There are lots of people telling you what to write.
Keywords. Blog posts. Facebook posts. Tweets. Ebooks. Regular books. Sales pages. Emails.
The problem is, they aren’t telling you what order to do it in.
So your left with a s***load of writing on your to-do list. With no plan of attack.
I’ve been talking to a bunch of business owners about their writing. Especially online. And the thing that keeps coming up is that there are three main goals:
(1) get your message out there in a bigger way (it can really help people!)
(2) be organized enough that the money rolls in the door (you don’t need to become a bazillionaire, you just want to take the kids to Africa or pay for college or pay off your debt and trust that the money will always be there for you, ‘cuz you’re an entrepreneur… not an employee… dangit… you’re doing this for the freedom!)
(3) win business in a way that actually feels good to you + other people.
This last one is especially important. Because you look around on the web, and you’ve come to a conclusion:
A lot of people on the internet are full of B.S.
They aren’t forthcoming. They aren’t clear. They promise the moon (with the lunar launch price tag to match)… and that’s just not a game you’re interested in playing.
I got it. And I hear ya. Loud and clear.
But that still doesn’t solve your problem — what do you need to actually WRITE to grow an honest service-based business, using this nifty little thing called the internet?
So I wanted to share my thinking on what you need to write. In what order. So you can reach more people. And give your life (and bank account) a leg up.
It starts with your website…
Your website is the “face” of your business. So you gotta get that right.
That’s what I’ve been teaching for the past 3 years in my Write Your Website production lab... how to write exactly what you need to + get it “good enough”.
You don’t need perfect.
You need good enough.
Good enough will make a real connection with your ideal client.
Good enough will get the right folks to actually think about calling you, setting up an appointment, or trusting you with their email address.
But most people’s websites go horribly wrong.
Think of it like this:
Imagine standing face to face with a potential client. They’ve never met you before. And you ask them if they are struggling to lose weight, for example. Or maybe you ask them if they are overwhelmed and frazzled with their to-do list.
That’s a weird way to start a conversation.
Let alone a website.
So I help people with finding another way to present what they do + who they are. Come across as a real human being. One who solves other people’s problems in a meaningful way.
But once you get that ironed out, then you realize:
… What makes your website into an actually business-building tool is something else entirely.
And that’s where the headspin begins.
You hear all kinds of free advice.
Do this. Do that.
And a lot of times, it isn’t even something you know how to DO.
(You’d have to get an advanced degree in computing.)
You start feeling completely full, confused and like “wtf?! Can someone just PLEASE suggest something that makes sense to me here?”…
… and that’s when I like to talk to people about something completely old-fashioned.
Surprise! Even in the 21st century, you gotta be old school.
Relationships.
You know, relationships.
Being in relationship is something you’ve done since you arrived up in this crazy joint.
And the whole thing about relating to people, in life and on the internet, is that you gotta to be who you say you are.
You gotta to be real. Otherwise, no one cares.
Just like real life, the thing about relationships on the internet is that they take a while to grow.
Would you marry someone you just met?
Not everyone who meets you is ready to work with you right away.
The same is true for your website — not everyone who hits your homepage is going to be ready to pick up the phone and talk with you.
Even if they’d be a great client for you.
Say this great someday client hits your website.
They feel like they’re in the right place. But they aren’t *quite* ready to get on the phone with you yet. For whatever reason.
That’s where your Awesome Free Gift comes in. Because you know not everyone is ready to work with you. But you also want to stay in touch… because maybe they just need to get to know you better before they’re ready.
Your Awesome Free Gift nails a very real and present problem that person has. And it has a simple, sexy title that makes ‘em say “ooh-I want that!”
What happens next? They get the Awesome Free Gift. Which they are stoked to get. And you’ve just helped someone take action towards what they want in their life!
They leave your website. And get on with their day.
They forget about you.
They go back to their daily life. They think about what to have for dinner. That they’ve got to get the car fixed and pick up a few things at the grocery store. They think about someone they need to call.
You don’t take this personally.
Because you know that they problem they have (that you help people solve) will keep popping up, again and again, until they decide to change it.
So you send them ideas for how to handle all the little baby problems related to their big mama problem.
Just because you want to be helpful. Whether it’s by freely sharing your good ideas. Or the moment they decide they can’t do it on their own anymore.
But you remember them, regularly.
This is where your commitment to the relationship sets you apart from everyone else out there in business who keeps having one night stands.
You keep showing up.
You keep helping your people.
You regularly give them your good ideas. For free. Without being stingy or requiring that they buy something from you.
Because you’re in relationship. You’re generous. You know this is the sort of business you want to run. And you know that being this way actually will help you grow your audience and client base, too.
So, here’s your writing to-do list (Stella’s version).
- Homepage that makes the connection
- Awesome Free Gift with a sexy title that they can’t resist
- Newsletter articles + blog posts that solve their baby problems until they want more from you
That’s it. Do that for 6 months. Ask permission to add everyone you talk to who’s good client material, your family and friends, people who are “thinking about” working with you, your clients, people you meet at the grocery store or in line at the bank to that list.
You’ll supercharge your ability to actually see those people come back to you 3 or 6 or 9 months later, and want to work with you as a paying client.
That’s the foundation. Once that’s in place, the game is to come up with other ways to find people who want what you do, and get them on your list.
It really can be that simple. Yes, there are copywriting skills and moves to help you move those people once you’re in regular contact and want to offer them your stuff. But all that comes way more easily when you’re already in a relationship with those folks.
Because you’re already coming from a place of connection and service.
It’s time, bub.
This is the level of commitment and “showing-up-ness” that it takes.
So, that’s what you write. And if you want to know exactly how to write it, check out the Writing That Sells production lab we’ve got coming up. 9 weeks of getting only what you need to write done. Plus, training in key copywriting skills like getting people’s attention in your writing + crafting hot email subject lines. The 4-pay option is available through August 30th.
