biz tips + tools Archives

Bring More Personality to Your Copy with the Brand Handful Method

A strong brand is one of the most underrated tools of a successful business.

It’s a powerful way to build the know-like-trust factor with your audience.

It turns your business feel real and like a three-dimensional person — and because people buy from people, this is a huge help when it comes to making sales online.

Plus, it just makes your work more FUN to incorporate tastes of the things you love. (And who doesn’t want more of that?!)

And the truth is, it’s really, really, really easy to create a strong brand through your copy. It actually takes just two steps.
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My Simple Pre-Writing Practice for Focused, Heartfelt Words

For a long time, I thought stress was the cost of getting things done.

You need to do something, so you feel stress…

And when the pain of that stress gets too high, you get moving and shizz gets done.

But what I realized recently…

Is that it’s possible to get things done without the high cost of stress.

I know. Bonkers, right? But it’s true.

One of the best practices I’ve discovered in my quest to feel less stress and more joy in running a business is my simple writing prayer. It takes about 30 seconds to do and it instantly soothes my stress and helps me find a sense of purpose in writing. Keep Reading »

7 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Write

Some days (or weeks…or months) the last thing you want to do is write.

Words don’t come easily, ideas get stuck in your head, and nothing sounds right. You’d rather pluck out your beautiful little eyeballs with a hairpin than try to bang out one more blog post.

I get it.

BUT…

Writing is how we DO THINGS in online marketing. From emails to sales pages to website copy, your words keep your business running.

Over the years, I’ve developed 7 go-to strategies to keep me moving on days that I really don’t feel like writing. (Yes, I totally get them, too!)

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Double your productivity, without doubling your time

I recently read an idea that set of fireworks in my head.

It can completely change the way you approach your time, your projects, and your marketing (and get you a bunch of stuff fo’ FREE.)

I discovered this genius nugget when I read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad — which is kind of a beginner’s guide to money management. Or, I should say, a beginner’s guide to alternative punk rock money management…because it goes against some of the traditional advice in favor of more entrepreneurial ideas.

One idea I absolutely love is that when it comes to investments, you always want to get something for free.

Let me explain — and give you 6 ways you can use this proven money-making strategy in your business…

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6 Ways I Mix Business with Pleasure

This spring and summer, work had been feeling a lot likework.

And I’m okay with that. I’m not one of those people who thinks every day should feel like a chocolate-covered rainbow with puppies on top.

But the tasks on my list felt like such an effort.Less like finishing a good, challenging workout and more like running a marathon on a humid 100-degree day.

Ever felt like that?

I got inspiration from an unexpected place and realized I had been doing “work” wrong for most of my life.

I’m happy to report I’ve found 6 awesome tactics to up my pleasure quotient. Read on if you’ve been stuck in work quicksand, too. Keep Reading »

How to Name Your Program with the Golden Trio Naming Method

I’m not a naming savant.

Naming programs, modules, webinars, strategies, you name it, is actually my very least favorite task as a copywriter.

The Golden Trio Naming Method works precisely because I’m NOT a natural.

I had to find a way to make it really easy when my clients came to me in need or the perfect name for their thing. That’s when I developed this simple three-step naming strategy that works every time.

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3 Time-Saving Ways to Repurpose Your Content

Okay, so we can all agree that blogging takes a lot of time.

It can take 4, 5, 6+ hours to create a really great piece of content.

And for most entrepreneurs…the payoff begins and ends with the blog post.

But what if there were a way to extend that payoff? To put that handful of hours to work for your business not just in the form of a blog post…but of much, much more?

That, my friend, is the whole idea behind repurposing your content.

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When failure brings you somewhere great

That day is still so clear in my mind.

It was my 23rd birthday. Old friends had flown into Chicago to stay with us for a few days. It was freezing outside when I went down to get the mail. I reached in and pulled out a small stack of letters.

There it was: an envelope from the University of Hartford.

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If you’re having a hard week, this is for you.

Please forgive any typos. I didn’t plan to post this today.

I had my regularly-scheduled copywriting tip ready to go, all neat and organized.

But I have this niggling feeling in my gut that you might need this instead.

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7 questions that get better client testimonials

One thing we all want as business owners?

More and better client testimonials.

And with good reason…

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

68% of buyers read reviews as they’re building their short-list of purchase options.

71% of people agree that consumer reviews make them more comfortable that they’re buying the right product/service.

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