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Supercharge Your Blog Post Titles with These Words

What matters most when it comes to copywriting and creating great titles and headlines is the ability to trigger an emotion. The right words will prompt readers to click on the title and take action.

Certain adjectives will trigger curiousity. Other adjectives will trigger a fear of missing out or allude to specialized knowledge. These emotionally charged words are powerful when you use them in your titles and headlines.

The right verbs and adjectives will turn an average blog post title into a clickable and shareable blog post title.

“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”~David Ogilvy

Nouns

  • Hack
  • Secrets
  • Tricks
  • Tips
  • Mistakes

Adjectives

  • Great
  • Urgent
  • Awesome
  • Super
  • Cool
  • Secret
  • Sexy
  • Rock-solid
  • Best
  • Top
  • Quick
  • Fast
  • Ultimate
  • Effective
  • Efficient
  • Amazing
  • Shocking
  • Explosive
  • Unbelievable
  • Stupid
  • Dumb
  • Exciting
  • Dangerous
  • Enticing
  • Funny
  • Free
  • Huge
  • Special
  • Massive
  • Exclusive
  • Pretty
  • Worst
  • Bullshit
  • Mega
  • Creative
  • Brilliant
  • Fantastic
  • Total
  • Continuous
  • Master
  • Proven
  • Bad Ass
  • Kick-Ass
  • Magnetic
  • Easy
  • Magic
  • Miracle
  • Sensational
  • Bargain
  • Remarkable

Descriptive words are more clickable. They entice the reader more because they entertain a reader’s imagination.

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Grow Your Copywriting Business with Guest Blogging

Getting started in copywriting can be difficult when you don’t have writing samples and no one knows your name. That is where guest blogging comes into play! Guest blogging can not only help you gain experience, but it can help you to identify some excellent opportunities.

Creating Backlinks to Your Website

Your online website is the perfect place to showcase your blogging and copywriting talent. However, you probably won’t be listed on the first page of Google without backlinks to your website. Guest blogging can help you out with that. Most websites will have a biography to credit to the guest blogger. This is where you can add a link back to your website.

Sometimes, you will use your online Google avatar. The link will direct readers back to your website.

Get Well-Known Within Your Niche

When you start out in copywriting, unless you have been super active in multiple forums across many platforms, most people won’t know your name. In business, people like to hire those individuals that they know, like and trust. When people start to see you participating in groups and forums, they will become familiar with you.

As you gain more experience writing for the niche, you may even build a following. This can help you market yourself even more. When you have followers who read your work, you can charge more for your writing knowing that more people will be reading it.

Get Those Necessary Writing Samples

Business owners like to see examples of someone’s writing before they hire you to write a blog post. Sometimes they will ask for a test piece when you apply for a position. Other times they want to see that you have been published by other companies.

This will give the companies a feel for what your writing voice sounds like. They can see how well you connect with their audience. When you offer to write a guest blog post, it creates a deadline for you. No longer can you procrastinate creating those needed writing samples for your website! You have a deadline to meet!

Earn Some Cash With Guest Blogging

Most guest blogging opportunities are not paid, so don’t expect to be paid for every guest blog post that you write. However, there are some companies that will compensate you for your well-written and researched blog posts.

Brain, Child

Alaska Parent

Adoptive Families

Family Tree Magazine

Genealogy related articles.

MetroParent

Parenting magazine for families in Southeast Michigan.

The Penny Hoarder

Personal finance website with around 10 million visitors.

Doctor of Credit

For people who need help with their credit.

DailyWorth

Personal finance site for women.

The Motley Fool

Finance website. They offer a chance to work for them for pay.

  • -Apply/Pitch/Submit Page: http://careers.fool.com/openings/
  • -Pay: $100 per article, more if you get hired
  • -Author Page/Byline: Yes
  • -Links allowed in Author Page/Byline: No

Elite Personal Finance

Personal finance website focusing on personal loans and credit cards.

Better Homes and Gardens

Focusing on: health, parenting, travel, and education.

Bless This List

Looks for unusual stories to share.

Belt Magazine

General interest magazine focusing on the “Rust Belt” of the United States.

The Kernel

They publish everything from tech to religion.

Gawker Media

Gawker is a news site, and they publish reported stories and essays.

  • -Apply/Pitch/Submit Page: http://gawker.com/about
  • -Pay: Contact them to find out how much.
  • -Author Page/Byline: Yes
  • -Links allowed in Author Page/Byline: Yes

The Mix

They had out daily writing assignments, so submit a pitch.

  • -Apply/Pitch/Submit Page: http://themix.hearst.com/
  • -Pay: Yes, but join to find out
  • -Author Page/Byline: Yes
  • -Links allowed in Author Page/Byline: Yes, but they are not hyperlinked

Eureka Street

Promotes Jesuit spirituality. Topics covered range from the environment to popular culture.

Narratively

Collection of stories on the human condition.

  • -Apply/Pitch/Submit Page: http://narrative.ly/contribute/
  • -Pay: Unspecified
  • -Author Page/Byline: Yes
  • -Links allowed in Author Page/Byline: just a list of posts by the author

ListVerse

ListVerse is a fun website covering any topic under the sun in a list format.

The Washington Post

Insights from common people on the street. Everyone has a chance if you can write well.

Cracked

Funny and biting articles.

Upworthy

Offers an alternative view on everything from fitness to business.

Conclusion

Guest blogging is a great way to get your foot in the door as a copywriter. Get started today by reaching out to some of the above blogs and pitching story ideas.

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How to Write Copy That Turns Website Visitors Into Customers with Marie Forleo

Today, I’m going to review the lessons that Marie Forleo teaches us in her video, Marketing Strategy: How to Write Copy That Turns Website Visitors Into Customers. She gives some great gems that all copywriters should be following.

It is always a good idea to look to other copywriters and more successful people for tips on how to improve your own writing practices.

Peanut butter is one of those things that gets the mind going in one of those directions.

These tweaks will help you connect better with your target market. She answers a question from Dr. Cheryl.

“Hi Everyone, I created my site 15 years ago without the help of this program. Marie goes over the website and critiques it in this video.

The Spotlight Method (1:34)

In business, the spotlight can either be on you or your customers. If the spotlight is on you, it is highlighting your passions, your goals and your cleverness.

When you shift the spotlight to your customers, you focus in on their aspirations, their goals, their passion. Your focus then becomes the people that you serve.

Most people get this wrong especially when it comes to our writing. In business, we know that our customers want to feel seen, heard and acknowledged.

Dr. Cheryl’s Website Example (2:37)

As you can see, Dr. Cheryl has a beautiful, clean website. The header reads, “Dr. Cheryl is the go-to Modern Day guru of mindful loving.” The problem with this header is that it is about Dr. Cheryl. It is missing a hook for the website visitor. If they’re coming to this website, most likely the visitor is looking for help with their relationship, not a mindful guru.

Most people don’t even know what a mindful guru is! Let alone how one would help with relationships.

So, how do we fix this?

Change the Header to Be Customer Focused (3:22)

Using the Spotlight method, we can write some new headlines that are more customer focused. Here are some ideas:

  • Need Relationship Help? Let me help you get your love back on track.
  • Get the Passionate Playful Relationship You Want. I’ll Show You How.
  • Relationship in Trouble? Let’s get your Love Life Back On Track.

You can see how these are more customer focused than Dr. Cheryl focused. If you landed on the page now, you would feel more like Dr. Cheryl understands and wants to help.

What are some other areas that can be customer focused?

The Navigation (4:26)

The navigation bar is another area where you can focus in on the customer. Many people may not even think about this.

The current navigation has “What I have to Share,” which is all about Cheryl and not about the customer’s problems. A simpler navigation inspired by the Spotlight method will include

  1. About
  2. Services
  3. Couples Workshop
  4. Resources
  5. Connect

These are all simple things that the customer might be looking for when they land on her website. Services, Resources, Connecting are all clear, customer focused language.

Having a navigation bar will put the focus on the customer rather than you. :

How Can You Bring the Spotlight on to Your Customers? (7:23)

The last part of the video, Marie engages her audience. She asks, “What is one piece of copy on your website where you can use the Spotlight method?”

She also leaves us with a promotion for her program at http://thecopycure.com.

Remember, Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams!

Watch the whole video here:

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Top 12 Reasons to Start a Blog Today

Many people toy with the idea of starting their own blog. The ones who stick with it and consistently blog will actually create a valuable asset that earns them money and connects them to other interesting people. 

So, what are some other great reasons to start a blog?

1) Blogging is Still Alive and Well

Many people may assume that it is dead, but it is one of the best ways to establish your expertise and influence. Regular posts will help to show your expertise in any area. 

It certainly isn’t as easy as it was in 2002, but blog posts lend to great influence online as well as in business.

2) Create a Support System

Over the years, you have to face many challenging decisions. These range from whether to quityou job, move aborad or get involved in exciting business ventures. Sometimes family members mya not understnad your dilemma or be supportive. However often blog readers become the support system that you don’t have in real life.

This is especially helpful early on before you see results. Your support system can encourage you to keep going through the tough times that you want to quit. 

3) Get People Hanging on Your Every Word

Well, they’ll be hanging on the words that you write for your blog. 

As your audience grows, people will start caring about what you have to say. We have become a world where so many people don’t have a voice. To become an influencer is a  powerful thing. 

4) A REAL Reason to go on Social Media

If you’re anything like me, you’ve wasted hours on social media and want to break that habit. However, now your social media presence, whether it is Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Pinterest will have some meaning. 

Social Media is the free tool that bloggers use to promote their blogs. 

5) Worldwide Friendships

You will connect with people who are all over the world that speak the same language you do. Maybe even some that don’t with Google Translate!

I have met people from Australia to Singapore through the wondderful world of blogging. 

Blogging is a great way to gain friendships. 

6) Improve Your Writing

Writing is one of the best skills that you can learn to be successful online. Blogs help you to practice writing. Not only will your content improve as you blog, but your blog gives you a way to test out different styles of writing and refine your voice. 

As you gain experience getting people interested in your topic, you can practice engaging and entertaining them. 

The sky’s the limit!

7) Adds Consistency to Life

The biggest key to success  online is consistency. However, it can somtimes be tough to know what to work on. When it comees to blogging, you set and post a schedule. This provides you with the consistency that you need. 

Working on a daily blog acan be a great way to hone and develop good habits. These will see you towards real success over the long run. 

8) Free Experiences

As your audience grows, you’ll have more opportunities come your way. If you work diligently at it, the chance for free or sponsored experiences will be some of the most powerful events in your life. 
Health bloggers often get free samples of the latest products to review. Travel bloggers often can stay free at hotels in exchange for a review. 

Remember, bloggers are influencers too. Many people look to bloggers to discover the best things to do in an area, the top rated fsoftware or the latest exercise tren

9) Gain Internet Skills

The internet is here to stay. Only kowing Word and Excel won’t cut it anymore. A blog is a useful and fun way to learn what the hell you are doing on the interenet. 

Blogs provide you with the technical skills that are beneficial today. 

Not sure where to begin? Start with your favorite topics that you enjoy reading about online. Can you create a blog from those?

10) Make Extra Money

You can turn your blog into a full-fledged business. It can be a nice side income through affiliate marketing. You can use the blog to advertise on as well. 

Your blog can be used to promote an online course to create a steady cash flow. You can sell guest posting spots when your audience becomes large enough.

11) Learn Photo Editing

Knowing how to make your photosstand out among everyone else’s. It can go a long way when it comes to gaining followers and adding creditbility that many don’t have. 

The photo below has been featured on numerous websites, blogs and even Golf Digest. 

The Old Course Hotel at St. Andrews at Sunrise.Sunrise on the most famous golf course in the world last October: St. Andrews.

12) Attract Copywriting Job Offers

Blog posts allow you to demonstrate your skill and knowledge of a subject. People may stumble upon your blog and offer you a job to guest post on their blog, or speak at an event. Maintaining a blog positions you as an expert on a topic. 

Many people who start blogs will end up with offers from clients who need web copy either in the form of blogs or newsletters. 

As you can see, blogging helps you to develop many, useful skills. It gproduces lots of opportunities to connect with people and gives you a chance to monetize your efforts if you choose to do so. So, what are you waiting for? Stat your blog today! 

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How to Make a Logo for Your Business with LogoAi

A logo will help you to establish your brand. This can help to build trust. It makes you appear more professional as well. When we think of a company, often the first thing that comes to mind is their logo. Therefore, a great logo is important.

Today, I’m going to go over the steps of building a professional looking logo in LogoAi because I’m currently searching for the perfect logo for my own brand!

What is LogoAi?

LogoAi is an online logo maker that helps business owners to create professional logos.

How Artificial Intelligence can be used for creating logos?

I’m not sure what type of Artificial intelligence is used for the logos. They have many templates and concepts to select from. This will give you a lot of great ideas about colors, styles and symbols.

Once you have selected the logo that you want, you can purchase it through their website.

When not use a free logo maker online?

LogoAi allows you to use a clean interface. It also allows you more options and you can edit it to match your website colors for better branding.

Getting Started

First, go to the LogoAi website.

 

Enter your business name into the box and click the “make logo” button.

After you’ve clicked the button, you’ll be taken to a page with 10-12 logos. The top of the page gives you the option to add a slogan and search for symbols.

Click on the one that you like the most and you’ll be give the opportunity to edit it. 

You can enter a slogan for your business that helps to define what you do. I’m currently testing out the slogan “captivating copywriting” for my business.

I searched for some symbols that go along with writing and there was what looked like the tip of a fountain pen, an open book and what looked like a feather. Not a ton of symbols for the writing niche, but they did look modern and sleek.

Once you have entered your business name, slogan and selected a symbol, simply click on the “Make More” button.

They will make more logos for you. You can edit them and select a different font or change out the colors.

Below is the logo that I came up with for my copywriting website.

 

LogoAi is very simple and intuitive when it comes to creating logos. While I would have appreciated more symbols for copywriting, I was pleased with how easy it was to create my own logo.

Editing the Logo:

There are four ways to edit your logo on the editing page:

  1. Text
  2. Symbol
  3. Font
  4. Colors

The selection that you will have will be based on the logo that you choose. The text allows you to write in your name and slogan. You can change the font size, letter spacing and line spacing of your business name and slogan.

 

The Font section allows you to swap out the font that you use. you can select from vintage, futuristic, handwritten and modern type fonts.

The colors section allows you to select the color for the icon and text. You can also reverse and have the text colored with the background white. For this design, there weren’t a lot of colors to choose from. However, it was easy to test out different colors with the click of a mouse. Another great feature was the gradient. You didn’t have to have a solid color.

 

 

LogoAi Pricing:

Creating the logos are free, but if you actually want to use one you’ll have to purchase it. The pricing is very affordable for start-ups with the basic low resolution logo costing only $29.

 

 

The professional package will get you a high-resolution JPG, vector EPS and PDF files, black and white inversions and brand guidelines with the ability to make changes and re-download.

Finally, the Designer assist package costs $99. It provides you with the same things in the professional package along with 3 custom revisions with one of their designers for a personal touch.

 

Review:

LogoAi is a great way to get a logo for a new business. It will help you establish your online brand quickly at a low cost. LogoAi is perfect for startups, blogs, coaches and consultants who are establishing themselves online.

 

LogoAi Ratings

 


Overall

4/5

  • User Interface – Easy to Use! 
  • Pricing – Affordable – great for startups! 
  • Editing Features – Basic
  • Available Symbols – Limited in my niche

LogoAI’s user interface is very simple and straightforward. This will help you to quickly make the logo that your business needs. 

The editing features allow you to customize your logo and really make it your own.

The pricing is perfect for any startup, online coach or new website blog. It is much more affordable than a designer and can be customized a bit more than the free online logo makers.

The one area that I wish was more extensive was the available symbols for the writing niche. However, they did have a few great ones that are easily recognizable and customizable. 

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Create Email Copy that Converts – 5 Tips for Writing Better Newsletters

Today, I’m reviewing the Youtube video by Ashlyn Writes. Ashlyn Writes gives you five simple tips to getting your emails opened in her video.

It is very important to get in touch with your clients through your newsletter. Once you build your list, you need to send out regular emails for your list. This will build a great relationship with your readers.

So, how do you get them to open your emails?

How can you serve your email list?

Come at the newletters with the attitude that you’ll serve your list so well that even if they don’t buy from you, you’ll be happy.

The First Tip is to Use a Formula. An easy way to know what to say with your newsletter is to start with the end in mind. Think about what your audience is trying to achieve. Perhaps you write 3 Tips to Get X accomplished or An Easy Action to Get a Win.

The Second Tip is to Use a Great Subject Line. The subject line is the first and only opportunity that someone has to interact with your email. Therefore, it is important to make it great. Ashlyn recommends starting a swipe file of outstanding subject lines.

The Third Tip is to write conversationally. Write to your audience as you would speak to them. Writing conversationally will help you to sound less robotic. We don’t read online like we used to. When it comes to sales copy, the grammar rules don’t always apply and they can be bent.

Use line breaks. It will help visually not to see a sea of text.

The Fourth Tip is to ensure that you Land in their Inbox. Let’s face it, you don’t want to go to all the trouble of writing a great email newsletter only to have it end up in spam.

There are four main things that can impact whether your email lands in the spam folder or not – subscriber engagement, limiting negative metrics, authentication, and content.

Think about content. Emails from Target, J Crew, etc. tend to end up in your promotion folder if you’re a gmail user. This is because they tend to have many images and complex HTML. Plain, simple emails tend to end up in the inbox.

Ashlyn Writes recommends ConvertKit email marketing services.

The final tip that Ashlyn Writes recommends is that you keep it to one call to action per email. Make it super clear what you want the reader to do.

Bonus Tip: Split test your subject lines. ConvertKit allows you to easily put in two subject lines that will be sent to 50% of your readers.

This was a pretty simple video that shared easy to implement tips for beginning copywriters. It is nice that it was only 9 minutes. Ashlyn Writes promotes her favorite email service in it. So, you may want to check out ConvertKit.

Watch it here:

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How to Write Email Copy that Gets Opened – 11 Tips to Get Readers to Click

Struggling with a low open rate is a real concern for businesses that are building their email list and trying to connect with their customers through email. Not only are you missing out on potential sales, but you are also paying for an email service without your list even reading your content. No good!

We’ve discovered some of the ways to get your emails to stand out in the inbox.

“When it comes to email marketing, the best subject lines tellwhat’s inside, and the worst subject lines sell what’s inside.”
— MailChimp

11 Tips for Email Subject Lines That Get Opened

  1. Promise something exceptional. If your free giveaway is run-of-the-mill, not one will bother opening it. However, if people know specifically what they’ll learn and it is outstanding information that will improve their lives, you better believe they’re going to click on your email. They’ll be dying to read more.
  2. Use powerful words. Emotional and sensory words will attract attention. Use words that trigger emotion or involve the senses to stand out in their inbox.
  3. Use a number. Numbers will stand out in an inbox because they aren’t words. Your eyes will be drawn to them and it will stimulate curiosity. Numbers tend to stop wandering eyes. Share a statistic or the number of benefits your readers will have when they read your email.
  4. Generate curiosity. I tend to delete half of the emails that I read because I can tell from a bland headline that they will likely be selling me something I don’t need or care about. However, the great copywriters will trigger my curiosity with unique or bizarre words. They may share some unusual information that isn’t common knowledge.
  5. Use common mistakes. Admit it, you’ve opened one of those emails that starts out, “Avoid these common mistakes when buying your…” We all want to be smart when making purchases. Therefore, we want to know what the common mistakes that other buyers are making. You want to be smarter than the average buyer out there.
  6. Use simple and specific subject lines. Trying to be too clever or use alliteration in every subject line may be a bit too much for your audience. People want to cut to the chase quickly. They don’t want to waste their time. Copywriting isn’t about flowery language, similes and metaphors. Save that for English class. Be succinct.
  7. Mix it up. After a while, the same things don’t work in email marketing. It is good to mix up your emails with a different style or different message. If you only send out sales promotions, your readers will stop reading them when they don’t want to buy something. However, if you send out some informational emails, some sales promotions and some useful training videos, your audience may take more interest in your emails. They may stand out a bit more.
  8. Learn from the masters. Subscribe to your competitors email lists. Analyze and take note of their subject lines. You’re bound to learn something from your competitors.
  9. Know your audience. Knowing your audience’s hopes, fears and desires is key to appealing to them. If your target market is senior citizens, they won’t be opening emails about how to pay for college. Most of them have already paid for college and are more interested in funding a retirement. Make sure that every email you send is targeted to your list.
  10. Use a call to action. A call to action will generate a sense of urgency and a fear of missing out. For example, “Grab your tickets for X before they sell out!” The headline not only tells the reader to do something, it also lets them know that without action, they may miss out on a great event.
  11. 56% of brands using an emoji in their email subject line had a higher open rate than those that did not. Jazzing your subject line up with an emoji is a good way to draw attention to your email.

Examples of Great Headlines

Sumo’s Best subject lines provide us with some examples of their top headlines.

Subject Line                                                                                           Open Rate
1. I was right – and that’s not good for you                                                69%
2. 13 email marketing trends you must know                                          64%
3. Before you write another blog post, read this                                      61%
4. Are we still on for 12?                                                                                61%
5. You don’t want FOMO do you?                                                                 60%
6. We’re starting in 5 HOURS                                                                        59%
7. Missed you, how’s Thursday?                                                                   59%
8. How 35 influencers grew their sites from 0-10K visitors                   57%
9. It’s time to rethink Black Friday                                                               57%
10. How to Google-proof your mobile site in 2017                                   53%

As you examine these headlines, you notice that they use the 11 tips that I mention in their emails. Each email either promises something great, generates curiosity, is powerful or uses numbers. All of the subject lines are simple and to the point. Because they all follow these guidelines, they have a really high open rate.

Conclusion

Email marketing that doesn’t get opened is absolutely useless to your business. Your customers need to be drawn in by a fantastic headline. Then they need to be engaged in interesting, funny or useful content. Practice recognizing good headlines and writing them out. Before long, you’ll master engaging headlines. Your audience will be eager to read your emails.

“A subject line is like a newspaper headline, a title on a book’s spine, or the key slogan of a print media ad. It tells the user what this is all about. And it should do so in sparkling style — seamlessly channeling your brand.”
— Win Goodbody, senior product manager, Sitka Technology Group

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The Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business

Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing. It targets the people who are already interested in your message and have signed up for your email list. You aren’t starting cold and convincing them that you have a great product or message.

According to Hubspot, email marketing generates $38 for every $1 that is spent. This is an outstanding 3,800% ROI. Email marketing truly is one of the most effective methods of marketing available.

With such an effective method of marketing, you’ll definitely want to select the right service for your small business. There are plenty to choose from!

Small business owners should take into consideration some of the following when selecting an email service:

  1. Ease of email automation
  2. Email newsletter template creation
  3. Email delivery – you don’t want your messages heading to the spam folder!

Let’s take a look at some of the best email services for small businesses!

Omnisend

Omnisend has pricing that scales as your business grows. It allows you to start with a free plan if you have fewer that 2,000 subscribers.

Omnisend has some unique features including:

  • Email and SMS campaigns
  • Drag and Drop visual content editor
  • Segmentation
  • Reporting
  • Dynamic forms
  • Email automation
  • A/B testing

CONS: The free plan only features email automation. You will not be able to test the more advanced features on the free plan. However, they do offer a 14-day free trial to test out the more advanced features.

Omnisend pricing: Very basic free plan. Paid plans start at $16 per month and go to $2,000 per month for the Enterprise plan.

Omnisend is a great option for businesses that want to stay in touch via email and SMS. SMS text messaging can offer you an additional way to contact your customers and bring them in for sales and promotions.

MailChimp

Mailchimp is well-known and liked by small businesses and newbie ecommerce sites. They have been around for over 17 years. The brand is well-known.

One advantage of Mailchimp is that they have a free service to help you save money as you build your list. Let’s face it, a list of 20-30 people may not make you much money until you really get to know them and target their interests effectively.

Mailchimp’s free version allows you to:

  • grow your list to 2,000 subscribers before their monthly charge is in place.
  • Send 12,000 emails per month.
  • Have access to all of MailChimp’s standard features.

The paid version lets you:

  • create advanced sign-up forms with tracking
  • import contacts
  • inbox preview
  • social networking profile implementation
  • marketing integration
  • birthday email automation

With Mailchimp, inbox delivery is almost guaranteed. It is a trusted brand. All major email providers know them.

Unfortunately, if you want to send affiliate offers, Mailchimp is not for you. They are strict about no affiliate marketing.

Mailchimp has upgraded their testing and automation functions. They are now easier than ever to use.



CON: Customer support is lacking. You can not call them. Their support is through their live chat system. The system is often unavailable of experiences many long waits. Most questions will be referred to a link to their help guide and you must figure it out for yourself.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $20 per month and go to $199 per month.

Constant Contact

Constant Contact is another great email service for small business. It offers competitive pricing and great features for your email marketing campaigns.

Constant contact has more features and services than Aweber and Mailchimp, but they are a bit more complicated and have a higher price point.

Some of Constant Contact’s features include:

Responsive templates for mobile devices

Drag and drop editing features

Social media management

Email scheduling platform

User satisfaction surveys

Free live support

Constant contact is a bit more expensive. You must select on of their email plus plans to get full automation.

While Constant Contact has been around a while, they have been slow to update. Therefore, they may not offer the more advanced features.



CONS: According to reviews, they don’t seem to offer a good solution for WordPress sites. It can be difficult to create forms.

Pricing: 60 day free trial membership. Then plans start at $20 per month and go to $335 per month based on the list size.

Based on the higher price point and the difficulty of use for WordPress sites, I’m not going to recommend them. I feel that there are better options.



rated as the best email marketing software

AWeber

Aweber is competitively priced and easy to use. They are MailChimp’s main competitor. If you ever send out emails with affiliate offers, Aweber is the email marketing service of choice.

Aweber does not have a free option to get started. However, they do offer great features including:

  • Mobile responsive templates
  • newsletter templates
  • campaign management tools
  • lead generation tools
  • drag and drop editing
  • integrated sign up form
  • email automation platform
  • list segmentation

In addition to these great features, AWeber gives their customers access to over 6,000 stock photographs.

Pricing: Free 30-day trial with access to all the features. Plans start at $19 per month.

logo of GetResponse one of best email marketing software

GetResponse

GetResponse offers the most impressive array of features. It is also very easy to use and affordable. GetResponse allows businesses to start marketing immediately.

GetResponse features:

  • email automation
  • CRM
  • Drag and drop email builder
  • Advanced creation tools
  • A/B testing
  • Lead generation tools
  • Newsletter templates
  • Social media management
  • 1,000+ free stock images
  • CRM software compatibility

GetResponse has a 99% deliverability rate. This ensures that your emails will reach your list’s inbox.

CONS: The editing features are not as good as other email service providers.

GetResponse Pricing: Free 30 day trial. Plans start at $15 per month and go to $799 per month.



An image of convert kit

ConvertKit

ConvertKit is designed specifically for authors, bloggers and podcasters. The tools and features enable you to build an audience that you can engage with.

ConvertKit comes with the basic email features, although they aren’t as comprehensive as other services. They are designed to be an affordable option. ConvertKit is ideal for those getting started building their list.

ConvertKit features:

Customizable opt-in forms Dashboard with marketing statistics Email automation Drip Campaigns List segmentation

While ConvertKit only has a few templates, you can customize them.

CONS: There is no A/B testing. Therefore, you won’t be able to test out different headlines and copy. There is no free option either.

ConvertKit Pricing: Prices start at $29 per month and go to $79 per month for 5,000 subscribers.

While ConvertKit may work well for some bloggers, I would select Aweber over this option because I expect my business to grow. You definitely want to be able to test out different types of copy.

logo for infusionsoft email marketing software

Infusionsoft

Infusionsoft has so many great functions, but it can take some time to get started with Infusionsoft. It is far too expensive and complicated for beginners.

Infusionsoft is designed to make automated funnels and landing pages easier. It is capable of sending a trigger email. Infusionsoft allows triggers to be built upon triggers.

For example, if you send an automated email offer to one of your subscribers and they click it, they will end up in a shopping cart platform. The trigger will create logic and apply it to their moves.

CONS: The system is much too complex. Simple tasks become a difficult undertaking. Many companies hire developers to use their platform.

They only allow you to send from one email address.

Infusionsoft does not explain during the sales process how to set thing up. It is also very expensive. You will be paying for many technical capabilities.

Infusionsoft will work for you if your business relies on creating complex funnels.

Infusionsoft Pricing: Plans start at $99 per month for 500 contacts and go up to $274 for 10,000 contacts.

Pardot company small business email marketing

Pardot

Pardot is a comprehensive marketing management service. It’s features are designed to appeal to small companies seeking a business email software solution.

Pardot features a state-of-the-art CRM. It is one of the top strategies in B2B marketing, and unlike some of the services here, its CRM features are state-of-the-art.

Pardot is for the more advanced user. It has many features and its prices are higher as a reflection of the premium services.

Pardot features:

  • Customizable campaigns
  • Lead decks with real-time activity updates
  • Integration with SalesForce project management software
  • Microanalytics that track your campaigns’ performance
  • A/B testing

CONS: Pardot has amazing features, but the cost may not justify using them. It is designed mostly for B2B.

Pardot is a truly comprehensive email marketing platform. But, there are some things I do not like about it. The first is that the prices are high. This is not an inexpensive service. It is designed for B2B use, and the prices reflect that.

The other thing I dislike is that some advanced features are not available to all users. Their API and A/B testing apply only to plans that cost $2,000 per month or more.

If you can get past the high prices, though, Pardot is one of the best email services available. You can use it to track ROI, and the analytics are unmatched.

Pardot Pricing: Pricing plans start at $1,000 per month to $3,000 per month. There is no free trial or free plan.

One of the best reasons to use Pardot is because they integrate with the Salesforce CRM. For companies looking to simply collect emails and send newsletters it is not the best option.

Benchmark business email software

Benchmark Email

Looking for free email marketing options? Benchmark is the one for you. It has a paid version as well for when your business gets larger.

Benchmark is perfect for people with a small or stable list of subscribers. However, it doesn’t have advanced features.

Here are its best features:

  • Drag and drop email design
  • Templates
  • In-email photo editing
  • Free list builder
  • Custom colors for your emails
  • Google Analytics integration
  • A/B testing

CONS: No advanced features available with the free option including the A/B testing. There is limited social integration.

Benchmark Email Pricing: Free for up to 2,000 subscribers. Paid pricing starts at $13.99 per month and goes to $5,000 per month based on the size of your list.

Campaigner

Campaigner features many things that a small business needs. They have segmentation and responsive content featuring, A/B testing, reporting and live chat.

Campaigner features:

  • Google Analytics, Salesforce, and CRM integration
  • Email automation and email workflows
  • Mobile-friendly builds
  • List segmentation, including behavioral segmentation
  • A/B testing
  • Multiple reporting options
  • 24/7 live chat support
  • The segmentation works well. But, I do not like that adding filters slow down emails. It can take a while to filter users and choose an audience.

CONS: In campaigner, adding filters will slow down emails. It can take a while to filter users and select an audience. Delivery to Gmail can be problematic.

Campaigner Pricing: Free 30-day trial. Plans start at $19.95 per month. The pricing increases with the number of subscribers.

As you can see, there are many different email marketing services available for small businesses. The right one for your business will depend on how many emails you want to send out, whether or not you need to connect it to a CRM and how many subscribers you already have on your list. For the small business that wants to integrate text messaging into their marketing, they can also use Omnisend.

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Where to Find Copywriting Clients

Copywriting is an excellent way for a writer to support themselves. Sales and marketing generate revenue for businesses and that is very valuable to the business. Therefore, if you have excellent copywriting skills, you will be valuable to a business.

But where do you start finding copywriting clients?

I’ve been a professional blogger for sometime and I will share some great resources to find writing jobs. I tapped into the knowledge of other copywriters and the expertise of Google to discover some of these other ideas.


Start-Up Companies

Angellist.com is a great resource for start-ups looking for professional freelance talent. They have a job board where you can connect and network with clients.

Some start-up companies are well funded. If you filter out for companies that are Series A, you will likely have companies that have enough money to pay you. That is very important.

One great reason to target start-up companies is because there is less competition. For example, Amazon gets thousands of applications for each job. However, a start-up company that relatively few people know about is more likely to take a chance on a new copywriter that doesn’t have a huge record behind them.

Position Yourself in front of Dream Clients

This idea comes from Copyhackers. However, it was a great idea, so I decided to include it. It does take a bit more work.

Get published (guest post) in places that your dream client readers. This will get your name and work in front of them. Repeated exposure to your name, face and excellent content over time will demonstrate that you’re really good at what you do. When they need to hire a freelancer, they’ll think of you.

To discover where your clients are reading, examine the social media accounts of editors at the company. See where the content they are sharing is coming from. Study what is making their articles shareable and figure out why they like them.

Network with Other Freelancers

Many times when a freelancer gets really great at what he does, he becomes inundated with work and will have to refer the client to a friend. Therefore, it is wise to make friends with other freelancers. This is one reason that I participate in the AWAI community and the Wealthy Affiliate community.

Freelancing friends help to stave off the loneliness on the days when you miss your co-workers. It also benefits you to have go-to sources when you’re too busy or to slow.

Simply ask your network, “Does anyone need help with projects right now? Things are a bit slow.”

According to Freelancers Union :

  • 81% of freelancers refer work to other freelancers
  • 52% of freelancers team up on projects
  • 37% of freelancers barter services with other freelancers

Industry Events

Get in front of your targeted companies, whether they are SaaS companies, eCommerce brands or travel companies. Every industry tends to hold industry specific events. Go to some of these events.

At events, you may get face time with some of the most desirable clients. The event may not be targeted to you, but that isn’t the point. You’re networking for your next copywriting job. Your goal is to chat and connect with the most ideal clients.

First you should determine what type of client that you want to work with. Next you need to find the events. Some great places that post events include:

Referrals

Referrals are the lifeblood of many businesses and copywriting is no exception. You should be requesting referrals from your network on a regular basis. Some tips for referral requests:

  1. Create an automated referral request template so you don’t have to rewrite it each time.
  2. Within the body of the email, thank them for their business and remind them that your business depends on referrals and recommendations.
  3. Incentivize referrals through rewards or a future discount.

Create a Niche-Specific Sample

If you are really stuck for getting a client, go to an ideal client’s website and create a marketing piece that they can use. This is known as a spec. You can give it to them with the understanding that if they use it, they will pay you for it. This demonstrates that you take initiative and know their industry.

One of the main reasons that I landed my first professional blogging job was because I took the initiative to put together some potential content ideas for the client.

Business Networking Events

Local business owners often meet up for networking events and referral groups. Whether it is Business Networking International or the Local Chamber luncheon, there are many weekly meetings of business owners looking to refer their friends and family members in exchange for referrals to their business.

These groups will often have requirements to consistently meet and make referrals. There is often a cost that is associated with the event in order to cover the cost of the meeting rooms and luncheon or refreshments.

Create a Website

When you are very new in the industry and just getting your name known, it is great to have a website to showcase some of your writing skills and ideas. That is exactly what I am doing with my website. When I approach a client, I can refer them to my website.

Another advantage of creating a website is that you can start earning money with it. Your recommendations can also generate money if you are using referral links.

Friends and Family

Tell everyone that you know that you are freelancing and looking for copywriting jobs. Many of them may not initially know of any copywriting gigs, but telling everyone primes them to refer you when they do hear about writing jobs.

You should be specific about what industry that you want to work for, what type of copywriting you are doing whether it is newsletters, email, or direct sales letters.

Businesses You Patronize

This idea comes from MakeaLivingWriting. It isn’t one that I currently focus on, but it is great.

As you go throughout you day, you probably interact with many small businesses. These businesses need writers to create their newsletters, email promotions, blogs and direct sales letters. As you go to your local chiropractor, gym or dentist, you may want to let them know that you are open for business.

Some businesses will even do a barter deal for writing to help you get some experience under your belt. So, even if they say they don’t have a budget for your services, you could barter with them in exchange for their services.

LinkedIn

Linkedin is a great place for networking with potential clients. There are groups that are industry specific, so if you are targeting an industry, participating in these groups can be a great idea.

LinkedIn also has job listings which can be a good place to get some leads.

A keyword rich LinkedIn profile can also attract potential clients that you may want to work with in the future. Make sure that you list some of the industry specific keywords and the particular type of content that you are willing to create.

So, get started with freelance copywriting. Test out which of these methods will work best for you and your personality!

What is your favorite method of getting clients?

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How to Improve Your Copywriting Skills – 10 Tips for Mastering Copywriting

Great sales copy can make you a pretty penny, but only if it is done well. You will only make money if you have great copy writing skills.

Writing compelling copy can be a bit intimidating. However, if you start to incorporate some of these practices of excellent copywriters, it will get easier and even more enjoyable.

1. Write to an Individual

As you are writing copy, you should write as though you are speaking to a friend. Grab their attention by writing something that is near and dear to them. Share your knowledge in the best way to possible. Be very personal and add humor. This can help you to stand out in a sea of marketing emails.

2. Master the Basics of Good Copy

This is a step that I am working on. I’m taking a copy writing course to break down the basics of effective copy through AWAI. I’m also a member of the Wealthy Affiliate community. These two writer’s communities provide me with great training and feedback on my sales copy.

Good grammar and spelling are also important. Make sure that your grammar and spelling are on point when you write an email or blog post for your audience.

3. Join Writer’s Communities

It is easy to get discouraged when you write on your own. However, when you are working in groups towards a common goal, you can learn from other writers. Whether you are starting your own blog or freelancing for a company, it is a great idea to join a writer’s community to help you improve.

There are free writer’s groups on Facebook and Reddit. You can also join paid communities that offer specific training and specialized knowledge such as AWAI, Barefoot Writer, and Wealthy Affiliate.

4. Master Writing Headlines

Without a killer headline, your emails and blog posts won’t be read. People are inundated with promotional emails and don’t have time to waste reading a mediocre blog post. Therefore, you need to master writing email subject lines and headlines.

“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” – David Ogilvy



5. Keep it Short and Sweet

Don’t write long paragraphs. People tend to have shorter attention spans. Keep it short, simple and sweet. People will be more likely to read it when it looks interesting and short.

Open your copy up with something engaging that draws in your attention. You can include an intriguing question, share some unusual statistics or an outrageous claim. This will spark the interest of your readers.

6. Imitate Great Copywriters

When you stumble across an email that grabs you and has you so interested that you are pulling out your credit card, you should save the email. Print it out and study the components of it. What is drawing you in? What is the unique sales proposition? How are the benefits articulated?

Does the copywriter use humor? Is it effective? Try to write an email that imitates the style of writing. Practice makes perfect and eventually you’ll have the skill of writing copy that converts.

7. Use Bullet Points and Numbered Lists

Bullet points and numbered lists are a great way to feature the benefits of a product. It also breaks up the texts and is easier on the eye. Many readers will scan down the page and look for bullet points. The bullet points will draw the reader to the most important benefits and features.

8. Edit, Edit, Edit

Your copy should be clean and easy to read. Therefore, you should go through it with a fine-toothed comb. Editing is a tough skill, but it pays off when you are able to articulate your point clearly.

Editing copies also can give you a ton of ideas about your writing level. Eliminate the extraneous words and make the sentences short. Ensure that your message is to the point. Be harsh on yourself and ruthless when you edit. You’ll love the results.

9. Research

Look up statics to support your claims. Make sure that you credit your sources and attribute the statistics to the articles that you find them. Statistics and supporting research articles will strengthen your copy.

When you are researching, do not plagiarize. You can gain ideas from other articles, but make sure that you are coming up with unique content.

10. Save Your Junk Mail

When you get sales letters and promotions in the mail, save them! These promotions are mostly working for companies. Take note of what grabs your attention in your attention in these mailings. Study the unique sales propositions.

Create a swipe file based on your junk mail and email promotions. Start a list of the headlines that worked well on you and what their components were.

Copywriting is more of an art than a science. Some of the things that work for one group fail with another group. Therefore, you will be continually testing out headlines and mixing up the body. For example, using the prospect’s name in an email subject line used to be very effective. However, now that everyone uses it, the efficacy has decreased a bit with that technique.

These ten tips can help to improve your copywriting skills and help you to increase your conversion rates. This will be very useful for you when it comes to writing affiliate marketing blog posts or creating a sales letter for a client.