serve it in an unusual container.
  • Serve it with a smile or it’s free.
  • Serve it with guarantee.
  • Serve it with a thought-for-the-day.
  • Serve it with a compliment.
  • Serve it with pie (and I’ll be there).
  • Serve it upside down.
  • Serve it some way, somehow, with something, anything, to earn a special place in your customer’s heart.

You’ll sell a lot of ice cream cones if you’re not “just” vanilla… but that special brand of vanilla.

one must be different to be irreplaceable

Now think about your business and scoop out a niche for yourself. Go ahead and serve up something really cool and different.

Do you practice your craft in a weird way?

Hold opinions that swerve from the mainstream?

Devote more ___ to your ____?

OK, let’s say it differently: Anything quirky about your methods, your experience, or your customers?

That’s what you want to tell your readers and potential customers all about! With all the choices in the market, you want your customers to know you for something unique; something jaw-droppingly, crazily unique.

Then, make sure your copywriting and content reflects that.

Avoid just sending news about your latest launch or release. Even coupons, discounts and invitations get old unless you intersperse them with valuable content no one else is sharing. Think of your copy and content like just like serving up another scoop of your best vanilla ice cream. In a world full of content, your customers are the ones who value yours and give you their business — even though they can get vanilla anywhere!

Your scoop of content melts into that visceral corner of their brain where emotions stir… people get hooked and come back for more.

Need a hand identifying how you are “YOU-nique”?

If you’re having trouble discovering what it is that makes you stand out, download this branding self-assessment that will help you figure it out. (By the way, I ask these questions of all my new clients so I can write better content and copy for them. Use them and see for yourself.)

download the brand assessment
You’ll also gain access to ebooks, videos and other free marketing resources for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, Copywriting Tagged With: content, content that stands out, copywriting, copywriting for your business, marketing your business, writing content

The Secret Your Copywriter Is Hiding From You

August 4, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

The Secret Your Copywriter Is Hiding From You

the secret your copywriter is hiding from you

The best copywriter for your business IS YOU.

If you’re thinking about hiring a copywriter, you probably think, “Like everything else, you get what you pay for.”

What you may not know that the most inexpensive copywriter is the one who will do the best writing for your business. Yep, you read that right. Inexpensive copywriting may be your best bet…

Why am I telling you this? You’d think as a freelance copywriter I’d be making the claim for exclusive, experienced, and pricey copywriting services. Well, above selling you on my services, my job is to tell you the truth.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret your copywriter is hiding from you because she likes getting paid big bucks for her writing. (Even as I write this, I’m wondering if I’m going to regret it.) This might surprise you, but I hope you take it to heart…

The person most qualified to write copy for your small business –emails, blog posts, web pages and even Tweets and Facebook updates – is already working for you.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to write your own stuff it’s usually for one of these three reasons:

  • You loathe writing.

  • You’re busy doing other important things like running your business.

  • You don’t have confidence in your own writing ability.

Now the first two reasons are perfectly understandable (and I’m happy to pick up the slack in that area because I both ENJOY writing AND, coincidentally, I get paid to do it.)

But that third reason…the ability thing; I just don’t buy it.

You probably have more natural ability than you think.

In fact I know it you have the ability to write. There’s a damaging myth pervading writing that is preventing you from doing it, if you really want to.  It’s time to dispel that myth and replace it with truth.

Hang on to this truth: “If you can speak you can write.”

The Myth of Perfection

Many entrepreneurs who aspire to write their own stuff freeze when they write.

I’m sure this “page fright” has noble beginnings. Several years ago a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements was popular. His explanation of Ancient Toltec spiritual knowledge was inspirational for many people in contemporary American culture.

I too liked the last three agreements a lot (look into it, if you’re curious), but that first one – “Be impeccable with your word” – not so much.

In fact, as a copywriter who studies what people say and how they say it… being impeccable with my words scared the crap out of me.

“Be impeccable with my word.” Well, WHICH word exactly? Which of the 20,000 words I speak today should be “impeccable?” All of them?

Did the ancient Toltecs believe it’s “the message” that should be impeccable? The general meaning? Your intentions behind your words?

Maybe the Toltecs just did not say very much.

The average person who goes online in 2012 is deluged with more words in 48 hours than the entire lexicon of human knowledge from the beginning of time to 2003! The would-be copywriter contributes but a few snowflakes to that avalanche of daily information.

Admittedly lot of that content is junk, just words for content’s sake. But even great writers don’t stretch to be impeccable. They try for “good enough.” And usually succeed.

fear not. copy.twitter

The Fallacy of the Impeccable Message

Yes, everyone wants to write — and read — accurate, interesting, compelling, even entertaining copy… but “impeccable?” Whew.

I can see why anyone holding themselves (or their copywriter) to that standard would think they’re out of their league when it comes to producing great content for their business! Perfection is a tall order to fill.

So don’t! I’m going to show you a better way to look at this copywriting thing, and to actually forge ahead and tackle it yourself.

The Blogging Solution

Think it’s difficult to write a blog? Au contraire. Here’s why it’s easier than you’d expect, even if you’re not a writer. 

Many aspiring copywriters/businesspeople converse naturally and enthusiastically about their products and services. When they’re telling their friends, family or colleagues about something related to their expertise, business owners don’t struggle to find the perfect word. They just explain things:

  • “This is how it worked out.”
  • “I can help with that.”
  • “The function is simple; it works like this…”
  • “You won’t believe what happened today.”

Hopefully, also, they seldom rewind their customer conversations from memory and parse every word. They don’t can’t go back and edit everything they say. (Don’t worry; we can talk about editing another day.)

So neither should you be so hard on yourself in your writing. Instead, just chill.

When you attempt to write that first page, think about the big picture. Toss out the notion that your copy has to include everything, for everybody, in one complete and perfect page.

It doesn’t. It can’t. It won’t.

Think about your favorite websites. Each page has a unique purpose and message. Blogs allow you to frame one idea per post and organize how and when you share those ideas. Yes, sometimes there’s some overlap of information, certain strong themes emerge over time. The writing is personable, understandable, and specific to that brand (even if the brand is just one person).

You can do that, too, without any copywriting or content writing experience. Blogging is an excellent way to hone your writing skills.

If you’re still with me, and you want to hire yourself as your copywriter, then try this…

Start with a short blog post every other week. Don’t worry if you leave out details. Try to get 400 words down on there on the screen. A good plug in to your content management system should even keep count for you.

Gradually build up to regular communication with your readers. Consistency is the key ingredient, not perfection.

Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 7.23.12 PM

Maybe you didn’t catch this, but this post is actually a rewritten post from way back in 2012! I build on the original content because I’m still writing about the same things and sharing information about content, writing, solopreneur-ing, working from home, etc.

Furthermore, I still believe that hiring yourself to be your copywriter is a great idea, especially if you’re just starting out and you have more time than money. Search this blog for posts under the “copywriting” category, and you should have more than enough free information to study!

Want more copywriting tips? Grab the free video series of my 21 best copywriting tips. It’ll take you less than 25 minutes to consume all 21 short videos, so you don’t even have to sacrifice tons of time!

get copywriting tips

One thing you must remember is that no single drop of insight will win over a new customer, or persuade someone to come over to your side… it’s the ongoing engagement you’re working toward. If you stop after one attempt, then yes, this one piece of writing will be your only dismal contribution to your company’s portfolio of copywriting.

But if you keep at it, over time you will paint a cohesive picture that will compel the right customer to read your articles, notice your work, visit your shop, or do business with you.

You’ll stop being that wavering, lone voice in the wind, and become that person who just always shows up and contributes. That, to me, is the hallmark of a great blogger, content maker, and businessperson.

You know your company’s story and the ins and outs of your business better than anyone else on the planet. That’s what truly makes you qualified to by your own in-house copywriter.

Use that edge and you may discover that YOU are best copywriter than your business can afford to hire!

Filed Under: Copywriting Tagged With: blog, blogging, copywriter, copywriter's secret, copywriting myth, impeccability, perfect writing, writing, writing myth

« Previous Page
Next Page »
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Show Posts by Category

Free ebooks and more…

Join our free content library and get business-building resources created BY and FOR freelancers and solo-preneurs!

Health and Wellness Come First!

Your success flows from within. Make sure you're building your business on a solid foundation... YOU.

Find Your Ideal
Clients eBook

eBook Find Your Ideal Clients: The Secret To Irresistible Free Opt In Offers

Book reviews of "Find Your Ideal Clients"

"The author hit a grand slam when she said our inbox is the #1 real estate on the net...She is definitely an expert in her field."

"Jen gives me everything I need to know in order to craft the perfect marketing piece."

"Jen McGahan's wisdom, experience, and gifted communication style will leave you with the impression that she wrote this book just for you. A definite must-read for anybody whose task is to make connections."

"This book made me realize how important an opt-in mail list is for the success of my online healthcare information site."

"Great aid to list-building!"

"Like sitting down with an expert over coffee…"
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
  • Need Content?
  • Take the Quiz
  • Affiliate
  • Contact

Copyright © 2016 MyTeamConnects.com | 12400 St. Highway 71 W. Suite 350-225, Austin, TX 78738 | Privacy | Terms of Use

My Team Connects, 12400 St. Highway 71 W., Suite 350-225, Austin, TX 78738