Copywriters are a rare breed of freelancer. Not only do we have extensive knowledge of marketing but we geek out on the principles of human psychology, and have a flair for the written word in a way that allows us to sell in a cool and sophisticated way…

And because of that… we tend to sort of be good at… a lot of things? Or at least that’s what your clients probably think.

If you think about it, sometimes the actual role of a copywriter can get a little fuzzy at times. With clients expecting you to act as a copywriter one day, a content writer the next day, and a full-blown marketing strategist the day after that!

So the question is this: where do you draw the line?

As a copywriter, what jobs should you actually be doing?

Well, the great thing about being a freelance copywriter is that you can offer whatever you want… or don’t want to do!

When I started my business I often offered additional services above and beyond copywriting to get my foot in the door. Today, any clients who hire my agency get copy and consulting, that’s it.

So while your goal might be to get to a point where ALL you do is write words in documents and send them over to your clients, it’s entirely possible to expand your job scope to gain experience and build client relationships.

So in this article I’m going to be breaking down the common roles and responsibilities that a copywriter fulfills, BUT I’m also going to share the additional services that you can take on as a copywriter…

To not only better serve your clients, but to also put more of dat money in your pocket!

Hey Posse, it’s Alex! Coming at ya this week with another blog by request!

My DMs are typically full of messages from my community and I often get asked these TWO questions…

The first typically comes from people who haven’t taken the plunge into copywriting just yet, and are wondering what exactly it is that a copywriter does…

And the second comes from relatively new copywriters who are dealing with clients that expect them to be a jack-of-all-trades, and they’re wondering what exactly they should be doing…

So if you fall into one of those two categories… then leave me a comment up below, because this blog is for YOU.

And if you’re new to the crew – WELCOME! I put out a new marketing, copywriting, or mindset blog every single week. So leave your email below to get more articles like this one.

So if you’ve ever wondered what a copywriter actually DOES or what freelancing services you can offer clients as a beginner copywriter, here are 16 ways you can start making more money in your business.

Take out a pen and paper, and get ready to write down the ones you vibe with the most. And if you’re a business owner, looking to hire a copywriter – then I’m going to share you with my Copywriter Job Description—to make your search for a copywriter as easy (and seamless) as possible.
Ok I’ve broken these services down into 3 categories, and the first is, of course…

1. Copywriting Services

Okay, so this first category is the list of services that actually fall under a copywriter’s job description (in my opinion). This is what savvy clients, who actually understand what you do, may expect you to do for them.

Now before you get too overwhelmed with the list I’m about to go over, please keep in mind that this is YOUR copywriting business. And you DO NOT have to offer all of these assets if you don’t want to.
Ads

This can include digital ads like the ones you see on Google, Facebook, and Instagram, video ads like you see right here on YouTube, or even printed ads that you might see in Newspapers and on Flyers.

The main purpose of digital ads, of course, is to get a CLICK. Now with ads (all forms of copywriting actually), it’s very important to remember that your headline, and the first few sentences of text, are the MOST IMPORTANT THING to get right.

Because in the age of ‘the scroll’ you simply have to master the art of crafting compelling hooks. All great ads grab attention with a powerful hook.

Email Marketing

Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Emails sent to a list of subscribers with the sole purpose of marketing something – although great email campaigns should also add a lot of value and focus on building rapport with the list.

So depending on your client’s needs, they may ask you for different types of emails like autoresponders, an indoctrination sequence, sales emails, content emails, affiliate emails or re-engagement emails—as a copywriter you can add all of these to your list of services…

BUT as a copywriter, your job is to only WRITE these emails. You do not need to be the one to load these emails into your client’s email sending software unless you WANT TO. I have never offered this to a client because it’s tedious and technical and you never want to be the one that actually sends an email draft to the entire list.

Landing Pages

It’s like a sales page… but WAY shorter and used for the main purpose of lead generation. So if the #1 job of your ad is to convert eyeballs into clicks, the #1 job of a landing page is to convert more clicks into leads. You want to motivate & inspire a prospect to enter their information (typically first name and email) in exchange for a “Free High-Value Promise” or what is more commonly called a lead magnet.

Sales Pages

And the BIG ONE. This is what I like to call your moneymaker… because not only is this the page that’s going to make your clients the most money and profit in their business…

But it’s the page that’ll get YOU paid the most money to write!

The copywriting magic needed to turn prospects into paying customers is where persuasion, psychology, and major writing swagger come into play.

In my opinion, ALL copywriters need to master this skill—it’s what sets us apart from other content writers.

Now if you’re a copywriter or business owner, looking to write a high-converting Sales Page that will get you paid, and keep clients and prospects coming back to you for more and more…. and more. Then make sure to check out my 5 Day Write & Ignite Challenge, where I teach you the exact proven sales page formula that I personally use in multi-million dollar launches.

Home Pages & Website Copy

This is what I refer to as branding copy or authority copy! While conversions are still important on your main homepage, your brand message is EVERYTHING. Your home page is the first thing that people see when visiting your website so you gotta make a great first impression! The goal of a Homepage is simple: to create trust, build authority, and offer next steps.

About Pages

With more and more audiences seeking out products, coaches, and businesses that share their same values, well-written About Pages are a great opportunity to share a brand’s story, vision, mission, philosophy, and what makes them different.

It’s your way of answering the question – yeah, but who are you… really?

As a copywriter, you can offer this a service to any client that doesn’t already have an About Page OR you can offer to revamp any About Pages that are dull and less than inspiring.

And – in case you were wondering – your job as the copywriter is to simply write these pages (same with landing pages, sales pages, and websites) and not actually BUILD them.

Promotional Videos & Video Sales Letters

Remember what I’ve been saying over and over again to you guys?! VIDEO IS THE FUTURE!

In fact, 87% of video marketers say that video gives them a positive return on investment. So it’s safe to say that… yes. Video marketing is indeed where it’s at! Says the girl who spends HOURS making video content every week.

Promotional videos are used for the purpose of promoting a specific marketing initiative, event, or product. They are typically short, sweet, and to the point. The copy part of promo videos will include the video’s titles, subtitles, any copy that’s used as visual elements throughout the video, and of course the SCRIPT.

And it’s important to remember that although copy is only PART of what makes a great promo video, up to 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. So making sure that the copy you have in your video subtitles is essential in boosting your conversions.

Another type of video marketing that requires copywriting skills is VSLs – or video sales letters! Video sales letters are similar to written sales letters except they are written scripts, rather than a written page.

Again, your job as the copywriter is to simply WRITE the video scripts and ancillary copy – not actually produce the videos!

Product Descriptions

Product descriptions refer to that short little blurb of text that describes what a product is, what it does, and WHY someone should buy it. It’s incredibly common in e-commerce stores where copy space for products is limited.

But a common mistake that I see made ALL of the time is a boring product description that just… describes the product. You know, all features and no benefits.

Great product descriptions need to go deeper than the boring left-brain need-to-know stuff.

You want customers to read your product description and think… Wow now that’s cool/interesting/unique/smart/funny! I gotta get it!

Alright that covers the bases of copywriting services. Now let’s move onto a different service package you can consider offering for your clients…

2. Content Writing

As a professional copywriter, you’ll find that A LOT of businesses will ask you to do some content writing for them as well…

And just like picking and choosing your copywriting services, you can and should use your own discretion on whether or not you will offer content writing for your clients as well.

While copywriting is the art of crafting words for the sole purpose of conversion… Content writing focuses more on engagement, education, and brand awareness.

And there are various forms of content writing that you can choose to include in your services, but I’m just going to cover the 5 big ones that will be most beneficial to your clients…

Social Media Captions

Social Media is a HUGE part of most brands and businesses’ marketing strategies these days, and if it’s not already, then it definitely should be.

Because Social Media is where the majority of the population is hanging out on a day-to-day basis.

Globally, over 3.6 billion people use social media… and that number is expected to increase to 4.4 billion by the year 2025.

And handling your client’s social media captions and content is a great way to get your foot in the door with a client that you really want to work with. Just remember that the main purpose of social media is to connect and engage with the audience… So you should always be providing value in the form of either education, entertainment, or inspiration.

Blog Posts

I mean come on… everyone knows the power of blogging. Blogs are one of the best ways to get ranked in Google searches and optimize your SEO. But the thing is… most busy business owners just don’t have the time (or energy ) to pump out blog posts on a consistent basis.

And that’s where YOU can step up and offer your services. As a minimum, you could offer at least 1 blog post a week, and of course, go up from there!

Newsletters

These are the weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly emails that get sent out to a list of subscribers. The purpose isn’t to sell or promote anything directly, but rather to build rapport, trust, and credibility. And most importantly, CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

Because one thing is for certain in this day-and-age… customers don’t stick around with brands that they don’t feel connected to on some level. So if your clients don’t already send out consistent content-rich newsletters to their mailing list, then they are missing out on a huge opportunity to cultivate a loyal following – and BOOM – guess who can help them out with that?….

Content Videos

Content videos are a MASSIVE way to build a loyal following and brand. I know because I grew my entire business with content videos!

And yes, like promotional videos, all content videos start out as a script or, at the very least, a loose outline! Because even though they are personal and conversational, you still want to make sure your content videos are informative and valuable and follow a framework!

Not to mention the need to craft compelling headlines and convince viewers to watch, like, and subscribe.
So as a copywriter, you can absolutely offer content video scripts to your list of services!

SEO

Aka search engine optimization. Essentially, SEO is focused on improving the visibility of your website by getting it to rank higher in search engines.

Now, this is something that I get asked ALL of the time… Alex, do I NEED to know SEO as a conversion copywriter?

And the answer is no…

I mean I straight-up tell my clients that I’m not an expert in SEO. I literally know nothing about it except the general basics of how it works. And it’s not something that interests me enough to study and become a master at.

So I always recommend that my clients work with an SEO specialist if they are looking to optimize their websites in that way.

But, but BUT… that doesn’t mean you can’t add SEO to your list of services if you know what you’re doing!

SEO copywriting is common in particular industries and niches so do your research and find out if it’s something you WANT to consider mastering.

I mean, killer SEO strategies with high-converting copy sounds like a winning combination if you ask me.

So if you want to take things one step further and add SEO onto your list of services that you offer to clients, you definitely can.

But you’ll want to make sure that you know more than “just the basics” if you’re calling yourself an SEO specialist.

The good news is, the best SEO secret in the world is to write copy and content that is valuable, creates authority, and gets people to stay and engage with your page or website – which as a copywriter you’ll already know how to do. Alright, now the 3rd category of services you could offer is…

3. Marketing Support

If you REALLY want to beef up your packages (and the money you have coming in), you may want to consider offering marketing services to your clients as well.

Offering additional marketing support can make you invaluable to your clients because they’re basically getting a unicorn – someone who can write, strategize and implement.

Of course, there’s a whole slew of services that you could offer under this category… but let’s just cover the basic 3 that most copywriters could easily transition into offering.

Community Management

A major part of writing in business comes down to communicating with followers, subscribers, and customers via email, membership sites and social media. Customer support was the first role I had at Mindvalley so if you’re looking to get your foot in the door with a brand you’d LOVE to write copy for, why not offer community management as a service to showcase your writing ability?

Funnel-Building

If you have a more technical flair and you’re familiar with online tools like GrooveFunnels, ClickFunnels, Kajabi, or others, you can add funnel-building to your list of services! This is essentially CREATING the pages and sales funnels you are writing. This can be a highly valuable service that will save your clients from having to hire someone else OR spend hours doing it themselves.

Marketing Consulting

This is something you might start to offer after you’ve been in the game for a while, and have developed a pretty solid understanding of the world of marketing.

A marketing consultant is an advisor and strategies who works with companies to create and design marketing campaigns.

As a marketing consultant, you could help to create detailed marketing plans, determine a business’s marketing message, and identify the right marketing mix to most effectively get your client’s message out to the masses.

Remember, as a copywriter, you really are the best of both worlds… word nerd meets marketing master.

So pick and choose the services that resonate the most with you.

And never forget the value you bring to the table.

The post What Services Should I Offer As a Copywriter? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

“Email marketing is DEAD!”
“AI is taking over the inbox!”
“Why hire a copywriter when I can just use email templates?!”
“Who needs an email list when I have a large social following?”

Um….. stop right there and listen up, because I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

THREE little secrets to be exact. 

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of misconceptions floating around the cyberspace when it comes to email marketing. So in this blog, we’re going to talk about the three biggest Email Marketing Myths & Misconceptions… 

AND I’m going to fill you in on the SECRET WEAPON that’ll give you a massive advantage and leg-up over any competition. 

Alright, now let’s get started with myth-busting. 

Myth #1 – Email Marketing Is DEAD

This is a myth that I’ve been hearing ever since I got my start in the online marketing industry… over a decade ago! And guess what?

The rumours were wrong back then and they’re STILL wrong today. 

No matter what you heard at the latest online summit you attended… Email Marketing is STILL alive and well—and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon!

In fact, Email Marketing is the single best way to market your brand or business, increase your revenue, and cash in on more conversions.

That’s right. It’s better than ads, better than social media, and better than organic traffic…

I said it.

In fact, I did my FIRST launch back in 2020 and made almost 6-figures by sending just 8 emails to my list of 2300 subscribers. Yup.

But don’t just take my word for it, here are some stats to prove it. It is estimated that there are 4 BILLION active email users right now (and that number is projected to go up, btw).

Email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI of all marketing channels – earning on average $42 for every dollar spent… and in case you don’t want to do the math on that…

That’s an ROI of 4200%!! I don’t know of a single brand or business that wouldn’t love to see numbers like that. 

And just in case gaining a massive ROI isn’t enough to convince you… this probably will:

According to MarketingSherpa, email is STILL the most preferred marketing channel that most consumers want businesses to communicate with them through. YES, even Millennials and gen-Z-ers prefer email to social media.

And not only is email your consumer’s favorite way of communicating… it should be your favourite too! And that’s because your list is YOURS. It belongs to YOU. Not Facebook, not Instagram. YOU. 

And when you use Email as your preferred method of communication, ALL you have to do to get your message heard is make sure your emails aren’t landing in the spam folder. You’re not held captive by the algorithm Gods, “platform rules,” or having to keep up with the latest trends to get your content seen.  

When you take just a moment to step back and look at the facts, it’s crystal clear.

While I still love and use other marketing channels…

My girl Email Marketing reigns supreme.

Myth #2 – Templates Work Better

This is another myth I’ve been hearing over and over again lately.

Why hire a copywriter when I can just use email templates?! 

Now for the sake of clarity, in this context, I’m referring to fancy and impersonal emails that are all show and no substance. You know those fancy-looking HTML emails you commonly see from e-commerce sites or big corporate businesses…

Listen – they work for brands like Sephora or Apple, well, because they are Seophora and Apple…

But as a personality-based brand (or as the real PERSON behind the brand), you don’t want to get too fancy in your emails. 

Why? Well, because facts: Extensive A/B testing has shown that the overwhelming majority of consumers prefer simple, text-based emails (you know, just like those emails you send to your friends and family).

Not only do consumers prefer plain jane text-only emails, but templates come with a whole list of other cons to consider.

Downsides of Email Templates

• They take a long time to load, depending on your consumer’s internet connection.
• Customization can be difficult and unreliable. You can spend hours finicking with a template, where your time would be better spent just writing and personal, empathetic email.
• HTML templates often get all funky on mobile if not coded correctly.
• They are WAY more likely to end up in the Spam or Promotions folder because of heavy images and design features
• These kinds of emails focus on imagery, not on brand voice or actually connecting with the audience.

On the other hand…. While copywriters might not be able to design a “pretty-looking email”…

They are specially trained to WRITE WORDS THAT WORK. They understand how to craft powerful subject lines that hook your reader and get them to open your email. They know how to open a loop with engaging content to get your consumers to keep reading…

And they know the psychological triggers that get people to CLICK and BUY your offer…

And when you’re a business that RELIES on having a strong, powerful, and intimate relationship with your consumers… 

These factors are absolutely essential to your Email Marketing success. 

Alright, now onto the last—and most controversial—myth on this list… 

Myth #3 – AI Is Taking Over

Look, we’ve all heard it… AI is replacing copywriters at the speed of light—and especially in the Email Marketing world. 

Because I mean, who needs to shell out a bunch of money for an experienced copywriter when they could just spend a quarter of the money on some fancy automation software that “does just as good”?

Right? NO!!! 

Listen, I know AI software and done-for-you templates are becoming more and more prevalent in the email marketing space – there’s no doubt about that. 

But with that said, there’s a whole lot more to the story than what the internet would have you believe…

I’ve said it before, and I say it again and again until the day I die…

A.I. is a tool, not a takeover. 

And as a TOOL—there are certain things A.I. CAN help us to optimize, streamline and improve…

Things like: research, ideation, email automation, personalization, and segmentation. You know, the left-brain, back-end, logistical stuff. The truth is that A.I. can actually make an Email Marketers job A LOT easier. 

But when it comes to replacing the CREATIVITY & EMPATHY that a human copywriter brings to the table…?

It’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

And while it’s true that there ARE going to be some brands and businesses that will choose to get by with A.I… Their emails will be mediocre, at best.

I mean it’s just like anything else that’s being “replaced” by technology…

If you want mediocre results, then sure – go with a plug-and-play tool. If you want exceptional results, hire an expert. 

Mediocre accountants are being replaced by do-it-yourself software like Freshbooks, Honeybook & Quickbooks… but that doesn’t mean we don’t pay a LEGIT PROFESSIONAL when it comes time to file taxes. 

Mediocre graphic designers are being replaced by tools like Canva… but that doesn’t mean we don’t pay a GREAT DESIGNER to design our websites.

And if you want to optimize your email list, increase your revenue, and cash in on more conversions… then you HIRE A COPYWRITER. 

It’s as simple as that. And it’s never going to change. 

So here’s my advice to the copywriters who are worried about A.I. takeover and the other Myths on this list… 

Don’t be mediocre. Position yourself as an expert. 

Do that, and you’ll be INVALUABLE to any brand or business that wants to optimize their Email Marketing strategies. 

THAT’S your secret weapon. 

THAT’S how you make yourself A.I. proof. 

THAT’S how you position yourself as an expert in the industry and get clients banging down the door for your talents and services. 

But now the question is… HOW?! HOW do you become a damned good copywriter and email marketer? One who understands the audience, knows the power of connection, and has mastered the art of conversion?

Well… you develop the skills, techniques, practical EXPERIENCE, and knowledge needed to make yourself an expert! 

And after months and months of listening to this community ask me question after question about email marketing… I decided it was time to do something about it. 

Now up until recently, I never really thought this was needed. Mostly because I already teach an entire module all about Email Marketing inside my 8-week Copywriting Coaching Program.

But the truth is, not everyone has the time, money, energy, or desire to invest in a two-month coaching course…

And that’s why I created a FREE email guide—to help you cut through the B.S. 

My Ultimate Email Marketing Cheatsheet will help you future-proof your biz from the throes of unpredictable algorithms and the never-ending threat of A.I. takeover by teaching how to master the art of impactful inbox messaging. 

• You’ll discover the 7 must-have emails to build and monetize your list (with real-life examples straight from the Posse’s private vault)…
• Discover the right way to build and monetize your email list, without relying on templates or standardized messaging. 
• Get the secret to sending engaging emails that won’t drive away subscribers or lose you any brand loyalty.

Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!

The post Is Email Marketing Dead? appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Need to write a sales page for an upcoming launch? Looking to improve the existing copy in your funnel or website?

If so, I’m going to teach you the 10 things your sales page MUST include if you want to make sure your copy creates trust, builds authority and converts like craaaaaaazy.

Hey Posse! What’s up? It’s Alex. 

Coming to you this week with a super quick sneak peek into the full sales page training that I teach my students inside my flagship program – the Copy Posse Launch Files. And inside my 5-day Write & Ignite Challenge.

In this video, I’m sharing 10 conversion triggers that I always look for when writing – or reviewing – a sales page. 

But first, if you’re new to the crew – welcome!

Here on my blog, you’ll find tons of tutorials on copywriting, digital marketing, and freelancing – to help you out on your entrepreneurial journey.  Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter, so you’ll get my next tutorial right to your inbox. 

Now – today I’m going to teach you exactly how to optimize your sales page – from the bottom to the very top. 

This tutorial is perfect for any coach or entrepreneur with a service-based or education business. Think of things like 1:1 coaching or consulting, in-depth online programs, or other services. 

Now – ya ready to dive right in?

All great Sales Pages need to start with… 

#1. Headline 

The headline may be the shortest section of a sales page, but it definitely takes the longest to write. In fact, I usually write my headlines LAST.

But, because it’s the first thing a prospect sees on the page, it’s the first conversion trigger we’ll talk about here.  

You want to be sure that your headline is strategically written to:

• Hook your prospects’ attention
• Introduce a core pain point, benefit, or USP of the offer 
• Open a loop that entices the reader to keep scrolling below the fold

YEP. That’s a big job for such a small section of text. 

Another thing you need to consider when writing your headline is…

Speaking directly to your target audience – and more importantly – to their specific level of customer awareness.

Now if you have no freakin’ clue what I mean when I say “Customer Awareness”, here is another tutorial that explains all of that for you. 

Moving on to the next conversion trigger you must include… 

#2. Indoctrination

Essentially this is what comes immediately after the headline. It’s the lead-in portion of your sales page – the build-up before you actually start selling anything.

This copy is insanely important because this is when your reader self-selects and decides whether or not you’re actually talking to THEM! And yes, like the headline, it can be very difficult and take the longest to write…

But it’s worth taking the time to do it right because when done well it can make a MASSIVE impact on your conversion rate.

Your indoctrination needs to “indoctrinate” your readers on who you are, why they should listen to you and why they should care at all. This is where you empathize, educate, and validate your reader – you can do this through storytelling, sharing stats and facts or painting a picture of what’s to come…

And of course, the most important thing is that you speak to your prospects’ immediate needs and fears, which takes us to the next conversion trigger…

#3. Problem & Solution

Of course, the whole point of your sales page is to sell something that solves a problem for your audience. So you need to get really clear on what that is.

As human beings, we’re (unfortunately) wired to avoid pain above gaining pleasure. This means that in our most natural state, we respond to problems more urgently than we do solutions. 

Because of this, the sales page needs to address your prospect’s problem – what I like to call the aggravating status quo – early on…

Your copy should evoke an emotional response – but be careful not to put salt in the wound.

You don’t want them to feel alienated, misunderstood or attacked you want your copy to make them feel safe, understood and heard.

That’s why you should effectively and accurately communicate ONE core problem in your copy before introducing your promising solution, or the “big promise” your reader is looking for. 

In this case, specificity goes a long, long way. No one is going to believe you have a solution that does EVERYTHING under the sun. Think of how your solution is the BIG easy button for what your client is looking for.

Now, a very important distinction to make is that the solution is not the product… at least not yet.

Rather, at this point in your sales page, the solution should just be the specialized method, approach, discovery or tool that can solve your prospects’ problem.

Remember – they FIRST have to believe in the solution, before they buy your product – whether it be coaching, mentorship, guidance, expert services…

Now, once a believable solution is presented, you want to pivot into…

GET CERTIFIED. Discover the proven plan for effortless, automated email marketing. Click Here

#4. The Offer

This is where you introduce your specific version of that solution – aka product – as the easiest, simplest, fastest, or best way to attain the big promise that you just talked about. Here is where you want to have a clear and concise USP – or Unique Selling Proposition. 

This is also where you want to include the value breakdown and all those left-brain details that make up your product: 

• What it is
• How it works
• Where to get it
• When to expect it
• How much it costs 

The most important thing to remember in this section is that the value of your offer should always be greater than the price. 

The greater the gap between value and price—the more irresistible your offer becomes.

This is why you often see campaigns that use bonuses, price juxtaposition, or discounts to increase the offer appeal and, therefore, conversion rate. 

Alright. Now you have all the left brain stuff out of the way. It’s time to address…

#5. Juicy Benefits

Or bennies, as I like to call them. This is where you stop talking about the what of your offer and start talking about the why. Or in other words… WHY your prospect would want to buy your product. I mean, what’s in for them – really?

This is where you can do deeper into all the amazing things your product or service does on top of the big promise you already shared.

It’s not enough to simply show them what they’re getting. It changes the game altogether when a prospect believes they have to have it. 

You answer this question in sales copy by presenting the specific and relatable benefits that the product can provide. 

And remember, features are NOT benefits. 

Features are something a product HAS or IS, whereas benefits illustrate desired results that solve REAL pain points. 

For example, a FEATURE would be “batteries included”. 

Whereas the corresponding BENEFIT would be “no disappointed child on christmas morning”. 

Now it can be pretty difficult to convert features into benefits – especially when you’re writing for your own product or service. It takes practice!!

If you need help squeezing some juicy bennies out of your features, I have a FREE feature-to-benefit converter that you can download at the end of this video! 

Alright, next up you want to make sure you’re including…

#6. Social Proof & Authority

A common objection in the minds of consumers is whether or not a brand is the RIGHT company or person for them. 

Trust is a huge factor that determines a customer’s decision to buy from you. 

So it’s important that a sales page communicates social proof and authority through testimonials, social media stats, press coverage, credentials, experience and any other credibility factors.

However, authority is not just something you slap into a single section on the salespage — I like to see it communicated throughout the copy as much as possible.

Alright now on to lucky #7…

#7. Scarcity

In marketing, scarcity refers to the idea of making products or services limited in some way, making people more likely to act because the offer is scarce or exclusive. 

The 4 most common types of scarcity are:

• Price: limited-time discount
• Quantity: limited amount left
• Premium: limited-time bonuses
• Offer: limited-offer/cart closing

The most effective sales copy communicates scarcity that compels the prospect to act while the offer is still available. 

And – this is insanely important – your copy also needs to clearly and effectively communicate a big reason WHY the offer is limited, without it being hypey, pushy, or misleading. 

Is it because of a special event like an anniversary? A passionate mission to touch 1000 lives by the end of the year? A global cause such as World Mental Health day? 

Having a reason why massively increases trust and believability. And, this goes without saying… but always use REAL scarcity. Never lie and say and offer is limited when it’s not.

Before we move on to the next conversion trigger, I want to make sure I clarify that NOT ALL sales pages need scarcity all the time. 

If you want your sales page to be 100% evergreen for anyone to purchase anytime, scarcity can be left off the table. Instead, use urgency and provide benefits as to why someone would want to act right away. 

Ok moving right along to #8… 

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• How Standardizing Your Sales Process Boosts Overall Conversion

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• 2 Ways to Take Back the Power in Your Business: Part 1

#8. Risk Reversal

In other words, how does the copy make the purchase process seem easy, safe and risk-free?

People like to be told exactly what to do and what is going to happen next, so the copy needs to assure them that they will be taken care of every step of the way… 

From the moment they add the product to cart, to when it will be delivered, to how it can be returned if it doesn’t work out. 

This is where you’d want to include any:

• Security language
• Verifications
• Return or exchange policies
• Next steps & delivery details

In other words, this is where you want to debunk the fear of,“Am I going to be screwed over by this company/person?”

Now onto #9…

#9. Call-to-Action

Whether it’s a single button or a multi-tiered order section — the call-to-action, or CTA, needs to pack a serious punch. 

It must only take a second for the prospect to understand exactly where to click and how to buy the product. 

Your CTA should be clear and straight to the point. For instance:

• “Order Now”
• “Get Instant Access”
• “Enroll Now”

The most important rule of copywriting is to have one clear and concise call to action. 

It can appear multiple times though.

For example, if you have a longer sales page, then you’d probably want to include your call-to-action button 2 to 3 times throughout the copy. And always always always make a CTA the very last thing someone would see if they scroll to the very bottom of your page. 

And finally, number 10… 

#10. Overall Feel & Flow

This is less about the copy itself and more about the readability of your sales page which is an insanely important factor to consider.

Once you have the first 9 conversion and optimization triggers covered, it’s time to sit back, look at the entire picture, and ask yourself:

• Is the sales page messaging consistent and coherent throughout?
• Is the page easy to skim with clear section titles that guide me down the page?
• Was everything easy to read or did I stop to read any sentences twice? 
• Were there any glaring gaps or illogical links?

Make sure that the copy is simple and effective. 

I’ve said this a few times before and I’ll say it again — studies have shown that the average reader reads at a 7th-grade level. So there’s no need for wordiness, fancy explanations, or long lists of adjectives in a single sentence.  

I personally find that reading the entire sales page out loud helps me answer these questions. 

Now here’s one more bonus tip for ya…

Make sure you read the page on your cell phone!!!  

With far more than half of online readers consuming sales pages on mobile devices, you want to make damn sure that your copy is easy to read and navigate on small screens… 

And there you have it — an exclusive insider look at the 10 triggers I include on all my sales pages.

Now if you need help connecting the dots and taking your sales page from theoretical to tangible…

Make sure to check out my 5-day program, the Write & Ignite Challenge. 

Where you won’t just learn the parts of writing a sales page…

But I will actually help you IMPLEMENT it all so that you can write your own high-converting sales page in just 5 days! 

In this challenge, you’ll get…

• My 5-question copywriter checklist to help create a bomb-ass sales brief. 
• My Wheel of Persuasion – which includes 6 proven writing prompts to help you build trust, create believability and inspire action.
• My simple 4-point Offer Matrix to help you craft an irresistible offer. 
• My 16-step formula for putting it all together.
• Plus my H.O.T. headline formula and 3 proven hook templates to help you capture and keep your prospects attention. 

If you want help crafting the perfect sales page – from start to finish – you can learn more about my 5-Day Write & Ignite Challenge.

I hope this video has been helpful. 

Now as promised, you can grab your free copy of my feature-to-benefit converter by following that link. 

Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!

The post The 10 Must-Have Elements for a High-Converting Sales Page appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

DigitalMarketer has just released a brand new email marketing certification course! 

Our expert line-up of instructors includes:

Richard Lindner, our resident “jack-of-all-trades.” Over the past 12 months he has managed well over a BILLION email sends, created & implemented strategies to overcome major changes in Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail algorithms, tripled email open rates, doubled email clickthrough rates, and generated over $20M in revenue from email marketing alone!

Alex Cattoni, founder of the Copy Posse, and master email marketer. Since 2011, Alex has helped launch several successful brands and has proudly partnered with many of the hottest transformational authors and businesses on the planet, writing high-converting sales copy, scaling multi-million dollar brands, and crafting iconic promotional campaigns.

Dave Albano, a dynamic and dedicated digital marketing expert, business strategist, and inspired speaker and trainer. Founder & CEO of Joza Marketing and creator of his famous 2-day business intensives, Dave’s high impact strategies and done-for-you services get more customers into your business, more productivity from your day, and more excitement into your life!

Hamoon Green, the CEO & chief strategist of Quick Boost Marketing. He helps 7-8 figure ecommerce brands generate 30%-40% of their total revenue through email marketing and marketing consultation. Hamoon is a whiz at helping 7-figure brands easily add 30%-50% in revenue through email marketing. 

What will you learn from Alex in the new Email Marketing Mastery online certification course:

• How to utilize and monetize your email list–the right way–to turn signups into sales…
• The 3 biggest mistakes in email marketing (and how to avoid them)…
• The power of email and why it’s the lowest hanging fruit in any business…
• A 3-part framework for building authority and anticipation before pitching an offer to your list…
• The 6 email framework you can use as the base of every single email marketing campaign you write.

In this video:

The Single Most Important Skillset You Can Learn to Grow Your Business 2:28 – 2:40

Why The Industry Definition of Email Marketing is LAME 4:23 – 4:33

What is email marketing and why does it matter?

The official definition from MailChimp says:

“The use of email within your marketing efforts to promote a business’s products and services, as well as incentivize customer loyalty. Email marketing is a form of marketing that can make the customers on your email list aware of new products, discounts, and other services.”

Alex’s laser-focused, customer-centric definition goes like this:

“The regular and reliable use of email to communicate with a list of subscribers. Used to provide real value–in the form of education, inspiration, or entertainment–and build trust that will allow you to ultimately monetize a loyal base of customers, followers, and fans.”

Become a Master of Email Marketing https://www.digitalmarketer.com/certifications/email-marketing-mastery/

WORKSHOP: Email Follow-up Machine https://www.digitalmarketer.com/workshop/the-new-email-follow-up-machine/

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Ultimate Email Subject Line Swipe File https://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/ultimate-email-subject-line-swipe-file/

The post Why Email Marketing Matters for Monetization with Alex Cattoni [VIDEO] appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Social media marketing can be a massively useful tool for all businesses – big and small – to utilize for generating more income and growing their loyal fanbase of followers…

But if you want to really use social media marketing to your advantage, then it’s going to take a bit more strategizing than simply throwing up a few posts every now and then. 

In this article, I’m going to share my top tips & proven strategies for generating more likes, comments, leads, and sales from your social media content marketing. 

Now these tips will apply no matter what social media platform you prefer to use – and no, I’m not suggesting that you have to be active on them all. 

In fact, I’m suggesting the exact opposite! 

Pick the platform(s) you genuinely enjoy using the most, and stick to those ones only. In my experience, that’s guaranteed to give you the best results simply because you aren’t “forcing” yourself to show up on a platform that you don’t enjoy. 

Which makes showing up consistently much, much, much easier!

So whether your platform of choice is LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Tik Tok… utilizing the correct social media strategies in your business is a smart move to make. 

But not just because these platforms can build your brand awareness and grow your reach…

Also because, with literally billions of active daily users, social media is one of the best places to reach ALL of your business goals…

With social media you can:

• Generate new leads
• Drive more traffic to your website
• Raise brand awareness 
• Cash in on conversions & have bigger launches 

Which all sounds pretty epic, right?…

But what does “social media marketing” actually entail?

Well the short answer is – anything that drives audience engagement! 

Because here’s the thing… 

While there is absolutely no doubt that social media is a great place to generate new leads, build brand awareness, and cash in on serious conversions…

It’s not just as simple as haphazardly throwing up a post every now and then, cramming your caption with hashtags, or asking people to sign up for your email list or buy your products & services… 

You have to remember that #1 purpose of social media has always been, and will always be, to build relationships. 

So your social media strategy needs to be focused on relationship building first and foremost. 

That’s right – your primary focus should not be to make more sales… it should be to make more loyal fans. 

So to do that, you really want to be thinking of things like…

• Engaging captions, images & videos
• Reels
• Tik-toks
• Going LIVE with your audience
• Posting polls & quizzes
• Doing Q&As
• And honestly the list goes on and on! 

And of course – paid advertising, promotional posts, sponsored content, and user generated content does play a big role in social media marketing… 

But those should all come into the picture after you’ve done the front work into building relationships and trust with your audience. 

So let’s break that all down a bit more… 

Engaging Content 

I know this might sound a bit obvious, but it’s a mistake that I see a lot of people making on social media. 

If every post you make is asking people to buy something from you or sign up for your email list, you’re definitely going to drive away A LOT of followers and massively hurt your engagement.

Aside from the fact that people on social media like to stay on social media (and not click out to other sites or links).

Social media platforms really like their users to stay put. Which means the algorithm doesn’t favor posts that drive engagement away from the platform.

By constantly including a CTA in your posts to click a link or visit a website (which means less likes and comments on the post itself), you’re inadvertently hurting your reach because platforms like Instagram only continue to show your posts to followers if people are actively engaging with it.

Yikes—bummer right?

So a good rule of thumb is to give your followers what they came for—inspiration, education, or entertainment. 

I like to make sure my posts always follow what I call the “Four Pillars” of social media content: Promotional, educational, personal, and engagement/relatability. 

Where…

• Promotional Posts: You’re clearly promoting your product or service to your audience. This is what you might think of as more “traditional marketing”. 
• Educational Posts: You’re delivering mad value in the form of free education or inspiration. 
• Personal Posts: You’re building rapport with your audience. Letting them know more about you, your personal story, your quirks, likes, and all the things you might think are “irrelevant” to your business!
• Engagement Posts: Your opportunity to engage with your audience, ask them questions, and uncover their needs, wants, & desires. 

I break down these four pillars in more detail—including examples AND swipe copy for you to use—in my free Cheatsheet for writing Click Worthy Captions & CTAs. 

Now a good rule of thumb is to keep these posts on a consistent cycle. So if you post 4 days/week, you would post a different pillar each day, rinse, and repeat!

This way, your audience won’t get tired of seeing the same promotional content over and over… and over again. 

And here’s another HOT TIP: Remember that you should be posting some of your most valuable content on social media—yes for free!

Especially if you’re in the beginning stages of building out your audience. 

You should be focused more on forming relationships, delivering value, building trust, and getting people really excited about following you!

Now, once you’ve done this very important front end work, you can start thinking about the second phase of social media marketing…

Paid Advertising & Promotional Posts

This is where your mad copywriter skills can really come in handy!

I mean sure, social media is “technically” content sharing, which means there is A LOT of content writing involved… 

But when you’re utilizing your social media platform(s) to generate leads and gain more conversions — copywriting principles are essential!

This means: 

• Write compelling hooks
• Make sure your captions and ads have good flow & are easy to read
• Pay attention to formatting
• And never skip a call to action (CTA). 

Every caption or ad you post on social media should follow the ABCs of copywriting basics – and yes, I like to write ALL my ads just like I would write a promotional caption:

1. Attention

First, they need to get ATTENTION, with a great graphic and compelling hook or headline.

On social media, your hook is the very first sentence of your caption. If your first sentence isn’t captivating, then the reader won’t tap “More”… and your amazing caption or CTA doesn’t matter.

2.  Big Promise

Second, they need to provide a BENEFIT or BIG PROMISE  in the form of education, entertainment or inspiration.

Once you have your readers’ attention, you need to keep it! This is done by implementing great storytelling, content or wisdom, and opening loops throughout your caption. 

Always make sure your caption delivers on the hook you opened with! Nobody got time for clickbait captions.

3. Close

And lastly, they need a strong CLOSE. 

They need to give people one clear and concise CALL-TO-ACTION.

Because – remember the #1 rule in copywriting (and all of marketing for that matter)…

If you want your audience to take action, you need to tell them exactly what you want them to do!

Remember that every single CTA is an opportunity for lead generation or conversion.  

And no, that doesn’t mean that every CTA should be “buy from me” or “download this” or “sign up here.”

The fun thing about social media is that you get to be super creative with your CTAs to increase engagement and have conversations!

For example…

At the end of a post explaining how to write better headlines, my CTA at the bottom might say something like “Do YOU want to learn how to write better headlines? Comment YES or NO below!”

Then a really simple, and effective way I could gain new leads on this CTA would be by simply following up with every person that comments “YES”. 

In this case, I have a free headline writing guide that I could send you. 

When the new lead downloads the guide, they’ll be added to my mailing list and just like that, I’ve got a new lead that may turn into a customer if they find value from my free content. 

Another way of utilizing this “back door” strategy for lead generation, is using the CTA to ask an engaging question.

For example…

In a post about starting your own copywriting business, my CTA might be “Tell me, what’s holding you back from STARTING?”

The comments here would likely have a big range of answers that you can directly reply to in the comments – or even better – if you have a free resource, video, or course that addresses their problem directly, this is a great opportunity to DM them the links directly.

Which can result in lead generation or conversion! 

But remember, while your #1 goal for utilizing social media might be to grow your revenue…

When it comes to social media marketing, you have to prioritize the #1 purpose of social media…

Which is to build relationships. 

So no matter what you’re putting out there – images, videos, or ads – they should always be focused on helping first and foremost, NOT selling & pitching. 

Do this and you’ll naturally find that your reach is growing, your audience is active, and your launches are selling out. 

It truly is a win, win! 

To see all these strategies in action, make sure to follow the Copy Posse on Instagram and YouTube (my social platforms of choice!) 

Thanks so much for reading. Until next time, I’m Alex – ciao for now!

The post How To Build, Engage & Monetize Your Social Media Following In 2022 appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Hey guys, what’s up!!! Glad you stopped by. In this post I’ll be sharing 4 MAJOR social media and digital marketing trends you should absolutely be paying attention to this year to stay alive and thrive in the ever-changing wild wild west that is the Internet.

So, if you’re an entrepreneur, digital marketer or copywriter, be sure to hit subscribe over on my YouTube Channel because every single week I release a new tutorial on marketing, copywriting and other entrepreneurial delights.

Alright so I learned a lot in the process of making this post. I mean, knew the hot trends I wanted to share with you guys from my own experience in this industry over the last 10 years, and especially the changes I’ve seen happening recently, but some of the stats I found blew my mind. Like seriously… So, get out a notebook and get ready to take some notes!

Major Marketing Trend #1: Video Is Taking Over

I don’t need to tell you how awesome video is. Between Netflix, Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Live, it’s no secret that video has become a staple of our everyday lives. A whopping 75 MILLION consumers in the US alone watch video content on a daily basis…

And it’s predicted that 82% of ALL internet traffic will come through video by 2021. Guys, that is huge! So if you’re not taking advantage of video in your marketing, you absolutely need to be… And this includes LIVE video too.

By 2021, it’s expected that 13% of all internet traffic will be specifically from LIVE video. Kinda cool right? It’s no secret that people love real, relatable and relevant content, which you’ll see is a huge underlying factor in the trends I’m sharing with you today.

So I’m curious to know – what video content do you create or consume most regularly outside of YouTube? Comment below and let me know.

Now, there’s something important I want to talk about when it comes to video… and that is the “attention span myth” – the belief that people’s attention spans are shorter than they used to be, therefore long video content no longer works. Well, I’m here to say that is absolutely not true.

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Become a Certified Social Media Specialist and learn the newest strategies (by social platform) to draw organic traffic to your social media sites.

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Think: when’s the last time you binged watched something for hours on Netflix? Well, Science says it was likely sometime in the last 24 hours. Lol. Netflix reports that its nearly 118 million subscribers watch 140 million hours of content on average per day. That’s 71 minutes per user per day!

So have people’s attention spans really gotten shorter?! NO! Not at all. But what has changed is the increase in easy and available options to choose from, and the simultaneous decrease in people’s intolerance of crappy content.

The truth is, your video content can be as long as you want, as long as you’re adding educational or entertainment value, it’s high quality, easy and available!

This is what I call “The Netflix Effect” – there are TONS of incredibly high-quality video options available in just one click. But if someone isn’t loving what you’re putting out, they can move on…

So hate to say it guys, you can’t blame the algorithm or people’s “shorter attention spans” for your lame content. As marketers today, we are not only in the ATTENTION business, but in the RETENTION business… so how ya gonna get people to stick around? By creating engaging, valuable content.

But, before I move on, there’s something else that’s important to know about video length. If the purpose of your video is not education or entertainment, but rather ENGAGEMENT.

Shorter videos do outperform longer videos. Testing has shown that videos around two minutes in length generate the highest levels of engagement. It makes sense right, when you’re asking for something from your viewer – i.e. engagement – get to the point or they gone.

DOWNLOAD: The TikTok Ad Set Up Guide. Learn how to quickly create 16 TikTok ads in the least amount of time possible. Click Here

Major Marketing Trend #2: Hyper-Relevant Behaviour-Based Content Is A Must

I hate to say this, especially as an email marketer, but gone are the days of relying SOLELY on “batch-and-blast” emails. Or in other words, sending the SAME email message to every single one of your subscribers at the same time, regardless of where they are in their consumer journey with you.

The future of effective email marketing will be sending behaviour-based emails in REAL TIME to your subscribers. In fact 78% of consumers say that personally-relevant content is a determining factor in their purchasing decision and a lack of relevance in marketing messaging leads to an 83% decrease in engagement.

So it makes sense that a recent study showed that relevant e-mails triggered based on behavior are 3x more effective than “one size fits all” email blasts.

So for example, sending emails to potential buyers immediately after they leave items in their shopping cart… or sending viewers of a particular video a different email message than those who never watched it at all.

Yes, while it does mean creating MORE marketing assets, thanks to AI, it’s incredibly easy to monitor, track and create these relevant digital experiences and action-based communications using a robust CRM platform.

In my next post, I’ll talk more about how AI is influencing your marketing messaging, and what you, as a copywriter, need to do to stay relevant and effective. Don’t worry, in my opinion, machine-learning will never be able to match real, relevant and relatable copy written by a HUMAN… but it can help you streamline the process and give you invaluable data to fuel your creative genius.

Major Marketing Trend #3: Omni-Channel Marketing Is Expected

Look, while it’s still possible to run effective marketing campaigns through a single channel, say Facebook Ads, Email Marketing or Social Media… What’s changing is the need to have all these channels COMMUNICATE with one another behind the scenes to create hyper-relevant communication tailored to your audience’s actions.

So, for example, if a follower clicks a post on Instagram and watches a webinar on their iPhone… You would not want to send them an email later that day that asks them to sign up for the webinar they just watched. You’d very likely be hurting your chances of that subscriber becoming a long term customer, because they no longer feel they are in a 1-to-1 relationship with you. It becomes apparent they are simply “being marketed to”.

This is becoming increasingly important as more and more people are engaging with brands ACROSS multiple devices which makes omni-channel and omni-device tracking a must. 98% of people switch between devices in the same day. I know I do!

Unfortunately, while your really customer doesn’t care about the integration that happens behind the scenes, they do EXPECT it. 87% of consumers believe brands should be putting more effort into omni-channel initiatives.

So, I encourage you to use email, social media, chat bots, SMS, desktop notifications, paid ads and retargeting – or all of the above – in your marketing initiatives but – heads up – it’s no longer enough to create a strategy for each channel in isolation, but rather take a holistic approach and ensure these channels are connected and speaking to one another so that you can provide the hyper-relevant behaviour based content I just spoke about. And that is the key difference between multi-channel and omni-channel marketing.

Omni-channel marketing helps create stronger brand loyalty and drastically improves your customer LTV. In fact, companies that utilize optimized omnichannel strategies report a 91% year-over-year increase in retention rate over those that do not.

Yeah. that’s huge.

Ok and finally…

Major Marketing Trend #4: Voice Search Is On The Rise

Guys, the future of search is VOICE. According to Google, right now 20% of all searches are voice queries through digital assistants like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa… And by next year, that number will skyrocket to over 50%.

It makes sense as mobile usage has been on the rise for years and 71 percent of all mobile users between the ages of 18 and 29 use voice assistants on their smartphone.

I’m curious to know, how often do you use voice search or digital assistants? Do you have one in your home or rely on your smartphone? Comment below and let me know.

Voice Search is becoming second nature for anyone looking for a quick answer to something… And digital assistants are going beyond simple search AI and are evolving to understand user intent and behaviors. It actually grows smarter with every interaction… Kinda crazy right?

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“Hey Siri, where is the highest rated Vietnamese restaurant near me?” Interactions like this happen so regularly that you may not even consider it a “Google Search” in the traditional sense…

And neither do many marketers….. Yet… And this creates a huge opportunity for you, if you know how to capitalize on it. Because the way people traditionally conduct a Google Search is very different than the way someone might conduct a voice search.

For example, when you are searching for a restaurant on Google, you might type in “Best Brunch in Los Angeles.” But when you use voice search you change your behavior to ask a question, like “Hey Siri – What restaurant has the best brunch in Los Angeles?” or “What restaurants near me are open for Brunch right Now?”

Knowing how to formulate your content and copy to appeal to the Voice Search algorithm is a key factor in using this trend to your advantage. In my next tutorial, I’ll talk about some key content and copywriting tips for doing just that.

The post Top 4 Social Media & Digital Marketing Trends appeared first on DigitalMarketer.