
What to do if you can't grow your copywriting business (or it's growing slower than you'd like)

this is one of the most valuable (if not THE most valuable) skills a copywriter can learn
identifying what the actual problem is
not what they think the problem is
but what it actually is
why is that so powerful?
it allows you to create results much more efficiently and much faster
that means growth happens smoother, faster, and easier too
but how do you identify the actual problem?
easy
when it comes to a copywriting business, it always falls into one of four categories
attention/traffic
conversions
pricing
churn
do you need more attention and traffic?
do you have enough attention/traffic and need your copy assets to convert better?
do you have enough attention/traffic and high conversions, but need to restructure your pricing?
do you have enough clients at a good price, but too many of them are churning (instead of staying on and referring)?
when broken down this way, you can see how simple it is
the solutions for each are very simple and straightforward too
attention/traffic
optimise your marketing
this means:
your position
your message
your distribution
the majority of what you create here to get attention, and traffic needs to help people discover you
that means:
tell better stories (about what they're interested in)
use more proclamations
tease more secrets
show up where your ideal clients already are
you're trying to get the attention of unaware and problem aware people here
so write in a way that speaks directly to where they are psychologically
you can say the same thing 11 different ways just by shifting the angle
yay minus boo ( X without Y)
the truth about ... (a great curiosity builder)
what to do if ... (great for agitating specific problems)
the great X hoax (great if there's a common enemy)
an open letter (great for a common enemy)
a declaration of war (X is doing this ... it's causing you this ... we do this instead so ...)
expose (useful in BIG problem industry)
person on a mission (inspires others in your goal)
emotional story (great for highlighting specific problems)
big breakthrough! (great for reengaging people or announcing something new)
mad as hell (align people with a common enemy)
conversions
use data to optimise your copy and assets
for ads:
CPMs
clicks
CPCs
link clicks
CPLCs
CTR (all)
for landing pages:
headline split testing
design changes (get the C2A higher, add more testimonials, add a video, etc)
test one fold only vs multiple folds
for emails:
open rates = split test subject lines
click rates = test the link higher in the email, test a P.S, test multiple links and ways to link
for sales pages:
headline split testing
test different leads (offers, promises)
pricing
it's always easier to increase price than decrease it
this is a simple game of economics
as a copywriter, your overheads should be minimised as much as possible
mainly tech, software, and tools
an easy way to restructure pricing is to have a few different tiers in your offers
think of it as a value ladder
low ticket > average ticket > high ticket
this works well with:
DIY
DWY
DFY
churn rate
how can you better retain your clients and get them referring
optimising your onboarding process is one way to do this
and then you want to get them quick wins
and you want to overdeliver
and you want to incentivise the referral
this must be an incentive for them and for the person they're referring
you want them to feel like they're gifting their friend something special
then it's about timing
you ask for the referral when they've had their biggest win
and you systematise it so it becomes easier for yourself
also, for clients who do leave
perform an "exit interview"
this is just asking for feedback
what did I do well. what can I improve upon. what would you have liked to have been added/done differently
this information will help you be better
and further decrease your churn rate