Let me introduce you to Samin. Samin is a small business owner. She works over 40 hours a week providing a service; she's a diet and lifestyle coach. Her time is torn between balancing her online presence to bring in new clients, and maintaining the clients she already has with weekly contacts and coaching. Samin is a one-woman show. And while she has been extremely proud of her business, which now makes over $5,000 a month, she is quickly burning out with the stress of doing it all her own. Samin contacts me wondering if I can help her manage her web content. She wants a few blog posts to keep interacting with her audience. I think I can do better than that. Here's the scaling business copywriting plan I'd offer Samin. 1. Manage Your Clients with a Weekly Newsletter and BlogSamin is right to think of adding/upgrading a blog. SEO blogging offers a variety of benefits:
What else would I add? Well, how about a newsletter? Old clients and potential clients can be added to the email list. Weekly newsletters can work in tandem with blog posts and social media topics. They serve to touch base with clients. If crafted correctly, each newsletter can prime Samin's clients to interact with her business. It draws eyes and keeps her services at the forefront of their minds each week. 2. Create a Downloadable E-BookA blog and newsletter are great, and that'll definitely take a load off, but there's more we can do to help Samin scale up. Samin is getting stuck in the typical 1:1 ratio of the service business. There is only one of her, and she can only do what one person can do in a workweek. Samin could invest in the creation of an e-book. Why would an e-book be opportune for her? The e-book will serve as a low-ticket purchase. For clients that are just investigating her services, Samin's prices are a tough commitment. These newbies will feel more comfortable buying a self-help product at a low price point. As they read, these potentials will see the value in Samin's coaching. Later down the line, they are more likely to commit to her full coaching package. Creating the e-book requires no emotional effort from Samin, besides the one-time investment. If she houses the e-book on her website, she'll increase profits without an additional tax on her time. Like evergreen content, the e-book will hold valuable information that'll last long-term and create passive income. 3. Create a CourseSamin is ambitious, so hopefully she'll be ready for this last suggestion! When she's ready, Samin could use some time to create a course. Since Samin's service is diet and lifestyle coaching, her course could go two different ways:
Next, Samin'll need to decide the setting of the course:
Both audiences and both styles of courses will be advantageous. Samin needs to decide how she wants to grow. Why would this be advantageous to her? Just like an e-book, a course is a one-time investment. After its creation, the course can be used hundreds of times, and its value will not decrease (see more on scaling service-based businesses through group products). She'll also save herself some time. Instead of working one-on-one, paid courses will allow her to take on more clients without doing more work. She can still deliver a high-quality product. She can still help people. But her reach—and her revenue—have increased.
Samin will go from an overwhelmed business owner to a manager of a self-sustaining business. In a matter of months, she'll boost her brand, draw new eyes to her content, and start seeing more clients buy her high-ticket packages. Way to go, Samin. Way to go, small business owners. Until next time.
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With the rise of SEO metrics and the internet's need for perpetual content, the career of copywriting has recently come into the spotlight. But what is copywriting? How is it different from business writing or ghostwriting? Which should you hire? Let's check it out. Copywriters Copywriting is writing for advertising purposes. For this reason, copywriting can include website copy, landing pages, and blogging, especially SEO blogging. Copywriting also includes print copy, such as for paper advertisements or event brochures. Copywriting is often short-form writing with a focus on making sales. For this reason, a good copywriter will be familiar with SEO practices, employ enticing formatting, and maintain a specific brand "voice" to get customers to buy. Ghostwriters Ghostwriting is doing writing without getting credit for it. For example, my realtor wanted to write a book honoring war veterans. But he's a realtor, not a writer! He partnered with a ghostwriter to plan out ideas and expectations for the book. The ghostwriter wrote a good chunk (if not all) of the book, but it was published under my realtor's name with no credit to the "actual" author. Ghostwriters are needed for a lot of things: scripts, speeches, fiction and non-fiction books or articles, etc., so unlike copywriting, ghostwriting can be short- or long-form writing. And ghostwriting makes sense. When someone is trying to upkeep a brand or image but does not have time for hours of writing, it's a smart idea to outsource. A good ghostwriter will be a great communicator, and an adept writer that can handle a diversity in styles and assignments. Business Writers Business writing, wow, what an umbrella term! Business writing is any writing that is done for a professional setting. This term includes both employee-facing AND customer-facing copy. Business writing can include everything from onboarding materials to client correspondence. Technical Writer HQ wrote a great article about everything that business writing includes, and they divided it into these four categories: instructional, informational, transactional, and persuasive writing. Business writers have to be intimately aware of the branding, voice, policies, and procedures of their company. And whereas ghostwriters and copywriters are often freelancing or under contract, business writers are often hired directly with a company to work long-term. This gives them some stability that other writers may not have. Who to Hire? So now we've kind of broken down these terms. What's next? Who should you hire? A copywriter, a ghostwriter, or a business writer? Here's what all three definitely know how to do: Brand and style. Copywriters, ghostwriters, and business writers all know how to write standout copy that will maintain the voice of your brand. They are all great at matching tone and jargon to be in line with a customer's expectations. Blogs and advertising articles. All of these professionals know how to use persuasion to motivate sales. A copywriter might be more aware of SEO metrics, but all three will create outstanding content to live on your website and attract views. But here's a secret... As Shakespeare's age old quote says, "What's in a name?" A good writer is a good writer, no matter what name they choose for themselves. When you're looking to hire a writer, ask for work samples so you can see where they shine. If you can clearly communicate your expectations for your project and your writer feels comfortable doing the job, don't stress about titles. If you're looking for a writer, check out my featured articles here. If you have a project that you're not sure what is, but you still think you need a writer, let's chat about it! |
Kate PlattI'm a writer, content strategist, and general wordsmith. I like to write personalized, spunky copy that generally follows grammar rules. I have one kid, one cat, and a lovely viking husband. I'm constantly looking forward to 8pm, which is when I get in my bubble bath and play handheld video games. Archives
February 2023
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