by Erica | Sep 9, 2014 | Inspiration, Mind
Spoiler alert! Nobody really becomes successful following the rules.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a mega fan of templates. I think certain business ‘scripts’ – a launch plan, a pre-determined sales page structure – work because humans are inherently wired the same.
But you know what the most successful people do? They flip those scripts. They take those templates and they do something wacky or totally unexpected with them.
They don’t let themselves feel inhibited by all the “rules” out there. Instead, they use what other people have already created – the stilleto-steps the others have already walked – as a starting point. And then they bend the “rules” like the badasses they are to fit their own personality/work style/creativity. They know they’ll never get where they wanna be by following a path somebody else has already created, because that well-worn path was somebody else’s destiny, not their own.
This applies to every part of your business you might use a “template” for – including blogs + other content you create.
The true movers + shakers don’t soak up + then regurgitate information from some (or a few) gurus – over + over + over again. (Srsly though, aren’t we all sooooo sick of reading the same type of shit in the business world, and really every other industry, too? I am!)
True movers + shakers look inside first, and ask themselves what really needs to be shared – and then share only that.
So if you want to achieve the sky-high level of success of your fave online girlcrush? You gotta’ do what they do – and I don’t mean shelling out fistfuls of cash for their latest blueprint + robotically going through the motions, crossing your fingers that this particular course/book/thingy is IT. That’s a surefire way you’ll always be one. step. behind.
Instead, you need to create from the same place the successful people create from – a place of love, spontaneity, originality and fuck the rules-ness – and that’s when the success will come.
For the love of all things sparkly, it’s time to start creating + sharing the stuff that matters.
You in?
by Erica | Jul 15, 2014 | Business Design, Copylicious, Inspiration
Confession: I’ve had this blog post in my “Drafts” folder for over a month.
Yes, a month. That’s 4 entire weeks, 30 full days and who-the-heck-knows how many hours.
And yes, I’m a writer…who makes a living pumping out content.
But despite that, it still took me an exorbitant amount of time to pump out the bulk of this blog post.
Why, my friends?
Because of a little something I called “Blog Terror.”
Okay, so “Blog Terror” really isn’t as horrible as it sounds. It doesn’t mean you hate blogs, or break out in hives when you read them. (And if that does happen to you, well, lady, that sounds like a personal problem. That needs taken care of. ASAP.)
Blog Terror is more about that terrifying, gut-tickling feeling you get right before you sit down to write a blog post that makes you feel like you have absolutely NO RIGHT to be writing on insert-topic-of-choice. Y’know, that whole “Who the fuck do you think you are?” and “What the hell do YOU know about anything?” thing that happens & kinda-sorta takes over your entire body.
And honestly? That is still freaking happening to me as I write this post and proooobably won’t let up until I finally hit Publish – and then read it a month later and wonder (happily),” Damn! Did I really write that?”
But I digress.
So, the bad news? Blog Terror is pretty freakin’ real – for most of us – and it stems from that oh-so-human (and usually unavoidable) fear of “not being good enough.” It derives from our natural instinct to doubt ourselves – especially when we’re about to do something “outside the norm.”
But there is some good news! Blog Terror truly has little to do with the fact that we’re “terrible writers” or “don’t know what to say.” It’s not because you don’t have amazing ideas (you’ve got loads!). And it’s surely not because you’re devoid of any opinions on your industry, or not able to articulate helpful things to your audience.
YOU CAN DO ALL THAT.
The only thing that’s stopping is you a FEELING, INSIDE YOUR HEAD.
It’s just that damn “not good enough” voice getting the best of you – and causing you to spend an entire afternoon binging on Pretty Little Liars & justifying ice cream for dinner. (It’s dairy! That’s gotta count for something, right?)
Luckily, there are a few ways to beat the Blog Terror monster down to size.
Here’s how to tackle Blog Terror + create kick ass content even when you’re scared shitless:
1. Quit giving a flying you-know-what about what you think everybody else wants.
I know, I know. This goes against every morsel of marketing advice that you’ve ever read about writing online ever. You’re supposed to focus on your prospects and their needs and wants and desires and the questions they’re asking. And yes – that is amazing advice and 99.9% of the time you should follow it. But when the real issue isn’t a lack of ideas but rather a lack of actually-getting-shit-done? Sometimes you just have to simply write from your heart.
You have my permission to write a blog about whatever the fuck you want. And once you get into the mood (and you will, trust me!) go on to tackling the more prospect-centric subjects. There.
2. Remind yourself you know soooo much more than you’re giving yourself credit for.
Yes, it feels like everything you could ever wanna say has always been said a million times before by somebody a million times more eloquent than you. And yeah, that may be true. In fact, it probably is true. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to say what you wanna say. Only YOU can express your viewpoint in the way YOU express it.
Plus, you’re actually hella smart and probably know a ton of different things – things that that mentor/guru/ridiculously entertaining blogger simply can’t know because they aren’t you and haven’t experienced life through your lens.
3. Just start.
You totally hate that one, don’t you? I used to, too. Until I realized that that’s the only way anything gets done – ever. Sometimes you just have to set the damn Pomodoro timer and try to write. It won’t always be easy. In fact, it won’t be – for the first ten minutes or so. But just like when it comes to working out getting to the gym is half the battle, half the battle of writing a blog post is opening the damn browser window and typing the first few words. After that, it gets easier!
4. Write like SHIT.
Once you’ve started creating, challenge yourself NOT to use the backspace or delete buttons until you’ve written an entire draft. Don’t search deep in the recesses of your brain for a “cool” or “magnetic” word. Don’t take a break to read other blogs (worst. idea. ever.). Don’t even make the mistake of reading what you’ve already written. Just write. And expect it to sound like shit.
Because the important part of creating anything is actually creating it. The ONLY THING that matters is getting it all out of you. (And don’t let the pros fool you, either: ALL the magic and the beauty and the “awesomeness” that is writing happens in the editing process!)
First drafts are always shit. Prepare for it and don’t worry about it. It’s normal!
Over to you, beautytown! //
Do you have your own “foolproof” process for writing content? I’d love to know any tips-n-tricks you’ve picked up over the years for churning our compelling content….even when you’d rather watch 24 hours of the Golf Channel.
by Erica | Jun 19, 2014 | Copylicious
I’m about to get real bold here, ya’ll. (And I don’t just mean with my font, but yes, that, too, in this case.)
There really are a whole plethora of reasons your dream clients aren’t lapping up your program like skinny-yet-ridiculously-delicious Sbux frappucinnos on a humid, sunshine-y June afternoon.
But the #1 reason your stuff isn’t selling is soooo simple, you’re probably going to laugh. Or cry. Y’know, depending on how you process things. 🙂
So what is it? I’ll tell ya.
Your program isn’t selling because you wrote a sales page that speaks to you – not one that speaks to your people.
What does that mean, exactly? Lemme break it down.
Let’s pretend for a quick sec that you’re a relationship coach. You’ve done a ton of work on yourself and you’re now the queen of super-awesome relationships. You’ve got a ridiculously hot husband, a hip, meticulously-decorated house most peeps your age would DIE for (with or without the white picket fence, because really…do houses even have white picket fences anymore?) and maybe even a kiddo or two created from you + your hub’s awesomeness.
But it wasn’t always this way. You actually were once a huge, hot mess in the ‘ships department – like so crazy that you’d creep by your high school sweetheart’s house over + over + over in your blue Ford Focus just to make sure he was actually eating spaghetti with his parents like he told you…and NOT secretly hanging out (read: banging) that Avril Lavigne look-a-like who shot him flirty glances in study hall. (Except, in your defense, he actually WAS, so, I mean…)
But the point? You went through a MAJOR transformation in how you think about relationships (and life) – and so YOU know creating a good, quality relationship is about sooo much more than the stuff you think it’s about – like looking flawlessly gorgeous in your LBD and catching up on the NYT so you know WTF to talk about on a first date. (And yes – all those acronyms were TOTALLY necessary, BTW.)
YOU know nabbing a wonderful man who treats you like a freaking princess (who can also totally take care of herself, obvs) is about loving up on yourself big time and accepting who you are and having passions outside of your relationship.
So what’s the issue? Well, most of your dream clients – the women who totally NEED your stuff – aren’t Googling things like, “How do I accept myself so a man will love me?” (Okay, they MIGHT be.) But most likely they’re actually typing in shizz like, “Why is everyone else around me picking out expensive ass wedding gowns and I’m still painfully single, ladeling Ben + Jerry’s into my mouth – alone – every Friday night?” or “Why do I keep attracting broke, ambition-less ex-cons who only want me because I’ve got a hefty amount of zero’s in my bank account?”)
YOU know the answers to those questions. YOU know finding true love starts with loving yourself and all that good stuff.
But your dream clients don’t. And worse? They don’t even realize that self love and acceptance is their problem because they don’t know what you know!
Now, you can (and should, and will, damn it) provide them with all that information + goodness in your program. Because that’s what you know, what you’re good at…and it’s what they need to know to get what they want.
But you are NOT – I repeat, ARE NOT – going to make the idea of self love/acceptance the crux of your sales page, ya hear me? Because YOUR DREAM CLIENTS JUST WANT A SWEET, WARM BODY TO COZY UP WITH ON FRIDAY NIGHT, WHO’LL SHAMELESSLY HOLD THEIR HAND THROUGH THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (for the third time)…AND WHO (HOPEFULLY) DOESN’T CARRY A SWITCHBLADE IN HIS BACK POCKET.
So what do you do instead?
YOU SELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT, BUT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
You’re going to tell them that your program covers every.little.thing. they need to know to nab the ultimate, perfect-for-them kinda guy. You’re going to tell them that if they buy your program, they’re gonna learn exactly how to turn themselves into a good-guy-magnet so they never have to run a $29.99 background check on their next date – just in case – ever again.
You’re going to make sure your sales page speaks to them – in the way they speak about their problems in their heads. (Need a bitta help gettin’ inside your prospect’s heads? I wrote a totally fun [and non-creepy] post on how to read your dream client’s minds.)
You’re gonna delete anything that sounds like straight up “coach” speak (ahem, authenticity + clarity).
And, as always, you’re going to give it a touch of flair + personality by telling your story + throwing in some of your signature slang and/or references to other shizz you dig. (Need help with that? Crushworthy Sales Copy’s got ya covered.)
And then? You’re going to sit back, relax + pour yourself a nice, tall, sweet glass of moscato as you watch the sales roll in, because congrats, beautiful – you’ve just written a sales page for your program that’s actually gonna SELL.
Trust me on this one (especially the moscato).
by Erica | Jun 3, 2014 | Business Design, Inspiration, MoneyMoneyMoney
If there’s anybody out there who knows how scary it is to raise their prices, it’s me.
Now, here’s the real real: There are a lot of copywriters out there who charge much higher prices than I do. (And yes, I realize the absurdity of this given that my tagline includes the word “couture.”) I’ve had this brought to my attention by nearly everyone – clients, business coaches, colleagues, you name it.
And while working on our money mindset is all the rage these days (and we’re constantly bombarded with messages like, “Charge what you’re worthy, honey!”), I still don’t think it’s cool when someone busts into a new scene and demands top dollar. I think you’ve got to work up to charging higher prices. Y’know, that whole “It’s a privilege, not a right” deal. I don’t mind earning my chops (although let’s be real…I’ve been writing online for money over years.)
So I’ve kept my prices decent and affordable for new business owners, who are also some of my fave people to work with.
And it’s all been gravy…until lately.
Nowadays, it feels like my lower-ish rates are starting to backfire on me.
How so, you ask?
Well, I’m inundated with client work. And while I love ’em all, unfortunately my time/energy/loveliness has been spread far too thin. I’ve noticed my quality of work slipping (and with it, my illusions of shorter workdays, where the second half is spent making mad cash while sipping moscato on a park bench…except, you know, legal). I’ve had to call myself out for lazy writing (telling, not showing) quite a few times.
And then a few weeks back, I really hit an all-time low. I realized I had stopped thinking about prospects in terms of “good fit,” “bad fit” and whether or not I’m excited/turned on by the client/business… and starting thinking in terms of dollah signs.
As in…if I work with this person and this person and this person (no names used) and charge this much, I can afford to pay my health insurance bill this month.
Ugh.
I did not get into business to treat clients like they’re just a means to money in the bank.
Hell to the no.
I want to make sure this business stays fun and my writing stays fresh (so that, y’know, it actually works for my people). So it feels really out of integrity with my bigger mission – to empower women business owners to share their shit and own their fabulousness – to continue doing what I’ve been doing (which is pumping out copy like a well-manicured machine, without having the time/energy to truly connect with my clients). So I’ve decided to do something that terrifies me and a LOT of other women: re-evaluate my prices.
Cue the dun, dun, duuuuun.
But here’s the deal: I know I’ve helped clients usher in thousands upon thousands of dollars. I know I’ve helped others break through years of overwhelm, frustration and just “not getting it right”-ness. So my value is apparent. It’s real. Tangible, even.
And although it’d obvs be nice to be able to afford a Birkin or pair of Louboutins as a result of changing up my prices, that’s not what this is about AT ALL. I want to be able to pay my bills, sure, but my re-evaluation is more about feeling OKAY with who I am as a businesswoman and person.
If you’re floatin’ in the same boat (as in working your talented butt off for clients and still struggling to pay bills and feeling terrible about your sub-par customer service), I’ve pulled together a few pieces of wisdom to make you feel better about raising your own prices. Because seriously….in certain cases, asking for more makes you a better human being, not worse.
Read on, yo.
So, why will charging more make you a better, more responsible and sometimes even more likable human?
1. You’re more relaxed when you make more cash. I have existed on PB&J sandwiches for weeks, and let me tell you, it’s not as awesome as it sounds. It’s much nicer to know that rent will get paid, the cats will have Fancy Feast and I can buy organic carrots without calling it a “splurge.” And the best part is, when you’re relaxed, you treat everyone with more respect. Better human? Totes.
2. You can focus on loving up the clients you ALREADY have. Your current clients should never feel neglected. Nurturing the relationships you’ve already got is key to your biz success…and to being a good human. When you don’t have to hustle like the rent’s due all the time, you can actually breathe, do good work and y’know, respond to your client’s emails in a timely manner. (And remember it costs 10x more to find a new customer than hang onto a current one.)
3. You can switch from promotion mode to creation mode. When you need 20 clients a month just to stay above water, you’re probably promoting yourself A LOT, instead of taking time to develop kickass content/courses TO promote. Content isn’t just an amazing way to show people you know your shit, it’s also valuable to those people. You’re helping them! Don’t you feel like a better human just thinking about that?
4. You can use the extra time to cultivate a stronger brand. When we’re drowning in client work, we often neglect our own brands, but seriously, how people perceive your business is everything. Once you raise your rates, you can spend time working on perfecting every aspect of your brand, including your customer experience…which admittedly, might kinda suck right now. How can you make working with you a more fun, personal, high-touch process? Why not funnel some of that extra coin back into deee-lighting your clients with snazzy cards and I don’t know…lipglosses? I mean, what human wouldn’t love opening up their mailbox to a cool new MAC lipgloss from the lady they just hired? Exactly. They = lookin’ fly and you = BETTER HUMAN.
5. You can set stronger boundaries. With mo’ cash flow rolling in, you can start saying “No” to non-dream clients more often (and not have to worry your cell will start ringing off the hook with bill collectors). When you say “No” to peeps who don’t really do it for ya, you open up the opportunity for them to find a service/product provider who’s as invested in their project as they are. And that, my dear, is some good human type shit. Once you’ve figured out who you love, why waste time (theirs or yours) with anybody else?
There ya have it, girlfriends. Five reasons why you should STOP selling for peanuts and become a better human being. Now get out there and BE GOOD!
// YOUR TURN!
I’d love to hear about your own experiences with raising your prices. Do you think it’s made you a better businesswoman/human? What changes have you noticed in how you show up in your business and the world? Where are you able to focus now that you weren’t before? And if you’ve never raised your prices, what would you like to have more time, energy, space to focus on that you can’t now?
P.S. If you’re interested in learning more how to raise your prices and elevate your brand through unique-to-you premium offerings, sit tight, beaut. I’ll be talking a lot more about this in the coming weeks…and maaaaybe even be able to help you do so at a low, BETA rate. Add your name to my list (using the cute sign-up box below) to make sure you don’t miss the big announcement!
by Erica | May 15, 2014 | Copylicious
I don’t normally write posts like this.
In all honesty, I really don’t like to tell people what to do or not do. I’m a rock-solid advocate for trusting your intuition and doing what feels right in your own heart when it comes to your business. I think at the end of the day, you know your ideal clients better than anyone else (you’re usually only a few steps ahead of them in the game, anyway) and I don’t think someone on “the outside” can truly know what will resonate with them better than you.
Plus, I am a totally off-the-beaten-path kinda girl myself, and I like to push the envelope (however slowly).
So don’t get it twisted. I love when I see people doing business differently – and I especially love when I see those crazy antics paying off.
What I don’t love is when I see brands trying too hard to be different…and totally missing the mark.
In online biz, your success really depends on how easily you are able to build trust with your brand. And when your brand is the wild child of your niche – and if that doesn’t exactly vibe with either your own personality, or other’s perceptions of you – it can totally kill your brand, point blank.
But as always, this is totally avoidable.
Here are 5 copy no-no’s that almost always crush your credibility:
1. Dropping f-bombs for no reason.
Girls, don’t get me wrong. I love a well-placed “fuck” or “shit” or other profanity. It’s proven that surprises like this jolt people back into the moment – which is fabulous when you’re trying to hold someone’s attention for long periods of time.
But when overused? All the obscenities can become trite, not to mention they really can damage your credibility IF people don’t think they’re authentic.
If you’re a brand that prides itself on it’s large corporate sponsorships, throwing out a buncha expletives doesn’t exactly make sense from a branding point of view.
For a brand like mine, however? I don’t go no fucks and I do what I want. (See what I did there?)
2. Getting TOO sexy.
Obviously, I love sexy. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with sex or intrigue or mystique (in fact, it’s my Fascination Factor).
What I don’t love is when people go overboard. There’s a very fine line being sexy-classy and being sexy-trashy.
Of course, it works for some brands. But I’m going to bet unless sex is an integral slice of your brand identity, it’s probably throwing people off more than anything.
Is there a better way to create a sense of “gotta-have-this-ness”? In most cases, yes. I like to keep the sexiness more subtle than overt, and I think it works.
3. Giving yourself a totally unrecognizable title.
It’s all the rage these days to NOT want to call yourself what you actually are. If you’re a health coach, you want to be a “smoothie-wielding warrior”…and never mention your coaching credential at all.
I think all that is fine + dandy..until you create a title for yourself that NOBODY understands. Again, creativity is one thing. But as always, clear trumps clever and at the end of the day, what people really want to know is what the heck you are and what you can do for them.
Still tempted to use a fancy-schmancy title? Think of it this way: Your TITLE does not have to include YOUR MESSAGE. Your overall message is better off making an appearance in your tagline. Keep your title simple, if only for SEO purposes (because no search engine knows what a “dream activator” is, promise).
4. Choosing “fun” words over “power” words.
There are certain words guaranteed to inspire action on your clients. (Seriously – just Google “power words” and you’ll get thousands of results.)
Sometimes, unfortunately, these words aren’t super fun. Or hip. Or even that creative. (Case in point: “Imagine” and “you” are among the top most powerful words you can use in your copy. Not exactly Pulitzer Prize material, non?)
I want you to know that it’s okay NOT to sound hip in every sentence of your copy. In fact, most of the time you probably shouldn’t – you should just sound straightforward, clear and like you know what the heck you’re talking about.
5. Not being your damn self.
I know how really freaking hard it can be to drown out the incessant noise from other people in your industry, or even other entrepreneurs in general. Seriously though – if you ever want your true voice to emerge, you gotta stop letting others voices seep into your own.
How can you do this? Pare down your email subscriptions, stop obsessively stalking your mentors and just do your own damn thing for at least 30 days. I love to use 750Words.com every morning just to whip up some writing of my own, before I’ve let any noise from the day enter my brain.
The less chatter you take in, the more your real voice will radiate out. But you have to give it space to take shape.
When you start using your real voice, that’s when the magic happens.
Dig this post?
Are you guilty of a copy faux pas? Tell me all about it in the comments. And if you want more tips like these, be sure to head on over and check out my e-book Crushworthy Sales Copy 101 that’s chock full of good advice on how to write in a way that sounds like you and makes cash, too.
copywriter for lady rebelles, trendy tastemakers + spiritual sellers.
