Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
March 31, 2008
Issue #385
Clayton is slammed with deadlines, so he’s not going to be able to post an issue today.
But he had a brilliant idea.
Many of you have written in on his blog, looking for advice on selling yourself as a copywriter and landing good clients.
It just so happens, Clayton wrote on that very topic over a year ago. And he asked me to re-run it today for you.
So pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, sit back … and enjoy.
– Wendy Makepeace
My Six-Step Campaign to Get Your Phone
Ringing Off the Hook with New Clients
Finding clients who'll pay you millions of dollars is NOT impossible.
You just …
- Start with small fish …
- Live like a pauper for years …
- Write your butt off every day of your life …
- Create a legendary winner or two.
Do these four things, and I guarantee great clients will pursue you, huge advances in hand.
… Eventually.
Or, you could do it the smart way …
New copywriters write me all the time, asking how to get a high-paying gig. A desperate few just want to know how to get any assignment.
Sometimes I have to resist the urge to leap through the computer screen at them. I want to grab 'em by the shoulders, shake 'em till their eyes rattle and shout, "Hey - wake up - you're one of the chosen few: You're a COPYWRITER!
"You've been blessed with the gift of persuasion: The single greatest super-power on the planet. Compared to you, Batman and Wonder Woman are wimps!
"You are a modern-day Obi-Wan, master of the Jedi Mind Trick.
"You are (tatataDAAA) PERSUASION PERSON!!!
"Mere mortals fall helpless, wallets in hand, before your considerable persuasive powers.
"Great clients are mere mortals, too … so go ahead - persuade them to hire you!"
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Posted by:
Julie McManus
March 28, 2008
Issue #384
Dear Business Builder,
As I write this, I’m on an airplane headed to LA to Yanik Silver’s Underground Internet Marketing Conference. I’ve actually wanted to attend Yanik’s conference for many years, but it was never convenient … two little girls whining “Mommy don’t go” seems to have a way of making a lot of things inconvenient. And this time was no exception, but here I am … on my way, regardless.
This time I couldn’t pass it up. The big draw being Dr. Mercola and his organically grown list of over 1.4 million subscribers. Heck, if I pick up a few new techniques to organically generate a list one quarter that size … I’ll add several million dollars to my health client’s bottom line.
Clayton’s been talking a lot about his partnership model. And sadly, I missed his and Tony’s teleconference on the subject. But from what I hear, Tony put Clayton through the wringer … but I’m more than sure Clayton held his own. If there ever were a king of the partnership model, it would definitely be Clayton … having made millions through his partnering ventures (believe me, I’ve seen the checks).
I can’t think of a more fitting person to explain exactly how it’s done than Clayton. So if you haven’t seen his recent offer to join his EasyWriters Club so you can get all his partnering secrets … I suggest you check it out now.
Working in a consulting capacity and especially as an exclusive partner can be great. But, it can also be a big giant pain in the keister. Firing a client is probably one of the most difficult business decisions you’ll ever make, so when you set out to establish a relationship with a client, it pays to know exactly who you’re dealing with. And this isn’t always easy.
Some of the client relationships I’ve been in, I knew exactly what I was getting into ahead of time. I knew the client and their business well, therefore I knew how they operated and what to expect before I started. It’s the "eyes wide open" scenario.
In other cases, I’ve entered into contracts with businesses where I didn’t know the client or how they operate their business. So I relied on word of mouth and referrals as a starting point for entering into a relationship. Although colleagues can tell you someone is a nice person, easy to work for and/or well respected, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make a good client. Or for that matter a good partner. And I suspect this will be your situation more times than not.
So what exactly makes a good client? And how can you know? Good questions and I’m going to answer them right now.
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Posted by:
Patrick Coffey
March 27, 2008
Issue #383
"Nothing succeeds
like the appearance of success."
– Christopher Lasch
The Internet has been buzzing with praise for "social media" as the way to drive traffic to your website. By "social media," I’m talking about sites that (1) allow you to submit content and (2) allow other people to comment - and even vote - on it. The higher they rate your submission, the more exposure you get, with lots of people clicking on your link.
But today, I’m going to show you that this massive traffic isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
So far, some of the major players in the social media world are:
Digg - digg.com
Stumbleupon - stumbleupon.com
Sphinn - sphinn.com/
Reddit - reddit.com
Del.ico.us - del.icio.us/
Myspace - myspace.com
Facebook - facebook.com
These sites - and dozens and dozens of others that I’m sure I’m forgetting - have quickly become behemoths in the online world. In fact, many of them are getting even more traffic then the all-powerful Google.
At first, this might seem like an online marketer’s dream …
"If I could only get my article or blog post on the home page of Digg or Stumbleupon, my site will be flooded with traffic."
It’s easy to see why so many marketers are foaming at the mouth over the idea of tapping into all that traffic. But real online marketers understand that traffic does not mean anything without conversion. In other words, if you can’t turn your traffic into sales or e-mail sign-ups, it’s pretty much useless.
You may have heard of website traffic referred to as HITS. I’m sure you’ve been to websites that have a little counter at the bottom that tells you exactly how many HITS the site has received.
Well, this is my definition of HITS: How Idiots Track Success.
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
March 26, 2008
Issue #382
"Success is neither magical or mysterious.
Success is the natural consequence of
consistently applying basic fundamentals."
– Jim Rohn
Dear Web Business Builder,
A veteran pilot would never dream of taking off without going over his or her pre-flight check list. And neither should you before driving traffic to your sales page.
So in today’s issue of Web Marketing Advisor it’s back to basics, and a handy little checklist of copywriting essentials.
I invite you to print this page … grab a cup of what pleases ya … and work your way through the money pages on your most important campaigns …
1 – Is Your Headline Supported On These Four Pillars?
Does it arouse relevant curiosity? Does it make a simple, easily understood, ultra compelling promise? Does it trigger the dominant motivating emotion you’ve identified in your research? Does it imply proof of promise?
Big secret: Your headline is the ad for your web page, NOT necessarily the ad for your product. Give people a reason to read other than to find out whether they may want to buy your product. Promise them great things if they’ll just STOP and consume your web page.
With this in mind, I normally write 25 headlines before I begin the body of the page. Then I’ll pick half a dozen or so that I think will work and test them. The best of the rest, I use as subheads sprinkled throughout the page to propel readership, and draw skimmers and skippers back into the copy as they move down the page.
2 – Does Your Headline Have The Look?
I most often find that headlines work best when they are centered on the page presenting a balanced appearance in terms of the shape they create. Sometimes encasing them in quotation marks can also serve to grab more attention.
Brevity is desirable. If there are words you can remove from your headline without weakening it, remove them. Where you break lines is also important …
You want maximum impact and momentum when your prospect collides with your headline. Anything that can enhance immediate comprehension will help your conversion.
Each line of your main headline should contain a kernel of thought.
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Posted by:
Troy White
March 25, 2008
Issue #381
In this issue:
-
5 invaluable websites you can use to find all the help you could ever want …
-
3 key areas to look to and trust when making your decision to hire employees and contractors (including 2 background checks that can guarantee you a star worker) …
-
BIG MISTAKE #1 with new employees and contractors. What it is – and how to fix it …
-
And Much More!
Fellow Business Builder,
Last week I posted a challenge to everyone here to post some of your biggest concerns and business issues that hold you back.
This week I want to address one area that seems prevalent across the board – and it is one area that is impacting my business as well …
People … we need more people …
And not just anyone.
We need highly qualified people to help us grow our businesses.
We don’t have a lot of extra time or bandwidth to search them out, train them or manage them. And we want them to help us out for as little money as possible.
Sound familiar?
The type of person we are looking for
almost sounds like a mythical creature …
Honestly, where do you go out and find highly qualified people that are experienced in your field (or close to it), will work for little money, will be focused on your business, and won’t require a lot of management?
It’s the type of job requirement that any one of us would run from! The old entrepreneurial thought process would take over and we would much rather do all of that – for ourselves – no one else.
But, and this is the best part,
WE ARE NOT LIKE MOST PEOPLE.
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