We’re in the middle of a week of celebrating that we *finally* finished our Heart-Centered Copywriting Home Study, something we had intended to finish more than two years ago.
What happened? Priorities, that’s what happened. It was very painful, but I kept telling Steve, and he kept telling me, “It’s not time. It’s not time.” The PDFs were done, but the audios weren’t edited yet.
Editing those audios was critical. In the live intensives participants shared some very vulnerable things about there businesses and their lives- sharing that just wasn’t appropriate for prime-time. (Deep gratitude to Kamala Murphey for her audio editing skills!)
So, we finally got the audio editing to Kamala to complete over the summer. Then, as we approached November, it got me musing about priorities. There are SO many things you can focus on in a business, and copywriting does take a commitment to learn, when is it really worth it to learn copywriting?
Here are the 3 signs that your business could use better copywriting skills.
- You have an audience who is interested, but nobody is buying.
If you have dozens of people responding enthusiastically to your topic on Facebook, or people who really like you and what you do, but when you make an offer, no one (or very few) are buying.
I see this especially with people who have been doing what they do for a long time, and have gotten really good at it, and their clients rave about it. But… their schedule isn’t full. When they offer a workshop, they get a small handful of people.
- If you really struggle to describe your offering.
When you sit down to write, do you stare at a blank screen, waiting for inspiration? Do you avoid it and avoid it and avoid it?
And when you do write it up, it’s full of technical jargon and ungrounded woo-woo about what you do, and, you admit to yourself, it’s boring. Or, all that comes out is a single paragraph and a few bullet points, because you don’t want to annoy or bother people.
I get it, you don’t want to blather on and on, or write something that doesn’t feel true. But how do you really get at describing what it is that you’re offering so that people get it and will buy? Answer: copywriting.
- If you’re ready to increase your prices, or offer something significantly bigger than you have before.
You’ve been doing okay up until now, but you have an inspiration for something bigger- a year long program, a retreat, something that you know needs to be a premium price.
Or, more simply, you’ve been at it long enough to know it’s time to raise your prices, significantly, and you need to make the case to new people that the price is worth paying.
For each of these, the answer is copywriting.
In many cases, just simple, plain, decent copy can work well enough to get your business going and to walk along. But, as your business develops and you realize, “Wow, this could really work!” you start to need more sophistication in your business. The difference between a full schedule and one that’s half-empty is a big one. The difference between making $25,000-$30,000/year and making $70,000+/year is a big one.
How to Develop Your Copywriting Skills.
The steps are simple: Learn, imitate, and practice.
Learn from a source you trust. There are things that happen within copy that are surprisingly effective, but hard to know if you don’t understand what you’re looking for. One of our clients told me that after learning copywriting from us, he still spends a fair amount of time reading our sales pages, but because he understands it, he can take apart the elements and see what’s actually happening, and reproduce that for himself.
Imitate those you like and trust. Actual plagiarism is illegal and not really good for your business, but leaning into the structure and format of sales pages you like can be an incredible boon to you. It can have the down side of hiding your authentic voice, but in the learning process that can be okay.
Practicing takes time, and is so needed. I tell our clients over and over again, “You don’t need to master this, you just need to become minimally effective.” When you understand the elements of copywriting, what to include, what to avoid, then you can be effective without achieving mastery. With that understanding, you write your first page, and it’s a bear. Then you write your second one, and it’s a little easier. By the time you’ve written your fifth page, or your tenth, you start to integrate the process and wow… you’re writing authentic copy, and your business is seeing the results!
What’s your sense? Is advanced, heart-centered copywriting what your business is needing as a priority at this point? Are you ready to take on learning, imitation and practice?
p.s. And yes, we offer Copywriting…
The Heart-Centered Copywriting Intensive Home Study is ready for you. Through November 9 we’re offering a special price. And the first 20 people who buy receive a free personal page review from yours truly.
Take a look: Heart-Centered Copywriting Intensive Home Study
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Heart of Business Community Update
It’s a new month and so we have a new Monthly Business Focus – Pruning and Trimming. There is support to help you determine what needs to be pruned from your business on the Business Page.
Also… don’t miss the Monthly Business Focus Support Call which is this Friday at Noon Pacific.
In our secret Facebook group yet?
It’s our private, secret group only for Community members – no one else can see it. Here are some discussions happening right now:
- How do you take the Fear of Being Visible into Remembrance? And what is the experience of those who have? Check out the beautiful discussion.
- How does charging more for your services affect the wider economy? This is such a great question with many thoughtful responses from your Community members.
These are just 2 of the many discussions happening every day in our active, compassionate group! Don’t yet have access? Click here.
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When you’re overwhelmed and exhausted, sometimes you just want to be told what to do next.
While our programs are not cookie-cutter, there is a step-by-step process to the curriculum, with clear exercises every week. Businesses grow in stages, and whatever stage you are at, your business needs certain things, and you can safely ignore anything else.
Get the support of being led through exactly what your business needs, so it can develop and grow, without wasting time on the unnecessary.
Foundations1: Clients and Money is for people in start-up, or with very low income, who just need to get clients and money in the door. Incredibly supportive, the promise “every question answered” and in-depth. It just works!
Click here for info and to register.
Foundations2: Expand Your Reach is for those whose income is at times okay, but inconsistent, and you knew if you reached more people, you would have a full, consistent business. It covers website strategy and networking (including networking for introverts!).
Click here for info and to register.
Or… Don’t know what you need?
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Click here for a Readiness Assessment.
2 Responses
I enjoy the clarity about the three signs that copywriting skills are needed. I’m often distracted and this information helps me identify what’s right for me to do.
Shulamit- glad it was so helpful, and thanks for taking the time to say so.