Over the past few years, I’ve tried a lot of ideas and strategies to grow my business. Some of them worked. Some of them didn’t. Some of them kept me motivated and moving forward. Others drove me to the brink of giving up.
Yet here I am, still chugging away. Still building, growing, and pursuing the dream. Even though I’ve taken plenty of wrong turns along the way, I’m still pushing onward. And that, I think, is nine-tenths of the battle.
So what’s motivated me these past few years? What strategies proved most useful? I decided to look back and make a list of what’s worked best for me. These are not marketing tactics. These are the building blocks that fueled my business and provided the greatest impacts for my growth.
Here are my “7 Tips for a Successful Career,” in no particular order:
1. Get Your Name Out There
The first three months of my copywriting career involved designing endless iterations of my website and getting zero traffic. Not a strategy I recommend.
Instead, what made a difference was taking that leap of courage to put my name out there. At first, it was just getting involved in some AWAI and website bulletin boards. Then, it was letting friends know what I was doing, attending networking meetings, and, in general, getting comfortable talking about my business.
Each one of these made me feel a little more confident, a little more professional.
Later on, creating social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter were even more powerful ways to get my name out there.
It sounds like a simple thing, but so many people are afraid to do it and literally fail before they even start.
2. Find a Peer Group
Getting my name out there led to my joining a peer group, too. I was contacted and asked to join a group after introducing myself on a website bulletin board.
At the time, I was actively looking to join a peer group just because it was a “best practice.” I had no idea how useful it was going to prove. Not only has this peer group motivated me and kept me going through the worst of times, always offering encouragement and support when I needed it most, but also it’s made my writing better. In some cases, a lot better.
3. Find a Mentor
This is a tricky one, because hiring a mentor can cost a lot of money. As an independent learner myself, I was always resistant to spending that kind of money on a mentor. I thought that since I had access to all kinds of training material, I should be able to learn and implement it on my own.
But I found there was simply too much. I was spinning my wheels, deadlocked with doubt over which direction to take. And that’s where a mentor can solve a whole lot of headaches.
Because mentors can strip away that doubt. That’s the beauty of it. Instead of second-guessing every decision you make, a mentor helps guide you into making those decisions with confidence.
My biggest problem was that I couldn’t choose a niche for the life of me. So I hired a mentor to help me make the right choice. In this case, it was Chris Marlow. Not only did she help me choose my niche, but she also guided me through designing my website, an introductory sales letter, and my first white paper.
Yes, it was a lot of money. And yes, it was absolutely worth it. So if you can afford to invest in your future a little, hiring a mentor for some one-on-one guidance is something to consider.
4. Create an Information Packet
My first Information Packet was based on a template from Joshua Boswell, which in turn was a template he copied from Bob Bly. This is a packet that introduces you and includes all those Frequently Asked Questions, your standard rates list, and your best samples.
In short, it’s exactly what you need when a prospect asks you to send some more info. And it makes that process so easy.
My struggle was that I wasn’t happy with my Information Packet, so I rarely sent it. Instead I wasted all kinds of time with customized responses that weren’t really necessary. It turns out that what really nagged me about my packet was the lack of production-quality samples. I just wasn’t happy with them, and too many were either spec or lesson assignments. So a few months ago, I completely revised the samples. Now I love my Information Packet and send it happily whenever someone asks.
5. Choose a Niche
I was so scared of choosing the wrong niche that I second-guessed myself at every turn. My niche should have been obvious to me, but it wasn’t. As I mentioned, it took an outsider — a mentor — to calm my worries and push me along.
The important thing about a niche is that it should make your target marketing easy. It helps you brand yourself as an expert. It gives you credibility.
Do you know one thing a niche doesn’t do? It doesn’t limit the queries you get from other industries. I may brand myself as a Technology and IT copywriter, but that doesn’t stop financial companies and healthcare companies and even toy companies from reaching out to me. And it doesn’t stop me (or you) from working for them, either.
If I had understood that sooner, I might not have been so neurotic about my niche in the first place.
6. Sell Your Writing
This is, quite simply, what it’s all about. You need to sell your writing to develop confidence. You need to sell your writing to get samples. You need to sell your writing to get your name out there and start networking with other potential clients.
Easier said than done? Maybe. But if you need to, you can always ‘sell’ your writing for free — in exchange for a sample and testimonial. Or sell some writing to the content mills, or websites in your industry. Or right here on B2B Writing Success.
However you choose to do it, get some samples you’re proud of. It’s a powerful thing when you can send prospects links to your samples on a variety of domains.
7. Attend a Live Event
AWAI’s Bootcamp is right around the corner. If you’re headed to sunny Delray for this year’s event, I envy you. Bootcamp was one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had. Plus, I made a ton of new friends and met some copywriting legends, too. Most importantly, the energy and enthusiasm it built up in me was irreplaceable. You just can’t get that from webinars and books.
So whether it’s Bootcamp or some other live writing or marketing event like the B2B Copy Intensive or Web Copy Intensive, make sure you go somewhere. Get inspired, get energized, and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Attending a live event can be truly transformational, both for yourself and for your career. Just like Bootcamp was for me.
These are the seven building blocks that fueled my copywriting business. I encourage you to see how they could impact your growth as well. To your success!
