content marketing

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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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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3 Things you have to get right when selling with stories.

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Selling with a good story

Recently I’ve been seeing a surge in the number of companies jumping on the “story” bandwagon.

A few days ago I was traveling back from the UK. At the airport I saw three references to story. One on a poster, one in a duty-free flier that was thrust into my hand just after I got through security, and the one you see in the photo above, on the pages of an in-flight magazine.

All mention story, but not one of them actually told a story.

It’s as if the writers believed that just using the word “story” would make some kind of difference.

It doesn’t.

If you want to tap into the true power of storytelling in your marketing, you have to actually tell and share a real story.

And to give your story power, it has to get three things right…

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What is your thinking process when writing headlines?

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This question is from Charlotte, who took my course on How to Write Better Headlines.

She asks, “What is your thinking process as you brainstorm, formulate, play with, and analyze your headline creations?”

After writing headlines for 35 years, it’s quite the challenge to deconstruct the process I go through.

But here’s a broad outline of what I do…

A practical note… I work with a pen and pad of paper first. Don’t ask me why, but I do. Just for the headline.

OK… the process and sequence…

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Can I add some of my own copywriting hacks to the list?

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This question is from Malcolm, who took my 21 Copywriting Hacks course.

He asks, “I’ve taken your course and am using the final checklist you provided. My question is: Can I add some hacks of my own to the list? Things I have found work well for me?”

Absolutely you can.

First – for anyone who isn’t familiar with this course – the 21 Copywriting Hacks course was created to help you improve your own sales copy… at that point just before you submit it to your client.

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Can I use your 21 Copywriting Hacks to improve EXISTING pages?

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This question is from Denis, who took my 21 Copywriting Hacks course.

He asks, “I love your 21 Copywriting Hacks. Super-helpful. My question is… could I use these as a ‘system’ to improve on a company’s EXISTING sales pages?”

Great question. And yes.

First – for anyone who isn’t familiar with this course – the 21 Copywriting Hacks course was created to help you improve your own sales copy… at that point just before you submit it to your client.

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