No new web page exists in isolation.

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Write new web pages in context

Back in the old days, when I was young and writing print ads and direct mail. Before the web. Before everything was connected.

Back then, I could write each piece as a standalone element.

If I wrote a piece of direct mail, what came before and after someone read that package was simple and clear.

The “before” part involved a letter carrier delivering the letter to a prospect’s home.

The “after” part involved 1) The recipient dropping the letter and its contents in the garbage, 2) The recipient completing an order form and mailing it back or 3) The recipient calling a 1-800 number.

That was pretty much it. Easy. Simple.

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How to get into Conversational Copywriting, without faking it.

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conversational over coffee

First, a definition of conversational copywriting.

To me, it means writing in the same way you would speak persuasively to a friend over the kitchen table.

Imagine you’re trying to persuade a friend to go hiking with you at the weekend. You’re in conversation, but you’re trying to be persuasive as well.

Because it’s within the context of a real dialog between two people, your language is natural and conversational. Emotional at times.

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It’s not always easy finding the sweet spot for your freelance business.

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Truth in freelancing

I get into conversations with a lot of freelancers, many of them just starting out.

And one thing I notice again and again is that freshly-minted freelancers often struggle to articulate exactly what their specialty should be.

  • B2C or B2B?
  • Which industry niche, if any? Financial, health, industrial, travel, other?
  • What kind of writing specialty, if any… sales copy, email, content marketing, social media writing?

It’s important to have answers to these questions. Without answers, you’ll often feel you have no real foundation. It becomes hard to articulate your position and your value to prospective clients.

In other words, if you aren’t completely clear about where you stand, and what you stand for as a freelancer, you going to have a lot more trouble marketing yourself and finding good work.

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Good news for freelancers: The gig economy is evolving in your favor.

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Gig economy for freelancers

The only upside to living a full hour away from my dentist is that I have plenty of time to listen to podcasts in the car.

Two pieces of good news from today’s trip.

First, no cavities.

Second, I listened to an episode of Jacob Morgan’s podcast in which he interviews Steve King.

Jacob Morgan is a best-selling author, speaker and futurist, focusing on the future of work.

Steve King is co-founder of Emergent Research, which tracks the future of small business and independent work.

During the podcast they have a wide-ranging discussion about the state of the gig economy and its future.

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If you don’t believe a new story can dramatically change your future as a freelancer…

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People write to me with gentle challenges like, “Hey Nick, I love your enthusiasm for stories. But honestly, I don’t see how simply changing the story I tell can improve my future as a freelancer.”

OK… so you doubt the power of stories to influence your life?

You don’t think stories have the power to create change?

Let’s try a short experiment…

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Don’t blindly accept the popular narratives other people follow.

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story of you notepad

We are all exposed to a wide range of narratives that are often accepted as truths.

But for the most part they are not truths. They are opinions. Stories.

And we’d do well to question them.

Let me share a couple of examples I have bumped up against recently.

One from my work life and one from my personal life.

Narrative #1: To get stuff done, you need to focus, distraction-free.

Sounds reasonable, right? I’ve told this story myself.

And then…

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